United MileagePlus

Use it for

• Partner business US to Europe (TAP, Turkish, LOT, Brussels, Swiss and other Star Alliance carriers): 80,000 miles one-way for United cardholders and Premier members, 88,000 for everyone else, plus about USD 30 in taxes from the US (one observation)
• Polaris on United's own flights if you hold an annual-fee United card or Premier status: saver space shows at 80,000 to Europe before the cardholder discount, about 72,000 for general cardholders and 68,000 for Premier cardholders on tickets bought from 2 April 2026, plus government taxes only
• Partner business US to Japan (ANA and other Star Alliance carriers): about 100,000 miles one-way for cardholders and Premier members, government taxes only with no fuel surcharges
• Thai Airways business: united.com sees far more Thai award space than other programs and can book it online; price is dynamic by region, government taxes only

Do not use it for

• Buying miles from zero: the 2026 cap is 50,000 miles including bonus per rolling 90 days and 200,000 a year, so one business seat takes months of purchases even at the best price of 1.88 US cents
• Partner First: Lufthansa stopped releasing First award seats to partner programs around 1 June 2026, and ANA First was last seen at 242,000 miles one-way (2024 pricing)
• Polaris without a United card or status: members with neither often see 200,000 miles or more to Europe for the same seat

Where to search

Search on united.com while logged in; since 2026 a free MileagePlus account with two-step verification is required to search awards. The month calendar shows the lowest price per day, but filters such as nonstop apply only to the selected day's list, and logged-in cardholders see 'Cardmembers save' banners plus saver space nobody else gets. Partner space shown on united.com (Thai, ANA, EVA, Swiss, TAP, Turkish) is usually also bookable through Aeroplan or LifeMiles, but United's own Polaris saver space (the member-only IN bucket) is not; cached tools such as seats.aero cannot show the cardholder-only layer.

How to book, step by step

1. Open a free MileagePlus account, turn on two-step verification and log in; if you hold a United card, link it first so the cardholder prices and extra saver space appear.
2. Search one-way with 'Book with miles' checked and Business selected, then use the calendar to find the cheapest day and open that day's list.
3. Open the details of the flight you want and check the cabin and operating airline of every segment; an itinerary can be labeled business while a short connection is in economy.
4. Walk the booking through to the payment page to confirm it prices and to see the taxes; there are no award holds, so do this before you move any points.
5. Top up only now: Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt transfer 1:1 and post almost instantly, while Marriott takes about 2 to 5 days, so use Marriott only for space that is plentiful.
6. Book online and pay the taxes by card; a phone booking costs USD 25, so call only if the website cannot price the itinerary.
7. Check the confirmation email or My Trips for a ticket number; if a partner segment shows no ticket number, call before the seat is resold.
8. Keep watching: changes and cancellations are free up to departure, so rebook if a cheaper or better flight opens, and cancel before departure rather than not showing up.

When you need to phone

Not needed for most bookings. Call only when united.com cannot price an itinerary you can see segment by segment; the phone booking fee is USD 25 in the US and Canada (waived for Premier Platinum and 1K members), and agents sometimes waive it when the itinerary cannot be booked online. United's US reservations number is 1-800-864-8331 (1-800-UNITED-1).

Fees

No close-in booking fee and no partner booking fee found in 2026. Phone booking USD 25 (US and Canada), city ticket office USD 10, airport USD 50. Changes and cancellations are free up to scheduled departure, with miles and taxes returned. No-show: USD 125 redeposit fee per one source; another 2026 source says the miles are forfeited.

Surcharges

None. United adds no fuel or carrier surcharges on any award, including Lufthansa, Swiss and ANA flights; you pay government taxes and airport fees only.

Getting points in

US: Chase Ultimate Rewards 1:1 (instant) and Bilt 1:1 (instant, 2,000-point minimum). Marriott Bonvoy 3:1 plus a 10,000-mile bonus per 60,000 points, so 60,000 points become 30,000 miles (about 2 to 5 days); a 25 percent Marriott to United bonus ran in June 2026. India: Axis EDGE (Atlas 1:2, Magnus 5:2, Burgundy 5:4); HDFC Infinia and Diners Black at 2:1 reported, not confirmed for 2026. No Amex, Citi or Capital One route, and no bank route found in Canada, the UK, Singapore or Australia, where Marriott is the only way in. IHG (5:1) and Hyatt (5:2) also transfer but cost far more per mile.

Booking for other people

MileagePlus Pooling: up to 5 members including a leader aged 18 or over, free; contributions cannot be taken back after 24 hours, leaving locks you out of another pool for 90 days, and pooled miles work only on United-operated flights, not partner awards (2024 rules, not rechecked for 2026). You can book awards for anyone from your own account with no extra fee.