Aug 28, 2019, 10:20 am
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)
Aug 29, 2019, 2:41 pm
#121
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: NorCal - 1K 2MM
Posts: 2,089
They do track them separately, but not at the level of detail where they assign each mile a source.
Rather, you're only allowed to use as many Choices as miles that you've earned from the card, in aggregate. So, the condition is "sufficient miles in the M+ account" plus "total miles earned from the card minus total Choices redeemed is sufficient."
Rather, you're only allowed to use as many Choices as miles that you've earned from the card, in aggregate. So, the condition is "sufficient miles in the M+ account" plus "total miles earned from the card minus total Choices redeemed is sufficient."
Aug 29, 2019, 2:46 pm
#122
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,417
Aug 29, 2019, 3:55 pm
#123
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
I have had my Choice redeemable miles drop to my actual RDMs, did a flight, got miles and the Choice miles available increased.
This was discussed (12) years ago in MP Visa Choices Primer in the PMUA forum
Are we getting a bit off topic, questions about ChoisePoints are best in https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...5-forward.html
Aug 30, 2019, 12:34 am
#124
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: HNL
Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,447
Aug 30, 2019, 11:10 am
#125
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
I submit that two programs that will take hits over the change are MileagePlus Shopping and MileagePlus Dining, where we direct small miles. Not worth the time spent coordinating purchases with them now. And better to use the buying programs of favored hotels and airlines where miles/points still expire.
Aug 30, 2019, 11:48 am
#126
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: 42.1% in PDX , 49.9% in PVG & 8% in the air somewhere
Programs: Marriott Ambassador Elite, UA 1K, AS MVP GLD 75K, DL Pt
Posts: 1,086
Excellent, great for marketing, great for sales, great for allegiance and also as they will get people to possible horde, and as they devalue the miles that were saved instead of spent those miles will be less a liability, win-win-win, awesome!
Aug 30, 2019, 2:29 pm
#127
Join Date: Dec 2011
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Avis First, Hertz PC
Posts: 575
I'm very surprised at the positive response here. I agree this is consumer friendly, but for those that are frequent united travelers(likely most of the posters here), it has a lot of disadvantages:
1) Less availability for award seats as more people will be able/want to use miles that previously would be worthless
2) Less breakage of UA miles(miles cost UA more) and therefore we can expect accelerated devaluation of the miles
3) More people will get the UA credit card, increasing the number of outstanding miles/liability and therefore we can expect accelerated devaluation of the miles
If awards are not harder to book and/or miles devalued the extra cost to UA will be very large. I doubt UA is planning extra expense for this feature. We (as in those that fly UA frequently or know to do a token transaction) would be better off with expiring miles.
1) Less availability for award seats as more people will be able/want to use miles that previously would be worthless
2) Less breakage of UA miles(miles cost UA more) and therefore we can expect accelerated devaluation of the miles
3) More people will get the UA credit card, increasing the number of outstanding miles/liability and therefore we can expect accelerated devaluation of the miles
If awards are not harder to book and/or miles devalued the extra cost to UA will be very large. I doubt UA is planning extra expense for this feature. We (as in those that fly UA frequently or know to do a token transaction) would be better off with expiring miles.
Aug 30, 2019, 7:31 pm
#128
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Auckland
Programs: NZ Elite Partner/Silver (in own right), PR Classic, QF Bronze, UA Member, VA Red
Posts: 1,551
Aug 30, 2019, 9:38 pm
#129
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: IAH / HOU
Programs: UA GS, DL-Plat, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum, Hyatt Somethingist, Marriott Titanium Lifetime
Posts: 2,853
I think this is a welcome change, just as long as they don’t pay for it by cutting back the one ounce portion of chicken served with the tasteless noodle salad to a half ounce portion. I mean, enough is enough! The madness has got to stop.
Aug 30, 2019, 10:27 pm
#130
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Aug 30, 2019 at 11:28 pm
Aug 31, 2019, 8:06 pm
#132
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,351
Why would more ppl get the cc? I for one am considering to cancel. Was really only keeping it to get the free club passes and checked bag as well as to have the peace of mind knowing my miles don't expire. But I'm not desperate for the former 2 perks and now my miles won't expire anyway so I don't need it. To earn UA miles I can transfer from any of my UR earning cards.
Oct 25, 2019, 4:56 pm
#133
Join Date: Sep 2012
Programs: AA plat, Hertz, gold , Bonvoy gold,IHGplat
Posts: 312
I have what I think is a simple question about my mileage plus account. I received a letter from UA saying if I don't fly a United flight within the next 6 months I will lose the nearly 100,000 miles in my account. Next month I am flying Lufthansa J LAX to FRA then on to Lisbon on TAP. Returning on AC. Wont the fact that I am flying on partner airlines negate the need to fly on an actual UA flight? Any help would be appreciated.
Oct 25, 2019, 5:37 pm
#134
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,429
Oct 30, 2019, 8:34 am
#135
Join Date: May 2015
Location: ATL/MCO
Programs: Costco Executive, RaceTrac Sultan of Soda, Chick-fil-A Red
Posts: 5,665
I have what I think is a simple question about my mileage plus account. I received a letter from UA saying if I don't fly a United flight within the next 6 months I will lose the nearly 100,000 miles in my account. Next month I am flying Lufthansa J LAX to FRA then on to Lisbon on TAP. Returning on AC. Wont the fact that I am flying on partner airlines negate the need to fly on an actual UA flight? Any help would be appreciated.
Given that they announced miles never expire it shouldn't even be relevant. Sounds to me like a glitch in the system still sending out reminders.