How can you earn United Airlines MileagePlus miles with UK credit cards?
United Airlines no longer has its own UK credit card.
I previously had a UK card issued by MBNA. The card was withdrawn in mid-2018 because it was no longer considered profitable when the government capped the fees Visa and Mastercard could charge in stores.
I'd like to review the options if you want to continue to earn United Airlines MileagePlus miles with a UK credit card.or you would like an interesting alternative from another airline.
Since there is no United Airlines MileagePlus UK credit card, what is your best alternative?
There are several ways to view this. Let's go over them.
Scenario 1: You want a card that allows you to earn United Airlines miles at a low cost
Attractions at the Marriott Bonvoy American Express:
The good news is that there are still ways to earn United Airlines miles with a UK credit card.
The option with the highest mileage is theMarriott Bonvoy American ExpressCredit card.
You'll earn 2 Marriott Bonvoy points for every £1 you spend on the card.This page is displayed as Pricingpara que United MileagePlus programe Marriott Bonvoy:
- Earn 1 United Airlines Mile for 3 Marriott Bonvoy Points
- Earn 10,000 bonus miles when you convert 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in a single transaction
Assuming you are converting in blocks of 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points:
- £1 Gasto = 2 Pontos Marriott Bonvoy
- 2 Pontos Marriott Bonvoy = 0,66 millones United Airlines
- Convert 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at once into 10,000 bonus miles andEarn exactly 1.0 United Airlines miles for every £1 you spend
The annual fee for the Marriott Card is £75 andReceive a sign-up bonus of 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Therefore, it is worth buying the card for at least the first year.
Marriott Bonvoy American Express
Bonus: 20,000 points
Read our full review
Sign-up bonus and win rate:
- Earn 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points when you spend £3,000 in 90 days
- Earn 2 Marriott Bonvoy points for every £1 you spend
- Earn 6 points for every £1 spent at Marriott hotels
- Points are converted 3:1 into Avios or other flight miles
Other information:
- 15 elite night credits per year to help you achieve higher status
- Free night, up to 25,000 points spending €25,000 per year.
- Upgrade to Gold Elite status when you spend £15,000 in a card year
- Annual fee: £75
RepresentativeAPR of 46.6%variable based on an assumed credit limit of £1200 and an annual fee of £75. Interest rate on purchasesAPR of 28.8%Variable.
register here
See if you qualify for the 20,000 point sign-up bonus+
Receive 20,000 points as a sign-up bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Cardif you spend £3,000 within 90 days of signing up.
To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT have another personal American Express card currently or within the previous 24 months.
It's okay if you have an add-on card on someone else's American Express account.
It's okay if you currently have or have had a Business American Express card in the last 24 months.
For the avoidance of doubt, you can apply for the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card even if you don't qualify for the bonus. You will continue to benefit from 15 Elite Night Credits per year, free nights (up to 25,000 points) for spending £25,000 and Gold Elite status for spending £15,000.
More information about the benefits of the card+
Receive 15 Elite Night Credits per year at Marriott Bonvoy.The first batch will arrive within 60 days of application and then in the spring of each subsequent year.
15 elite nights will automatically earn you Silver Elite status at Marriott Bonvoy and move you closer to Gold Elite status and beyond.
Spend £15,000 a year on the card and you'll move up to Gold Elite status at Marriott Bonvoy.
Spend £25,000 per card year and get a free night voucher valid at any hotel where a free night costs up to 25,000 points.
Through cards that accumulate American Express Membership Rewards points:
United Airlines NO es socio de American Express Membership Rewards.This means that you cannot earn miles directly with any of them.American Express Gold Preferred RewardsoAmerican Express platino.
what youhe canThis requires you to transfer your Amex points to Marriott Bonvoy and United MileagePlus via the route above. The fee would be:
- 1 Ponto Amex Membership Rewards =
- 1,5 Pontos Marriott Bonvoy =
- 0,5 Mio. United MileagePlus
means you get0.5 United Miles for every GBP spent on Amex Gold or Amex Platinumwith a 50% increase when converting to shares of 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Turn them into 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and earn 0.75 United MileagePlus miles for £1.
