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United Airlines is one of the most popular airlines in the world, operating flights to numerous destinations across the globe. The airline offers a rewards program called MileagePlus, which allows passengers to earn miles for every flight they take. However, there is a question that often comes up among frequent flyers – do United Airlines frequent flyer miles expire?
It’s important to understand the policies and rules regarding frequent flyer miles, especially if you’re a regular flyer with United Airlines. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the expiration policy of United Airlines MileagePlus program and explore ways to keep your miles from expiring.
Do United Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles Expire?
If you’re a frequent traveler with United Airlines, one of the questions you might have is whether your hard-earned frequent flyer miles will expire. After all, the last thing you want is to lose your miles simply because you haven’t used them in a while. So, do United Airlines frequent flyer miles expire? The answer is yes and no. Let’s dive into the details.
Contents
- When Do United Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles Expire?
- How to Keep Your United Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles from Expiring?
- The Benefits of United Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles
- United Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles Vs. Other Airlines
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- 1. How long do United Airlines frequent flyer miles last?
- 2. Can United Airlines frequent flyer miles be reinstated after they expire?
- 3. Are there any other ways to prevent United Airlines frequent flyer miles from expiring?
- 4. Do United Airlines elite status members have any other benefits with their frequent flyer miles?
- 5. Can United Airlines frequent flyer miles be transferred or gifted to another person?
- Don’t Buy Extra United Airlines Miles. Here’s Why
- What Is United Airlines Slogan?
- The Top 5 Destinations To Explore With United Airlines
- What Are United Regional Airlines?
When Do United Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles Expire?
United Airlines frequent flyer miles do expire, but the expiration policy depends on several factors. The most important factor is the type of miles you have. United Airlines offers two types of miles: MileagePlus miles and Premier qualifying miles (PQM).
PQM is used to determine your Premier status and is not redeemable for award travel. On the other hand, MileagePlus miles are the ones you can use to redeem award travel, such as flights, hotels, car rentals, and other travel-related purchases.
MileagePlus miles will expire if there is no activity in your account for 18 months. To keep your MileagePlus miles from expiring, you must earn or redeem miles within 18 months. If you don’t earn or redeem miles within that time frame, your MileagePlus account will be considered inactive, and your miles will expire.
How to Keep Your United Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles from Expiring?
Keeping your United Airlines frequent flyer miles from expiring is easy. You just need to earn or redeem miles within 18 months of your last activity. Here are some ways to keep your MileagePlus miles active:
Earn Miles:
One of the easiest ways to keep your MileagePlus miles active is to earn more miles. You can earn miles by flying with United Airlines or one of its partner airlines. You can also earn miles by using a United Airlines credit card, shopping with MileagePlus partners, or booking a hotel or rental car through United Airlines.
Redeem Miles:
Another way to keep your MileagePlus miles active is to redeem them for award travel. You can redeem your miles for flights, hotels, car rentals, and other travel-related purchases. You can also donate your miles to charity or transfer them to another MileagePlus member.
Buy Miles:
If you’re close to losing your MileagePlus miles, you can buy miles to keep your account active. United Airlines allows you to buy miles for as little as 3.76 cents per mile. However, buying miles is not the most cost-effective way to keep your account active.
The Benefits of United Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles
United Airlines frequent flyer miles offer several benefits to its members. Here are some of the benefits you can enjoy by being a member of the MileagePlus program:
Free Flights:
The most obvious benefit of United Airlines frequent flyer miles is free flights. You can redeem your miles for flights to over 1,000 destinations worldwide.
Upgrades:
United Airlines frequent flyer miles can also be used to upgrade your flight to a higher class of service. You can use your miles to upgrade from economy to business or from business to first class.
Lounge Access:
If you’re a Premier member of the MileagePlus program, you can enjoy access to United Airlines lounges around the world. You can relax in comfortable seating, enjoy complimentary snacks and drinks, and access free Wi-Fi.
United Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles Vs. Other Airlines
If you’re trying to decide which airline loyalty program to join, it’s essential to compare the benefits of each program. Here’s how United Airlines frequent flyer miles compare to other airlines:
American Airlines AAdvantage:
American Airlines AAdvantage program offers similar benefits to United Airlines MileagePlus program, including free flights, upgrades, and lounge access. However, American Airlines AAdvantage miles expire after 18 months of inactivity, just like United Airlines MileagePlus miles.
