Dynamic pricing
United MileagePlus award chart and sweet spots
United has published no award chart since November 2019. Prices on United and on Star Alliance partners are set dynamically, though partner awards still cluster around fixed "Saver" levels that United lowered in November 2025: about 40,000 miles in economy and 80,000 in business to Europe, and 100,000 in business to Asia and Oceania. United's own flights range far more widely, from a few thousand miles on quiet domestic dates to several hundred thousand for last-minute Polaris.
United's award pages require a browser, so the ranges below are from AwardFares' August 2026 observations and AwardWallet's report on the November 2025 partner changes.
Official reference: United MileagePlus: award travel.
Written and reviewed by the Points Plug team. Last reviewed .
Observed one-way prices, August 2026 (miles)
| Route | Economy | Business | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago to Denver (United) | 13,500 to 65,000 | 30,000 to 100,000 | |
| Newark to London (United) | 40,000 to 120,000 | 80,000 to 395,000 | |
| San Francisco to Tokyo (United) | 55,000 to 450,000 | 110,000 to 900,000 | |
| Star Alliance partner Saver: US to Europe | 40,000 | 80,000 | Lowered from 44,000 and 88,000 in November 2025 |
| Star Alliance partner Saver: US to Asia and Oceania | – | 100,000 | Lowered from 110,000 in November 2025 |
Ranges observed by AwardFares in August 2026; partner Saver levels from AwardWallet. United shows the price only in its search results, and cardholders receive a discount of at least 10 percent on award flights since April 2026.
Sweet spots
Star Alliance business class to Europe
80,000 miles
One way at the partner Saver level on Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Turkish or others, with no surcharges.
Star Alliance business class to Asia
100,000 miles
One way on ANA, EVA, Asiana or Singapore Airlines when Saver space is released, again without surcharges.
United domestic on quiet dates
from about 5,000 miles
United's own short flights price well below the partner rate on off-peak days, and can be cancelled free.
Cardholder award discount
at least 10 percent off
Since April 2026 United credit card holders pay less for award flights on United, which no other US airline offers.
Fees and surcharges
- No change or cancellation fees on award tickets since November 2022; a $125 redeposit fee applies only to no-shows.
- United does not pass on partner fuel surcharges, so a Lufthansa or ANA business class award costs only taxes on top of the miles.
- No close-in booking fee; phone bookings cost $25, waived for Premier Platinum and 1K.
Routing and stopover rules
- One-way awards are half the round trip, open jaws are allowed and a mixed-cabin itinerary is priced at the highest cabin.
- The Excursionist Perk, which added a free one-way within a region on multi-city awards, ended for bookings from August 21, 2025.
- Partner Saver awards are visible on united.com for most Star Alliance carriers; a few partners release space only to United's own members.
Recent and upcoming changes
- November 2025: Star Alliance partner Saver prices fell to 40,000 economy and 80,000 business to Europe and 100,000 business to Asia and Oceania, at first for Premier members and later for all.
- August 21, 2025: the Excursionist Perk ended.
- February 1, 2026: PlusPoints upgrades became usable on award tickets; April 2026: cardholder award discount of at least 10 percent; February 2027: PlusPoints move to dynamic pricing.
Getting United MileagePlus miles for these awards
Chase (1:1), Bilt (1:1), Marriott (3:1) transfer into United MileagePlus, so a specific award can often be funded from bank points rather than a held balance. If your balance is bigger than the awards you will book, see what the miles are worth or get a cash quote.
United MileagePlus award FAQ
- Does United have an award chart?
- No. United removed its award charts in November 2019 and prices every award dynamically. Partner awards still tend to sit at Saver levels of about 40,000 miles in economy and 80,000 in business to Europe, but United can change them without notice.
- How many United miles for business class to Europe?
- About 80,000 miles one way at the Star Alliance partner Saver level since November 2025, plus taxes but no fuel surcharges. United's own Polaris flights range from 80,000 to almost 400,000 depending on the date.
- Can I cancel a United award for free?
- Yes. United has no change or cancellation fees on award tickets and redeposits the miles, except for a $125 fee if you do not show up for the flight.
Sources
- United MileagePlus: award travel (requires a browser) · official page
- AwardFares: United MileagePlus guide (observed ranges, August 2026) · secondary source
- AwardWallet: United partner award changes, November 2025 · secondary source
- AwardWallet: United award travel rules · secondary source
- One Mile at a Time: United eliminates award fees (November 2022) · secondary source