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United Airlines First Class Review [Domestic Flights]

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image credit: united.com

United Airlines is one of the most popular airlines today and the fourth-largest U.S. airline overall by the number of passengers carried annually. And while most people flying domestic opt for basic economy or coach seating, there are plenty of flyers that want a more luxurious and comfortable flying experience both when they’re in the air and before they get there. First-class fare is the way to achieve this.

United First is one of a few different premium seat options available on United flights. The other options are United Business and United Polaris (first or business). All premium seats include the following: 

  • Priority boarding and security
  • Ultra-comfortable and larger seating
  • A free checked bag
  • Complimentary alcoholic beverages

Of these, United First is generally considered to be the best. Here’s everything you can expect when flying domestic first-class through United Airlines.

What to Expect When Flying Domestic First Class with United Airlines

United First Class customers can check 2 bags free of charge.

Your United first-class flying experience begins before you even take flight.

Before you check-in, you’ll get to take advantage of United Premier Access benefits (more on these to follow). United First customers may check two standard-sized bags free of charge and their luggage should be among the first checked and loaded onto and off of the plane.

And once you’re on the plane as a United first-class flyer, your flight will be more comfortable and spacious than it would be in another cabin. In a United First cabin, there is ample space between every seat, more legroom than the average passenger generally needs (more on seat specs below), and cushioned leather seats that recline. There are other storage, entertainment, and food and beverage perks as well. Here’s exactly what’s in store for United Flight passengers.

Privileges and Perks

The three primary upgrades that first-class flyers experience on United flights have to do with seat options, dining, and overall service accommodations. Take a look at the breakdown of a standard United First flight.

It’s worth noting that United First seats are not offered on all flights, but that there is premier seating available on every plane.

Seat Options

The exact size and configurations of your seats when you fly first-class with any airline, United included, depend on the type of plane you’re flying. But as you will see, the specs are very similar across all flights. 

United offers first-class domestic flights on a couple of its airplanes: the Boeing 737 and 757. To know how much legroom you can count on having or how much space there will be between first-class seats, see your plane below. Configuration represents how many seats are grouped together, pitch is the distance between rows of seats (which includes legroom), recline is how far back your seat will go, and the width listed is for each individual seat.

United 737-700 Seat Map

The seat specs for 737-700 United First flights are as follows:

  • Configuration: 2-2
  • Pitch: 38”
  • Recline: 5”
  • Width: 20.4”
United 737-800 Seat Map

The seat specs for 737-800 United First flights are as follows:

  • Configuration: 2-2
  • Pitch: 37”
  • Recline: 5”
  • Width: 20.5”
United 737-900 Seat Map

The seat specs for 737-900 United First flights are as follows:

  • Configuration: 2-2
  • Pitch: 37”
  • Recline: 5”
  • Width: 20”
United 757-300 Seat Map

The seat specs for 757-300 United First flights are as follows:

  • Configuration: 2-2
  • Pitch: 38”
  • Recline: 5”
  • Width: 20.4”

If United First is not available on your flight, then another premier cabin option such as Polaris business or first class most likely will be. On some planes, United First seats are being replaced by Polaris seating, which is different from first-class seating in shape and configuration.

All first-class seats on United flights feature personal storage spaces, an in-arm slot for electronic devices that includes a universal charger, a cup holder, and double pockets in the seat in front of you. In addition, there is an extendable granite cocktail table that can be accessed from the center console between seats.

Dining

What’s first-class without premium dining? With United Airlines, however, “premium dining” is likely more of a subjective term. If your flying experience and expectations are set to the level of, say, Singapore Airlines, you will probably be let down. That said, many regulars on the FlyerTalk forums say the quality is above average and that the food, at the very least, tastes better than it appears.

United First Class Breakfast Example [2020]

Posted by FlyerTalk user Krazykanuck in January of 2020. He notes “the biscuit was warm and delicious.”

United First Class Dinner Example [2020]

Posted by FlyerTalk user st530 in January of 2020. He notes “despite the small portion size it tasted very fresh and crispy.”

United First flights offer multi-course meals for flights longer than two hours and 20 minutes and smaller snack options for flight durations of less than this. If your flight is less than two hours and 20 minutes, you are eligible to receive only light refreshments such as pretzels, muffins, and fruit. If your flight is longer than four hours, you may receive full meal service including two entree choices as well as a snack including a hot sandwich and chocolate. Multi-course meals with two entree choices are offered on flights of five hours and 20 minutes and longer. Certain flights are eligible for multi-course meals with three entrees.

The menu is always changing, but sample menus are available through the United site. Multi-course meals include appetizers, a salad course, however many entrees you are eligible for, and dessert. 

As for beverages, many types are offered free of charge to United First flyers. These include:

  • Water
  • Soft drinks
  • Juice
  • Tea
  • illy Coffee
  • Beer (domestic and craft)
  • Wine
  • Spirits
  • On The Rocks Cocktails

All of your food and beverage choices will be brought to you at no extra charge, some of which you’ll be able to enjoy before the plane even takes off.

Service

Aside from full-service meal accommodations and everything that that entails, first-class United passengers receive United Premier Access when they fly. The perks of this include designated check-in lanes at the airport, exclusive security lanes, priority boarding, and priority baggage handling. These perks are subject to availability and eligibility for each will be determined on the day of your flight. You pay nothing for these services when you are a First Class passenger with United.

Cost

Flying first-class is significantly more costly than flying Basic Economy. 

