4. Pick a transfer recipient
You can select your recipient from a dropdown menu, and then punch in their MileagePlus account number. The recipient must be either yourself or an authorized user on your account who is also a member of your household.
5. Decide how many points to transfer
The minimum is 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points, which will get you 1,000 MileagePlus miles. Transfers must be made in 1,000-point increments.
6. Submit the transfer
You'll see all the transfer details on this final review screen. When you're ready, you can click "Submit" to transfer Chase points to United.
Transfers are typically instantaneous. Chase sets a timeframe of by the next business day for most transfers, while saying that they can take up to seven business days, but reports indicate that they normally process immediately.
Keep in mind that there's no way to undo a transfer later, so once you transfer Chase points to United, you can't cancel or send the miles back to your Chase account. To avoid a transfer you regret, it's best to find a United award ticket first, and then transfer Chase points to United so you can book it.
How to book an award ticket with United miles
You can book an award ticket with United online, and it's the same process as booking with cash. Go to the airline's website and fill out the flight search form. Before you search for flights, simply check the "Book with miles" box on the booking form.
If you haven't logged in to your MileagePlus account already, United will prompt you to do so before showing you flight results. You can close the login box to see results without logging in, although you would then need to log in after selecting flights.
You'll see results with award tickets, including each ticket's price in miles plus its cash fees. Select the tickets you want for each leg of your trip. When you're done choosing your flights, continue through the checkout process to confirm your trip.
Maximizing value when you transfer Chase points to United
To make the most of United miles, be flexible about travel dates, start shopping early, and redeem miles for premium cabin tickets. The value you get from your miles depends heavily on how you use them. Some award tickets will get you over $0.03 per mile, while others could net you under $0.01 per mile.
Here are a few quick tips to get the best value from United miles:
- Use the 30-day calendar to find dates with the cheapest award airfare.
- Shop for flights as early as possible, as award availability often decreases as time goes on.
- Redeem miles for business class and first class when possible, because these tend to offer a much better value per mile than economy.
- Check out United's flight award deals page if you're flexible about where you travel.
Add a free destination with the United Excursionist Perk
The Excursionist Perk is a special benefit that allows you to add another flight to your trip without spending more miles. When you're flying to a different region of the world, it allows you to add a free one-way award flight within that region to your trip.
Let's say you're traveling from New York to London. You could add a free one-way award flight from London to Paris, and then return home on a flight from Paris to New York. Even though you're taking three flights, you only pay for two.
To take advantage of this perk, use United's multi-city flight search option and book using miles. Remember that you must be flying to a different region of the world, and your trip must end in the same region where it originated.
Look for flights at United hubs
You have the best chance at high-value redemptions when flying to or from United's hub airports. These hubs have the most United flights and give you the most opportunities to score a good deal on an award ticket. United has hubs in the following cities:
- Chicago, IL: O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Denver, CO: Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Guam: Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM)
- Houston, TX: Houston/George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
- Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- New York, NY/Newark, NJ: Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- San Francisco, CA: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Washington, D.C.: Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Should you transfer Chase points to United or redeem through Chase's portal?
Compare flight prices in Chase Travel and on United to see which option would cost you less. Thanks to Chase's Ultimate Rewards program, you don't need to transfer points to United. You can also redeem points toward cash travel purchases, including flights, through the Chase Travel portal.
Here's the value you get on Chase Travel bookings depending on which Chase travel card you have:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: $0.0125 per point
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: $0.015 per point
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: $0.0125 per point
Search for the flight you want in Chase Travel, and then see how much it would cost in miles with United. Then, you can choose the more affordable option. If it's a tie, you're better off booking with Chase Travel, because you'll also earn miles on the purchase.
Chase's United credit cards
United Airline credit cards are offered with Chase and earn miles on purchases. They also offer extra perks with the airline. Depending on which United card you choose, you could get:
- A free checked bag on every flight
- Airport lounge access to United Clubs
- Discounts on inflight purchases
- Tier qualifying points to reach Premier status in the MileagePlus program
Benefits like those can make a United credit card worthwhile for the airline's frequent flyers. If you travel with United often, then you may want to consider one of these cards:
