Share Your United Miles

Over the last few days United Airlines seemed to make a great addition to their program that would allow you to share your United miles with others. They announced a program that allows miles pooling across United MileagePlus members accounts on Thursday. This isn't a new thought in the industry, with a few airlines already offering this feature, but it is a first among the big three in the US. Hopefully that means American Airlines and Delta Airlines will follow suit since they love to play copycat. I am guessing they will wait a bit and see how this all plays out and see if United gets scammed too much like other airlines have.

Update 3/28/24: This is now live and working. I added in a FAQ section below because in true airline status they had to make the process as convoluted as possible.

How MileagePlus Miles Pooling Works

Here is what United has to say about the new way to share your United miles (full press release):

Any MileagePlus member over 18 years old can become the pool leader, create a pool for free and share their United miles 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.  

*For full terms, restrictions, and conditions, see here.

Why This Is Great For Us

The fact that you should be able to share your United miles is a great improvement for us frequent flyers. It means that we can unlock stranded miles in family member's accounts for example. That could help keep our transferrable currencies in their most valuable form. Now, if you are a few thousand miles short of an award booking, and your spouse, child or parent etc. have the miles needed to bridge the gap, you can pool them to book your flight.

One of the things I hate most is having a few thousand miles in my kids account that are essentially worthless. Since I can't transfer miles into their account to make a booking they just sit there collecting dust. At least not yet I can't, since they are not old enough to be an authorized user. With this positive change that will no longer be the case. I can now share their United miles with my account to make a booking. That leaves only a few hundred stranded in their account instead of a few thousand.

Pool Your United Miles Here

United Pooling FAQ

I pulled some of the more interesting / noteworthy FAQs from their landing page. The process can get a little confusing, likely to try to stop people from gaming the system.

Can I Leave A Miles Pool After Joining?

Yes, a miles pool member can leave the pool at any time. However, miles contributed by any member who leaves the pool will be forfeited by that member and will stay with the pool to be shared among remaining members. Also, a new member may not join the pool for the next 90 days after a member has left, and members who leave cannot join another miles pool for the next 90 days. If a pool leader decides to leave a pool, the entire pool is dissolved and all of the remaining miles in the pool will be distributed equally amongst the remaining members.

Can I Choose How Many Miles To Contribute To A Miles Pool?

Yes, you decide how many miles you want to contribute to the pool upon joining the pool. There is no limit to the number of miles that may be contributed to an active miles pool (other than any member’s miles balance).

What Can Pooled Miles Be Used For?

Pooled miles can be used to book United or United Express award tickets only. Pooled miles cannot be used to purchase upgrades, seat assignments, onboard food and beverages, inflight Wi-Fi access or anything else.

How Soon After Creating A Pool Can I Use Pooled Miles?

For the pool leader, miles can be contributed as soon as the pool is created. All pool members have to wait 72 hours after joining a pool until they can use pooled miles or contribute miles to the pool. After transferring miles into the pool, all members of the pool, including the pool leader, will have to wait 24 hours before the miles are available to use for booking flights.

How Do I Book An Award Ticket Using Pooled Miles?

To book a flight using pooled miles, you must have permission to do so either on behalf of other members of your pool or yourself only (this can be configured by the pool leader). If you have permission, first sign in to your MileagePlus account on united.com or the United app. Search for and select an award ticket like you normally would. When you get to the payment page, select your miles pool account.

Who Can Redeem Miles From The Miles Pool?

The pool leader, along with any pool member given redemption privileges by the pool leader, can redeem miles from the miles pool.

What If I Am Not Allowed To Redeem Pooled Miles, Can I Still Redeem My Own Miles?

Yes, you can still redeem the miles from your individual MileagePlus account (earned with your own travel or purchases), but you cannot redeem miles you contributed to the miles pool.

What If The Miles Pool Leader Leaves?

Yes. If the pool leader leaves the miles pool, the pool is dissolved and any remaining miles in the pool will be distributed equally amongst the remaining members’ accounts in the pool at the time it was dissolved, including the pool leader.

Can The Pool Leader Remove A Member?

No, members of a miles pool cannot be removed from the pool after they have been invited and joined. Members can only leave a pool if they choose to do so, or if the pool is dissolved.

What Happens To My Miles I Contributed To The Pool If I Leave?

Any miles you contribute to the miles pool will stay with the pool. Miles transferred into the pool can be removed within 24 hours. After 24 hours, transfers cannot be reversed.

Can I Join More Than One Miles Pool?

No, you can only be a member of one pool at a time.

Can I Redeem An Award For Someone Not In The Pool?

Yes, the pool leader and anyone given redemption privileges can redeem for anyone.

Share Your United Miles: ToP Thoughts

I love this MileagePlus miles pooling addition to United's program in theory. It makes United miles a bit more valuable since you know that there will be no mile left behind across all of the accounts you manage. Being able to share your United miles makes it a more friendly user experience overall. Hopefully American Airlines and Delta follow suit and the greedy users out there don't ruin the program. I just wish they had made the process / set up a bit easier to digest is all.

Are you excited about the MileagePlus pooling program? Let us know over in the ToP Facebook Group.