United miles can be redeemed for flights with United and their partners, car rentals, hotels, cruises, lounge access, and much more. United miles will have the best value when redeemed for award flights.
United Miles Value
Based on our valuations, United miles are worth 1.3 cents each when used towards flights with United and their airline partners. This means 10,000 miles are worth $130 in flight value on average.
Here's our breakdown on United miles value:
Redemption option | Redemption value in cents |
---|---|
Award Flights (Research/Sweet Spots) | 2 |
Award Flights (Average) | 1.3 |
Cruises | 0.78 |
United Club Membership | 0.76 |
Car Rentals | 0.75 |
TSA PreCheck | 0.70 |
Hotels | 0.68 |
United Wi-Fi Subscription | 0.65 - 0.68 |
Gift Cards | 0.30 |
How To Calculate The Value of United Miles
You will not know the value of your United miles until you know the cost of your flight or redemption. You can calculate the value by dividing the cash cost of your redemption by the amount of miles required.
United Miles Value = Cost of Flight or Redemption ÷ Miles Required.
Jump to our Use United Miles or Pay Cash Calculator to easily calculate the cost of any United redemption.
Redeeming United Miles For The Best Value
You will get the best value out of your United miles when you redeem them for flights with United and their partners. All other redemptions will offer significantly lower value with gift cards being the absolute worse.
United Flights
United miles will have the best value when redeemed towards flights with United Airlines and their airline partners. This will give you an average of 1.3 cents per mile meaning that 10,000 miles is worth around $130 in flight value.
Listed below are a few popular sweet spots when it comes to booking award flights with United Miles as well as some standard examples for redeeming miles for domestic and international travel.
- Fly United Polaris Business Class: If you're looking to redeem your miles directly with United, Polaris is a great option. One-way flights to Europe start at 60,000 miles. If you're trying to fly west, one-way flights to Asia starts at 70,000 United Miles.
- Fly From The U.S. To Europe On Lufthansa First Class: Lufthansa's first class sits high up on the list of top-rated first class products and you can obtain a seat for yourself starting at 110,000 Untied Miles for a one-way award flight.
- Fly From The U.S. To Europe In Economy: You can find higher-than-average value booking economy flights from the U.S. to Europe.
- United's Excursionist Perk: If you book a multi-city itinerary with three or more one-way awards, you will be eligible to receive one of those one-way awards for free as long as travel meets the rules.
Cruises
United miles can be used to book cruises through the United Cruises portal which will give you a value of around 0.78 cents per mile. It's possible to get slightly higher value when booking high-end rooms such as suites.
United Club Membership
United miles can be used to pay for United Club membership which gives you access to 45+ United Club locations worldwide as well as access to visit select partner lounges around the world. Both the individual member and couple membership will give you the same value of 0.76 cents per mile.
If you're really looking for lounge access, the better route to take is the United Club℠ Infinite Card which offers complimentary United Club Membership as it's primary perk (hence Club in the card's name). The card has a high annual fee, but the fee is lower than the $650 you'll have to dish out if you were to buy membership directly from United.
Car Rentals
You can rent cars with Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty using United miles. This will give you an average value of about 0.75 cents per mile.
The higher redemption values for car rentals will come from booking the smaller vehicles with Hertz. You'll also receive additional benefits booking with Hertz as they are partnered with United.
TSA PreCheck
If you want to get through security slightly faster, you can redeem 11,000 United miles to pay for a TSA PreCheck application. New enrollment for TSA PreCheck will cost you $78, so you're looking at about 0.7 cents per mile in value.
Hotels
Hotels can be booked using United miles via the United portal. This will give your miles an average of about 0.68 cents per mile which is pretty low when compared to airfare redemptions.
United Wi-Fi
United Miles can be used to pay for a Wi-Fi subscription that you can use towards United flights. Depending on the subscription, this will give your miles an average of 0.65 to 0.68 cents per mile.
Gift Cards
United miles can be redeemed for gift cards which starts at 3,333 United miles for a $10 denomination. This is the worst redemption option for United miles.
Merchandise and Apple
United Miles can be used to redeem electronics, housewares, jewelery, and more through the MileagePlus Awards Shop. The value of these redemptions will vary, but you can search by how many miles you're willing to spend. If you have a low amount of United Miles sitting in the dark corners of your account, awards look to start at 3,000 United Miles.
