Whether you've banked MileagePlus miles from years of flying United, carry one of their co-branded credit cards (and increasingly, you'll need to), or have some Chase points you can transfer, sitting on a bunch of United miles is a high quality problem.
We know, we know: It seems hard to get good value out of them. Over the years, United has increased rates on routes near and far. But the deals are still out there – you just have to know where to look … and we do!
We've sent Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers hundreds of award alerts to use their United miles over the years. The standout deals run the gamut from deeply discounted sales flying United abroad to some amazing redemptions using United miles to fly on one of the many Star Alliance partner airlines.
And nowadays travelers with a United co-branded card are getting even better deals thanks to some exclusive (and massive) discounts.
Many of these deals are gone now … but the next big sale is just around the corner. Until then, take a look at just how cheap United MileagePlus deals can get.
Want the next insane United MileagePlus deal? Check out Thrifty Traveler Premium!
- Fly to Hawaii From 30K RT
- United Polaris to London from 80K Miles Each Way
- ANA Business Class to Tokyo from 100K Miles Each Way
- United Polaris to Tokyo from 100K Points Each Way
- Economy to Europe from 50K Points RT
- Caribbean & Mexico for 21K Miles (or Less!) RT
- Turkish Business Class from 80K Miles Each Way
- United Polaris to Australia & New Zealand from 100K Miles Each Way
- United Co-Branded Cards Are Becoming Critical
Fly to Hawaii From 30K RT
Hawaii is near the top of every traveler's bucket list – and for good reason. But getting there isn't always cheap. That's where MileagePlus miles come in handy.
United flies more than a dozen nonstop routes between the mainland and the islands, giving you plenty of good opportunities to use miles to take the sting out of a bucket list vacation. Depending on where you're starting, you can get there and back for as few as 30,000 United miles roundtrip.
In general, you'll find the cheapest flights flying from West Coast cities like San Francisco (SFO) and Los Angeles (LAX) to any of the Hawaiian Islands. If you're starting on the East Coast or even in the middle of the country, like Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) or Denver (DEN), you can expect to pay closer to 50,000 miles for a roundtrip flight in economy.
Even so, that beats the $800-plus cash price you'll normally see on many of these routes. And best of all, availability to actually book these seats is generally pretty good.
When we sent this deal out last fall, you could fly from more than a half-dozen United hubs nonstop to the islands for as few as 30,000 United miles roundtrip.
United Polaris to London from 80K Miles Each Way
For a trip to London-Heathrow (LHR), United's Polaris business class is arguably the most comfortable ride of any U.S. airline. With excellent bedding, top-notch amenities, and plenty of in-flight entertainment, you'll arrive in Europe feeling well-rested and ready to hit the ground running.
This flight deal to London-Heathrow (LHR) from cities all over the U.S. is the perfect example of the kinds of deals we find several times a year. United runs a deep network of nonstop flights to Europe – many of which open up to sale pricing a few times a year.
Exactly how much you'll pay for a business class ride to London often depends on what's in your wallet. Remember how I said a United co-branded card is key for the best deals? This is a prime example.
Without a United card, you're most likely to see the airline charging 115,000 miles or more for a Polaris business class seat across the pond. But if you've got even the cheapest *united explorer*, you'll see expanded “Saver” availability and be able to book for as low as 80,000 miles each way. That's a big discount.
While London is the most frequent example of affordable business class flights to Europe, we've also seen United slash prices to Portugal, Ireland, Italy and more throughout the year – often offering rates of 80,000 United miles each way.
ANA Business Class to Tokyo from 100K Miles Each Way
This might seem like a hot take, but if you ask me, using your United miles to book ANA business class to Tokyo is one of the best options in this bunch.
Why? Because you get to sit in a seat that looks like this.
Related reading: A Full Review of ANA's ‘The Room' Business Class
ANA calls it “The Room,” and after experiencing it firsthand, I can see why. These business class suites are simply incredible, with an almost laughable amount of space and privacy that puts even Qatar's vaunted business class suites – and even many bona fide international first class seats – to shame. Not to mention, the airline's quintessential Japanese service and delicious food and drinks will have you thinking you're in Asia before you even land.
So what's the cost for something like this? As low as 100,000 miles!
Just 100,000 United miles for the nearly 14-hour flight from Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) to Tokyo-Haneda (HND) is a killer deal. Without a United card, you're looking at a price of 110,000 miles each way on the low end … and often much higher than that.
United Polaris to Tokyo from 100K Points Each Way
While I'd prefer to fly ANA to Japan (see above), United's own business class seats aren't a bad consolation prize.
Flying Polaris business class from the U.S. to Japan, you won't get the same amount of space and privacy as you would with ANA, but United makes up for it with its comfortable seat and unbeatable bedding. After all, on a flight this long, rest is what you're really after … and United always delivers on that front.
So long as you're a cardmember (or have status), you can book these routes for 100,000 miles each way. That's as cheap as it gets to fly United Polaris over to Asia these days – and considering the savings compared to the normal rate of 170,000 miles or more, it's well worth it.
