Jul 1, 2013, 7:10 am
Last edit by: wannabe_plat
If you want to keep all your existing miles, and thus want some new miles to post quickly and reliably, here are some ways, from cheapest to most expensive:
- Take a survey at opinionmilesclub.com - not sure how long this takes to post.
- If you have a United credit card, downgrade it to the no fee version that gives 1 mile/$2 and use it every so often. Will help with aging as well which is good for your credit score.
- Buy a $5 giftcard (to Amazon or a local store) using the MileagePlusX app - miles post within seconds of making payment.
- Dining option still works (as of May 22, 2014). Posted to United in about 3 weeks after activity. I think it is one of the easiest options. No need to even take survey if you dont want extra survey points. I didn't do it.
- Buy a gift card and trade it to United for miles. See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/21020349-post702.html for an example that cost $15, and resulted in miles posting in under 24 hours. If you are not a U.S. resident, then buy an acceptable gift card on eBay and ask seller to email you the gift card number and pin. The gift card can be purchased with anyone's credit card (or cash) and applied to anyone's M+ number (name on credit card and M+ account need not match). It is not known if e-gift cards work. Physical gift cards known to work are:
- Buy miles directly from United. http://www.ualmiles.com/PersonalMile...Personal+Miles. The minimum purchase is about $75.
- Buy a ticket on united.com, and once it tickets, purchase award maximizer. Look for a flight with a short distance, such as COS/DEN to keep the award maximizer cost low. Miles will post in under 24 hours. Cancel ticket within 24 hours to get a full refund.
2013 Update: Ref, Ref
This seems to be the simplest way to do it for low cost, without much running around or waiting or donating miles.
- Bought an IAH > Austin ticket for 69/79 $.
- Went back in to change/ modify ticket reservation and then Award Acc was offered - 500 miles for 17$. Bought it.
- Miles posted in few hours. Cancelled the ticket. Refund to Visa card pending.
Note: Buy any low cost short distance ticket, go back in and buy award accelerator and then cancel in 24 hr after award miles post.
- Magazine subscriptions
- Charitable giving
- Mileage Purchases -- generally a poor use of miles
- Reinstatement Miles for a fee -- if the expiration is as recent as 18 months ago, for roughly 0.2 to 0.3cpm
- Find a recent (last 12 months typically) hotel stay or rental car credit that has not yet been posted. If the date was prior to expiration that should reinstate the expired miles.
Consolidated "How to Keep/Refresh Expiring Miles" Thread [ARCHIVE]
Nov 30, 2014, 8:47 am
#931
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Cameron, TX
Programs: AA, Delta, United.
Posts: 8
Easiest and quickest is 500 mile charity donation.
With an 11/30/14 expiration on both my an wife's mileage accounts, I first did a signup for MyPoints.com a week ago based on something I read that said it would post within 48 hours. When it did not show up a week later (by expiration day), I called MileagePlus support who said that these programs take 4-6 weeks to post, and as long as the origination date is prior to the expiration date the mileage account will bump up 18 months. Then got a sales pitch for their credit card (not!).
Instead of waiting for MyPoints (and to stop getting daily emails from MyPoints on a variety of junk I later canceled it) I did a 500 mile donation from both accounts to a favorite charity. It posted immediately. Not as cheap as MyPoints or other such deals, but certainly quicker. And it felt better than some useless junk.
Instead of waiting for MyPoints (and to stop getting daily emails from MyPoints on a variety of junk I later canceled it) I did a 500 mile donation from both accounts to a favorite charity. It posted immediately. Not as cheap as MyPoints or other such deals, but certainly quicker. And it felt better than some useless junk.
Dec 18, 2014, 4:32 pm
#932
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SW Colorado
Programs: UAL Silver Hilton Diamond Hyatt Plat
Posts: 164
Mileage expiration date, different than I thought
I have 3 daughters, all whom I have taken to Europe upon graduating HS on award tickets from years of accumulating miles in their accounts. I was just into my youngest's MP account as she flies home tomorrow from college and I was surprised her miles expire the end of August 2015. We had flown on award tickets in August of this year so I thought her remaining miles would expire 18 months from last flown. I was mistaken. In reading the rules, something I had not bothered to do so before, it appears miles expire 18 months after last activity in the MP account, which must have been when I redeemed miles for the award ticket.
I'll be more diligent from now on.
I'm sure most reading this thread already know this, but thought it might be helpful to someone else who manages accounts for their children.
I'll be more diligent from now on.
I'm sure most reading this thread already know this, but thought it might be helpful to someone else who manages accounts for their children.
Jan 9, 2015, 4:27 pm
#934
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,769
Older posts (pre-2015) are archived in this thread and the active thread is http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...es-thread.html .
WineCountryUA
UA coModerator
WineCountryUA
UA coModerator
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 1, 2017 at 9:07 pm Reason: changed to archive approach