United Makes it Easier to Share Award Miles with Family and Friends

United becomes first major U.S. airline to allow members of its loyalty program, MileagePlus®, to pool their miles with family and friends into a joint account

This new feature makes it easier for family members of all ages -- and groups to share and use miles for award travel

MileagePlus miles pooling is now available on United.com

CHICAGO, March 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for summer travel planning, United today launched MileagePlus miles pooling – a new way for MileagePlus members to contribute and combine their miles into a joint account. Available on United.com, groups of up to five members can now share and redeem miles in one linked account. United allows any MileagePlus member – whether relatives or close friends – to be in a pool with other members. United is the first and only major U.S. airline to offer this feature.

"We're always looking for new ways to provide the most value to all of our loyalty members and are proud to be the first major U.S. airline to allow our members to pool their miles with their loved ones and friends," said Luc Bondar, Chief Operating Officer of MileagePlus. "MileagePlus miles pooling further reinforces United's position as the leader in family and group travel and gives our members more flexibility to use their miles while making it easier to connect to the destinations and moments that matter most, with the people that matter most."

As 81% of parents report intent to travel with their children in the next year and nearly 60% report concern about travel affordability, according to a 2023 U.S. Family Travel Survey conducted by the Family Travel Association, the introduction of MileagePlus miles pooling aims to make travel even easier for families or groups looking to get away; even the youngest family members can contribute as there's no minimum age to become a MileagePlus member.

MileagePlus miles pooling is now available to all MileagePlus members by logging in to their account on United.com. For those not already MileagePlus members, the program is free to join here.

How MileagePlus miles pooling works

Any MileagePlus member over 18 years old can become the pool leader and create a pool for free when logged in to their account on United.com.

• Pool leaders can invite up to four of their family, friends, or close travel companions of any age to join the pool if they have an active MileagePlus account. There is no minimum age to join MileagePlus.
• When logged in to their MileagePlus account on United.com, members will be instructed on how to contribute miles to the group pool as well as how to redeem pooled miles for award flights on United and United Express*.
• There are no limits to the number of miles that may be contributed to an active miles pool.
• Pooled miles can be used when booking a ticket on United.com or in the United mobile app.

For example, if a group of friends is planning an upcoming summer getaway and each friend has their own individual MileagePlus accounts with their respective number of miles, they can combine all, or a select amount of their personal miles into one central 'pool' that can be used to purchase flights and offset the cost of ticket prices.

Contributing miles to a MileagePlus miles pool will not affect an individual member's Premier® status. Only members who travel on a ticket using pooled miles will earn any eligible Premier qualifying points (PQP), not the member who contributed them. Members cannot pool PQP, Premier qualifying flights (PQF), PlusPoints, or TravelBank cash.

The MileagePlus program provides the most ways to earn and use miles of any other U.S. airline. Members earn miles that never expire with every flight purchased, through spending on the United Family of Cards from Chase, by making purchases on MileagePlus ShoppingSM and more. Members can opt to fully cover a trip with their MileagePlus miles or use a combination of money and miles to save on the out-of-pocket cost of their next flight**.

*For full terms, restrictions, and conditions, see here.
**MileagePlus miles pooling is excluded from money and miles at this time.

Miles Pooling Terms and Conditions

Important: The following are the rules and other provisions (collectively, “Rules”) of [MilesPooling], ("Miles Pooling"). By participating in Miles Pooling and agreeing to contribute the Member's Miles to a pool of miles (the "Pool"), participating Members indicate their respective acceptance of these Rules and agree to abide by them. Participation in Miles Pooling will be governed by these Rules, and it is each Member's responsibility to read and understand all of them. These Rules cannot be superseded or changed, except in writing from United Airlines or any of its affiliates (collectively, "United"). The most current Rules may be found on united.com and this is the final authority on the Rules. The Rules on united.com shall be deemed to supersede any prior or conflicting versions thereof.

General conditions

1. Miles Pooling is offered at the discretion of United and United has the right to terminate Miles Pooling, in whole or in part, or to change the Rules, benefits, conditions of participation, in whole or in part, at any time, with or without notice. Terms used but not defined herein shall have the meaning assigned in the rules of United’s MileagePlus Program (“Program Rules”). All Program Rules apply to a Member's participation in Miles Pooling.
2. The Rules control your membership and participation in Miles Pooling and no covenants at law or in equity shall be implied or incorporated, all of which are expressly disclaimed. United has the sole right to interpret and apply the Rules. IN NO EVENT SHALL UNITED BE LIABLE TO A MEMBER, OR ANYONE ACTING ON THE MEMBER'S BEHALF, FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST REVENUE OR PROFITS, ARISING OUT OF THE ACTS OR OMISSIONS OF UNITED IN CONNECTION WITH MILES POOLING, OR COSTS OR ATTORNEYS’ FEES. Any abuse of Miles Pooling or failure to follow the Rules, the Program Rules, United’s Contract of Carriage, United’s fare rules, any violation of law, rule, or regulation, any conduct detrimental to the interests of United, any fraudulent activity or attempted fraudulent activity, or any misrepresentation of any information furnished to United or its affiliates by any Member, anyone else acting on the Member's behalf, or any third party (collectively, “Prohibited Conduct”), may result in United exercising any one or more of the following remedies (“United’s Remedies”), with or without notice to the Member: (a) termination or suspension from Miles Pooling, (b) exercising any of United’s Remedies under the Program Rules or United’s Contract Of Carriage, (c) the removal or cancellation by United of any or all accrued mileage, (d) the confiscation of any award tickets, denial of boarding with respect to any award ticket holders or, at United's discretion, completion of the travel only upon payment of an applicable revenue fare (and applicable taxes and fees), or (e) the loss of other Miles Pooling benefits.
3. Only Members may participate in the Pool. Miles in the Pool do not constitute property of any individual Member of the Pool, including the leader. Miles in the Pool are not transferable in the event of a divorce of a Member of the Pool and are transferable only as set forth herein or otherwise permitted by United.
4. All calculations made in connection with Miles Pooling will be made by United in its discretion and such calculations will be considered final.
5. Neither United’s waiver or consent to a deviation from the Rules nor any course of dealing shall be construed as a waiver by United of any subsequent violation of the Rules and United may invoke United’s Remedies for a violation of the Rules despite any such prior waiver or consent.
6. Each contributing Member to the Pool agrees and acknowledges that all mileage contributions may not be restricted to any particular purpose and all contributions are final and non-refundable.
7. All mileage contributions to the Pool are at your own risk. United does not warrant that mileage will be used for any particular purpose and is not responsible for any misuse thereof.
8. A Pool may not be created to issue mileage awards to volunteers or employees for recognition or incentive purposes, in lieu of wages or other compensation due for services.