Delta SkyMiles:
Delta SkyMiles offers free flights, upgrades, and lounge access to its members. However, Delta SkyMiles miles never expire, so you don’t have to worry about losing your miles due to inactivity.
Southwest Rapid Rewards:
Southwest Rapid Rewards offers free flights, upgrades, and no blackout dates to its members. However, Southwest Rapid Rewards points expire after 24 months of inactivity, which is longer than United Airlines MileagePlus miles.
Conclusion
In conclusion, United Airlines frequent flyer miles do expire if there is no activity in your account for 18 months. To keep your MileagePlus miles from expiring, you must earn or redeem miles within 18 months. However, keeping your account active is easy, and there are many ways to earn and redeem miles. By being a member of the MileagePlus program, you can enjoy free flights, upgrades, and lounge access, among other benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long do United Airlines frequent flyer miles last?
United Airlines frequent flyer miles do not expire for members who have Premier status. For all other members, miles expire 18 months after the last qualifying activity on the account.
Qualifying activity includes earning or redeeming miles on United or its partners, using a United MileagePlus credit card, or participating in select MileagePlus dining and shopping programs. To keep your miles from expiring, make sure to have qualifying activity on your account at least once every 18 months.
2. Can United Airlines frequent flyer miles be reinstated after they expire?
Yes, United Airlines frequent flyer miles can be reinstated after they expire for a fee. Members can reinstate expired miles for a fee of $50 for up to 12 months after expiration. If it has been more than 12 months since the miles expired, members can still reinstate them for a fee of $100.
To reinstate expired miles, members can contact United Airlines customer service and provide their MileagePlus number and payment information. The reinstated miles will then be credited back to the member’s account.
3. Are there any other ways to prevent United Airlines frequent flyer miles from expiring?
Yes, there are a few other ways to prevent United Airlines frequent flyer miles from expiring. One way is to earn or redeem miles on United or its partners. Another way is to use a United MileagePlus credit card, which provides qualifying activity on the account.
Members can also participate in select MileagePlus dining and shopping programs, which provide qualifying activity on the account. Finally, members can purchase miles, which also provides qualifying activity and extends the expiration date of all miles in the account.
4. Do United Airlines elite status members have any other benefits with their frequent flyer miles?
Yes, United Airlines elite status members have a few additional benefits with their frequent flyer miles. Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, and Premier 1K members all earn bonus miles on flights, which can help them reach awards faster.
Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, and Premier 1K members also have access to additional award availability, which can make it easier to redeem miles for flights. Finally, Premier 1K members have access to a dedicated phone line for customer service and have priority check-in, security, and boarding privileges.
5. Can United Airlines frequent flyer miles be transferred or gifted to another person?
Yes, United Airlines frequent flyer miles can be transferred or gifted to another person for a fee. Members can transfer miles to another MileagePlus member for a fee of $7.50 per 500 miles, plus a processing fee of $30 per transaction.
Members can also gift miles to another MileagePlus member for a fee of $7.50 per 500 miles, plus a processing fee of $30 per transaction. The recipient of the gifted miles will need to pay a processing fee of $30 as well. Both transfer and gift transactions can be completed on the United Airlines website.
Don’t Buy Extra United Airlines Miles. Here’s Why
In conclusion, United Airlines frequent flyer miles do expire, but the expiration policy has changed in recent years. Previously, miles would expire after 18 months of account inactivity. However, as of March 1, 2020, United Airlines has eliminated expiration dates for all MileagePlus miles. This means that as long as you have some activity in your account, such as earning or redeeming miles, your miles will never expire.
It’s important to note that while your miles may not expire, your account can still be deactivated if it remains inactive for a certain period of time. To keep your MileagePlus account active, consider taking advantage of United Airlines’ extensive network of partners and earning miles through everyday activities like dining out, shopping, and using a United Airlines credit card.
Overall, if you’re a frequent flyer with United Airlines, it’s good to know that your hard-earned miles won’t disappear into thin air. With the updated policy, you can continue to accumulate miles and redeem them for travel rewards without the pressure of an impending expiration date.
