DavisCalifJr

Some easy questions, but I haven't found the answers after searching FT..Any help is appreciated!

I know I can purchase up to 100k miles for myself each year with MP. However, my Mom (who moved in with me after Dad passed), has offered to gift me miles as well. So what are the limits on this with MP? Can she gift me 100k per year in addition to the 100k I usually buy (when they are 40% off of course!) for a total of 200k per year? How does that work?

Also, she can book award flights for me in my name, but is it better for her to gift me the miles to my account or does it matter?

The goal is to follow UA's rules so there are no problems or chance of either one of us getting our accounts closed so we want to follow the rules! My Mom doesn't fly anymore, but knows I enjoy traveling and this is a great way for her to indulge me for future international trips in the front of the plane when I take breaks a couple of times a year from taking care of her 24/7 (I'm retired and she's 77 yrs old). Any tips or suggestions? What would you do in this situation since if she passes (I swear she will live longer than me though!) then the points in her account will be lost..So I'm trying to figure this out

mathgeek1978

My opinion is that boooking flights in your name is cheaper (no fees) than gifting/transferring (fees). And it is a lot more efficient as a round trip to Asia or Europe in GF or BF costs 100,000 - 150,000+ miles. Unless she has a lot of miles, the miles can be used up rather efficiently.

Moreover, miles in an airline's account is just like cash in the bank. They don't disappear and will go to the beneficiary, just like bank accounts and real estate.

WineCountryUA

agree, the only real downside is the status of the mileage holder is used, not that of the traveller.
no exactly -- but upon request, with proper documentation and with a small fee ($50?) UA will usually do a transfer. But there are no guarantees and automatic rights.

mathgeek1978

Very true. But if the booking is for int'l GF or BF, then most of the significant perks are the same: Premier line, group 1 boarding, priority luggage, lounge access, etc.

WineCountryUA

elite inventory (if different), waitlisting priority and award change fees will be lost (if the traveler has elite status, non-issue if not)

skimthetrees

It doesn't work. The limit is 100K total between buying and gifting miles.

See http://www.ualmiles.com/PM_OrderAgreement.jsp

7. Each Member may purchase or receive no more than 100,000 Miles in any calendar year. Any Miles beyond this limit will not be posted any Member's account, even if payment has been remitted for such Miles.

wolfman888

No one is answering my question on another thread, so I will try here, sorry: When MP has sales on personal miles, does everybody get the same offer, and at the same time, or do they target certain people at different times and with different offers? I ask because there were cases in the past when people here were talking about a sale/offer, but I had gotten no notice of it. However, at other times I do get sale notifications. In 2012, I got one offer in January and a different one in February. The first one was for 15% off and the second one was for 20% off.

ok2uselane

They appear to be targeted.

mathgeek1978

I agree. There have been times when some get emails and others don't. There have also been times that the offers are different, and even the cpm's are different.

DavisCalifJr

Thank you all for the great info! Very helpful!

Now that I understand the limit on the miles (100k total per year max), it is better for my Mom to just redeem an award for me than to gift or transfer the miles to me.

She doesn't have status, so not a concern in my situation.