One of the most popular flight routes in the U.S., LAX to JFK, currently costs $189 round-trip for United Basic Economy and $877 round-trip for United First. To fly from Atlanta to Orlando, you’d pay $354 to fly Basic economy and $870 to fly first-class. Finally, from New York LaGuardia to Chicago O’Hare, a Basic Economy ticket will cost $157 while a first-class ticket will cost $415.

As you can see, upgrading from an economy to a first-class United ticket is a big deal. These prices are obviously drastically different from each other—and first-class prices are most likely very much out of reach for many—, but paying for first-class fare outright isn’t the only way to access it. Also, United first-class can be more affordable than other airlines in many instances.

And of course, even though first-class does increase the price of your ticket by quite a bit, it also cuts down incidental fees for checked baggage, inflight accommodations, etc., so this should be considered.

Fly First Class on Rewards

A tight travel budget doesn’t have to stop you from experiencing first-class flying. You can use miles, points, and rewards to upgrade your seat to a United First flight seat. You can search any flight by how much it will cost in dollars or award points.

Award travel can be purchased with miles earned through United’s frequent flyer program, MileagePlus. Just know that you will almost always have to pay additional cash fees on top of this unless you are a Premier Elite flyer. Award flights, like any other flight, are priced by distance traveled. The cost in miles for a domestic flight could be anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 miles, depending on the value of the flight and the distance.

Use caution when booking award travel. In some cases, using miles to buy flights ends up costing more than it would if you were to just use money. Sometimes, the value of what you pay in miles exceeds the price of a ticket and effectively loses you money. The cost breakdown of cents per miles when paying and when using points is definitely something to consider no matter how many miles you have in your account. There will also be times when award seats are not available, so don’t count on them always being an option.

Another way to get a spot in first-class is through complimentary seat upgrades. Premier upgrades, which can only be applied to tickets that are Economy (not Basic) or higher, are given to those with elite or Premier status through United’s loyalty program.

United Premier status is determined by the number of Premier qualifying points and Premier qualifying flights in your account. Anyone enrolled in PlusPoints can earn points. Those with United-branded credit cards can earn even more points and flight miles toward their award status. 

To reach Silver status, you need to have completed six flights and earned 2,000 points or earned 2,500 points. To reach Gold status, you need to have completed 12 flights and earned 4,000 points or earned 5,000 points. To reach Platinum status, you need to have completed 18 flights and earned 6,000 points or earned 7,500 points. Finally, to reach 1K status (the top status), you need to have completed 26 flights and earned 9,000 points or earned 12,000 points. 

If you are within any Premier tier, you are eligible for complimentary upgrades subject to availability. United Premier members can also receive complimentary Premier Upgrades if they have one of the following United travel cards (offered through Chase):

  • United Explorer Card
  • United Club Card
  • United Explorer Business Card
  • United Club Business Card
  • United Presidential Plus Card
  • United Presidential Plus Business Card

Understand, however, that simply having the right rewards status and credit card doesn’t automatically guarantee you a first-class seat. It simply makes you eligible for upgrades when they are available and prioritizes your upgrades over others—basically, it just increases your odds of being upgraded. Your upgrade status could be confirmed anywhere from four days prior to departure (for Premier level 1K) right up to the day your flight takes off (for Premier level Silver).

How Does United First Class Compare to Other Airlines

United First domestic is largely regarded as one of the best first-class flying experiences available in the U.S. Although some may disagree, a major advantage that United First has going for it is the food. United Airlines partners with reputable chefs through The Trotter Project to offer its first-class passengers gourmet menu items and an exciting range of options. So naturally, the food is above average.

One of the potential downsides of United First is that it does not provide lounge access on domestic flights. Inflight entertainment is also somewhat lacking compared to other carriers. United provides complimentary DIRECTV to all first-class passengers (on select flights), but you must pay for WiFi. The seat-back entertainment systems available for first-class passenger use, however, are fairly robust and United Private Screening offers a wide range of viewing and listening options.

If you value lounge access and all-inclusive IFE, know that United doesn’t offer these on first-class domestic flights. United First might not give you quite as much value as what other airlines will on all flights, but it’s not bad and many flyers have found United first-class to be one of the most affordable domestic first-class options.

Final Thoughts

Overall, United First domestic flights are comfortable and accommodating. They come with many complimentary perks and advantages and they can be snagged with points and rewards. So as far as domestic first-class goes, United Airlines seems to do pretty well. Unless you happen to have an unlimited amount of money to spend on travel, United First is going to be best for those that are loyal to United and already have points or rewards racked up that can be put toward seat upgrades.

Uber VIP Program [2020 Overview]

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Now available to Amex Platinum and Centurion card holders.

Uber VIP is an elite-level rewards tier, first introduced in 2015, that was previously only accessible to the most frequent riders.

In 2020, however, the program rewards a different set of riders but offers many of the same perks. The Uber VIP program really morphed back in January of 2019 when Uber and American Express decided to partner on the program. Today, the rewards are simply offered to American Express Platinum and Centurion card holders (regardless of their Uber trip count).

If you have an American Express Platinum or Centurion card and wish to take advantage of the Uber VIP program, simply enter your card information as the primary payment option in your Uber profile. From there you’ll gain immediate access.

To learn more about what the Uber VIP program has in store for riders in 2020, continue reading our review below.

What is the Uber VIP Program?

The Uber VIP program rewards a small portion of credit card customers with access to highly rated drivers and high-quality vehicles.

Uber VIP is not something that Uber advertises as an option to all of its riders. When it was first rolled out, access to this program was only offered to Uber’s “most valued riders” via private emails. Those designated as top riders completed 100 trips in one city and were extended an invitation into the VIP program. This status wasn’t something you could apply or even pay for, you just had to be invited. 

