Many of the world's major airlines have partnerships with other airlines, hotel groups and rental car companies. These partnerships open up more flight destinations and give loyalty program members more ways to earn and redeem their airline miles.
Chances are your airline of choice may have more partners than you think. In the case of United Airlines, you can earn and redeem your MileagePlus miles with many airlines and hotels and transfer credit card points from multiple issuer rewards programs. Plus, the United MileagePlus program partners with several companies to offer increased mileage earning rates.
In this article, I'll give you an overview of the many partners you should know about if you're a United loyalist. Review these partners closely — you never know where you might be leaving rewards on the table.
Related: How to pool United MileagePlus miles with family and friends
United's Star Alliance airline partners
United is a founding member of Star Alliance, the largest airline alliance in the world. United frequent flyers can earn and redeem miles on all these partners, opening up a huge route network that spans all inhabited continents and nearly all major cities across the globe:
- Aegean Airlines
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air India
- Air New Zealand
- All Nippon Airways
- Asiana Airlines
- Austrian Airlines
- Avianca
- Brussels Airlines
- Copa Airlines
- Croatia Airlines
- Egyptair
- Ethiopian Airlines
- EVA Airways
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Scandinavian Airlines
- Shenzhen Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airways
- Swiss
- TAP Air Portugal
- Thai Airways
- Turkish Airlines
Related: The Star Alliance credit card launched in Australia. Here's why I hope it comes to the US
United's nonalliance airline partners
United also maintains a handful of airline partnerships outside of Star Alliance, giving United customers access to even more destinations around the world. You can earn and redeem miles with these partners in most cases, though some may have restrictions.
For example, MileagePlus members can earn miles on all qualifying Hawaiian Airlines flights. As stated on United's website, qualifying flights meet the following requirements:
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- Flights must be interisland flights on Hawaiian Airlines.
- You must book a codeshare flight with a United Airlines flight number.
Hawaiian Airlines flights from the mainland U.S. are not eligible to earn United miles and cannot be booked with United miles. However, when you book United flights from the continental U.S. to Hawaii on miles, an interisland flight on Hawaiian Airlines could be "free" thanks to United's Excursionist Perk.
Here's a look at United's nonalliance airline partners:
- Aer Lingus
- Air Dolomiti
- Airlink
- Azul Brazilian Airlines
- Boutique Air
- Cape Air
- Discover Airlines
- Edelweiss Air
- Emirates
- Eurowings
- Flydubai
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JSX
- Lufthansa City Airlines
- Olympic Air
- Silver Airways
- Virgin Australia
- Vistara
Earning United miles with partners
From airlines to car rental companies, United has a ton of ways to earn and redeem miles through partners. Here's a quick overview.
United airline partners
You can earn United miles when you add your MileagePlus number to flights operated by any of United's partners.
If United issues your ticket (i.e., your ticket number starts with "016"), you'll earn 5 base miles per dollar spent. If you have Premier status with United, you'll earn additional bonus miles per dollar spent on the flight.
| MileagePlus status | Base miles earned | Premier bonus miles earned | Total miles earned |
|---|---|---|---|
| General member | 5 miles | No additional miles | 5 miles per dollar |
| Premier Silver | 5 miles | 2 bonus miles | 7 miles per dollar |
| Premier Gold | 5 miles | 3 bonus miles | 8 miles per dollar |
| Premier Platinum | 5 miles | 4 bonus miles | 9 miles per dollar |
| Premier 1K | 5 miles | 6 bonus miles | 11 miles per dollar |
If a partner tickets your flight, you'll earn United miles based on the distance flown and the fare class.
For example, a Lufthansa flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Frankfurt Airport (FRA) booked in M fare economy would earn 5,806 miles. This is because the flight from LAX to FRA is 5,806 miles, and the Lufthansa chart shows that M fares earn 100% of the mileage flown.
You can also earn Premier qualifying points and Premier qualifying flights on partner flights. Flights on United's "preferred" partner airlines earn 1 PQP for every 5 miles flown; flights on other partners earn 1 PQP for every 6 miles flown. However, note that United has set limits to how many PQPs and PQFs you can earn, depending on the partner airline and the fare class.
You can view the PQP guidelines, as well as miles-earning rates for each partner airline, on United's website. Review these pages closely — sometimes, airlines restrict mileage earning to specific routes and fare classes.
Related: How to get maximum value from the United MileagePlus program
Hotel partnerships
United has partnerships with most major hotel chains and some hotel booking platforms to allow members to earn United miles on lodging. Some earn a set number of miles per stay, while others earn miles based on how much they spend at a given hotel. Many hotel loyalty programs also let you transfer your hotel points to United, though that usually isn't the best use of your points.
