[Sticky] How To Redeem United MileagePlus Miles For Best Value: More Useful Again

“ MileagePlus miles recently became significantly more valuable (on a relative basis) for the simple reason that United no longer makes Polaris business class award seats available through partner frequent flyer programs. So if you want to redeem miles for Polaris business class, your only option is to book through MileagePlus.”

Did this make MP miles more valuable? It didn’t really change the value of those points relative to United redemptions, only relative to partner airline points used for United.

It made partner airline miles/ points *less* valuable.

After 20 years of earning UA miles and achieving some loyalty benefits, I'm burning down my balances gradually and not distorting my travel behavior to favor them without some benefit to me. The devaluation of the miles is egregious now, and my behavior will be governed by that.

Saw GUM-NRT bookable on Lifemiles today in Polaris. Not sure if any other Asian routes are available for a partner booking.

I had actually given up on UA miles with their 400K one way transatlantic redemptions in 'J'. But then, to my surprise, I found MUC-DEN-HNL next summer for 80K miles, first leg in 'J' on LH, second in Premium Eco. To my luck I had searched right at a time when LH had decided to use the 380 to DEN for 2026. And recently I found SFO to MUC on Swiss for 80K in 'J'., for next spring. Good thing is, I can cancel anytime for free, versus Aeroplan, where I can get some flights, certainly not those, for fewer miles, but it's $ 150 or something like that to cancel.

We like to also cruise. We use UnitedCruises to book our cruises. We can often get 10x points for $ spent. A $4000 dollar cruise might net us 40,000 points. In a prior year we could book via our reserve card and earn 3x points by charging to that card. 52,000 points is a decent haul from floating around Alaska for a week.

GUM to NRT is considered United Business instead of Polaris. They are using 737s on those routes with domestic first class seats as opposed to the Polaris seats.

Those 67% savings are outliers. Like 240K down to 80K for EWR-JNB hardly ever happens. Ben, you really should provide the full content on how you found that. For instance, was it a last-minute, off-season, random Tuesday itinerary one-way? Ok… or is it like, regularly available (nope, it isn’t). Otherwise it’s setting expectations wrong. And that’s what upsets folks with bloggers. Please don’t become like TPG promoting absurd valuations, pretending award redemptions like that are practical, or shilling for these major corporations with less-than-public-best offers like they do...

There is also a market for international economy class. You can travel to another country for the lowest possible miles. So 3 or 4 trips may be more interesting than fewer number of Polaris class trips.

Well, in the last years I only booked 'outliers', which is possible by being extremely flexible date and routing wise. But then I also have 5 other alliances available to book, so I just pick the raisins wherever they present themselves. Like round the world in 'J' on very decent airlines for 220K and $ 800.

Yes Aeroplan is cheaper

But. There are so many blocked partners (esp in J), ET, TG, CA, EY being best examples of a total block with others having partial blocks

So that ORDJNB on ET you can buy for 88k, won't even show up with Aeroplan

I agree. You are lucky to get those 80,000 mile redemptions, but they are not easily available and the blogs should always make that clear.

I can see regular I class availability on UA EWR-FRA next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, so it may be that they're just tinkering with the availability algorithms as opposed to applying a blanket ban on partner redemptions. I'm definitely not in a rush to fly with them again though.

I really want to do EWR—JNB or IAD—CPT. I don’t have status or a cc so I’m looking at 285k per person one way best case. Can I get it down to 80k with just a cc or do I need Premier status too? A little help on deciding whether a cc is worth it for my goal would be appreciated

@ Never In Doubt -- Correct, we're on the same page. 🙂 That's why I said "on a relative basis."

@ Mjolnir22 -- Any co-branded card with an annual fee would make you eligible, as I understand it. Or the easiest workaround could be to join a mileage pool with someone who is eligible for this award space, as then you don't need a credit card or elite status.

@ Throwawayname -- Good catch, that's the first Polaris business class award space I've heard of through a partner program in a very long time. I'll update the post to clarify that this isn't the case 100% of the time, but is a vast majority of the time.

You do realise what 'on a relative basis' means?

Would you say that 100,000 points for a trip from HND to STL through ORD in J is a good deal?

@ 1990 -- I think I write more than just about anyone about how much harder it has become to find award space, and all the new hurdles programs have added to redeeming miles. So I'm by no means trying to hide that.

