How to Pool United MileagePlus Miles With Family And Friends

The United MileagePlus recently introduced a mileage pooling feature that allows members to combine their accounts to share and exchange miles, thus making it easy to accumulate enough miles for travel rewards. This is an unrestricted pool; therefore, you don’t need to restrict yourself only to your family members. Families and friends can also be invited to join this pool. By using your frequent flyer credit card, you can earn and share miles more effectively. In this article, you will find out how to use the United MileagePlus program, earn rewards, and some frequently asked questions about transferring miles.

What is United MileagePlus Mileage Pooling?

Mileage pooling enables a group of United MileagePlus members (up to 5 persons) to put their miles together under one account. This shared loyalty program feature comes in handy when families or groups of friends want to amass enough miles quickly to undertake a collective journey as a unit and enjoy award flights together.

Once miles are pooled, they cannot be undone, so it’s essential to choose pool members wisely. Consider inviting family members or trusted friends who will share the responsibility to manage and use the miles effectively, adhering to the program’s rules.

How to Use United MileagePlus Mileage Pooling

1. Create a Mileage Pool: Log into your United MileagePlus account, then go down to where there is a mileage pooling section.
2. Invite Members: Get people who require joining these pools by using their MileagePlus account numbers. The pool leader needs the MileagePlus number and email of each member they wish to invite.
3. Combine Miles: When the members agree to the invitation, all of their miles go into one account.

United MileagePlus Mileage Pooling Rulebook

Leader and Member Roles

• Pool Leader: The pool is managed by a designated manager who must be over 18 years of age. This manager is responsible for overseeing all contributions and mileage usage.
• Member Contributions: Each member is eligible to contribute and redeem miles from the pool as determined by the pool leader. It’s recommended that the pool leader be someone all members trust, as they control when and how the miles are used.

Contribution Rules

• Members are allowed to make unlimited contributions to the savings fund with no upper limit.
• Members can only exchange individual parts of their miles.

Membership Changes

• In terms of changing membership, members can leave the pool at any time, but they must wait 90 days before they can join another pool. 
• In addition, new members are not allowed to join an existing pool within 90 days of the member’s withdrawal.

Miles that have been contributed to the accumulation pool remain in it even if the member leaves the program, ensuring that the shared rewards continue to be available for booking United flights by the remaining members.

Redemption Rules

Miles from the accumulation fund can only be used to book tickets on United flights. Be cautious, as you cannot use pooled miles for flights involving United’s partner airlines, such as Lufthansa or Air Canada, or for international trips that include a partner airline leg within the loyalty program.

*United reserves the right to modify or discontinue the mileage program at any time, and any abuse or violation of the rules may result in penalties, including ban from the program and forfeiture of all accumulated miles.

Participating Airlines and Pooling Options

Which Airlines Allow Miles Pooling?

Besides United Airlines, other loyalty programs and airlines that offer miles pooling include:

• JetBlue
• Lufthansa
• Frontier Airlines 
• Hawaiian Airlines
• British Airways
• Etihad Airways
• Emirates
• Japan Airline
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Turkish Airlines
• Virgin Australia
• Virgin Atlantic
• Singapore Airlines

Benefits of United MileagePlus Mileage Pooling

1. Flexible Contributions: Members are allowed to decide on the quantity of miles they would like to contribute rather than pooling all their miles. This flexibility is very important in group travel plans.
2. Unlimited Contributions: There is no restriction on the number of miles that can be added to the pool.
3. Easy Membership Management: Members can leave the pool at any time, but they must wait ninety days before they can join another one. It is important to note that new members will need to undergo a similar waiting period before joining an existing pool.
4. Secure and Non-Refundable Contributions: The pooled miles cannot be withdrawn by those who leave the group, thus ensuring stability within the pool.
5. Leader Control: The designated leader manages the pool, including contributions and redemption, thereby ensuring the organized and effective use of miles.
6. Affordable: United Mileage Plus allows for free pooling of miles, unlike some programs that charge transfer fees.

Members should remain aware of the limitations set by the United MileagePlus loyalty program, including the inability to use pooled miles for partner airline flights. It’s essential to read all program rules and terms and conditions to avoid any unexpected issues during the booking process.

Conclusion

By pooling and sharing miles, friends and family can more easily achieve their travel goals. Get the most out of your mileage pool without the extra cost by creating your own pool and inviting other members to join the loyalty program, and read all the terms and conditions carefully before you use this service.