Issuer & programme guide
United MileagePlus credit cards — 2026 guide
The Star Alliance transfer magnet — Chase UR and Bilt both move in at 1:1, and United Club Infinite's unlimited lounge access is the richest single perk on any US airline co-brand card.
Quick Answer
United MileagePlus is a Star Alliance program with two parallel currencies: miles (for awards) and Premier Qualifying Points/PQP (for elite status). Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards both transfer in at 1:1 — making Chase Sapphire Preferred/Reserve and the Bilt Card the fastest indirect path to United miles. The co-brand United Club Infinite card ($695 AF) stands out for unlimited United Club access for the cardholder plus a guest, a $750+/year value on its own.
All United MileagePlus cards (19)
Ranked by estimated welcome-bonus value (highest first). Tap any card for the full review and live offer.
What United MileagePlus wins on
- ✓Chase UR and Bilt both transfer 1:1 — the same two currencies that feed Hyatt, so a single Sapphire or Bilt card stacks toward both programs at once.
- ✓United Club Infinite gives unlimited United Club + select Star Alliance lounge access for cardholder + 1 guest — richer than any capped domestic airline lounge benefit.
- ✓Premier Gold (10,000 PQP) unlocks Star Alliance Gold — lounge access at every Star Alliance partner worldwide (Lufthansa Senator, ANA Suite, Singapore SilverKris), not just United Clubs.
- ✓Marriott Bonvoy also transfers in, at 3:1 with a 10,000-mile bonus per 60,000 points moved — a real secondary path for hotel-points holders.
The trade-offs
- ⚠The Excursionist Perk — a free one-way segment on certain multi-region awards — was discontinued for tickets issued on or after August 21, 2025, with no direct replacement.
- ⚠Status requires real PQP, not just card spend: Premier Platinum needs 15,000 PQP + 45 flight segments, or 18,000 PQP with no segment minimum — card spend alone caps out well short of that for most cardholders.
- ⚠United Club Infinite's $695 annual fee only clears if you actually use the lounges — occasional flyers overpay versus just buying day passes.
- ⚠No Amex Membership Rewards or Citi ThankYou transfer-in — United is a Chase-and-Bilt ecosystem, same structural gap as Hyatt.
Popular United MileagePlus comparisons
The matchups our readers actually search for, ranked by query volume.
Frequently asked questions about United MileagePlus
How do I earn United Premier status fastest without flying United constantly?
PQP from card spend is capped per card tier, so pure-spend status is a slow path. The realistic combination is 4+ qualifying United/United Express segments (the hard minimum regardless of PQP total) plus PQP from co-brand spend or everyday spend on a card that earns PQP. Premier Silver needs 5,000 PQP, Gold 10,000 PQP, Platinum 15,000 PQP + 45 segments (or 18,000 PQP alone), and 1K needs 22,000 PQP + 60 segments (or 28,000 PQP alone) — all verified against United's current 2026 program terms.
Is the United Club Infinite card worth the $695 annual fee?
Only if you'll actually use United Club lounges. A standard United Club membership alone runs $650+/year for one person with no guest privileges and no travel-credit offsets — the card's unlimited cardholder-plus-guest access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, and the statement credits (rideshare, Instacart, hotel) can clear the fee for someone who flies through United hubs regularly. For someone who flies United once or twice a year, a day pass is cheaper.
Does Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to United MileagePlus?
Yes, at 1:1, instantly — Chase UR is the primary way to build United miles without flying United. Bilt Rewards also transfers 1:1. Marriott Bonvoy transfers in too, at 3:1 with a 10,000-mile bonus per 60,000 Bonvoy points moved in a single transfer.
What happened to the United Excursionist Perk?
It was discontinued for tickets issued on or after August 21, 2025, with no direct replacement. The perk let you add a free one-way segment to certain multi-region award itineraries. Tickets already booked with an Excursionist Perk segment before that date are still honored, but any voluntary change re-prices the itinerary and removes the free segment.
United Club Infinite vs Chase Sapphire Reserve — which for lounge access?
Different lounge networks: United Club Infinite gets you into United Clubs and select Star Alliance lounges specifically; Chase Sapphire Reserve gets Priority Pass access to a much broader (but more crowded, and more variable in quality) global lounge network plus Chase's own Sapphire Lounges. If you connect through United hubs often, United Club Infinite's unlimited access wins. If your travel isn't United-hub-concentrated, Priority Pass's broader footprint is more useful.
Run the math for your situation
These calculators use the same data this guide runs on.
Related guides
Long-form explainers that go deeper into United MileagePlus strategy.
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Other ecosystems to consider
Most points-game stacks combine 2-3 of these programmes.
Chase
The transferable-points programme with the best hotel redemption — Ultimate Rewards transfers 1:1 to World of Hyatt. Best for travellers under 5/24.
Open
Southwest Rapid Rewards
No award chart, no blackout dates — points are worth a fixed share of the cash fare, and the Companion Pass (135,000 points through 2026, Platinum status from 2027/year) is the single best perk in US airline loyalty.
Open
Marriott Bonvoy
The biggest footprint in hotel loyalty (9,900+ properties, 146 countries) and the most universal transfer-in of any hotel program — Amex MR, Chase UR, Capital One Miles, and Bilt all land at 1:1.
Open
Last reviewed
2026-10-10
Data sources
Issuer pages, public award charts, TPG monthly valuations.
Methodology
Editorial note: CreditPoints may earn a commission when you apply through some of the links on this page, but the directory ordering, pros/cons, and Quick Answer are algorithmic and identical for all readers. We never accept payment to change ordering.