Last edit by: WineCountryUA
United Airlines Announces MileagePlus Miles Never Expire
Airline continues to make improvements to its award-winning MileagePlus loyalty program
CHICAGO, Aug. 28, 2019
-- United Airlines announced that effective immediately, MileagePlus award miles never expire, giving members a lifetime to use miles on flights, experiences, hotels and more.
"We want to demonstrate to our members that we are committing to them for the long-haul and giving customers a lifetime to use miles is an exceptionally meaningful benefit," said Luc Bondar, vice president of loyalty and president of MileagePlus at United. "Our MileagePlus program provides customers more ways to earn and use miles than any other U.S. airline. More customers used miles to book award trips in 2018 than in any year before, and we expect with today's announcement that even more will use miles to travel the world in the years to come."
Airline continues to make improvements to its award-winning MileagePlus loyalty program
CHICAGO, Aug. 28, 2019
-- United Airlines announced that effective immediately, MileagePlus award miles never expire, giving members a lifetime to use miles on flights, experiences, hotels and more.
"We want to demonstrate to our members that we are committing to them for the long-haul and giving customers a lifetime to use miles is an exceptionally meaningful benefit," said Luc Bondar, vice president of loyalty and president of MileagePlus at United. "Our MileagePlus program provides customers more ways to earn and use miles than any other U.S. airline. More customers used miles to book award trips in 2018 than in any year before, and we expect with today's announcement that even more will use miles to travel the world in the years to come."
United announces "MileagePlus Miles Never Expire" (effective immediately 28 Aug 2019)
#91
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,330
Let's face it: this is United's BIG RESPONSE to the fact that every other rewards card (Amex Blue, Gold, Plat; Chase Freedom, Sapphire, Ink) is eating their lunch. I used to run up around $100K/year on the UA Club Card. Now it's about $2K. UA did their survey and everybody told them they don't want worthless miles at a low earn-rate. So instead of maintaining the miles' value or increasing the earnings rate, they did this pathetic measure. It's not going to work. I'm surprised they're that obtuse.
#92
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 1,630
It is trivial to use MileagePlusX to make a minor throaway $1 purchase once every 18 months from the kid's account. Do have to remember that, but it's really inconsequential in the larger scheme of things.
#94
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,960
The dynamic award pricing and doing away with the close-in fees (making the 1K no-fee redeposit benefit less valuable) were bigger deals. Yes, this does save a few $5 gift card exchange charges every year and a half for family who earn the occasional miles on paid tickets, but mostly fly on my miles.
What I really hope UA will do is to not charge for date/time/routing changes on awards. Maybe this change will proceed the next bad news
#95
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: 66,582
#96
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ/MGA
Programs: AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, AA Platinum, WS Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 7,607
For me, I earn mainly on partner airlines whose own programs are wastes of time or are IT nightmares, and buy based on my schedule and their price so I am not a huge regular earner but I'd rather have them than lose them.
#97
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DAY
Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards
Posts: 4,898
UA has been doing this for years -- fees based on status
#98
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA 1K 1MMer & LT UC (when flying UA); Hyatt Credit Cardist; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold via UA 1K
Posts: 6,953
#99
In memoriam
Join Date: Dec 2001
Programs: DL 2MM, AA MM, DL Sky Club Life, AA Admirals Club Life, Hilton Gold Life
Posts: 1,732
This is indeed great news!!
I can now cancel out my membership in their useless dining program and take myself off their E-mail bloat lists. I don't need anything they advertise and only travel them in upper classes to begin with.
I can now cancel out my membership in their useless dining program and take myself off their E-mail bloat lists. I don't need anything they advertise and only travel them in upper classes to begin with.
#101
Join Date: May 2001
Location: exUA1K, UA MM, lifetime UA1P, AA MM, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,731
UA Announced that MP Miles Will Never Expire
In my email from UA tonight:
"Have you heard? Miles never expire.We're always looking for ways to enhance our MileagePlus® program. So that's why effective immediately, miles no longer expire.We hope this change makes it even easier for you to make the most out of your MileagePlus experience"
"Have you heard? Miles never expire.We're always looking for ways to enhance our MileagePlus® program. So that's why effective immediately, miles no longer expire.We hope this change makes it even easier for you to make the most out of your MileagePlus experience"
#102
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,296
For some reason United only chose to notify me of this exciting news at 10:03 pm EDT (which was when I got their email). Then I come on here and it's old news since 4 am this morning 😁!
Anyway, I think this is just something they did to temper the overall devaluation of their program and moving to dynamic pricing.
Anyway, I think this is just something they did to temper the overall devaluation of their program and moving to dynamic pricing.
#104
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: 66,582
#105
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 19,399
Perhaps this should be merged into the “Remaining Vestiges of Continental” thread.
When I moved West 12 years ago, I had to choose an airline for my (then) monthly trips back to Louisiana. At that time only three (3) airlines served BTR: American (from DFW), Continental (from IAH) and Delta (from ATL). DL would have me fly ABQ/PHX to ATL then “backtrack” to BTR, which left AA and CO as the two viable options. The fares and times were similar, but I had over 20K unexpired miles in my OnePass account from flights I had taken to Europe in the mid-90s, ten years prior. That was the deciding factor.
When I moved West 12 years ago, I had to choose an airline for my (then) monthly trips back to Louisiana. At that time only three (3) airlines served BTR: American (from DFW), Continental (from IAH) and Delta (from ATL). DL would have me fly ABQ/PHX to ATL then “backtrack” to BTR, which left AA and CO as the two viable options. The fares and times were similar, but I had over 20K unexpired miles in my OnePass account from flights I had taken to Europe in the mid-90s, ten years prior. That was the deciding factor.