Now, VIP access is automatically granted to Uber riders regardless of trip history if they have one of two credit cards:

  1. The Platinum Card from American Express or
  2. the American Express Centurion Card.

Both of these cards are premium. The Platinum Card is a well-known travel card with numerous exclusive benefits and the Centurion Card is a coveted invite-only business card with elusive perks not revealed to the public.

If you’re an Uber regular, you probably already know about Uber Rewards because it’s impossible to avoid. Uber VIP and Uber Rewards are not related, so you don’t have to be a member of one program to be a member of the other. However, some of the rewards offered at the highest level of Uber Rewards are similar to those offered by Uber VIP. 

But even Diamond-level Uber Rewards members can’t qualify for VIP status unless they have one of those two Amex cards linked to their account. Additionally, those that used to have VIP status were booted when Uber changed its policy to allow only Amex members.

Uber VIP Program Benefits

The Uber VIP program matches riders with only top-rated drivers in nice vehicles. More specifically, drivers with a rating of 4.8 stars or above—VIP drivers—and high-quality vehicles. 

It is not clear what vehicles are considered to be high-quality, but newer models and attractive rides can be expected. However, these might be luxury cars and they might not as the level of luxe depends on what ride type you select. You will be able to choose between UberX VIP and UberBlack VIP trips.

Uber VIP members also receive exclusive discounts and deals and are the first to hear when Uber is running a new promotion. You do not have to pay Uber VIP membership fees and trip prices are not higher through this loyalty program than they would be for non-VIP rides.

How to Join the Uber VIP Program

If you have an American Express Platinum or Centurion card and you link it to your Uber account, you will automatically gain access to Uber VIP if it is offered in your area. 

Uber has plans to continue expanding its network of Uber VIP-eligible cities but a full list of locations is not available. However, what is known for sure is that this program favors big cities and metropolitan areas. For example, Washington, D.C., New York City, Dallas, and Atlanta are included. 

If you qualify for VIP status but don’t live in an area that offers VIP travel, you’re out of luck and will have to take non-VIP trips.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Uber VIP is probably not anything to get too excited about. It’s not better than what any other Uber rider can access with enough points and it’s not well-established enough to really come through for the few members that actually qualify for it. 

Uber does a pretty good job of rewarding its loyal customers already, and Uber Diamond is generally thought to be much better than Uber VIP.

Uber Diamond, the top benefits tier of Uber’s four-tier rewards program that requires 7,500 to unlock, offers its members loads of complimentary perks such as upgrades to Black rides and a credit for three free Uber Eats deliveries every six months. Diamond members also have access to 24/7 customer support and highly-rated drivers, like VIP members. Plus, Uber Rewards is no longer location-dependent, so your Diamond benefits follow you wherever you go. Even Platinum-level perks are nothing to scoff at.

Another potential negative to the VIP program to consider is ride availability. Uber VIP is not widely available across the country, and even in locations where it is, you might have more trouble hailing a VIP ride than you would a non-VIP ride. Not all vehicles are going to qualify as high quality and a smaller portion of drivers have the service ratings to qualify for VIP driving, so there is no guarantee that you’ll always be able to get a ride when you need one.

Visa Infinite Program – What is it & What Does it Offer?

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image credit: visa.com

Visa Infinite is an awards program at the top of Visa’s benefit levels. It was first launched in Europe and only came to the US in 2016. It remains relatively obscure in the states with little search volume for it on Google.

The program consists of three Visa tiers are Traditional, Signature, and Infinite, with Infinite being the top tier and Traditional the most basic. Every benefit encompassed within the Traditional and Signature tiers is included within the Infinite tier, with many additional perks on top of those at the Infinite level.

Visa Infinite members enjoy the best prizes and travel benefits Visa has to offer, and cards that qualify for this program are available through many banks. If your card is a Visa Infinite card, you’ll know—it’ll say “Visa Infinite” right on the front.

Here’s what the Visa Infinite program is all about and everything its awards package is likely to include.

What is the Visa Infinite Program and Which Cards Apply?

The Visa Infinite Program is a perks-packed Visa offering, structured in three tiers, that only individuals with certain Visa credit cards have access to.

Generally speaking, these cards cater to higher net worth individuals that travel frequently. This is because many Visa Infinite cards require high credit scores and incomes to qualify, and many of the benefits associated with Visa Infinite are related to travel, and more specifically high-end travel.

The Visa Infinite card is available through many carriers—Chase, Citibank, and U.S. Bank, to name a few. Specific, popular Visa-branded credit cards within the Visa Infinite Program include:

  • Chase Sapphire Reserve
  • Chase United Club Infinite Card
  • Citi Life Visa Infinite Credit Card
  • U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card
  • UBS Visa Infinite Credit Card

Privileges and Benefits of the Visa Infinite Program

The features of a Visa Infinite credit card vary by carrier, as most of the privileges within Visa Infinite are set by the banks that carry these cards rather than Visa itself. Just understand that your own card might have more or less perks than what we’re outlining below as a general standard.

Be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully for a thorough understanding of what your benefits package includes. 

For an in-depth look at what the Visa Infinite program generally includes, at its base level, continue reading…

Visa Infinite Luxury Hotels

Get the best experience your hotel has to offer with the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection.

Hotels within the Visa Infinite Luxury Hotel Collection give members the “ultimate hotel experience” when they travel. All participating hotels provide seven benefits:

  1. VIP guest status,
  2. room upgrades at check-in,
  3. a best available rate guarantee,
  4. complimentary in-room breakfast,
  5. complimentary WiFi,
  6. late checkout, and
  7. a $25 food and beverage credit per stay.

Cardholders need to book through the Visa Infinite Hotels site to secure these benefits. 

