Strategically buying miles & points can represent a great deal, especially for luxury travel. United Airlines MileagePlus has just launched its newest sale on purchased miles. As usual, different members may be targeted for different offers.
While I’ll cover the details of this promotion, let me state that I wouldn’t typically recommend taking advantage of this, unless you have a specific use in mind for your miles. MileagePlus miles are useful for redemptions on United, particularly for long haul Polaris business class seats. Otherwise you’ll typically get better value with programs like Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca Lifemiles, etc., and they often sell points at a lower cost as well.
In this post:
Promotion on purchased United MileagePlus miles
Between September 8 and September 30, 2026, United MileagePlus is offering a sale on purchased miles. Different members may be eligible for different offers — some members may be targeted for bonus offers, while other members may be targeted for discount offers. You’ll want to log into your account and see what you’re eligible for.
The best offer seems to be for a 100% bonus or 50% discount on purchased miles. However, some people are also being targeted for smaller bonuses or discounts, in some cases as low as an 80% bonus or 40% discount. Others are being offered something in between those amounts. In order to unlock the best price, you need to purchase at least 20,000 miles in one transaction, pre-bonus.
How much does it cost to purchase United MileagePlus miles?
United MileagePlus ordinarily charges 3.5 cents per purchased mile, plus a 7.5% federal excise tax. That’s before any discounts or bonuses. Since you can purchase a maximum of 50,000 miles, you’d pay the following amounts, depending on the percent discount you’re eligible for:
- With a 40% discount or 80% bonus, you’d pay $1,128.75, which comes out to 2.26 cents per mile
- With a 45% discount or 90% bonus, you’d pay $1,034.69, which comes out to 2.07 cents per mile
- With a 50% discount or 100% bonus, you’d pay $940.63, which comes out to 1.88 cents per mile
How many United MileagePlus miles can you purchase?
United MileagePlus limits members to purchasing 200,000 MileagePlus miles per account per calendar year. However, more specifically, the program now limits members to purchasing up to 50,000 MileagePlus miles per any rolling 90-day period.
Note that these limits apply after factoring in any bonuses, so even when United offers a bonus on purchased miles, you can still only purchase a maximum of 50,000 miles over the course of 90 days, or 200,000 miles per calendar year.
If you do buy United miles, it can take up to 48 hours for them to post to your account.
Which credit card should you buy United MileagePlus miles with?
United MileagePlus mileage purchases are processed by points.com, meaning they don’t count as an airfare purchase for the purposes of credit card spending.
Therefore I’d recommend using a card on which you’re trying to reach a minimum spending requirement, or otherwise, a credit card that maximizes your return on everyday spending.
- Earn 1% cash back when you make a purchase, earn 1% cash back when you pay for that purchase
- $0
- Earn 3% Cash Back on Dining
- Earn 3% Cash Back at Drugstores
- Earn 1.5% Cash Back On All Other Purchases
- $0
- 2x points on purchases up to $50k then 1x
- Access to Amex Offers
- No annual fee
Is buying United MileagePlus miles worth it?
When it comes to redeeming United MileagePlus miles, I tend to think there’s one best use, and that’s for travel in United Polaris business class. Nowadays United limits a vast majority of long haul business class award space to members of the MileagePlus program, and in particular, to those with a co-branded credit card or elite status.
So while United Polaris business class might not be the most exciting product on earth, there’s no denying that the airline has a huge global network, and it’s often just practical to fly with the airline.
Beyond that, I don’t generally consider the MileagePlus partner award redemption rates to be that compelling. I think there are other Star Alliance programs with better redemption rates and/or program policies, including Air Canada Aeroplan and Avianca Lifemiles. Both programs often sell miles at a lower cost, and Air Canada Aeroplan also has a lucrative stopover policy.
On what airlines can you redeem United MileagePlus miles?
United Airlines belongs to the Star Alliance, so you can redeem MileagePlus miles on all Star Alliance airlines.
On top of that, you can redeem miles on some of United’s other partner airlines, including Aer Lingus, Azul, Discover Airlines, and more.
How much are United MileagePlus miles worth?
