United is letting MileagePlus members buy miles at up to 45% off — 2.1 cents each at the top discount tier — through August 20, 2026. Sounds great until you remember United gutted its award chart into a shapeless, dynamically-priced mess a few years back, so buying miles to chase a cheap domestic coach seat is still a losing trade. This sale only earns its keep one way: pricing out an expensive international business or first class redemption that would otherwise cost real cash, not a coach ticket you could have bought outright for less.
Here is what United buries below the headline number: your discount is not guaranteed to be 45%. Offers are targeted per account — some MileagePlus members are seeing 40%, some 45%, a few lucky ones 50% — so log in and check your actual personalized offer before doing any math. Whatever rate you get, United caps purchases at 50,000 miles every rolling 90 days and 200,000 a year, so this is not a way to manufacture a six-figure balance overnight.
The real move: only buy if you already have a specific expensive redemption picked out — a Polaris business class seat to Europe or Asia, a Star Alliance sweet spot at saver level — where the math at 2.1 cents a mile actually beats paying cash. Buying miles and hoping a good use shows up later is gambling, not saving. Confirmed via LoyaltyLobby and corroborated across multiple points and miles outlets as of this posting. Personalized offers vary by account, and terms can change without notice — check your specific offer in MileagePlus before buying.
Want more before you commit? Read our airline loyalty program guides.