How to Book Award Flights with United Miles
Loading article…
Using your miles and points to book free flights is one of the most satisfying parts of participating in rewards programs.
Whether you’re heading out on a short trip to visit family or a big adventure to explore new destinations, rewards currencies like United MileagePlus miles are a great way to save money and travel further.
In this article, we’ll show you exactly how to redeem United MileagePlus miles for award flights so you can enjoy free or discounted travel to destinations around the world.
What is United MileagePlus?
United MileagePlus is the loyalty program for United Airlines. Members have the ability to earn miles on flights, co-branded credit cards, travel partners, and more.
Once you’ve accumulated some miles, you can redeem them for award flights around the world across United’s large network of destinations. You can also book award flights on routes with United’s Star Alliance partners (such as Air Canada) and many other partner airlines.
You can learn more about earning and redeeming miles on the United MileagePlus program page.
Redeem United Miles for Flights
How to Book an Award Flight with United Miles
The process to book an award flight with your United miles is very straightforward. Regardless of whether you’re looking to book a flight with United Airlines or with one of its many partner airlines, your first step is to head to the United Airlines website and sign in to your MileagePlus account.
Next, click on the “Book” tab and check the box for “Book with miles.” You then need to fill in your search criteria, including origin, destination, and preferred travel dates. Then click “Find flights.”
On the next page, you’ll see the search results for the dates you selected, with the cost in points (+ taxes/fees). You’ll also see results for a few days before and a few days after your selected date.
You can also see the cost in Money + Miles, using the dropdown menu at the top of the page. However, this option is only available for select flights, so you may not always see it.
As you can see above, the price in points can fluctuate (thanks to United’s use of dynamic pricing). Given this, it can be helpful to see how the costs range across many days, especially if your travel dates are flexible.
To see more travel dates and prices, click on “Advanced search” at the top of the page, and then select “Flexible dates” checkbox. On this page, you can also adjust other variables to narrow down your search results further.
Within this results calendar, you can see that the lowest cost award flights are indicated in green. In this case, the cheapest flight is coming in at 40,000 United miles plus $113 in taxes and fees.
The available flights for any selected day will be listed on the same page, below the calendar graphic.
Once you find a flight that suits your search parameters, you can select the route and cabin class that you’d like. This will take you to the booking page, where you will add your traveller information and redeem your miles.
Other Considerations for United Award Flights
As you get ready to book your next United MileagePlus award flight, keep the following in mind:
- Premier Status and eligible United MileagePlus credit card holders will typically enjoy lower prices and/or additional award flight seat inventory. Make sure you’re logged in to your MileagePlus account and have linked your credit card to unlock these benefits.
- United Airlines uses dynamic pricing for its award chart, so prices can fluctuate drastically depending on the route, dates of travel, and seat availability. The lowest price available, also known as the Saver Level, will be available first, when the seat inventory is released, and then the prices will increase as more seats sell.
- For eligible flights, United MileagePlus will let you combine Money + Miles to access award flights even if you don’t have enough miles in your account. However, this option is not available for all flights, so you’ll need to search first to see what your redemption options are.
Other Ways to Redeem United MileagePlus Miles
United MileagePlus Miles can also be redeemed for the following, though the value available through these options is notably lower than when you redeem your miles for flights:
- Hotel stays, car rentals, and cruises
- United Club memberships
- Gift cards and merchandise
- Charitable donations
- and more
Best Ways to Earn United MileagePlus Miles in Canada
The best ways to earn United MileagePlus Miles in Canada are as follows:
- Flying with United Airlines and partners: Earn miles on cash fares with United, United Express, and the many partner airlines. Just be sure to enter your MileagePlus membership number when you make your booking.
- Co-branded credit cards: In Canada, United MileagePlus members can earn miles on all purchases with the United® MileagePlus® Neo World Elite® Mastercard. This card is the only Canadian MileagePlus card, though there are many United MileagePlus credit cards additionally available in the US.
- Transfer from other loyalty programs: Transfer points from Marriott Bonvoy to United MileagePlus at a ratio of 3:1. Plus, if you transfer 60,000 Bonvoy points, you get a 10,000-point bonus. You can also transfer to MileagePlus from other hotel loyalty programs, but the rates are not as favourable.
- Purchase miles: If you only need a few miles in order to access a desired redemption, buying United MileagePlus miles directly can be a good option.
- Annual fee
- $89
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$320Total$320Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $320
- Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months
- Up to 20,000 miles
Apply Now
on Neo Financial's website
Bottom Line
Redeeming your miles for award flights through United MileagePlus is easy and opens the door to destinations across the globe.
Although United miles are not the easiest to earn in Canada, they can still play a role in your loyalty program strategy, especially thanks to the United® MileagePlus® Neo World Elite® Mastercard.
Of course, you can also access award flights within United Airlines’ network using your Air Canada Aeroplan points, thanks to the Star Alliance partnership between these two carriers.
Check out the following Aeroplan guides to learn more about earning and redeeming this top travel currency:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do United MileagePlus miles expire?
No, United MileagePlus miles don’t expire. Any miles you earn will remain in your account for as long as it stays active, with no activity requirement to keep them valid.
Is there a United MileagePlus credit card available in Canada?
Yes! The United® MileagePlus® Neo World Elite® Mastercard was released in early 2026 and lets Canadians earn MileagePlus miles on all their purchases.
The card also offers additional travel perks like free checked bags and priority boarding on United flights.
Can I redeem United miles to book flights on partner airlines?
Yes, you can redeem your United MileagePlus miles for award flights on many partner airlines, including Star Alliance members. You can find available redemptions the same way you search for United Airlines redemptions, just search on the United website with your MileagePlus account logged in.