FlyerTalk Forums - How are "lifetime miles" calculated for MileagePlus?

Quote:

Mileage accrual for Million Miler qualification is based on the flight distance of United- and United Express-operated flights.

With United's change to PQPs and PQFs, UA no longer provides information on flight / "BIS" mile
United no longer shows the BIS mileage. For now, the app is showing segment miles during booking -- but united.com is not.
Presently using UA's timetable to research the flight, the flight miles are provided
Alternatively, you can use third-party tools like, gcmap to get a number. It may differ from UA's number by a few miles
Building a UA city pair BIS table
And finally, you can trust UA to track your miles (There have been very, very few instances of issues and less recently)

For elites, there is 500 lifetime mile minimum for UA/UX flights. (still true in 2020 and PQP/PQF era)
There is no elite bonus or class of service bonus.
BIS miles ~~= PQMs for 100% fares~~
Bus operated land connections booked as UA flight numbers earn lifetime miles
No partner flights earn UA lifetime miles.
Flight number / codeshare / ticket stock does not matter -- as long as it is a United-operated flight that is being credited to UA MP program.
No credit card activity earns UA lifetime miles
Only paid flights (including BULK / most consolidator tickets), no credit for award flights
There is no method for purchasing lifetime miles
~~Basic Economy segments are non-mileage earning and do not earn lifetime miles~~ ~~In the second iteration of BE (2018Q4),~~ LT mileage earning appears to have been restored (100% ~~50%~~ of BIS)
Lapchild tickets are non-mileage earning including lifetime miles

There was a complicated adjustment of lifetime miles at the time of the UA/CO merger due to the different programs & earning rules, including that CO granted lifetime miles for partner flights, PQM bonuses, and some credit card activity. But the above are the present rules.

Post-merge, COPA flights also accumulated UA lifetime miles, that ceased in July 2015 when COPA left MileagePlus.

What if I use miles to purchase the trip? Does that earn Lifetime Miles?

Depends
If you are using just UA miles and only paying cash for the taxes, as an award trip, it does not qualify for Lifetime miles
However
If you are using points from a credit card to purchase a ticket on their site, then the trip qualifies
If you are booking an economy ticket but using miles to upgrade, then the trip qualifies
If you are using the Money+Miles payment option, then the trip qualifies (regardless of the amount paid by miles)
If you are purchasing with a Chase creditcard and then using miles as a statement credit, then the trip qualifies

What about purchasing with "Money+Miles"?

100% Lifetime Miles earning
see What is the "Book with Money and Miles" option ?

Related Threads
MileagePlus Million Mile (and Beyond) Flyer Benefits [2014 forward]
Million Miler companion benefit
Building a UA city pair BIS table

Archive: [url=https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus/2150272-how-lifetime-miles-calculated-mileageplus-archive.html]How are "lifetime miles" calculated for MileagePlus? {Archive}
Related thread: Lifetime status by airline -- attempted summary