200 hotels from the Visa Luxury Hotel Collection also include an eighth benefit, which might be either an additional $75 food and beverage credit (on top of the included $25) or a $100 spa, golf, or room rate credit. The hotels decide what the eighth benefit will be.

Keep in mind that some of these features look a little different from one hotel to another, and all of these bonuses are subject to availability.

Visa Infinite Concierge Status

Visa Infinite members will get all of the travel help and advice they need 24/7 with Visa Infinite Concierge Services. This digital concierge service, available 365 days a year, can help with everything from booking reservations to helping you find the best prices for your stay. You can even ask for dining and entertainment recommendations, and you’ll get exclusive access to deals and dates.

Global Entry Statement Credit

This perk is best for those that do a lot of international travel. Global Entry, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that grants expedited clearance into the United States to pre-approved returning travelers, will cost you $100 less when you’re a Visa Infinite member. 

Visa Infinite gives its users a $100 statement credit for Global Entry, the current price of the program’s application fee. This equates to free Global Entry, which you can apply for through the Trusted Travelers Program section of the Homeland Security site.

Visa Infinte Car Rentals

Visa Infinite car rental privileges are many, and they can be redeemed through Avis, Hertz, National, and Silvercar. The benefits are different for each rental agency. 

With Avis, cardholders can enroll in Avis Preferred Plus—a car rental rewards program much like a frequent flyer program—, take advantage of rate discounts of up to 30%, and get weekend rentals for free. With Hertz, cardholders enrolled in Hertz Gold Plus Rewards have access to special savings and speedier service. Visa Infinite cardholders receive complimentary Emerald Club Executive level membership with National and 25% off. Finally, cardholders save up to 30% with Silvercar.

Lounge Access and Priority Pass

Unlock access to over 1,300 airport lounges across 148 countries.

Priority Pass lounge access is granted to Visa Infinite cardholders. This provides entrance to more than 1,300 airport lounges in 148 countries and over 600 cities. 

The credit card you have determines your access level, with Standard being the lowest, Standard Plus being the middle, and Prestige being the highest tier. Standard will get you the fewest free lounge visits annually and you’ll have to pay per guest, and Prestige will get you unlimited visits for yourself and a few free guest passes.

Airline Incidental Statement Credit

Airline incidental fees for checked baggage, flight changes, inflight amenities, etc. accumulate all too easily. But when you’re in with Visa Infinite, you’ll get a statement credit in the form of rebates for some of these. How much and for what is determined by your card issuer.

Fine Wine and Food

The Fine Wine and Food benefit offered to Visa Infinite cardholders is great for foodies and wine aficionados. However, it is also available to Signature members and isn’t as all-inclusive as Visa makes it sound (“Enjoy world-class celebrity chefs and winemaker experiences”). 

With this feature, you’ll get two wine tastings for the price of one when you purchase one with your Visa Infinite card. You’ll also have access to preferred pricing on wine tastings and dining at select Sonoma wineries. Call the winery you’re visiting to find out what offers you’re eligible for.

Golf

Want to play private courses without the fees or membership commitments? Now you can.

Love hitting the links? Have a Visa Infinite card? Then you should probably join the Visa Infinite Troon Golf Rewards program. With this, you’ll receive premium benefits when golfing at over 115 courses across the United States. These include the ability to reserve tee times, bring guests at discounted rates, play private courses, and more.

Infinite Chauffeured Car Service

Visa Infinite, in partnership with GroundLink, offers the option of chauffeured car services to cardholders. The GroundLink chauffeured black car service, which includes professional drivers and high-tech rides, is 15% off when you have a Visa Infinite card. You’ll also get a $30 credit toward the service, which is accessible worldwide.

Protection

In addition to cost-cutting and luxurious privileges and benefits, Visa Infinite extends additional protection to its members. This purchase protection insures many different aspects of travel. Please note that many of the following benefits are not exclusive to Visa Infinite as they are actually included in the Signature package as well.

Auto Collision Damage Waiver

Use your Visa Infinite card to pay when booking a rental car and receive insurance coverage automatically. Visa Infinite Auto Rental Coverage covers not only collision damage but also theft, towing expenses, loss-of-use charges, and more.

Extended Warranty Protection

Extended Warranty Protection under the Visa Infinite program is applied to qualifying items with warranties of three years or less. This benefit extends a manufacturer’s warranty by one year. You do not need to register or pay for this addition as long as a purchase is made with your Visa Infinite card.

Roadside Dispatch

Roadside Dispatch, while not a complimentary Visa Infinite feature, could prove to be handy. Use this service when you’re in trouble and help, a locksmith or tow, will be dispatched right to your location. You will pay a predetermined price, set by your card issuer, per service call.

Purchase Security

The Purchase Security Visa Infinite perk can be thought of as an extended return period. If you purchase something with your Visa Infinite card and that something ends up needing to be replaced or returned within 90 days of purchase, this is no problem. Even if an item is stolen, this policy is in effect. This, like Extended Warranty Protection, need not be applied or paid for. It can cover $10,000 per occurrence.

Travel and Emergency Assistance Service

The Travel and Emergency Assitance Services rolled into the standard Visa Infinite package is a 24/7 helpline that can help with any of the following needs that one might have while traveling: 

  • Medical Referral Assistance
  • Emergency Transporation Assistance
  • Emergency Message Service
  • Emergency Translation Service 
  • Emergency Ticket Replacement
  • Legal Referral Assistance
  • Lost Luggage Locator Service
  • Prescription Assistance and Valuable Document Delivery

These helplines are devoted specifically to providing emergency assistance and are available to you and any of your dependents at no cost.

