Best Ways to Use United MileagePlus Miles

Where the value is

United uses dynamic pricing, but the value lives in its huge Star Alliance partner network: business-class awards on partners can return strong value, and short-haul domestic and partner flights are often reasonably priced. United also charges no close-in booking fees, so last-minute awards stay practical. See United cards.

The Excursionist Perk

United distinctive trick is the Excursionist Perk: on a round-trip or multi-city award, you can get a free one-way segment within a region, effectively a bonus flight. With some planning it adds a near-free leg, which can make a multi-stop trip a standout value. It takes some routing know-how but rewards the effort.

How to feed and use it

United is a 1:1 transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards, so a Chase trifecta can fund redemptions. Confirm award space before transferring, since transfers are one-way. Target partner premium cabins and use the Excursionist Perk to stretch a single award.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Award Flight Taxes and Fees, Explained
• The Best and Worst European Countries for Award-Flight Taxes
• Flying to London on Points: How to Beat the Taxes
• The Countries With the Highest Award-Flight Taxes
• Flying to Asia on Points Without the Surcharges

Written by Bryce Casson, Founder of Cardocrat. About the author and how we rank cards.