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As a Canadian, you should care about United MileagePlus! Now there’s a sentence I never thought I’d say. There are definitely a few circumstances where you should care about United, so let’s take a look.
The focus here is on redemptions on United metal, since United has recently become stingy with opening saver Polaris award space to partners. For long-haul, premium cabin redemptions on Star Alliance airlines like Lufthansa and ANA, stick to Aeroplan given how much easier it is to earn in Canada.
United Has a Very Strong Network
Among the “Big 3” U.S. carriers, United has the strongest Canadian network. Compared to American and Delta, United also has the strongest international network.
When I say strongest international network, I mean it:
- United is about to start flying to Bari, Split, Santiago de Compostela, and Glasgow
- United is already flying to Ulaanbaatar, Faro, Madeira, Palermo, Bilbao, and Nuuk
United flies to Ulaanbaatar, Kaohsiung, Nuuk, Palermo, Bilbao, Madeira, Faro, Dakar (and more)
The reasons to care are obvious: visit the far edges of the globe with plenty of possibilities for positioning flights from Canada, all on United.
Positioning Flights Within North America
Those of us in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and generally Eastern Canada often need to position to the West Coast to book transpacific awards.
Yes, of course, EVA flies direct from Toronto, and almost all airlines fly to New York and Washington D.C., but award availability across the Pacific from this side is truly dire.
Positioning to the West Coast is one of the toughest award redemptions. The flight is long enough that business class is ideal, yet demand is so high that premium award space is scarce. When was the last time you found Toronto–Vancouver, Los Angeles, or San Francisco on Aeroplan at the saver price of 25,000 points?
Well, United charges 25,000–30,000 miles, and award space is quite decent.
Availability is excellent
Short-Haul Flights Within Europe and Asia
Aeroplan charges 7,500 points for a short one-way economy flight in Europe and 8,000 in Asia. United charges 6,000 and 7,000, respectively.
Furthermore, United does not charge a $39 CAD + tax partner booking fee, which significantly erodes the redemption value on short flights, where cash prices are often reasonable.
United MileagePlus intra-Europe economy award
For the above flight, Aeroplan is charging 7,500 points + $55 USD.
United MileagePlus intra-Asia economy award
It’s a similar case within Asia, where Aeroplan is charging 8,000 points + $34 USD.
Holding a Credit Card is Essential
It’s impossible to overemphasize the need to hold a United co-branded credit card if you plan to take advantage of United MileagePlus.
Cardholders receive expanded saver availability in United Polaris business class and even more award space on economy flights — every United flight has more award space available to cardholders. These are flights not available to partners like Aeroplan.
By holding a United co-branded credit card, you get a 10% discount when redeeming United miles on United flights. That flight from Ottawa to Los Angeles, which costs 27,000 miles, drops to 25,500 miles if you hold a credit card.
Screenshot credit to PMB writer Sash
In Canada, the United MileagePlus Neo World Elite Mastercard is the key to unlocking United award space and redemption discounts.
Long-Haul Flights to Africa and Australia
The above are my favourite redemptions and most practical redemptions with United MileagePlus. The sign-up bonus of 25,000 miles on the United Mastercard is enough to redeem for all, especially after reaching the minimum spend.
However, there are other good redemption opportunities should you find award space. You can top up your United balance with Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) or transfer Marriott Bonvoy at a ratio of 60,000 Bonvoy points = 25,000 miles. United has a special bonus: 10,000 miles when transferring 60,000 points, making it a great ratio: 60,000 Bonvoy points = 30,000 United miles.
Africa and Australia stand out as highlights for redeeming MileagePlus miles, although keep in mind redemptions on United metal are subject to dynamic pricing.
United charges 80,000 miles one-way for Newark/New York EWR to Johannesburg if you find (rare) award space on the direct flight. It’s a similar price on Ethiopian or other partners.
Takeaway
United MileagePlus is surprisingly relevant for Canadians, especially if you frequently book positioning flights within North America or short-haul flights within Europe and Asia. United’s strong route network, reasonable pricing on practical redemptions, and lack of partner booking fees make it a useful program to keep in mind.
That said, holding a United co-branded credit card is almost essential. Between expanded saver availability and the 10% discount on United-operated award flights, the United MileagePlus Neo World Elite Mastercard unlocks much of the program’s true value for Canadians.