Return Protection

Similar to Purchase Security, Visa Infinite Return Protection lets you make returns within 90 days of purchase if you are not satisfied with an item and a return is refused. So long as you use your Visa Infinite card to make the purchase and the item you are buying costs less than or equal to $300, you are covered under this benefit.

Lost Luggage Reimbursement

Visa Infinite cardholders are eligible for reimbursement of lost or stolen carry-ons and checked bags—when a flight ticket is purchased with a Visa Infinite card, of course. This benefit is applied automatically.

Lost or Stolen Card Reporting

This benefit, which is really more of a necessity than a benefit, gives you access to global call centers that will initiate replacements and notify authorities for you in the event of a lost or stolen Visa Infinite card.

Trip Delay Reimbursement

Visa Infinite cardholders don’t have to pay out of pocket for fees caused by trip delays that are out of their control with Trip Delay Reimbursement. When members are stuck for more than six hours due to a covered hazard—equipment failure, inclement weather, strike, or hijacking/skyjacking—and they purchased their fare with their Visa Infinite cards, they are eligible to be reimbursed up to $500.

Zero Liability

Visa’s Zero Liability policy states that you will not be liable to pay for transactions that you do not authorize. This protects cardholders from identity theft and even purchases made with lost or stolen cards.

Trip Cancellation / Trip Interruption Reimbursement

When you book a trip with your Visa Infinite card and you need to cancel last minute or cut it short, Visa will reimburse you for all or part of your non-refundable fare (your benefits package should cover this in detail). In addition to air travel, this covers trains, buses, ferries, and cruise ships.

Emergency Cash Disbursement

If a Visa Infinite cardholder is ever in a pinch and needs a wire transfer fast, Visa will arrange for this. If you are in need of emergency assistance because you lost a card and are waiting on a replacement, Visa can make a wire cash transfer to you to a local Western Union location within 2 hours of your request being approved.

Emergency Card Replacement

If your Visa Infinite card is lost, stolen, or damaged, Visa will work with your bank to have it replaced in as little as 24 hours and no more than 72 hours. Emergency Card Replacement can be applied no matter where you are in the world.

Final Thoughts

The Visa Infinite program is like many other premium credit card rewards programs in that it offers a nice range of luxurious benefits to card holders. The top tier has elite benefits and securities that are going to be most attractive to a wealthier demographic, especially those that travel often and wish to do so in luxury. But there are many Visa Infinite perks provided to Visa Signature cardholders as well, which has much broader acceptance.

Just remember, the specific benefits you are entitled to can vary and change sporadically.

Guide to Purchasing United Airlines Flight Miles

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buymiles.mileageplus.com

The United Airlines MileagePlus program is known for having great promotional offers and comparatively valuable miles, but you probably already know that if you’re a frequent flyer.

And if you often use your miles to lessen the cost of flights or upgrade for free, then you probably also know that additional miles are available for purchase if what you’ve earned through flights and card purchases isn’t enough.

But before you go buying miles, be sure you know what you need them for and exactly how many you need. This will help you determine whether there is a cost savings in purchasing the miles with cash. This involves researching factors such as what miles can actually get you in terms of trips, rewards and/or upgrades as well as what restrictions may apply when redeeming miles. These are all ever-changing and could mean the difference between saving money or losing money.

Purchasing United Airlines miles, like any other airline miles, is rarely beneficial to a consumer’s wallet, but if you familiarize yourself with how these frequent flyer points are priced and what their actual value is, you can take advantage of opportunities to save money in ways you might not otherwise have thought.

When is it a Good Idea to Purchase United Airline Flight Miles

United Airlines flight miles should only be purchased when the math makes sense and there is a clear ROI.

This could be when United Airline miles are being sold at incredible discounts (such as now) or when you need a small amount of miles to top off a reward or trip and purchasing the mile difference is cheaper than paying for it with cash.

Here are a few times when buying miles makes good sense and could save you money.

When United Airlines Offers Promotions or Discounts

For example, right now, United Airlines is giving customers that purchase miles an 85% bonus. This means that the entire balance of your purchase will be matched up to 85%, which effectively makes every mile worth 1.85% as much as it normally is. 

This may change your calculus on whether or not it’s a right time for you to buy miles, especially if you already had a trip or upgrade in mind and are most of the way there on points.

Keep your eye out for United Airline bonuses like this. A 100% United Airline mile match bonus was also spotted earlier this month.

They come often and can either be available for anyone online or direct offers to you specifically (usually via direct mail). They’re usually “flash deals” which can last anywhere from a few days to a few months.

The percentage is usually a tiered offer that looks something like this:

  • purchase 5,000 to 14,000 miles: receive a 30% bonus
  • purchase 15,000 to 39,000 miles: receive a 50% bonus
  • purchase 40,000 miles or more: receive a 100% bonus

When Buying Miles to Get a Free Ticket or Trip

Everyone wants to fly for free, and one way to do this is to use your miles. Flights through United Airlines and its partners can be purchased with enough points. Award pricing tends to fluctuate wildly like any other ticket pricing, but you can always check what the exact cost in miles will be when booking a flight.

Just select the “Book with miles” when searching a flight and see what the going rate is for your desired ticket. Is your current miles balance almost enough to cover it, or not even close? What is the current price of miles? Always ask these questions. At the end of the day if it’s not cheaper to purchase the miles to get you to your award than it would be paying the difference in cash then it’s simply not worth it.

United Airlines requires that you purchase at least 2,000 miles per transaction. Pricing is variable. You can buy miles in increments of 1,000 all the way up to 150,000 as long as you do not exceed the annual max of 175,000.