Economy to Europe from 50K Points RT
The lie-flat seats may get all the love, because the bang-for-your-buck … err, mile … is just so high. But you don't need a huge stash of United miles to fly all over the world. In fact, sometimes, all you need is 50,000 United miles, and you've got roundtrip flights to Europe.
Take a look at this flight from Newark (EWR) to Rome (FCO) for proof. Just 24,600 miles are all you'd need for a one-way economy class ticket to Europe … and you'll often find identical pricing on the way home, for less than 50,000 miles roundtrip.
Unfortunately, it's a much more costly proposition for those who don't live on the East Coast – United's lowest prices are typically from cities like Boston (BOS), Newark, and Washington D.C.-Dulles (IAD). If you're looking to fly from a West Coast city like San Francisco (SFO), you're far more likely to pay 40,000 miles in each direction – or 80,000 miles roundtrip.
While 50,000 (or 80,000) MileagePlus miles isn't the absolute lowest price you'll ever see for a roundtrip economy class seat across the Atlantic, you get a main cabin fare – not a pesky basic economy ticket, as is the case with Delta. This means you'll get a free checked bag, can pick your seat for free, and cancel your ticket and get all your miles back for free if plans change, too.
Caribbean & Mexico for 21K Miles (or Less!) RT
If there's one sure bet with even a small stash of United miles, look to Mexico and the Caribbean.
The airline routinely offers dirt-cheap economy redemptions down to islands throughout the Caribbean – even the expensive ones. For example, just 10,500 United miles can get you down to Nassau, Bahamas (NAS) – or just 21,000 miles roundtrip!
The taxes and fees on Caribbean fares can be more expensive than normal. On the example above to Nassau, for example, it was more than $120 per ticket for the roundtrip. But those kinds of taxes and fees are unavoidable on most trips to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean … and with how few miles you're forking over, it's still a tremendous deal.
Plus, just look at this deal from Newark to Cancun (CUN): Just 6,900 miles in each direction!
And best of all: United MileagePlus fares are totally refundable – yes, even in economy. These are all Main Cabin fares that include seat selection and free changes and cancellations. If you can't make the trip work – or you find a better deal later on (good luck with that) – all you have to do is cancel and get all your miles redeposited and all your taxes and fees refunded!
Turkish Business Class from 80K Miles Each Way
Speaking of crossing the Atlantic, why settle for just Europe? Split in half by the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul offers both a taste of Europe and Asia. Two continents for the price of one? Sounds good to me.
But you won't be flying United's own planes to get there. Instead, we're turning to Star Alliance partner Turkish Airlines, which operates more than a dozen nonstop flights a day from the U.S. to Istanbul (IST). Booking Turkish business class through United, you can expect to pay 88,000 miles in each direction.
Once again, having a United co-branded credit card in your wallet will help you save, dropping the price to just 80,000 miles.
That was the impetus for a flight deal alert we sent last year, highlighting business class availability from a handful of cities (including Dallas) to Istanbul. The best availability on this deal alert was during November to May – the perfect time to visit Turkey, if you ask me.
United Polaris to Australia & New Zealand from 100K Miles Each Way
For the long, long-haul down to Australia or New Zealand, you'll want to stretch out in the comfy seats. But between $5,000-plus fares and hard-to-find award space to use your miles on a lie-flat seat, that can be tough to pull off.
But if you know where to look and have the right piece of plastic (or metal) in your wallet, you can make it happen. Check out this flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Brisbane (BNE) for all the proof you need.
Without a United card, you'd be looking at prices of 200,000 miles in each direction. Ouch! But with the expanded “Saver” space and discount pricing available to United cardholders, you can often find flights to Australia for just 100,000 miles in each way – half the price. For a trip for two, you'd be saving 200,000 miles!
And you'll see the exact same thing when looking for flights to Auckland, New Zealand (AKL): 200,000 miles one way without a United card … or 100,000 miles with one.
If New Zealand or Australia are on your bucket list and you've got United miles to burn, this is a no-brainer … and a phenomenal deal.
United Co-Branded Cards Are Becoming Critical
There's one common thread between many of these deals: Having a United co-branded card (or elite status with the airline) is the key to getting the best deal.
When searching for MileagePlus award flights, travelers will now see special “Cardmembers pay” banners on some (but not all) flights advertising a lower price for United co-branded cardholders. In some cases, the savings can be quite substantial, like this 50,000-mile discount on a first class award from Newark (EWR) to San Francisco (SFO).
These cardholder discounts aren't exactly new. United has offered increased “saver” award availability to cardmembers for years, while Delta implemented a 15% cardholder discount on SkyMiles awards a few years back. But United's current system is much different – and in just the last few months, it's gotten even better.
While carrying a United card won't always save you 50,000 miles like the example above, it's clear that having one of these cards in your wallet is increasingly important for anyone trying to get good value out of their United miles. And if that means saving 50,000 miles, 100,000 miles, or occasionally even more, it can be well worth it.
Bottom Line
We know, we know: Trying to use your United miles can be frustrating. Just trust us … the deals are out there.
That's what our Thrifty Traveler Premium service is all about: Letting you know exactly when you can book flights for fewer MileagePlus miles. These deals are just the tip of the iceberg – we've found far more deeply discounted United deals in recent months. And we're on the hunt for even more through the rest of the year.
