Targeted Promotion For the Sale of MileagePlus Miles (Bonus of up to 100%)
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Offer Ends: Expired
- This is a targeted MileagePlus miles purchase promotion with a bonus of up to 100% (with the maximum bonus and purchase of 40,000 miles or more, the value of miles, including the discount/bonus, will be 1.88¢ per mile)
- The promotion is valid until March 31, 2024.
- The minimum purchase amount to receive a bonus is 5,000 miles
United Airlines is offering a targeted MileagePlus mileage sale promotion with a bonus of up to 100%. Check your MileagePlus account to see what bonus level you can get.
The promotion is scheduled for 11:59 p.m. CT on March 31, 2024. MileagePlus account holders have the chance to purchase up to 200,000 miles per account, per calendar year. This cap includes bonus miles and is crucial for those aiming to accumulate significant mileage for upcoming travels.
Purchase Cost Including Bonus
If your maximum bonus for buying miles is 100% (or a 50% discount for buying miles), you will see the following gradation:
- 2,000 – 4,000 miles: No bonus (3.76 cents per mile)
- 5,000 – 19,000 miles: 30% bonus (2.89 cents per mile)
- 20,000 – 39,000 miles: 65% bonus (2.28 cents per mile)
- 40,000 – 100,000 miles: 100% bonus (1.88 cents per mile)
But it’s likely that you may see a lower maximum bonus.
Key Targeted Promotion
- Miles must be bought within the specified timeframe. Purchases outside this period are ineligible for the promotional benefits.
- The minimum purchase amount is 2,000 miles, but you need to buy 5,000 miles to get the bonus
- The promotion entails earning bonus miles on top of the purchased miles. However, the calculation is transaction-specific, with no aggregation of transactions allowed for bonus calculations.
- The 200,000-mile annual limit is an important consideration for frequent travelers and buyers, ensuring a limit on mile accumulation.
- While miles are typically credited immediately, some transactions may take up to 72 hours, affecting immediate travel plans.
- Purchased miles are final sales, emphasizing the need for careful planning before acquisition.
- These purchased miles do not contribute towards achieving or maintaining Premier status, an essential consideration for status-conscious consumers.
- Immediate billing upon purchase requires buyers to be prepared financially, impacting budgeting decisions.
- Canadian and Quebec residents face additional charges in the form of GST/HST and QST, respectively, affecting the overall cost-effectiveness.
Practical Considerations
When evaluating the offer, consumers should consider several factors:
- Travel Goals: Does purchasing miles align with imminent travel plans or the pursuit of flight upgrades?
- Financial Implications: Is the immediate financial outlay justified by the potential savings or benefits from using the miles?
- Mileage Balance Strategy: How does buying miles fit into one’s overall strategy for mileage accumulation and usage?
An example of a purchase that makes sense
Even buying all 80,000 miles at 1.88 cents = $1,504 would save you $4,419 compared to a cash ticket.
Conclusion
The MileagePlus promotion is a potentially valuable opportunity for account holders to increase the number of miles in their accounts to redeem for eligible rewards. However, you shouldn’t buy miles with a bonus of less than 90%, there are better ways to earn United miles.
