In the interest of full disclosure, OMAAT earns a referral bonus for anyone that's approved through some of the below links. These are the best publicly available offers (terms apply) that we have found for each card. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Please check out my advertiser policy for further details about our partners, and thanks for your support!

Update: This article contains mentions of Chase Freedom Unlimited® whose terms have expired and are in the process of being updated. All other offers reflect accurate offer terms. Learn more about the current offers here. Citi is an advertising partner of OMAAT Obviously this isn't the time to buy miles speculatively. However, for those essential workers planning last minute travel, and those planning way in advance, it could make sense to buy miles at a discount. That's why I'll keep covering deals to buy points as they arise.

United Airlines MileagePlus has just launched their latest promotion on purchased miles, which is in line with the best promotions they run (with a catch).

Buy United Miles With A 100% Bonus

Through 11:59PM CT on Thursday, May 14, 2020, United is offering up to a 100% bonus on purchased miles. The way the promotion is structured:

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  • Get a 30% bonus when you buy at least 5,000 miles
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  • Get a 50% bonus when you buy at least 15,000 miles
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  • Get a 100% bonus when you buy at least 40,000 miles

With the 100% bonus you can purchase a total of 175,000 miles for $3,062.50, which is a cost of 1.75 cents per MileagePlus mile.

United offers bonuses on purchased miles with some frequency, and when they do, the bonuses typically range between 50% and 100%. A 100% bonus is in line with the best promotions they offer. What this doesn't account for is that MileagePlus devalued partner award redemptions just a few days ago.

With this promotion, it can take up to 48 hours for purchased miles to post to your account.

Should You Buy United Miles?

Personally, I value MileagePlus miles at ~1.4 cents each, though there are ways to get more value out of them than that.

Keep in mind that a lot of negative changes have been made to MileagePlus recently:

Nonetheless with a specific use in mind it could make sense to buy miles, either for redemptions on United, or for redemptions on partners.

Which Credit Card Should You Buy United Miles With?

United mileage purchases are processed by points.com, meaning they don't count as an airfare purchase for the purposes of credit card spend.

Therefore I'd recommend using a card on which you're trying to reach minimum spend, or otherwise, a credit card that maximizes your return on everyday spending, like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® ( review) or Citi® Double Cash Card ( review).

See this post for more on which credit cards are best for buying points.

Other Ways To Earn MileagePlus Miles

If you're looking to earn United miles, MileagePlus is a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner, so you can convert Ultimate Rewards points into United miles at a 1:1 ratio.

See this post for the best credit cards for earning United miles.

Do you plan on buying United miles with this offer?
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