The current cost of United Airline Miles is $35 per 1,000 or 3.5 cents each. As you can tell from the chart below, it gets pretty pricey pretty quick when you pay full retail.

Current Cost of United Airlines Miles

# of MilesCost
1,000$35
5,000$175
10,000$350
50,000$1,750
100,000$3,500
175,000$6,125

When Buying United Airline Miles to Upgrade Your Seat

If you want to experience more luxurious flying without your bank account experiencing the depletion of luxurious flying, you may want to look into a seat upgrade using your miles – and buying a tad more to get you there may be worth it. 

Both United and Star Alliance flights are eligible for seat upgrades paid for with miles, and MileagePlus members that qualify for Premier status—the highest level of loyalty with United, based on your activity and points—have access to great upgrade availability with more perks than other members.

A seat upgraded to a higher fare could cost you upwards of 20,000 each. You may choose to upgrade with miles when selecting fare preferences when booking a flight or after a flight has been booked, but you are not guaranteed upgraded seats until you pay for them.

Those that fly regularly through one airline probably shouldn’t “waste” their miles on a seat upgrade, or their money on miles to be used for this purpose. There are ways to squeeze more monetary value out of miles, and there are easier ways to earn miles. But, if you have miles saved up and are willing to pay a little extra to close the distance for an upgrade, you could buy miles for much less than the full cost of the upgrade in dollars.

When is it Not a Good Idea to Buy United Airline Flight Miles?

Buying United Airline Miles at full price is almost always a bad call.

Don’t let this carrier’s clever advertising and appealing miles redemption selections trick you into throwing away your money on miles that aren’t worth what you’re paying for them. 

Make sure to calculate the value of each mile as precisely as you can and always plan ahead when you intend to purchase them for yourself or others.

When the Math Doesn’t Work

If you’ve ever purchased miles from any airline at their full price, you almost certainly lost money. It’s just one of the ways that airlines profit. This is why purchasing more miles or points only makes sense when there are promotions going on or when you already have most of what you need (think 80% or more) to upgrade a seat or buy a ticket.

Get into the habit of calculating the cost per mile for every United Airlines flight. What is it if you buy miles and use those and what is it if you just buy with straight-up cash? More often than not, straight-up cash will be cheaper. But if miles are discounted and/or you have most of what you need already in your account, then, by all means, buy the miles.

Watch Out For Fees For Transferring United Airline Miles vs. Getting Them Directly

Miles make a great gift for people often in the sky but beware of United Airlines’ transfer and processing fees. Buying miles as a gift is a great gesture, but it might lose you money.

MileagePlus miles can be transferred between two accounts, but not without incurring considerable extra charges. For every 500 miles you transfer from your own account to the account of another MileagePlus member, you will be charged $7.50 and $30 per transaction for processing on top of that.

Remember these transfer fees when purchasing miles for others, and consider gifting them directly to their account instead.

The Ticket You Wish to Purchase With Miles May Not Even be Available

Picture this: you’ve planned a whole trip out and budgeted the costs down to the cent, only to find out that the ticket you planned to purchase with miles isn’t available. Don’t let this happen to you—scout awards seats well before booking a flight. They sometimes go fast and are given on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Check the availability of award seats early on in your trip planning process. Being a frequent flyer doesn’t guarantee you tickets that can be purchased using miles, so you should never buy additional miles before looking into this.

Final Thoughts

If you fly United Airlines often enough to consider buying extra miles, you probably already have a decent stash of them in your account. And if this is the case, you are a great candidate for purchasing more when it saves you money. Pay attention to rising and falling rates and any hot deals that might pop up, and you give yourself the best possible chance of spending less on your miles than they are worth. But most important of all, know what you want! You should never just purchase miles to purchase miles, even if they’re on sale. You should always have a reward, trip or upgrade in mind so that you can do the math to be sure there is an ROI in it for you.

MileagePlus miles no longer expire, so if you do end up buying a little more than you need or you make a purchase that might not have been as well-informed as it could have been, your balance won’t go to waste.

United Airlines miles are fairly valuable and can be used in a lot of ways, but in the vast majority of cases you’re better off earning them indirectly through flights and credit card transactions rather than purchasing them directly through the airline.

Guide to Buying Delta Miles and When It Makes Sense

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The Delta Air Lines loyalty program, SkyMiles, rewards frequent flyers with countless redemption options and booking bonuses like no blackout dates.

This airline’s four-tiered membership programs stacks on even more benefits for the most loyal members. Each of the tiers (silver, gold, platinum, and diamond) have many features and perks with the diamond level being the most exclusive and rewarding.

You can use miles you rack up to book Award Travel flights, upgrade your seats to a better class, cash in on freebies with Delta Sky Club, and more. 

Though Delta miles aren’t worth as much as frequent flyer miles you might earn with other carriers (1.1 cent per Delta SkyMile vs 1.3 cents per average airline mile) they can still save you money if you know what you’re doing.

Whether you’re earning miles by flying Delta or making purchases through Delta partners or with Delta American Express credit cards, there may be times in which you need just a few more miles to get what you’re looking for. In which case, purchasing miles might make sense.

That said, purchasing Delta SkyMiles through your SkyMiles account is going to cost you 3.5 cents per mile at retail price with no promotions going on, which is significantly more than they’re worth.

Keep reading for more information about when it makes sense—and when it definitely does not—to buy Delta SkyMiles with your cash.

When is it a Good Time to Buy Delta Skymiles With Cash?

While purchasing airline miles in general is almost always a bad idea, it does make sense in certain situations.

