United MileagePlus has launched one of its recurring sales on purchased miles, and the top-tier version gets you miles for 1.88 cents each. There's a catch: the offer is targeted, so what lands in your account may be a 100% bonus, a 95% bonus, an 80% bonus, or nothing much at all. Log in and check before getting excited.
The best offer runs until 11:59PM CT on October 31, 2026, and is structured in tiers. Buying 2,000 to 4,000 miles earns no bonus, 5,000 to 19,000 miles gets a 75% bonus, and 20,000 to 25,000 miles unlocks the full 100% bonus. United normally charges 3.5 cents per mile plus a 7.5% federal excise tax — 3.76 cents all-in. With the maximum bonus, buying 50,000 miles (after the bonus) costs $940.63, or that 1.88-cent rate.
Limits apply even during promotions. You can buy a maximum of 50,000 miles (including bonus miles) in any rolling 90-day window, and 200,000 per calendar year. One workaround: MileagePlus lets members pool miles under certain conditions, so buying across multiple accounts and combining balances is possible. Expect up to 72 hours for miles to post, and note purchased miles count only as redeemable miles — they don't help toward elite status.
Is it worth it? Only with a specific redemption in mind. The standout use is long-haul Polaris business class, where United keeps most award seats exclusive to MileagePlus members rather than releasing them to partners. Elite status or a United credit card also unlocks better award pricing. Examples with real value: a one-way San Francisco to Singapore in United business works out to roughly $1,880 at this buy rate, and 88,000 miles buys business class to Africa — a genuinely good sweet spot, equating to about $1,654 for a US to South Africa one-way on a Star Alliance carrier.
The flip side: domestic premium cabins are often terrible value. A one-way Boston to San Francisco first class ticket costing 77,300 miles against a $764 cash fare gets you about a cent per mile — pointless when you're paying nearly two cents per mile upfront.
If you do buy, pay with a card earning solid everyday rewards or one where you're working toward a minimum spend. Purchases are processed by points.com, so they don't code as airfare — a United card earns no bonus category on them.
Miles never expire, which removes some of the urgency. And buying isn't the only route: Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards both transfer to MileagePlus at 1:1, which may be cheaper depending on your setup.
This is a deal for a narrow audience: travellers with a specific award flight priced well above 1.88 cents per mile in value, ideally Polaris or a Star Alliance long-haul business class seat. Everyone else should skip it. Source: One Mile at a Time