These cards are also included.great sign up bonusesas you can see here. Even if it's not the best deal for everyday expenses,You might consider taking one of these cards for the sign-up bonus.
American Express Gold Preferred Rewards
Bonus: 20,000 points
Read our full review
Sign-up bonus and win rate:
- Earn 20,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £3,000 in 90 days
- Earn 1 Membership Rewards point for every £1 spent
- Earn up to 12,500 bonus points each year based on your total spend
- Earn double points on all airline and overseas spending
- 1:1 point transfer to Avios, Virgin Points and other airline and hotel programs
Other information:
- amex gold isour recommended “first card” for a Miles and Points beginner
- Receive four free airport lounge passes when you sign up and four more per year
- After your four free tickets, you can visit additional lounges for a small fee.
- Receive £120 in Deliveroo credit every year (24 x £5 credit)
- Annual fee: free the first year, £160 from the second year
RepresentativeAPR of 72.4%Variable. The annual fee applies after the first year.
register here
See if you qualify for the 20,000 point sign-up bonus+
Receive 20,000 American Express Membership Rewards points as a sign-up bonus on the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold cardif you spend £3,000 within 90 days of signing up.
Membership Rewards points are extremely flexible, so we recommend this as athe best option for your first miles and points card. You can transfer them to Avios, Virgin Flying Club or other airlines (in a 1:1 ratio) or to various hotel programs, Club Eurostar or use them for shopping vouchers.
To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT have another personal American Express card currently or within the previous 24 months.
It's okay if you have an add-on card on someone else's American Express account.
It's okay if you currently have or have had a Business American Express card in the last 24 months.
Just to be clear, you can apply for the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card even if you don't qualify for the bonus. You will continue to benefit from the four free passes to the airport lounge and the 'first year free' offer.
More information about the benefits of the card+
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold includes four free airport lounge passes. They allow you and up to three friends or yourself four times to visit one of the 1,400 loungesa network priority pass. You can get additional lounge visits for £20 per person. You will receive four additional free tickets each year.
Earn double Membership Rewards points on all airline spend (directly on the airline website) and all non-UK spend.
Earn up to 12,500 Bonus Membership Rewards points each year based on how much you spend.
Receive £120 in Deliveroo credit every year. Amex will refund £5 each month for the first two Deliveroo orders charged to your Gold card.
Additional benefits include 10% off Hertz rentals, Avis Preferred Plus car rental status, and special offers at 350 select hotels worldwide where Preferred Rewards Gold cardholders receive $75 in hotel credit per stay .
The American Express Platinum Card dies
Bonus: 30,000 points
Read our full review
Sign-up bonus and win rate:
- Earn 30,000 Membership Rewards points when you spend £4,000 in 3 months
- Earn 1 Membership Rewards point for every £1 spent
- 1:1 point transfer to Avios, Virgin Points and other airline and hotel programs
Other information:
- Two Priority Pass cards, each of which entitles two people to 1,400 airport lounges
- Elite status in four major hotel loyalty programs
- comprehensive travel insurance
- £300 per year restaurant credit
- Spend £100 a year at Harvey Nichols
- Annual fee: £575
RepresentativeTAE 458,2%variable based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 and an annual fee of £575.APR of 28.8%Variable.
register here
See if you qualify for the 30,000 point sign-up bonus+
Receive 30,000 American Express Membership Rewards points as a sign-up bonus on the Platinum Cardif you spend £4,000 within three months of signing up.
Membership Rewards points are extremely flexible. You can transfer them to Avios, Virgin Flying Club or other airlines (in a 1:1 ratio) or to various hotel programs, Club Eurostar or use them for shopping vouchers.
This is the ONLY personal American Express card you still qualify for the bonus on if you already have a British Airways American Express card.
To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT currently have or have not had any other personal American Express cards that earn Membership Rewards points in the past 24 months. These include the Platinum Card and Preferred Rewards Gold.
It's okay if you have an add-on card on someone else's American Express account.