United Miles can also be used to purchase Apple products such as a Macbook, iPad, iPhone, or iWatch.
Calculator: Convert United Miles To Dollars
Use the United Miles Value Calculator to determine the cash value of United miles for flights, gift cards, car rentals, and more. With this helpful tool, you'll be able to have a better understanding of the monetary value of your United miles!
United Miles Value Calculator
Redemption | Estimated Value |
---|---|
Award Flights (Research/Sweet Spots) | $0+ |
Award Flights (Average) | $0 |
Cruises | $0 |
United Club Membership | $0 |
Car Rentals | $0 |
TSA PreCheck | $0 |
Hotels | $0 |
United Wi-Fi Subscription | $0 - $0 |
Gift Cards | $0 |
Calculator: Use United Miles or Pay Cash?
Is your United Miles redemption giving you the best bang for your buck? Use this calculator to figure out the value of a particular United Airlines redemption by inputting the cost in cash and in United Miles (plus taxes). With this calculator, you'll know if the redemption is the best option.
Finding The Best Card For United Miles
The best travel rewards card for United will be either a Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card or a co-branded United credit card.
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be converted into United miles at a 1:1 rate. Every 1,000 Chase points you transfer to your United MileagePlus account will give you 1,000 United miles.
If you're looking to maximize your United miles, Ultimate Rewards credit cards is the way to go. These cards offer excellent earning rates and great travel benefits.
You can also pair Ultimate Rewards credit cards with Chase's cash back credit cards to maximize the value of your points.
Here are the three credit cards that allow you to transfer points to United:
Co-branded United Cards
United offers a large handful of co-branded credit cards through Chase. These cards generally will not earn you as many miles as using Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards, but they will grant you access to exclusive United benefits. This includes perks such as free checked bags, statement credits, lounge access, and more.
If you fly United frequently, it can easily be worth picking up a co-branded credit card, especially if it saves you money in the long run (such as saving on checked bags for example).
Here are the credit cards that United offers:
FAQs
How much are United Miles worth?
The Point Calculator values United Miles at 1.3 cents each, but they can be worth significantly more with a little research.
What can you use United Miles for?
United Miles can be used for award flights with United and other airline partners. They can also be redeemed towards car rentals, hotels, lounge access, gift cards, and much more.
How much is 5,000 United miles worth?
Based on our valuations, 5,000 United miles are worth $65 in flight value with United and their airline partners
How much is 10,000 United miles worth?
Based on our valuations, 10,000 United miles are worth $130 in flight value with United and their airline partners
How much is 15,000 United miles worth?
Based on our valuations, 15,000 United miles are worth $195 in flight value with United and their airline partners
How much is 20,000 United miles worth?
Based on our valuations, 20,000 United miles are worth $260 in flight value with United and their airline partners
How much is 25,000 United miles worth?
Based on our valuations, 25,000 United miles are worth $325 in flight value with United and their airline partners
How much is 30,000 United miles worth?
Based on our valuations, 30,000 United miles are worth $390 in flight value with United and their airline partners
How much is 50,000 United miles worth?
Based on our valuations, 50,000 United miles are worth $650 in flight value with United and their airline partners
How much is 60,000 United miles worth?
Based on our valuations, 60,000 United miles are worth $780 in flight value with United and their airline partners
How much is 70,000 United miles worth?
Based on our valuations, 70,000 United miles are worth $910 in flight value with United and their airline partners
How much is 75,000 United miles worth?
Based on our valuations, 75,000 United miles are worth $975 in flight value with United and their airline partners
How much is 80,000 United miles worth?
Based on our valuations, 80,000 United miles are worth $1,040 in flight value with United and their airline partners
How much is 100,000 United miles worth?
Based on our valuations, 100,000 United miles are worth $1,300 in flight value with United and their airline partners
How much is 200,000 United miles worth?
Based on our valuations, 200,000 United miles are worth $2,600 in flight value with United and their airline partners
How much is 300,000 United miles worth?
Based on our valuations, 300,000 United miles are worth $3,900 in flight value with United and their airline partners