Of course we're talking about saver level award pricing, but that's always the case when discussing good uses of miles & points. Saver level premium cabin awards on long haul flights is what we're all after, even if they're hard to find.

Regarding my examples, though, they were by no means isolated. For example, looking at next month (January), I see nine days where EWR-JNB has that award pricing. In the EWR-RAK market, I see that 80K price more days than not.

@ Patrick -- Yes, I'd say that's a solid deal!

Air Canada redemptions usually have an optional (higher) pricing that allows free cancellation. In my experience it generally brings the price to about the same as UA.

I don't think there's any mainstream program left where desirable awards are "regularly available".

You are correct. I have no status whatsoever, just a co-branded CC. Like one of the flights I mentioned was reduced from 210K to 80K due to that.

One upside of Aeroplan are the transfer bonuses they get from Chase. United never gets transfer bonuses. Plus, I gave up on Business Class flights. I'd rather fly more in economy than travel in a higher class...

Do you earn any PQDs for cruises?

If I'm not mistaken, MileagePlus still charges change and redeposit fees for accounts that are registered with addresses outside of the US/Canada?

Did we just completely forget about Bilt being transferrable to United?

I booked IAH LHR in J with Lifemiles a few months ago on UA. They do t come often but when they do I book them.

So the no fee United Gateway card does not count ?

This year seeing more of these and cardmember reductions for award space. Is the result the normal award availability has all vanished except for T minus 3 before departure.

We probably should since BILT may not be around much after February’s 2.0 transition from sugar-daddy Wells Fargo to Cardless… ‘prove me wrong’ *cough*

Respectable response, Ben. I agree that you’ve been outspoken, possibly more so than any other blog about the devolution of these programs over the years. Yet, there are still sweet spots; so, thank you for pointing them out to us, even if they are harder and harder to find. As to EWR-RAK, I recently took advantage of that routing and redemption (it was nice, 763 Polaris, relatively full up-front, less-so in back, enjoyed the new Dining area at EWR’s Polaris lounge, didn’t get diverted to Casablanca, thankfully.) Maybe United is struggling to fill that route over winter. Maybe a prelude to them cutting it.

I see plenty of award space available. I've managed to book two AF seats to Brazil in February, an overnight flight with Aerolíneas Argentinas to PUJ, another AF award to Vietnam in June and I haven't booked the return from there only because there's a huge amount of availability across both *A and Skyteam and I don't feel any kind of urgency to decide on an itinerary. All of the above is in business class using partner miles at standard redemption rates.

True Ben - I was able to book a Polaris award for next month from LHR to ORD using ANA miles.

Short-haul intra-Europe partner tickets can cost +$120 in summer months. UA charges only 6k for these awards (compared to 15k AC miles), which provides decent value without needing a UA branded credit card.

There are also horror stories about Aeroplan's poor customer service (hours-long waits on hold, then get disconnected). I don't know if that's improved, but that's the main reason I avoid Aeroplan in favor of UA even if Aeroplan awards are slightly cheaper. LifeMiles also has a pretty bad reputation. I think there's a *reason* why their awards tend to be less expensive than UA's for the same routes, and that's that their cost of providing award tickets is lower due to having fewer agents and not training them as well.

Thanks for the insight.

This is helpful Ben. I’ve had status with united for years and between the cramped polaris seats and rough FA service I have really tried to never fly polaris internationally. maybe i’ll have to start including them back in my options… reluctantly.
btw, when is United going to finally make a change to their polaris seats? With AA bringing on a new business seat, and Deltas phantom “One” suites, I can’t help but hope united gets pushed into an upgrade on the polaris hard product. It’s just so cramped as is, and Im 5’7” !

These are flights from the US?

@Points Adventure, taking Air France from the US to Brazil would be a rather unusual routing!

The AF flights are from Europe, the Aerolíneas one is from EZE and the return from Vietnam (or thereabouts) is back to Europe.

Married segments and regional definitions for redemptions are also important - it might be easier to find availability flying DUS-CDG-SGN rather than the direct service from Paris.

@Andrew I stand corrected. Appreciate the insight.

Update on Polaris availability. Just saw ORD-MUC for Dec 29th in Polaris.

WRONG!
... based and registered in Germany, got UA Premium Silver, NO UA CC, just an old CO member, and i regularly book, redeem and sometimes cancel UA and STAR awards from UA miles, since years, NEVER paid any fees for refund!
All taxes get fully refunded if cancelled!
on ANY reward ticket!