Here's a look at all of United's hotel partnerships.
| Partner | Mileage earning |
|---|---|
| Accor | Transfer Accor Live Limitless points to United miles at a 2:1 ratio. |
| Best Western | Earn 250 United miles per eligible stay at any participating hotel. |
| Choice | Transfer Choice points to United miles at a 5:1 ratio. Earn 250 United miles per eligible stay at a participating hotel. |
| Hilton | Transfer Hilton Honors points to United at a 10:1 ratio. |
| Hyatt | Transfer World of Hyatt points to United miles at a 2.5:1 ratio. Plus, convert 50,000 points into 20,000 miles and receive a 5,000-mile bonus. Earn 500 United miles per eligible stay at certain World of Hyatt brands. |
| IHG | Transfer IHG One Rewards points to United miles at a 5:1 ratio. Earn 2 United miles per dollar spent on qualifying room rates at certain IHG brands. Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites earn 1 mile per dollar spent. |
| Marriott | Transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to United miles at a 3:1 ratio. You'll also earn a 10,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points you transfer to an airline. Earn 1 or 2 miles per dollar spent on all qualifying charges at select Marriott hotels, depending on the brand. |
| Rocketmiles | Book hotels through Rocketmiles and earn up to 10,000 miles per night. |
| Shangri-La | Transfer Golden Circle points to United miles at a 1:1 ratio (must convert a minimum of 2,500 Shangri-La Circle award points). Earn 500 United miles per eligible stay at any participating hotel. |
| United Hotels | Earn 2 United miles per dollar spent. |
| Vrbo | Earn 3 United miles per dollar spent on Vrbo vacation rentals. |
| Wyndham | Transfer Wyndham Rewards points to United miles at a 5:1 ratio. Wyndham Gold and Blue members earn 1 United mile per dollar spent at Wyndham hotels; Wyndham Platinum and Diamond members earn 2 miles per dollar spent (at participating hotels). |
Related: Should you transfer hotel points to airline partners?
Rental car partners
Rental cars are an important part of many trips, especially if you plan on traveling outside of big cities. You can earn United miles as follows when you rent with Avis and Budget.
| MileagePlus membership tier | Miles earned |
|---|---|
| Basic member | 500 miles per rental |
| MileagePlus credit card holder | 750 miles per rental |
| Premier Silver and Premier Gold | 1,000 miles per rental |
| Premier Platinum and Premier 1K | 1,250 miles per rental |
To earn miles, all you have to do is provide your MileagePlus membership number when you rent. However, know that you may need to pay a frequent traveler program surcharge if you opt to earn United miles on your rental.
United flyers can also take advantage of discounts up to 35% with Avis and Budget using their respective discount numbers.
Related: How you can redeem points and miles for car rentals
United credit cards
United Airlines has an exclusive partnership with Chase to issue credit cards in the U.S. Each of these cards offers extra miles on United purchases, and some offer additional perks like free checked bags and United Club access.
Here's an overview of the currently available United personal cards and their welcome bonuses:
- United Gateway℠ Card: Earn 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- United℠ Explorer Card: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- United Quest℠ Card: Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- United Club℠ Infinite Card: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
United also has two business credit cards:
- United℠ Business Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Plus, receive a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
- United Club℠ Business Card: Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 1,000 Premier qualifying points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
The information for the United Club Business Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Best United Airlines credit cards
Transferring credit card rewards
There are two credit card rewards currencies that you can transfer to United MileagePlus: Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Bilt Rewards Points. Both transfer at a 1:1 ratio, so you can turn 10,000 Ultimate Rewards points or Bilt points into 10,000 United miles — and transfers are almost instant.
Here are some of our favorite cards that earn these valuable points:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees)
TPG founder Brian Kelly is a Bilt adviser and investor.
In many cases, you can earn United miles faster with one of these cards than you can with the United cards we mentioned earlier. While you don't get airline-specific benefits like checked bags, you can earn more points on everyday purchases. Not to mention, you can transfer your points to other airlines and hotels if you find a better redemption.
Shopping and everyday partners
United has a suite of other partners that you can use to earn United miles on your daily purchases. Here's a quick overview of United's various everyday partners.