It's okay if you currently have or have had in the last 24 months another American Express card, including British Airways, Marriott and Nectar cards.
If you cancel your Platinum card at any time, you will receive a prorated refund of your membership fee.You will not lose your sign-up bonus.
To be clear, you can apply for the Platinum card even if you don't qualify for the bonus. You would still benefit from the long list of other advantages.
More information about the benefits of the card+
The American Express Platinum Card comes with an unmatched list of benefits for the avid traveler.
Your personal travel behavior determines which is the most valuable. The main advantages are:
All-risk travel insurance for you, your family and the family of the supplementary holder at the time of registration
Of thepriority passCards that grant the holder and a companion free and unlimited access to 1,400 airport VIP lounges
Elite status in four major hotel loyalty programs: Marriott Bonvoy (Gold), Hilton Honors (Gold), Radisson Rewards (Premium), MeliaRewards (Gold)
Access to Eurostar lounges regardless of travel class
£150 a year to spend at over 160 UK restaurants
£150 a year to spend at over 1,200 international restaurants
£100 a year to spend at Harvey Nichols in store or online (no minimum spend required)
£300 dining credit per year: £150 to spend at over 150 UK restaurants and £150 to spend at over 1,200 restaurants outside the UK
Scenario 2: You specifically want a Visa or Mastercard to earn United Airlines miles
Earning MileagePlus miles with a MasterCard or Visa credit card is no longer available.
The only halfway decent Visa/Mastercard option was the IHG One Rewards Mastercard, but that is now closed to new applicants.
Scenario 3: You want a high-performance Visa or Mastercard and you're ready to move from United
There are attractive Visa or Mastercard options to accumulate Avios or Virgin Pointswhen you're ready to look beyond MileagePlus.This gives you access to all airlines in the oneworld (Avios) or SkyTeam (Virgin Points) alliances.
Both are equally generous. Importantly, even if you're willing to look at Mastercard or Visa cards that offer shopping coupons instead of travel rewards, nothing else on the market comes close.
The two Barclaycard Avios Mastercard are the best option. choice ofla Barclaycard Avios Mastercard gratis(usually 5,000 Avios bonus) or theBarclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard(£20 per month, normally a bonus of 25,000 Avios).
Collect 1 Avios per £1 with the free card and 1.5 Avios per £1 with the paid card.You'll also receive an annual upgrade coupon for an Avios flight for reaching a spending goal.
Due to British Airways' large short-haul network, which has relatively low Avios requirements, these cards should work for you, whether or not you earn extra Avios when you fly.
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Reward: 25,000 Avios
Read our full review
Sign-up bonus and win rate:
- Collect 25,000 Avios when you spend £3,000 over 90 days
- Get 1.5 Avios for every €1 spent
Other information:
- Receive an Avios Upgrade Voucher when you spend £10,000 in a card year
- Upgrade to BA round trip for one person or two one way flights for a couple
- Annual Fee: £240 charged at £20 per month
RepresentativeTAE 75,0%variable based on an assumed credit limit of £1200 and a monthly fee of £20. Interest rate on purchasesAPR of 25.9%Variable.
register here
Check if you meet the requirements for the 25,000 Avios sign-up bonus+
Receive 25,000 Avios as a sign-up bonus on your Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard credit cardif you spend £3,000 within 90 days of signing up.
To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT have or have had any other Barclaycard credit card in the last 6 months.
It's okay if you have an additional card on someone else's Barclaycard account.
It's okay if you currently have or have had a British Airways American Express credit card in the last six months.
Just to be clear, you can claim the Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard even if you don't qualify for the bonus. You will continue to benefit from the upgrade coupon and other card benefits.
More information about the benefits of the card+
When you spend £10,000 on the Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard, you'll receive a voucher entitling you to:
- Book Avios for a round trip for one person and pay Avios for the next lower cabin (ie book Club World but only pay the World Traveler Plus Avios requirement).
- Book a one-way flight with Avios or a roundtrip segment for two and pay Avios in the next lower cabin
The voucher is valid for two years. Taxes and fees must be paid in full for both tickets depending on which cabin you are flying in.
