United Is Targeting Frequent Flyers With Up to 90% Bonus Miles

United Airlines is offering up to a 90 percent bonus when purchasing miles to certain customers — but for a limited time only. 

“Buy miles and build your balance to redeem for more of what you love,” the airline shared about the promotion on its website. “There are many quick and easy ways to buy miles — pick an option that suits your award goals.”

With this new targeted sale, travelers can log onto United’s website with their frequent flyer number to buy miles with up to a 90 percent bonus. Non-targeted travelers may see a smaller bonus on offer. The latest promotion is valid until Friday, June 28, at 11:59 p.m. CT, with the following tiers:

• Buy 5,000 to 19,000 miles, get a 25 percent bonus
• Buy 20,000 to 39,000 miles, get a 60 percent bonus
• Buy 40,000 to 105,000 miles, get a 90 percent bonus

As such, buying at least 40,000 miles will unlock the greatest bonus, granting an additional 36,000 miles at checkout. This sale brings down the cost of each mile to roughly 1.98 cents apiece, a significant discount compared to the usual rate of 3.5 cents.

However, it’s only possible to purchase a maximum of 200,000 miles per calendar year, including any bonus miles from this promotion. United also notes that it may take up to 72 hours for purchased miles to appear on balances, which is important to know for travelers planning their next award flight. 

United makes it easy for travelers to rack up miles quickly. For instance, members can also pool their airline miles with up to five other members or instantly transfer their Bilt Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards to United MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio. Once earned, these United miles can be redeemed for flights with the carrier, as well as Star Alliance partners, such as Lufthansa and Air Canada.