| Partner | Mileage earning |
|---|---|
| Audience Rewards | Earn at least 100 miles per Broadway ticket, with bonus offers of up to 2,000 miles per ticket. |
| Emergency Assistance Plus | Earn 1,500 miles when you sign up for Emergency Assistance Plus and for each year you renew. |
| FTD | Earn 15 miles for every dollar you spend on FTD flowers and gifts. |
| Home Chef | Earn up to 5,000 miles on your first five boxes from Home Chef (1,000 miles each). |
| MileagePlus Dining | Earn up to 5 miles per dollar spent at participating restaurants. |
| MileagePlus Shopping | Earn United miles when shopping at qualifying merchants like Apple, Macy's and Levi's. |
| MileagePlus X | Earn United miles on every dollar you spend on gift cards, restaurant purchases, items from online retailers and last-minute hotel deals through the MileagePlus X app. |
| MyPoints | Earn up to 1,500 miles when you join MyPoints and make your first purchase within 30 days. |
| National Foundation for Cancer Research | Earn 10 miles per dollar spent on tax-deductible contributions of $25 or more. |
| Norton 360 with LifeLock | Save up to 45% off your first year of Norton 360 with LifeLock and earn up to 10,000 miles. |
| NRG Energy | Earn 10,000 bonus miles for enrolling in an electricity account and 2,500 bonus miles for enrolling in a natural gas account after two months of service. Get 2 miles for every dollar spent on the supply portion of your monthly electric and natural gas bills. (Available in select utility service areas.) Texas residents can earn 15,000 bonus miles when signing up and 500 bonus miles each month for 24 months when they switch to the Reliant Secure 24 plan. |
| Opinion Miles Club | You can earn up to 600 United miles for joining and completing your first survey, plus additional miles for each survey after that. |
| Rocket Mortgage | Earn 25,000 miles for closing or refinancing a home loan through Rocket Mortgage. |
| Thanks Again | Earn 100 bonus miles when you enroll and 1 additional mile per dollar when you park, shop or dine at more than 100 airports throughout North America. You can also earn by shopping at thousands of local businesses nationwide. |
| Therabody | Earn up to 6 miles per dollar spent on Therabody products. |
| Timeshifter | Earn 500 miles when you purchase an annual subscription or 200 miles when purchasing a round-trip plan. |
| United Cruises | Earn up to 4 miles per dollar spent on cruises booked through United Cruises (a maximum of 25,000 miles per cruise applies). |
| Vinesse Wines | Earn up to 5,000 miles with Vinesse Wines. |
Redeeming miles on partner flights
United MileagePlus has undergone a string of devaluations in recent years, including when it switched to dynamic award pricing for all partner award tickets and devalued Europe saver awards by 33%.
United is also known to price award space on partner-operated flights higher than on its own planes, and it charges additional miles if you connect from a United flight to a partner flight. For example, you could pay 40,000 miles for a one-way economy-class ticket on a United-operated flight from Denver International Airport (DEN) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). There are several comparable flights operated in whole or in part by Air Canada, Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, but these all cost 4,000 miles more.
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Still, this means you can leverage United's partner network to fly to destinations not served by United for only a few thousand extra miles. Essentially, you can fly to just about anywhere in the world using your United miles.
You can find award space for virtually all United partners on the United website. This includes all of the carrier's Star Alliance partners, as well as nonalliance partners like Aer Lingus and Hawaiian Airlines. United's website is often considered the best Star Alliance search tool.
If you earn transferable points and want to find the best Star Alliance deals, we recommend checking United's website for availability and then booking through partner platforms, such as Air Canada Aeroplan.
Related: Getting started with points, miles and credit cards to travel
Reciprocal elite status benefits
United Premier elite members get reciprocal benefits on all Star Alliance carriers. United Premier Silver members are eligible for Star Alliance Silver status, while United Premier Gold and above members are eligible for the more lucrative Star Alliance Gold status. To take advantage of your Star Alliance benefits when flying partner airlines, add your United MileagePlus number to your booking.
Here's a look at the benefits of both Star Alliance status tiers, which can make your flight experience easier when flying on partner carriers.
Star Alliance Silver
Star Alliance Silver status is pretty bare-bones. It includes minimal benefits that, while helpful, won't drastically change your airport experience.
- Priority wait-listing: If your desired class of service isn't available at the time of booking, your status gives you higher priority on the waitlist. This does not apply to award tickets.
- Priority airport standby: Your status gives you higher priority on the standby list for your preferred flight, except when you are traveling on an award ticket. This can be helpful if you want to switch to an earlier flight.
Star Alliance Gold
Things get more interesting with Star Alliance Gold status. These members are eligible for more tangible benefits.
- Gold Track security: You can use dedicated Gold Track security lanes before Star Alliance flights.
- Extra baggage allowance: You can take an extra 44 pounds of checked baggage on partner flights. Plus, most Star Alliance airlines let you check an additional piece of baggage for free. Note that select basic economy fares are exempt from this benefit.
- Priority boarding: You'll board before other travelers on all Star Alliance flights, even when flying in economy class.
- Priority baggage handling: Your checked baggage will be among the first off the plane when you land.
- Airport lounge access: You can access over 1,000 Star Alliance partner lounges worldwide when flying any Star Alliance partner. Note that United elite members cannot access United Clubs unless flying on an international flight.
- Priority airport check-in: You can use priority check-in desks when flying Star Alliance partner carriers.
Related: How to get airline elite status
Bottom line
United has a slew of partners, making it one of the easiest airlines to earn miles. However, if you're just beginning your mileage journey, we highly recommend starting with a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points or Bilt points. After all, you can transfer these points to United (and many other programs).
When it comes to redeeming miles, you'll get the best deals by redeeming United miles for flights operated by United. However, you can still leverage the airline's vast partner network to redeem miles for partner flights if United doesn't serve your destination of choice.
For rates and fees of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.
For rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
