United rewards MileagePlus℠ cardholders with more miles and exclusive flight discounts

United is giving travelers three new reasons to own and use a United MileagePlus℠ credit or debit card: the ability to earn up to twice as many miles compared to non-cardholders, at least 10% off United reward tickets, and access to a special inventory of its lowest-priced reward seats.

Starting April 2 or later, United MileagePlus℠ Primary Cardmembers will earn up to twice the miles per dollar on United flights compared to non-cardmembers, and will earn even more miles when using their United card to purchase their ticket.* For example, MileagePlus℠ 1K℠ members will earn a total of 17 miles per dollar when purchasing eligible United flights with their United Club℠ card—one of the highest earning rates among any airline travel rewards program or credit card. United cardmembers also get at least 10% off each reward ticket they book, and those with MileagePlus Premier℠ status will save at least 15%.

United is also giving general MileagePlus℠ members with a United credit or debit card access to Saver Award inventory in United Polaris℠ Business Class, previously available only to Platinum and 1K members. In addition, combined with new cardholder reward discounts, Polaris Saver Reward seats will be priced as low as 72,000 miles (10% less) for general cardholders, or as low as 68,000 miles (15% less) for Premier℠ cardholders.

“The most rewarding way to fly United is as a MileagePlus℠ member, and the best way to get the most value from the MileagePlus℠ program is with one of our credit or debit cards. MileagePlus℠ is designed to reward loyalty to United, and our best customers deserve the best benefits in the industry,” said Andrew Nocella, United’s Chief Commercial Officer. “MileagePlus℠ members can now earn more miles faster with a United card, and each of those miles will go further thanks to our permanent discounts on reward tickets and expanded access to Saver Award fares.”

Three new reasons to get and use a United MileagePlus credit or debit card

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 bonus miles when they pay for their flight with an eligible United card.

For example, a MileagePlus Gold℠ member who purchases a ticket using their United Quest℠ card will now earn a total of 13 miles per dollar, more than double the miles earned compared to MileagePlus Gold℠ members without a card. General United MileagePlus℠ members who purchase a ticket with a United℠ Explorer card will earn a total of 9 miles per dollar—three times the miles earned by general members without a card—and if they use a United Club℠ card, they will earn 11 miles per dollar, nearly four times as many miles as someone without a card.

MileagePlus℠ members without a United card will earn fewer miles on United flights than members who do; in addition, general members will now need to be United cardholders to earn miles when traveling on a Basic Economy ticket.

Customers can visit united.com/mpnews for details on the new mileage accrual rates and use United's mileage calculator to see how many miles they can earn on future flights based on their status — and how many additional miles they could get as a United cardholder.

Discounts on every reward flight: United cardholders now save at least 10% on every United reward flight they book, and Premier℠ members with a United card will save at least 15%. Primary cardholders can see their highlighted savings in the United app and website; plus, United will soon display discounted fares to the public so customers can see exactly how much they could save on their travels with a United card.

For example, a United Economy℠ award priced at 15,000 miles will now cost 13,500 miles (a 10% decrease) for primary cardholders without Premier status. A United Polaris® business class seat priced at 200,000 miles will now cost 170,000 miles (a 15% decrease) for primary cardholders with Premier status.

Expanded Saver Awards: United offers an additional inventory of Saver Award seats in United Polaris℠ Business Class as a special way to recognize its cardholders.

Saver Awards are United's lowest-priced reward tickets, and currently, about a third of the flights with these fares are exclusively available to cardholders and Premier members. This includes flights to destinations such as London, Hawaii, Florida, Cancun, and Tokyo. Saver Award seats in United Polaris Business Class, available to cardholders and Premier members, currently start at 80,000 miles; with the new cardholder reward discounts, these seats will now cost as little as 72,000 miles (10% less) for General status cardholders, or as little as 68,000 miles (15% less) for Premier status cardholders.

On average, cardholders save nearly 30% when booking Saver Awards flights under the 'Cardmembers Save' banner on united.com and the United app, compared to standard rewards fares. With expanded access to Saver Awards and a new rewards discount, cardholders will have the opportunity to combine these savings, consistently needing fewer miles to book the same trips while enjoying greater access to Saver Awards fares.

United Card Portfolio:
Cardholders can take advantage of opportunities to earn even more miles and new discounts with eligible cards, including the United Explorer Card, United Quest Card, United Club Card, United Business Card, United Club Business Card, United Gateway Card, and MileagePlus Debit Rewards Card. United also offers eligible cards in U.S. territories and international locations, including Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guam, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Panama, and Saipan. This spring, the airline plans to introduce new cards in Brazil, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Cardholders can track their rewards and earnings throughout the year with these cards in the United Member Benefits Center.

Benefits of United MileagePlus℠

Joining MileagePlus℠ is free and was recently rated one of the best airline travel rewards programs.** It offers members benefits including miles that never expire, no blackout dates, and the ability to purchase tickets with miles or a combination of miles and cash. There are also no change fees for reward tickets, a shared mileage pool so travelers can combine their miles into a joint account, and the ability to use miles through the Blue Sky loyalty partnership, among other benefits. With United flying to more than 380 destinations worldwide, MileagePlus℠ makes it easy for travelers to reach their dream destinations, and cardholders unlock maximum value when flying United.

Source: United.