After some waiting, United MileagePlus has launched another very attractive promotion that lets members buy miles with up to a 95% bonus. This offer is valid through May 30, 2025, and if you can take advantage of it, your effective purchase cost can be as low as just 1.93 cents per mile. However, bonus levels vary by account, so be sure to check your specific offer before buying.
Buying miles costs about 1.93 cents per mile
Promotion details
- The offer is valid through May 30, 2025, at 11:59 PM Central Time.
- You can buy up to 102,000 United miles per transaction before the bonus, with an annual purchase limit of 200,000 miles.
- Bonus miles count toward the annual 200,000-mile limit.
- Purchased miles may take up to 72 hours to appear in your MileagePlus account.
- Purchased miles do not count toward United Premier status.
- Purchased miles are non-refundable.
- See full terms and conditions
When deciding whether to buy miles, the first step is to have a clear plan. If you already intend to book a flight and buying United miles would save you money compared with paying cash, then purchasing United miles can be worth considering. This is especially true if you need to top off your MileagePlus balance for an upcoming award booking. Some relatively strong redemption values by route type are as follows:
- Short-haul economy / premium economy: 1.3 cents
- Long-haul economy / premium economy: 1.75 cents
- Short-haul business / first class: 1.86 cents
- Long-haul business / first class: 3.14 cents