If you’ve been collecting rewards from hotel stays or credit cards, or belong to other airline programs, you would naturally be wondering: how to transfer miles to United? Pooling your miles in one place for a free flight seems too good to be true, and the process turns out not to be as straightforward as one would have liked.
In this blog, we’ll explain what’s possible, what’s not, and how to make the most of your rewards if you’re trying to fly with United Airlines.
Can You Transfer Miles Directly to United?
Let’s clear this up right away: you cannot directly transfer miles from another airline loyalty program into United’s MileagePlus account. Like most airline programs, United keeps its mileage system exclusive to its network and does not accept incoming transfers from other airlines.
But that doesn’t mean you’re out of options. With a bit of know-how, you can still use miles or points from various sources to book flights with United—or boost your United balance through indirect means.
Option 1: Transfer United Miles Between Accounts
If you want to transfer your existing United miles to another person, you can do that—just know it comes with a cost.
You’ll need to log into your United account, fill out a transfer request, and pay a fee based on the number of miles you’re moving. While this option helps consolidate balances within a household, the fees can add up quickly.
Insider tip: A better move is to use your miles to book a flight directly for someone else. It avoids the transfer fee and gets the job done just as effectively.
Option 2: Use Airline Partners to Book United Flights
While you can’t send miles from another airline into United’s system, many partner programs allow you to redeem their miles for United flights. These programs are typically part of global airline alliances or regional partnerships.
So, if you have miles with another airline—even if it’s not United—you may be able to book a flight on United by using their platform.
This indirect method won’t increase your United balance, but it achieves the same goal: getting you on a United flight using the miles you already have.
Option 3: Transfer Credit Card Reward Points to United
Now we’re getting into one of the more efficient strategies. Some major credit card rewards programs allow you to transfer points to airline partners—including United.
This is mainly possible if your credit card program allows; otherwise, generally, you can convert reward points into United miles at a 1:1 ratio. Normally just a few minutes would be taken for this transfer, giving enhanced flexibility to redeem for flights, upgrades, or travel-added benefits.
Even if your card does not directly transfer to United Airlines, there are still airline partners that allow you to redeem your points for United-operated flight bookings. However, this becomes a multi-step process, still worth it.
Option 4: Transfer Hotel Points to United (Caution Advised)
Some hotel loyalty programs allow you to convert your points into airline miles—including those for United. However, the transfer ratios are usually not in your favor.
In most cases, you’ll need to exchange thousands of hotel points to receive a relatively small number of airline miles. That might be acceptable if you’re just a few miles short of a redemption goal, but it’s rarely a good strategy for larger bookings.
Use this method sparingly—and only when there’s a clear value.
Option 5: Mix Miles and Money on United Bookings
When the mileage balance seems difficult to manage, certainly one would be left with not quite enough miles to redeem a full ticket while still having so much miles to ignore. But some bookings still allow you to partially pay using miles and the remaining balance in cash.
This is particularly handy when allowing part of your mileage to go against the price of a flight; you then pay the remaining amount in cash. Of course, this option may not be the best bang for your buck in every scenario, but it works great if you’re only a few thousand miles short.
What About Booking United Flights Through Other Programs?
Another lesser-known method involves using miles from other travel programs to book award flights operated by United. You don’t transfer the miles—you simply use another platform to book a United ticket.
This can work especially well if:
- You’ve found better award pricing on a partner platform.
- You have points in a program that doesn’t offer direct transfers but does allow redemptions on United flights.
- You want to avoid taxes or fees that might apply when booking through United’s site.
This strategy takes a little research, but it can unlock valuable flights at a lower mileage cost.
So, What’s the Best Way to Transfer Miles to United?
Let’s recap the practical routes:
- Direct transfers from other airlines: Not allowed.
- Transfers between United accounts: Possible, but includes fees.
- Using partner programs to book United flights: Smart and effective.
- Transferring credit card reward points: Often the best value if available.
- Hotel points: Only recommended in specific situations.
- Miles + Money: Great for topping off an almost-there balance.
Understanding how to transfer miles to United isn’t about finding a one-size-fits-all solution—it’s about knowing your options and using them strategically.
Don’t Need Those Miles? Turn Them into Cash Instead
If you’ve got points or miles sitting unused in a program that can’t be easily converted or redeemed for a trip you want, there’s another solution: sell your air miles points to cash.
Rather than letting them expire or redeeming them for something low in value, you can convert your miles into real money quickly, securely, and without hassle. It’s a great way to make use of rewards you’re not planning to use—and get something tangible in return.
At Cash For My Miles, we help travelers, like you convert air miles points to cash through a simple and secure process. Whether you’re sitting on hotel points, airline miles, or credit card rewards, we provide instant quotes, fast payments, and complete transparency. Since 2004, we’ve served over 47,000 satisfied clients and handled more than 7.8 billion miles and points—making us one of the most trusted buyers in the industry.
Ready to turn your extra rewards into real value? Reach out today and see how easy it is to get paid for the points you no longer need.
