Key takeaways
- United miles are worth approximately 0.9 cents each according to Bankrate valuations, although some bookings may have a higher or lower point value.
- United no longer features an awards chart, and this makes it difficult to predict how many miles you’ll need for a specific award.
- Miles can be earned through spending with co-branded United credit cards and Chase Ultimate Rewards cards, as well as through flights with the airline (and partners) and other qualifying activity.
Earning United miles can be a smart move if you plan to travel within the United States, but even more so if you’re a frequent traveler overseas. This is due to the airline’s membership in the Star Alliance, which unlocks the chance for you to use miles to fly to 1,200 unique airport destinations across more than 25 different airline partners.
It can still help to know how much United miles are worth before you focus on earning this rewards currency specifically. You should also have a general idea of where United and its partners fly, and how many miles you’ll need for an award booking. This can help you determine if other frequent flyer programs travel to more destinations you want to visit from your home airport for fewer miles overall.
So, how much are United miles worth? And how can you use miles in the United MileagePlus program for travel? We answer these questions and plenty of others below.
How much are United miles worth?
According to Bankrate’s recent points and miles valuations, United miles are worth about 0.9 cents each. This means that, on average, you’ll get 0.9 cents per mile in value when you redeem your rewards for airfare. When you break it down further, this means 50,000 miles are worth approximately $450.
That said, it may be possible to get a better redemption value if you’re able to use your miles to book international flights in a premium cabin.
United miles vs. other airlines
Other frequent flyer program miles can be worth more or less than United miles on average, and this also depends on when and how you choose to redeem your points. This information is helpful to know when you’re considering airline credit cards and trying to earn miles that are actually valuable in their own right, whether you want to book a quick flight close to home or are planning an extensive international trip.
The chart below shows how the value of United miles compares to the value of other airline currencies:
| Airline rewards program | Bankrate value |
|---|---|
| Air France / Flying Blue | 1.3 cents |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | 1.0 cents |
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | 1.1 cents |
| Delta SkyMiles | 1.2 cents |
| Frontier Miles | 1.3 cents |
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles | 0.7 cents |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 1.3 cents |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 1.5 cents |
| Spirit Airlines Free Spirit | 1.0 cents |
| United MileagePlus | 0.9 cents |
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 2.6 cents |
How to redeem United miles
While there are alternate redemption options for United miles, they tend to be worth considerably more if you use them to book airfare. Here’s a rundown of the different redemption options for United miles and when they make sense.
Book a flight with United or its partners
When it comes to flights, you can use your miles to book airfare with United and its Star alliance partners. You can make the booking with miles exclusively (plus airline taxes and fees), or you can book a flight using a combination of cash and miles. You can also use miles to pay for an upgrade on eligible itineraries you paid with cash.
In any of these scenarios, you can book award flights through United.com or the United mobile app. You’ll have to log into your United MileagePlus account to see award options and redeem your miles for airfare.
How many United miles do you need for a flight? This depends on your destination and travel dates, but it’s important to note that United does not offer an award chart that lets you find this information out ahead of time.
This said, you may be able to find one-way international flights to destinations in Europe for as little as 30,000 miles in economy and 60,000 miles in premium economy. You may also be able to find one-way itineraries from the U.S. to Asia for less than 55,000 miles in economy. One-way domestic flights in economy can be found for less than 10,000 miles, although this depends heavily on your travel destination, city of departure and travel dates.
Find a deal with United’s Featured Awards
The airline also offers a flight awards page that lists some of its least expensive award options, which you can use for some inspiration. If you’re able to build your trips around the airline’s featured awards, you can save some miles every time you fly.
As of this writing, some of the following award deals were available with United miles:
- Newark (EWR) to San Francisco (SFO) for 13,300 miles (plus $6) in economy
- Chicago (ORD) to Las Vegas (LAS) for 8,400 miles (plus $6) in economy
- Newark (EWR) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) for 8,600 miles (plus $6) in economy
- Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo (NRT) for 55,000 miles (plus $6) in economy
- San Francisco (SFO) to London (LHR) for 30,700 miles (plus $6) in economy
Use other redemption options at a lesser value
You can also redeem your miles for options like:
- Gift cards
- Merchandise
- Hotel stays, car rentals and cruise bookings
- United Club memberships
- In-flight wifi or dining
- Checked bag fees
However, redeeming miles for anything other than airfare works best in scenarios where you have no plans to use them for airfare and simply want to use up their value. After all, you’ll almost always get a better value out of miles you redeem when you use them for flights with United and its partners over non-travel options.
