My favorite way to earn miles

It’s no secret that the fastest way to accrue points and miles is through hitting credit card sign-up bonuses. And, therefore, the fastest way to earn a free flight. Not everyone, however, wants to open a new card or has the amount of spending required for these lofty point totals. So how do you earn a free flight without opening a new card and spending several thousand in a few months? Enter the United MileagePlus X app.

How it works

As Chicagoans, we fly out of O’Hare. O’Hare Airport happens to be a United hub, so that’s our default airline, particularly for domestic travel. In 2023, we discovered the wonders of the United MileagePlus X app.

This is not a shopping portal like Rakuten, but United does have a separate one of those. The United MileagePlus X app is something that no other airline has (at least based on our research). All you need is a United MileagePlus number that you will use to sign into the app.

United partners with select retailers to allow MileagePlus members to earn varying amounts of miles when they shop at partners. The app’s primary value is as a gift card portal. While you can certainly purchase gift cards for other people, we like using it for purchases we will be making anyways. The miles you earn through the portal are earned on top of credit card points for the purchase. The mile amount varies based on the partner.

Where can I buy a gift card to?

• AirBnB – 2 miles / dollar
• Apple – 2 miles / dollar
• Athleta – 4 miles / dollar
• Banana Republic – 4 miles / dollar
• Chipotle – 0.5 miles / dollar
• Doordash – 2 miles / dollar
• Gap – 4 miles / dollar
• J. Crew – 4 miles / dollar
• Old Navy – 4 miles / dollar
• Petco – 5 miles / dollar
• REI – 4 miles / dollar
• Sephora – 3 miles / dollar
• Starbucks – 2 miles / dollar
• T.J. Maxx – 3 miles / dollar
• Uber – 1 mile / dollar
• Under Armour – 5 miles / dollar

Real-life example

I notice my Starbucks account balance is running low. I know that Starbucks is on the United MileagePlus X app, so I head to the app and see it’s 2 miles per dollar. I decide to reload my Starbucks account with $25. From the $25 purchase, I earn 50 United miles.

Because I have a United Explorer card, I earn an additional 25% miles on all purchases through the United MileagePlus X app, even when I don’t use that card to pay. The additional 25% gets me another 12 miles loaded to my United account. So I’ve earn 62 miles from one $25 purchase.

Using the app doesn’t mean I don’t also earn credit card points as usual. I decide to use my Chase Sapphire to buy the Starbucks gift card because Starbucks codes as dining, and the Sapphire earns 3x on dining.

Key thing to note: Chase purchases through the United MileagePlus X app code as the category they are. American Express purchases do not, so we’d highly recommend using your Chase cards when you can to earn more than 1 point per dollar.

But how does this earn a free flight?

You’re right, 62 miles is not enough for a free flight. In 2023, however, I earned over 7,100 miles just from using the United MileagePlus X app. And there were quite a few large purchases that I sadly didn’t check the app for prior to making them. I’ve earned 1,351 miles so far on United MileagePlus X so far in 2024. And that number doesn’t include P2’s earnings.

Right now, I could fly to Cancun from Chicago for just 6,800 miles and $48. Or, if I’d earned just a few hundred more miles, I could go to Denver for 7,500 miles or Seattle for 7,700 miles. It definitely helps being based near a hub for these lower mileage trips.

The added bonus with the app is that these gift cards can be used to shop through the United shopping portal on your internet browser, so you can earn even more United miles than just the gift card. Rakuten (and other shopping portals) typically don’t reward points / miles on purchases made with gift cards.

There are dozens more retailers that are part of the United MileagePlus X app beyond the ones highlighted above. Regular use of the app or just a few large purchases can get you well on your way to a free one-way on United. Or a round-trip, dream big!

Summary

You may be thinking to yourself, “but I never fly on United, how does this help me?” It’s important to remember that United is part of Star Alliance, which means the miles can be used to fly with partners like Air Canada, Lufthansa, TAP, Turkish Airlines, and more.

This is also a way to earn miles on purchases you’re not earning more than just credit card points on. It’s a simple search to look for the desired retailer and see if you can purchase a gift card. Load it to your app or pull it up in stores, and you’re all set.

Do you use the United MileagePlus X app? Tell us why or why not!