The voucher cannot be used for First Class flights.
The voucher can be used by anyone as long as the reservation is made through the cardholder's Avios account.
You'll receive your coupon within five days of reaching your spending goal.
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
Reward: 5,000 Avios
Read our full review
Sign-up bonus and win rate:
- Collect 5,000 Avios when you spend £1,000 over 90 days
- Earn 1 Avios for every £1 you spend
Other information:
- Receive an Avios Upgrade Voucher when you spend £20,000 in a card year
- Upgrade to BA round trip for one person or two one way flights for a couple
- Annual fee: free
RepresentativeAPR of 25.9%Variable
register here
Check if you meet the requirements for the 5,000 Avios sign-up bonus+
You will receive 5,000 Avios as a sign-up bonus on the free Barclaycard Avios Mastercard credit cardif you spend £1,000 within 90 days of signing up.
To qualify for the bonus, you must NOT have or have had any other Barclaycard credit card in the last 6 months.
It's okay if you have an additional card on someone else's Barclaycard account.
It's okay if you currently have or have had a British Airways American Express credit card in the last six months.
Just to be clear, you can claim the Barclaycard Avios Mastercard even if you don't qualify for the bonus. You will continue to benefit from the upgrade coupon and other card benefits.
More information about the benefits of the card+
When you spend £20,000 on the Barclaycard Avios Mastercard, you'll receive a voucher entitling you to:
- Book Avios for a round trip for one person and pay Avios for the next lower cabin (ie book Club World but only pay the World Traveler Plus Avios requirement).
- Book a one-way flight with Avios or a roundtrip segment for two and pay Avios in the next lower cabin
The voucher is valid for two years. Taxes and fees must be paid in full for both tickets depending on which cabin you are flying in.
The voucher can be used by anyone as long as the reservation is made through the cardholder's Avios account.
The voucher cannot be used for First Class flights.
You'll receive your coupon within five days of reaching your spending goal.
ozwei Virgin Atlantic Mastercardsthey are almost as generous-anyVirgin Atlantic-Mastercard Reward(free, usually no bonus) orVirgin Atlantic Premium + Mastercard(£160, normally 15,000 bonus points).
You get 0.75 Virgin Points per £1 on the free card and 1.5 Virgin Points per £1 on the paid card.You'll also receive a 2-4-1 coupon or upgrade for reaching your spending goals.
The only downside is that without short trips, you probably won't earn enough points on your credit card to get a good redemption. The cards are best for regular Virgin Atlantic passengers.
Virgin Atlantic Premium + Mastercard
Bonus: 15,000 points
Read our full review
Sign-up bonus and win rate:
- Earn 15,000 Virgin Points after your first transaction
- Earn 1.5 Virgin points for every £1 you spend
- Earn 3 points for every £1 you spend on Virgin Atlantic
Other information:
- Receive a '2 for 1' voucher valid for cash or tickets with points when you spend £10,000 in a year
- Alternatively, you can request an upgrade voucher or Clubhouse lounge passes
- Get free access to Virgin Money lounges across the UK
- Annual fee: £160
RepresentativeAPR of 63.9%variable based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 and an annual fee of £160.APR of 22.9%Variable.
register here
See if you qualify for the 15,000 point sign-up bonus+
Receive 15,000 Virgin Points as a bonus on your first purchase.
There are no restrictions on earning the bonus if accepted. However, you cannot apply for a card if you currently have a Virgin Atlantic credit card or have had one in the last six months.
More information about the benefits of the card+
All Virgin Atlantic credit card holders get complimentary access to Virgin Money lounges across the UK.
When you spend £10,000 a year on the Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard, you can choose a benefit. You can choose:
A 2-4-1 coupon valid for two years, on a paid Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Flying Club redemption flight in superior, premium or economy class
A reverse upgrade: on a cash or points ticket– from Premium to Upper Class or from Economy Delight/Classic to Premium. You can upgrade 1 x round trip if you are traveling alone or 2 x round trip if you are traveling with another person.
