United MileagePlus Changes
United Airlines is pushing travelers to get a United MileagePlus® credit or debit card, giving them the ability to earn up to twice as many miles as non-cardholders, at least 10% off United award tickets and access to special inventory of its lowest-priced award seats.
Starting with tickets purchased on or after April 2, primary United MileagePlus cardholders will earn up to twice as many miles per dollar from United for United flights than non-cardholders and earn even more miles when they use their United card to buy their ticket. For example, MileagePlus® 1K® members will earn 17 total miles per dollar when buying eligible United flights with their United Club℠ card. United cardholders also get at least 10% off every United flight award ticket they book, and cardholders who are MileagePlus Premier® members save at least 15%.
United is also giving general MileagePlus members who have a United credit or debit card access to Saver Award inventory in United Polaris® Business Class that was previously only available to Platinum and 1K members. And when paired with the new award discounts for cardholders, United Polaris Saver Award seats will be priced as low as 72,000 miles (10% less) for general members with a card, or as low as 68,000 miles (15% less) for cardholders with Premier status.
Check out more details below, as shared by United in its press release.
Earn more miles
United is recalibrating how MileagePlus members earn miles to better reward the airline’s most loyal members. MileagePlus primary cardholders will earn more miles on standard United tickets – and get additional miles when they pay for their flight with an eligible United card.
For example, a MileagePlus Gold member buying a ticket using their United Quest℠ card will now earn 13 total miles per dollar – a more than double the miles earn compared to MileagePlus Gold members who do not hold a card. General United MileagePlus members who buy a ticket using a United℠ Explorer card will earn 9 total miles per dollar – three times as many miles compared to General non-cardholders – and if they use a United Club card, they’ll earn 11 total miles per dollar – nearly four times as many miles as a non-cardholder.
MileagePlus members who don’t have a United card will earn fewer miles for United flights than members who have one, and general members now must hold a United card to earn miles when traveling on a Basic Economy ticket.
Customers can go to united.com/mpnews to see details of the new mileage accrual rates and use the United mile calculator to see how many miles they can earn on their future flights based on status – and how many more miles they could earn by being a United cardholder.
Discounts on every award flight
United cardholders now save at least 10% on every United award flight they book – and Premier® members with a United card will save at least 15%. Primary cardholders can see their savings called out on United’s app and website, and soon United will show the discounted prices to everyone so customers can see exactly how much having a United card could save them on their travel.
For example, an award in United Economy® priced at 15,000 miles will now cost 13,500 miles – 10% less – for primary cardholders without Premier status. A United Polaris business class seat priced at 200,000 miles will now cost 170,000 miles – 15% less – for primary cardholders with Premier status.
Expanded Saver Awards
United offers additional inventory of Saver Award seats in United Polaris business class as a special way to recognize cardholders.
Saver Awards are United’s lowest priced award tickets, and currently about a third of flights that have Saver Award fares available, have exclusive inventory just for cardholders and Premier members. This includes flights to places like London, Hawaii, Florida, Cancun and Tokyo. Saver Award seats in United Polaris business class available to cardholders and Premier members currently are priced as low as 80,000 miles – with new award discounts for cardholders, these seats will now price as low as 72,000 miles (10% less) for cardholders with General status, or as low as 68,000 miles (15% less) for cardholders with Premier status.
