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As of August 2019, United Airlines miles no longer expire. That’s right — United flyers don't have to worry about losing miles because they didn’t keep their United MileagePlus account active.
So, do United miles expire? The quick answer is United miles don't expire as long as your account is open and in good standing.
What does this mean for MileagePlus members? For now, we can mostly speculate.
United miles don't expire
Knowing that United MileagePlus miles don't expire is positive, since miles previously expired after 18 months of inactivity. Prior to summer 2019, you’d have to earn or redeem miles via flights, shopping portal earnings or rental car bookings to keep your account active, for example.
Now, none of those restrictions apply. It’s good news for travel hackers and casual flyers who aren’t great at tracking their miles and don’t like to worry about maintaining active status in multiple rewards programs.
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Earn United miles quickly
Knowing that your stash of United miles won't expire might be inspiring you to build up your collection of miles. For those ready to shop around for a United credit card, start here.
| United Gateway℠ Card | United℠ Explorer Card | United Quest℠ Card | United Club℠ Card |
| ANNUAL FEE | |||
| $0. | $0 intro for the first year, then $150. | $350. | $695. |
| BONUS OFFER FOR NEW CARDHOLDERS | |||
| Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. | Earn 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. | Earn 80,000 bonus miles and 3,000 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. | Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. |
| FREE CHECKED BAGS | |||
| Two free checked bags after spending $10,000 per year. | First checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation. | First and second checked bags free for you and one companion on your reservation. | First and second checked bags free for you and one companion on your reservation. |
| REWARDS ON SPENDING WITH UNITED AIRLINES | |||
| 2 miles per $1. | 2 miles per $1. | 3 miles per $1. | 4 miles per $1. |
| REWARDS ON OTHER SPENDING | |||
| • 2 miles per $1 at gas stations. • 2 miles per $1 on local transit and commuting. • 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. | • 5 miles per $1 on hotel stays purchased through United Hotels. • 2 miles per $1 at restaurants. • 2 miles per $1 on hotels (when booked directly with the hotel). • 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. | • 5 miles per $1 on stays purchased through Renowned Hotels and Resorts • 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel (including other airlines, hotels, car rentals and more). • 2 miles per $1 on dining (including takeout and delivery). • 2 miles per $1 on select streaming services. • 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. | • 5 miles per $1 on stays purchased through Renowned Hotels and Resorts. • 2 miles per $1 on all other travel. • 2 miles per $1 on dining. • 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. |
| AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS | |||
| None. | 2 United Club one-time passes each year. | None. | Annual membership to all United Club locations. |
| CREDIT FOR TSA PRECHECK, GLOBAL ENTRY OR NEXUS | |||
| None. | Up to $120 every four years. | Up to $120 every four years. | Up to $120 every four years. |
We estimate United MileagePlus miles are worth 1.2 cents each.
» Learn more: Fly United for cheap with these award sweet spots
How do I keep my United miles from expiring?
That's easy since they don't expire on their own. In actuality, the biggest obstacle to keeping your United miles from going unused is remembering your United MileagePlus number, password and security question answers.
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