In general, purchasing Delta SkyMiles in one or more of the following three scenarios tends to make the most sense for most people:

When Buying SkyMiles to Get a Free Ticket

If you have enough miles stocked up, you might be able to pull off flying for free (or almost free). To find out the price in miles of any given flight, simply select “Shop with Miles” in the search engine through the Delta site or the Fly Delta app. 

A minimum of 5,000 miles is required in order to use your miles to book Award Travel, and redemptions must be made in 5,000-mile increments. If you see a great deal on a flight—say 10,000 or 15,000 round trip—and you are within just a few thousand miles of being able to get it, buying miles could be a sound investment.

If this is the case, only buy as many as you need. Delta will allow you to purchase as few as 2,000 miles at a time, but prices vary.

Key Takeaway: Make sure buying miles in order to get a free ticket won’t cost more than simply paying the difference with cash.

For example, imagine you’re trying to fly from Los Angeles to New York City and you already have 34,500 miles in your SkyMiles account. You then come across a ticket available for 36,000 miles – or – $460. You can either purchase the ticket without your miles for $460 cash or you can spend $70 to buy the minimum of 2,000 miles to top off the 1,500 you needed for your trip. In this scenario buying SkyMiles makes sense.

Two additional variables to keep in mind that could affect your bottom line cost are:

  1. small fees are assessed for award redemption and
  2. flights through partner airlines will have different Award Travel requirements.

When Buying SkyMiles to Upgrade Your Seat

Purchasing frequent flyer miles for seat upgrades is fairly common practice across all airlines, and this is true for Delta as well.

You’ll be able to upgrade your seat during or after booking using your miles balance for as many flights in your party as you want (just make sure there are enough award seats available).

If you value the added luxury of business or first class but don’t necessarily want to cough up the money for the considerable up-charges, using miles to upgrade is the way to go.

And if you don’t have quite enough miles to get that upgrade, then purchasing a few thousand to top it off may make sense.

The miles required to upgrade your seat is going to depend on where you’re going and when, but don’t expect purchasing the additional miles needed to be a cost-cutting option unless you already have a good portion of the miles required in your account.

When Buying Discounted SkyMiles

Another situation where purchasing Delta SkyMiles might make sense is when they offer special deals and promotions that drastically bring down the cost per mile.

Delta has been known to offer very competitive discounts on miles in the past. We’ve seen discounts run as high as 75% on miles, effectively reducing the cost of purchasing miles to roughly 1.75 cents per mile (vs 3.5 cents retail). This is still above the average value you receive per SkyMile (which sits at roughly 1.1 cent per mile) but it makes buying miles a much more attractive prospect, especially if you have a specific use in mind for them.

Buying these miles in large amounts when they go on sale likely isn’t the best idea without specific use cases for them. That said, if you’re very loyal to Delta and fly regularly it may be worth it to pick some up when the promotions take place and set them aside for future use.

When it is Not a Good Idea to Buy Delta Sky Miles

It’s never a good idea to purchase Delta flight miles when miles cost more than they are objectively worth. Here are a couple of things to watch out for when you’re considering whether or not to buy more miles.

When the Math Doesn’t Work

To know for sure if purchasing SkyMiles is a wise decision, you will need to put in a little extra work.

In a nut shell, make sure that the total price you pay purchasing the amount of miles needed for a trip is always less than what it would cost in cash.

Generally speaking purchasing lower increments 2,000 – 5,000 to top off an award is going to be the way to go. Here’s a table illustrating how expensive SkyMiles can get the more you purchase:

Cost of SkyMiles (assuming full retail price of 3.5 cents per mile):

Number of MilesCost to Purchase
2,000$70
5,000$175
10,000$350
30,000$1050
50,000$1,750
Delta SkyMiles retail at $0.035/ea

When the Tickets You Wish to Buy Are Unavailable

Award seats are in short supply on most flights. If you’re considering buying miles for a particular flight or trip, make sure there are seats available ahead of time.

Sadly, not all flight seats can be purchased with miles, so you’ll need to plan as far in advance as possible if you intend to use miles to buy a ticket.

To check whether a flight has award seats available during booking, enter your desired flight information and select “Shop With Miles” or “Show Price in Miles.” If seats are available, you will see them and how much they cost. If there are no more seats available, you can try checking a different flight class to see if there are more there. 

Final Thoughts

To get the most out of your Delta SkyMiles, whether they are purchased or earned, you need to make sure you know what they’re worth. Purchasing miles is usually not a smart move, but a few scenarios (outlined above) make it potentially beneficial.

Visit the Delta SkyMiles Deals page for a complete list of advertised offers including the best-priced tickets available. Flash deals that maximize the value of your miles are updated monthly.

If you already have a sizable pool of miles in your account and you have a specific upgrade or trip in mind, then buying a few more to nab that offer may be a good way to travel cheaper.

Buying Airline Miles – When To Consider This Option?

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Miles can be earned through frequent flyer rewards programs with nearly any airline. If you fly often enough with one or two airlines, you will more than likely be rewarded for your loyalty with miles. These can be put toward any number of things, including ticket upgrades, hotel reservations, car rentals, and even airline-branded merchandise, if you’re into that sort of thing. 

But what if you want more miles than you’ve currently earned making airline purchases or flying?

Many airlines give customers the option of purchasing additional miles or points for their accounts, but there aren’t many advantages in doing this as the price at which they are sold often exceeds the value in which they can be exchanged for.

The tactic of acquiring more miles than you’ve “earned” isn’t going to be a huge money-saving hack by any means, but there are some instances where it can cut costs and make your life easier.

We will cover those potential scenarios in this article.

