United MileagePlus announces huge changes to earning and redeeming miles
Frequent Miler • • business
Key Points:
- United MileagePlus will implement major changes starting April 2nd, heavily incentivizing customers to hold a United credit card by offering higher mile-earning rates and award discounts to cardholders while reducing benefits for non-cardholders.
- Non-cardholders will see their mile earnings on paid flights drop by 2 miles per dollar, while cardholders will gain an additional mile per dollar, creating a 3-mile per dollar difference favoring cardholders; basic economy flyers without a card will earn no miles at all.
- Cardholders will receive at least a 10% discount on award flights, with elite cardholders getting a 15% discount, and will have access to a larger share of Polaris business-class saver awards, reducing availability for non-cardholders
