Originally Posted by
gailq
Can I book a ticket for someone else using my Mileage Plus account. I know if I am not traveling with them they can’t use my perks. What I would like to do is use my United Visa Card to pay for the ticket. Later I could use my miles to get a partial or complete refund for the transaction. It must be a flight booked on United or United Express.
You can use your miles to book an award ticket for anyone, not only yourself.
You can also use your miles to get a statement credit, as you mention. The rate typically is 1 cent per mile.
Best practice is compare the award prices to see if they are above 1 cpm value compared to a cash ticket before deciding which to pursue.