When Should You Consider Buying Airlines Miles

In a nut shell, one may consider buying airline miles if doing so will:

  1. Buying miles makes the price of the ticket more affordable than its retail price, or
  2. Buying miles keeps you from having your frequent flyer account deactivated, or
  3. Buying additional miles allows you to cash in a bonus offer or reward that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to.

If the price of the ticket is greater than the cost of purchasing necessary miles.

There are going to be times (albeit, not often) when ticket prices surpass miles prices. When this is the case, take advantage of the opportunity to save money and buy miles rather than the ticket itself.

To find out when this opportunity is present, you’ll need to do some basic math.

First, figure out the price per mile if you were to buy miles directly from your loyalty program’s website. Look for the “buy,” “gift,” or “transfer” tabs once you’ve logged in. The price per mile varies by airline, but a general rule of thumb is 2.5 to 3.5 cents per mile.

Second, after you’ve added up how much it will take to buy the required miles for the ticket, weigh this against the actual retail price of the ticket itself. Be sure to factor in taxes and fees.

To prevent accrued miles from expiring.

The last thing you want to do after racking up major miles is to let them go to waste.

Most frequent flyer programs set expiration dates on their miles if your account remains inactive for too long—18 months is fairly typical—and one way to keep an account active is to put more miles into it. It doesn’t matter whether these are purchased or earned or how many it is. 

Especially if your favorite airline will let you purchase just one or two thousand miles or if your flying habits are more sporadic, buying miles to prevent account deactivation could be a great way to make sure that you never lose miles before you get a chance to use them.

The United Airlines MileagePlus program, for example, allows customers to purchase as few as 2,000 miles and it goes up in increments of 1,000. These miles cost $35 per 1,000 miles (or 3.5 cents each) so with the 2,000 mile minimum purchase requirement, it would cost you $70 ($35 per 1,000 miles) to purchase 2,000 miles and thus keep your entire allotment active.

Buying miles to cash in on a bonus or to top off a reward.

Many airlines run promotions to incentivize buying miles, and you’re going to want to be on the lookout for these. Don’t waste your time with deals that only save you a couple of cents a mile, but instead keep your eyes peeled for slashed rates. Rate reductions of anywhere from 10% to 50% are common when you buy more miles at a time. Here’s a good place to scrounge around for updated deals.

Topping Off a Reward

Buying miles is a quick and easy way to supplement what you already have in your account, but only if the math makes sense.

If you’re really close to being able to use your miles on a great reward or ticket but just don’t quite have what you need in your account, consider buying enough to close the distance. The vacation package of your dreams could be just a few thousand miles away.

Consider the following:

Let’s say you and your significant other want to go to Hawaii for vacation and you’ve saved 145,000 miles between the two of you.

In general, it costs ~40,000 miles for one roundtrip ticket to Hawaii (or 75,000 miles for business class).

You two easily have enough miles to cash in on a free trip (40,000 miles each x 2 = 80,000 miles required), but with just 5,000 extra miles you could go in business class (75,000 miles each x 2 = 150,000 miles required).

In this scenario, it could make sense to purchase the additional 5,000 miles to bring your allotment from 145,000 up to 150,000 to cash in on the business class trip to Hawaii rather than flying coach.

Where To Go To Buy Airline Miles

Where you need to go to purchase airline miles will depend on which loyalty program(s) you are a part of and which airlines you fly most often. For the most part, airlines want you to buy miles so they make this easy and obvious to find.

If you visit your loyalty program’s website or online portal, look for links saying “buy,” “gift,” or “transfer” miles.

Other Variables To Consider

As stated, purchasing miles isn’t going to make sense in most cases, so make sure that you know how to make this decision wisely when the option presents itself.

The following two considerations are also important to keep in mind if you are thinking about buying miles.

Can you purchase miles with a rewards credit card?

If you’ve got a great reward credit card in your wallet and it makes sense for you to purchase airline miles (using our guide above), then you may want to compound the miles you earn by purchasing them with your reward credit card.

Buying miles using a rewards credit card will earn you even more miles or credit card points at no additional cost to you—just make sure that both the airline and the card will let you do this. 

The best cards count miles purchases as travel purchases, which is a good way to earn more points or miles than you pay for.

Co-branded airline cards are a great way to maximize the earning potential on anything travel-related with a certain carrier, especially miles, while general rewards cards may or may not be compatible with your airline of choice.

How many award seats are available on the flight?

Airline miles can’t just be used to purchase flight seats whenever you please. Unfortunately, award seats—or seats set aside specifically for award redemption—are often limited. And even more unfortunate, a carrier won’t always make it easy to find out how many award seats are still available when you go to book a flight. 

Searching for tickets through your airline’s search engine and filtering the results is going to be your best bet, but make sure that you’re searching only direct flights, as flights through partner airlines are not typically eligible to be paid for with miles and points. Also note that if you are traveling with a large party, you are unlikely to be able to use miles for all of your seats. Usually, a flight or cabin only has between one and five award seats available, but this will depend on many factors including the airline, flight route, seat class, etc.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, the scenarios in which purchasing airlines miles makes sense are few and far between.

If you are close to being able to redeem a loyalty reward, your miles are about to expire due to account inactivity, your favorite airline is running a promotion you can’t pass up, or the cost of a flight ticket is greater than the cost of enough miles to pay for said ticket, then buying miles makes some sense. Outside of this, however, you’ll be hard pressed to find a scenario in which it would be advantageous to purchase miles. 

Before you go through with any purchases, just make sure that you’re using the right credit card and award seats are still available on the flight you’re looking to take.

The ability to purchase airline miles is a useful option to keep in mind, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking that frequent flyer miles or points are more valuable than they really are. The true dollar value of any given mile ebbs and flows.