When is the best time to redeem United miles?
The absolute best time to redeem United miles is any time you find a booking you want that’s available for a reasonable price. After all, award availability with United can change by the day or even the hour, so the booking you want may not be there if you wait.
You’re also better off trying to use your miles early, as far out as 11 months before your travel dates. By searching for award availability early, you may be able to lock in prized bookings that may not be available later on. Plus, you’ll have extra time to continue your search and consider alternate travel dates and destinations.
Best credit cards for earning United miles
United offers several co-branded credit cards through Chase, but you don’t need a co-branded card to get United miles. Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to United at a 1:1 ratio. This means you can earn points on your Chase credit card and then turn them into United miles by transferring them.
Here’s an overview of some of the best United Airlines credit cards — plus one Chase travel credit card — to help you earn United miles:
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- Rewards rate: 2X miles on United purchases, dining and hotel stays and 1X miles on all other purchases
- Welcome offer: 50,000 miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months of account opening
- Annual fee: $0 the first year, then $95
- Regular APR: 21.99 percent to 28.99 percent variable APR
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The United℠ Explorer Card* is best for travelers who fly with United a few times per year and want perks like priority boarding, a first checked bag fee and a fee credit toward Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck membership. The low annual fee on the card makes it easy to justify keeping it over time, especially since members get some annual benefits like two United Club passes each year and 25 percent back on eligible in-flight purchases.
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- Rewards rate: 3X miles on United purchases; 2X miles on dining, all other travel and select streaming services and 1X miles on all other purchases
- Welcome offer: 60,000 miles and 500 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) after you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months of account opening
- Annual fee: $250
- Regular APR: 21.99 percent to 28.99 percent variable APR
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The United Quest℠ Card* is worth checking out if you travel with United more than a few times per year. This card has a higher annual fee of $250, but it comes with benefits like Premier qualifying points (PQP) toward elite status, a $125 annual United purchase credit, priority boarding, a first and second checked bag free, 25 percent back on in-flight purchases and a fee credit toward Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck membership.
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- Rewards rate: 4X miles on United purchases; 2X miles on dining and all other travel and 1X miles on all other purchases
- Welcome offer: 80,000 miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases within 3 months of account opening
- Annual fee: $525
- Regular APR: 21.99 percent to 28.99 percent variable
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The United Club℠ Infinite Card* has a much higher annual fee of $525, but it comes with United Club membership that’s valued at $650 per year. Cardholders also get some of the best benefits of any airline credit card, including Premier qualifying points (PQP) toward elite status, Premier Access travel services, Premier upgrades on award tickets, priority boarding, a first and second checked bag free, 25 percent back on in-flight purchases and a fee credit toward Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck membership.
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- Rewards rate: 5X points on travel through Chase Travel℠; 5X points on Lyft purchases through March 2025; 3X points on dining, select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs); 2X points on other travel purchases and 1X points on all other purchases
- Welcome offer: 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Annual fee: $95
- Regular APR: 21.49 percent to 28.49 percent variable APR
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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a great choice if you want to be able to use your rewards for more options overall. Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to the United MileagePlus program and other Chase airline and hotel partners if you prefer, but you can also redeem them for travel through the Chase portal, gift cards, cash back, merchandise and more. You also get 25 percent more value when you redeem points for travel through Chase. Just remember the card doesn’t offer any specific travel benefits with United, such as free checked bags or priority boarding.
Additional ways to earn United miles
In addition to earning United miles with co-branded credit cards and Chase Ultimate Rewards cards, you can also earn miles with the following strategies:
Check out Bankrate’s travel toolkit for tips and tricks on how to maximize travel with a credit card.
The bottom line
United miles are worth just under one cent (0.9 cents) each on average, but it’s possible to get more value than that if you’re flexible with your travel dates and willing to shop around. You’ll also be a lot better off if you put in more effort on the earning side of the equation. This means that, in addition to flying with the airline, you should pick up a co-branded United card or a Chase travel credit card to start earning rewards on everything you buy.
*The information about the United℠ Explorer Card, United Quest℠ Card and United Club℠ Infinite Card has been collected independently by Bankrate. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
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