Everyone will value mileage currencies differently, but personally I value United MileagePlus miles at ~1.3 cents each. I tend to value points pretty conservatively, and there are many ways to get more value from MileagePlus miles than that.
Do United MileagePlus miles expire?
United MileagePlus miles don’t expire. There’s no activity required to keep your account mileage balance alive, but rather you can keep your miles no matter what.
What other ways can you earn United MileagePlus miles?
If you’re looking to earn United miles, MileagePlus is a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner, so you can convert Ultimate Rewards points into United miles at a 1:1 ratio.
See this post for the best credit cards for earning United miles.
Bottom line
United MileagePlus is offering a promotion on purchased miles, and different members may be targeted for different offers. In this case, it appears that the best offer is for up to a 50% discount or 100% bonus, which is an opportunity to buy miles for 1.88 cents each. However, not everyone is targeted for such an offer, so some people are only eligible for a smaller discount or bonus.
This could be a chance to acquire MileagePlus miles at a reasonable cost. However, I’d only buy miles with a specific and immediate redemption in mind.
Do you plan on buying United miles with this offer?
Maybe I missed it but I did not see anyone mention that Bilt is also a UA transfer partner at 1:1 ratio
Not only am I limited to an 80% bonus, I can only buy up to 27,000 miles (plus a 21,600 bonus). I have not purchased any miles the past 12 months, much less in the past 90 days. WTF?
Oh, I get it now. I can only purchase 50k *including the bonus*. What a weak offer.
Never buy points and miles unless they are being sold for at at least 33% less than they are supposedly worth and/or you are making the booking 5 seconds later. That said, there have been great opportunities in the past, such as saving the trees (or whatever it was called), where you could buy unlimited AA miles + one year of Concierge Key for 0.42 cpm. Otherwise, just say no.
Well said, Nancy Reagan. Just say no, unless you need to top-off towards a major redemption, and even then, transfer from Chase UR or BILT (sheesh).
Unless they're selling them for less than the value of redemption, absolutely not.
Can you get 2cpp on the redemption? If so (and that's not unrealistic) then you would profit on the purchase
Nope. Got an 80% discount
Loyal people like me almost 30 years keep getting screwed. 60% offer for me. What a joke.
This isn’t a marriage, Dave. Go ahead, cheat on United, you sly dawg…
Your love for Aeroplan is great. But I have never seen an award using Aeroplan on points.com. And in several years I think I have booked awards using all kinds of programs but never Aeroplan. Admittedly I fly SFO Japan and SFO Europe regularly and nothing exotic. Perhaps that’s it. Also I prefer non stop
Yeah its really strange as Aeroplan is mostly a dud unless you wanna fly nasty AC metal for 500k.
The amount of blocked partners and routings is unreal
They are absolutely getting worse. Used to be wide open award space and now I sometimes go a month not seeing anything.
With that said, I booked PMO-ZRH-IAD in J for four passengers to get home from Sicily next spring break. 70k/no surcharges per passenger
Yeah, Aeroplan is not what it used to be. Turkish business class is gone, EVA transpacific is gone, last minute Lufthansa First is gone (for everyone, not just Aeroplan), Asiana is gone (merged with Korean and out of Star Alliance). There is still sporadic availability on Singapore and ANA, a little bit better on Air India and Lufthansa Group business class. Thai seems to be gone as well.
I guess it's time to plan...
Yeah, Aeroplan is not what it used to be. Turkish business class is gone, EVA transpacific is gone, last minute Lufthansa First is gone (for everyone, not just Aeroplan), Asiana is gone (merged with Korean and out of Star Alliance). There is still sporadic availability on Singapore and ANA, a little bit better on Air India and Lufthansa Group business class. Thai seems to be gone as well.
I guess it's time to plan a Delhi stopover trip to see the Taj Mahal. Too bad that part of India has about 5 days per year when you can breathe the air and actually see anything without being in the middle of the monsoon season.
I got a 60% bonus offer this time. That's insulting! I bought 200k last year at 100% bonus so maybe that want to disincentivize that?
Hey Ben. I think it would be great if you had a question and answer post once a week.