Leader

1. Each Pool must appoint an administrator (the "Leader"). A Leader is a Member of the Pool and must be an individual over the age of eighteen (18). The Leader shall be the individual designated by the Pool as its primary contact. Requests for changes to the Pool, such as a change of the Leader, will not be honored without complying with United’s requirements for account validation. Leaders represent and warrant that they: (a) are the authorized representative of the Pool with the authority: (i) to solicit mileage contributions for the Pool; and (ii) to bind the Pool to these Rules; and (b) are using the mileage contributions only as permitted by United.
2. The Leader shall provide the information required by United which may include, Account number, email and date of birth of the Member being invited to the Pool. The Pool is not formed until at least one Member is invited by the Leader.
3. The Leader will make decisions on the Pool including whether a Member has the ability to redeem miles from the Pool or if the Member is a contributor only.
4. Only the Leader is permitted to determine the use of the miles in the Pool. To the extent that mileage is contributed by a Member for a particular purpose, or to the extent that the contributing Member purports to direct the use of such mileage, any such directions shall only constitute non-binding recommendations to the Leader. Any act of Leader with respect to the Pool shall be deemed to be an act of the Pool.
5. The Leader shall handle all matters with respect to the administration of the Pool, including without limitation the use and redemption of miles and the request for and issuance of award tickets.

Pool Members

1. A Member may only participate in one Pool at a time except with United's permission and United may determine the size of the Pools in its' discretion.
2. An invitation to a Pool may be retracted by the Leader prior to the Member's acceptance. Upon acceptance United may require a waiting period before a Member can access the Pool.

Dissolution or Removal from Pool

1. In the event of the death or lack of legal capacity of the Leader, the Pool will be dissolved. Upon dissolution, the miles in the Pool will be split evenly and returned among the members. The miles returned to the deceased Member’s MileagePlus account, will be handled in accordance with the Program Rules.
2. In the event of the death of a Member of the Pool, the Miles will remain in the Pool and the Pool will continue without such Member.

Privacy Policy

1. By participating in Miles Pooling, Members authorize United to collect, maintain, use, process and share their information, including, without limitation, names, email addresses, physical addresses, account and other information in accordance with United’s Privacy Policy. You can learn more about how United collects, maintains, uses, processes and shares your information in United’s Privacy Policy which may be viewed here. United's Privacy Policy is merely a statement of administrative protocol; it is not a contract, nor does it create any contractual or legal rights. United’s Privacy Policy is not made, or intended to be made, a part of these Rules.

Pool Contributions

1. Miles contributions into the Pool can be made by the Leader and Members. United may impose limitations on use of the Miles for 24 hours or any other period of time after contributions are made. Miles contributions may be cancelled and returned to the Member's account during the period of time the contribution is pending.
2. Once Miles are no longer in a pending status they may not be returned to the Member's account.
3. United may determine in its discretion the minimum and maximum number of Miles that may be contributed to a Pool.

Redemption

1. United shall establish the amount, structure, availability, process and other criteria for mileage redemption (including the amount of mileage necessary to redeem each award), all of which are subject to modification, cancellation or limitation at United’s discretion, with or without notice, and all Program Rules related to redemption shall apply to Miles Pooling. Awards may, at the request of the Leader, be issued by MileagePlus in the name and for the use of any Member of the Pool only for non-commercial purposes. Such awards will be issued only after the Leader validates the Pool account via use of a password or other security measures that United has in place at the time of the award request.
2. Pool Miles can only be used to purchase Award Air Tickets on United or United Express® operated flights.
3. Members with redemption rights in the Pool may redeem for themselves or any other traveler. The Program Rules apply for redemption of Pool Miles. The Member redeeming the Miles does not transfer their status or benefits to the traveler.

Non-U.S. Laws

1. Participation in Miles Pooling may be prohibited or restricted by the laws pursuant to some U.S. state and local laws and non-U.S. countries. Nothing in these Rules should be read to override or circumvent any such laws. United may exercise any one or more of United’s Remedies, with or without notice to the Members, in the event Miles Pooling, or participation in any way in the MileagePlus Program, violates laws.