What’s the Value of United Miles? (Calculator)
Many or all of the products on this page are from partners who compensate us when you click to or take an action on their website, but this does not influence our evaluations or ratings. Our opinions are our own.
United miles are worth about 1.2 cents each.
The timeframe of booking won't impact the value of your miles for most main cabin fares.
The United MileagePlus program is one of the largest, and most complicated, airline rewards systems in the world. Learning how to navigate it starts with knowing how much its currency — miles — are worth.
Here’s the short answer: The value of United MileagePlus miles is roughly 1.2 cents each. You can get more or less value from each mile depending on when and how you use them, but this is a good estimate for comparing your own redemptions.
How much are United miles worth?
We estimate that each United mile is worth 1.2 cents, but this is a baseline value, not a maximized value based on comparing real-world cash and award fares in main cabin. You can get considerably more bang from your miles by researching carefully, targeting partner airlines, leveraging the Excursionist Perk and booking business class (see below). You can also get considerably less value by using your United miles carelessly. Just like real money, there are better and worse ways to use award miles.
Calculator: Convert United miles to dollars
With the calculator below, you can quickly figure out how much your United miles are worth based on our estimated value.
» Learn more: The best United Airline credit cards
United MileagePlus Miles value over time
United miles rose in value during NerdWallet's last valuation after a consistent three years.
How do United miles compare with other airlines?
United falls near the middle of the airline pack with its mile value.
» Learn more: How much are your airline miles and hotel points worth?
When is the best time to use United miles?
We compared the value when booking at three different time frames:
180 days before departure.
15 days before departure.
Peak holiday travel (Dec. 22-29).
United miles are worth roughly the same across these three time frames.
Can United miles be used on other airlines?
Yes, United miles can be used to book flights on United, of course. They can also be used to book flights on dozens of partner airlines (through the United search tool, not by transferring to partners), upgrade to premium cabin seats and even upgrade Star Alliance partner flights.
You can also use these miles for unusual purchases such as magazine subscriptions and rental cars, but in general these redemption options don’t offer great value.
$0.
$0 intro for the first year, then $95.
$250.
$525.
• 2 miles per $1 on United purchases, gas stations and local transit and commuting.
• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
• 2 miles per $1 on United purchases.
• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants and hotels (when booked directly with hotel).
• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
• 3 miles per $1 on United purchases.
• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants, select streaming services and all other travel.
• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
• 4 miles per $1 on United purchases.
• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants and all other travel purchases.
• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• First checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.
• 2 United Club one-time passes each year.
• Credit of up to $120 every four years for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.
• Priority boarding.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• First and second checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.
• $125 United purchase credit per year (good on airfare).
• Two 5,000-mile award flight credits per anniversary year.
• Credit of up to $120 every four years for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.
• Priority boarding.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• First and second checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.
• Access to United Club airport lounges.
• Credit of up to $120 every four years for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.
• Priority boarding.
• No foreign transaction fees.
Limited-time Offer: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. Learn more.
Limited-time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Limited-time Offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Limited-time Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
How did we determine the value of United miles?
We collected hundreds of data points comparing the cash value with award (mile) value for the same routes and dates. That is, we compared the cost of a given ticket in either cash or miles, across many tickets.
This method differs from others in that it looks at actual redemptions rather than hypothetical, maximized redemptions. The advantage of this approach is that it provides a real-world indication of how much these miles are worth, on average. That said, it doesn’t take into account the upper range of potential values.
Wondering what you can do with those miles? Check out our guide to booking award flights with United.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024:
Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