A lounge pass for the Virgin Clubhouse (a same-day flight from Virgin Atlantic, Delta, KLM or Air France is required)
Here's the fine print:
If you are a Red member (without status), you must pay 50% of the points of your 2nd ticket when you redeem your 2-4-1 coupon in Upper Class. This means that high value redemptions for Red members are a "2 for 1.5" coupon. For economy or premium redemptions, it's a true 2 for 1.
If you are a Gold member, you will receive two Clubhouse Lounge passes instead of one when you select this option
Taxes and fees must be paid as part of your 2-4-1 reservation on the "free" ticket
Vouchers are valid for two years.and you must begin the outbound leg of your trip before the expiration date
Virgin Atlantic Recompensa Mastercard
Bonus: None
Read our full review
Sign-up bonus and win rate:
- The card does not have a sign-up bonus
- Earn 0.75 Virgin points for every £1 you spend
- Earn 1.5 points for every £1 you spend on Virgin Atlantic
- Highest return per £1 from a free UK Visa or Mastercard
Other information:
- Receive a '2 for 1' voucher valid for cash or tickets with points when you spend £20,000 in a year
- Alternatively, you can request an upgrade voucher or Clubhouse lounge passes
- Get free access to Virgin Money lounges across the UK
- Annual fee: free
RepresentativeAPR of 22.9%Variable
register here
Check if you qualify for the sign-up bonus+
There is no sign-up bonus for the Virgin Atlantic Free Reward Mastercard.
You may want to applyVirgin Atlantic Premium + Mastercardrather. This comes with an annual fee of £160 but has a sign-up bonus of 15,000 Virgin Points. You'll also get a higher earning rate of 1.5 miles for every pound spent.
More information about the benefits of the card+
All Virgin Atlantic credit card holders get complimentary access to Virgin Money lounges across the UK.
When you spend £20,000 a year on the Virgin Atlantic Free Reward Mastercard, you can choose a benefit. You can choose:
A 2-4-1 coupon valid for two years, on a paid Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Flying Club redemption flight in superior, premium or economy class
A return trip upgrade: cash or mileage ticket– from Premium to Upper Class or from Economy Delight/Classic to Premium. You can upgrade 1 x round trip if you are traveling alone or 2 x round trip if you are traveling with another person.
A lounge pass for the Virgin Clubhouse (a same-day flight from Virgin Atlantic, Delta, KLM or Air France is required)
Here's the fine print:
If you are a Red member (without status), you must pay 50% of the miles from your 2nd ticket when you redeem your 2-4-1 bonus in Upper Class. This means that high value redemptions for Red members are a "2 for 1.5" coupon. For economy or premium redemptions, it's a true 2 for 1.
If you are a Gold member, you will receive two Clubhouse Lounge passes instead of one when you select this option
Taxes and fees must be paid as part of your 2-4-1 reservation on the "free" ticket
Vouchers are valid for two years.and you must begin the outbound leg of your trip before the expiration date
Other Visa and Mastercard options:
oHSBC Premier MastercardmiHSBC Premier World Elite Mastercardallow you to exchange with the following airlines. However, you need an HSBC Premier checking account to take out these credit cards, which requires a salary of £75,000 or more. For most people, the Barclaycard Avios or Virgin Atlantic cards are better options.
- asian miles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Emirates towards the sky
- Gast Etihad
- EVA Air MileageTierras
- Finnair Plus
- Flying Blue (Air France KLM)
- Qantas customer
- Singapur Airlines KrisFlyer
- Touch Miles&Go
(Would you like to accumulate more miles and points with credit cards?Click here toVisit our page dedicated to credit cards for air travel and hotelsor use the "Credit Cards" link in the menu bar at the top of the page).
Disclaimer: Head for Points is a journalistic website. Nothing in this document should be construed as financial advice and it is your responsibility to ensure that any product is suitable for your circumstances. Referrals are primarily based on the ability to earn miles and points. The site reviews the products offered by lenders, but is not a lender per se. Robert Burgess, acting as Director of Points, is regulated and authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as an independent credit broker.
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United Airlines y MileagePlus