Buy United Miles with 80% Bonus: Worth It?

 

 

If you buy 80,000 United miles, you'll receive 64,000 bonus miles. The cost is $2800 + tax, for a total of $3010. That gives you a price of 2.09 cents per mile, which I don't consider a great deal for United miles, particularly after the 2014 United Award Chart devaluation that increased some partner first class awards by over 80%.

 

 

 

 

The 50K Chase MileagePlus Business Card has no annual fee the first year, and is an inexpensive way of earning 50,000 MileagePlus miles if you don't have an immediate need for United miles. Likewise, the 60K Ink Plus, although it does have a $95 annual fee that is not waived the first year, is a good card to keep for its 5X categories.

 

If you do have an immediate need for United miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned from the Sapphire Preferred or Ink Plus, or even the Chase Freedom (as long as you also have a Sapphire Preferred or Ink Plus card) can transfer to United miles.

 

 

 

Everyone values and uses their United miles differently, but here are what I view as some of the top United MileagePlus awards that can be booked in advance.

 

 

If you don't mind routing via Asia, Business Class from the U.S. to Australia or New Zealand is a relatively good deal. That's because there's often very limited business class award availability on non-stop flights between the U.S. and Austalia / New Zealand, and programs such as AAdvantage, which charge just 62,500 miles each way for business class awards, don't allow you to route via Asia on a single award. Asiana Business Class to Sydney via Seoul is a good option.

 

 

 

 

No question, 130K is a lot of miles for one way from the U.S. to Australia, but given that you can earn 50,000 United miles via a single credit card application, I'd say that credit card application is worth it if you can find award availability in first class for the longest segments. I'd look at Asiana First Class on the A380 to Seoul, Asiana Business Class to Bangkok, and Thai First Class to Sydney.

 

 

 

This isn't currently bookable, but earlier this year, in February, United discounted Star Alliance Business Class Awards. The greatest savings was to and from Europe, which was bookable on Lufthansa Business Class and SWISS Business Class for 57,500 United miles each way, the same rate as awards on United metal cost. There's no guarantee this will return in 2016, but if it does, it's a good way to get to Europe in business class without hefty fuel surcharges. See Discounted United Partner Business Class Awards

 

 

 

 

ANA offers an excellent first class product on its 777-300ER with 8 open suites in a 1-2-1 configuration that are nevertheless very private, and the cabin rarely is completely full. Los Angeles to Tokyo is about 12 hours, and 110,000 miles at 2.09 cents per mile is $2299–not cheap, but hundreds of dollars less than a paid ticket, based on roundtrip travel

 

 

I wouldn't stock up on United miles with this offer, but it could make sense to top up now if you plan to redeem for a United MileagePlus award soon and don't have enough MileagePlus miles or Ultimate Rewards points that you can transfer over. That said, be sure to check whether your planned award is cheaper using Singapore KrisFlyer miles. For example, domestic business class is 20,000 Singapore miles each way, but 25,000 United miles each way, on a United Airlines flight. Similarly, the continental U.S. to Hawaii in United Business Class is 30,000 Singapore miles each way, but 40,000 United miles each way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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