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Flying with United Airlines can be a great way to earn frequent flyer miles, which can be redeemed for free flights, upgrades, and other rewards. However, many travelers wonder if their hard-earned miles will expire before they have a chance to use them. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at United Airlines’ frequent flyer program and answer the question: do United Airlines frequent flyer miles expire?
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Do United Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles Expire?
United Airlines is one of the most popular airlines in the world, and it offers a loyalty program called MileagePlus. This program allows passengers to earn miles and redeem them for flights, upgrades, and other rewards. However, one question that many passengers have is whether their United Airlines frequent flyer miles expire. In this article, we will explore this question in detail and provide you with all the information you need to know.
1. The Basics of United Airlines MileagePlus Program
United Airlines MileagePlus program is a loyalty program that allows passengers to earn miles for every flight they take with United Airlines or its partner airlines. These miles can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and other rewards such as car rentals and hotel stays. The more miles you earn, the higher your status in the program.
There are four tiers in the MileagePlus program: Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, and Premier 1K. Each tier has its own set of benefits, such as priority boarding, free checked bags, and lounge access. To maintain your status in the program, you need to earn a certain number of miles or segments each year.
2. United Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles Expiration Policy
United Airlines frequent flyer miles do expire, but the expiration policy has changed over the years. In 2011, United Airlines announced that it would implement a policy that would require members to earn or redeem miles at least once every 18 months to keep their miles from expiring.
However, in 2019, United Airlines announced that it was eliminating the expiration policy for MileagePlus miles. This means that your miles will not expire as long as you keep your MileagePlus account active.
3. How to Keep Your MileagePlus Account Active
To keep your MileagePlus account active and prevent your miles from expiring, you need to earn or redeem miles at least once every 18 months. There are several ways to do this:
- Take a flight with United Airlines or its partner airlines
- Use your MileagePlus credit card
- Shop with MileagePlus Shopping partners
- Stay at a MileagePlus hotel partner
You can also donate miles to charity or transfer miles to another MileagePlus member to keep your account active.
4. Benefits of United Airlines MileagePlus Program
The United Airlines MileagePlus program offers several benefits to its members, including:
- Earning miles for every flight you take with United Airlines or its partner airlines
- Redeeming miles for flights, upgrades, and other rewards
- Access to exclusive member-only promotions and discounts
- Free checked bags and priority boarding for higher-tier members
- Lounge access for higher-tier members
5. United Airlines MileagePlus Program vs. Other Loyalty Programs
There are many loyalty programs available for frequent flyers, but how does United Airlines MileagePlus program compare to others? Here are some key differences:
- United Airlines has a large network of partner airlines, which allows members to earn and redeem miles on a wide range of flights.
- United Airlines MileagePlus program offers several tiers of membership, each with its own set of benefits.
- United Airlines has eliminated the expiration policy for MileagePlus miles, which means that your miles will not expire as long as you keep your account active.
- Other loyalty programs may offer different benefits, such as free flights or hotel stays, that may be more valuable to some members.
6. Conclusion
In conclusion, United Airlines frequent flyer miles do not expire as long as you keep your MileagePlus account active. There are several ways to do this, such as taking a flight, using your MileagePlus credit card, or shopping with MileagePlus Shopping partners. The MileagePlus program offers several benefits to its members, including access to exclusive promotions and discounts, free checked bags, and priority boarding. Compared to other loyalty programs, United Airlines MileagePlus program has a large network of partner airlines and has eliminated the expiration policy for MileagePlus miles.
Contents
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the United Airlines MileagePlus program?
- How long do United Airlines frequent flyer miles last?
- Can United Airlines frequent flyer miles be transferred or gifted?
- Do United Airlines frequent flyer miles have blackout dates?
- What happens to United Airlines frequent flyer miles if a flight is canceled?
- Don’t Buy Extra United Airlines Miles. Here’s Why
- How Many Bags American Airlines?
- How To Fly Standby On American Airlines?
- Why Does My American Airlines Ticket Say Pending?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the United Airlines MileagePlus program?
The United Airlines MileagePlus program is the airline’s loyalty program that allows passengers to earn miles for flights and other activities with partners. Members can redeem their miles for flights, upgrades, and other travel-related benefits.
The program has different tiers, including Premier Silver, Gold, Platinum, and 1K, which offer additional benefits such as priority boarding, lounge access, and bonus miles.
How long do United Airlines frequent flyer miles last?
United Airlines frequent flyer miles do not expire as long as there is activity in the member’s account every 18 months. Activity can be anything that earns or uses miles, such as a flight, hotel stay, or shopping with partners.
If there is no activity in the account for 18 months, the miles will expire and cannot be reinstated. It is important for members to keep track of their miles and ensure there is activity in their account to avoid losing their miles.
Can United Airlines frequent flyer miles be transferred or gifted?
Yes, United Airlines frequent flyer miles can be transferred or gifted to another member for a fee. The fee is $12.50 per 500 miles transferred, and there is a limit of 150,000 miles per year that can be transferred.
Members can also use their miles to book award travel for someone else, even if they are not traveling together. This can be a good way to use miles that may otherwise expire.
Do United Airlines frequent flyer miles have blackout dates?
No, United Airlines frequent flyer miles do not have blackout dates for award travel. However, award travel is subject to availability, and certain flights or dates may have limited award space.
Members can search for award travel on United’s website and can also use their miles to book travel with partner airlines, which may have different availability and restrictions.
What happens to United Airlines frequent flyer miles if a flight is canceled?
If a United Airlines flight is canceled, the member’s frequent flyer miles will be refunded to their account within 7 days of the cancellation. If the member used miles to book the flight, the miles will be refunded as well.
If the member rebooks the flight, they can earn additional miles for the new flight, and if they choose to cancel the new flight, the miles will be refunded again.
Don’t Buy Extra United Airlines Miles. Here’s Why
In conclusion, United Airlines frequent flyer miles do expire. However, the expiration policy is subject to change, so it’s important to keep up-to-date with any updates to the program.
It’s also worth noting that there are ways to keep your miles active, such as earning or redeeming miles within the stated time frame or using a United Airlines credit card.
Ultimately, it’s important to be aware of the expiration policy and take steps to prevent the loss of your hard-earned miles. Don’t let your miles go to waste – use them for your next adventure!
