🇺🇸 Tips: Buy United Miles at a Low Cost, ~1.23 cpp
A dummy booking on United can surface a buy-miles offer. With the 75% bonus, the after-tax cost in this example is about 1.23 cpp USD, and Rakuten can add 2% cash back.
Notes from forums, blogs, private groups, and Xiaohongshu: here is a simple way to buy United miles at a low cost.
This is the same small trick we often use when applying for a Canadian Aeroplan cobrand card: a dummy booking can surface a higher in-path welcome offer.
Step 1: Start a dummy booking on United’s site
Look for an award that needs at least 100,000 more miles than you currently have. A prompt to buy miles may appear.
Step 2: Buy the extra miles
Before you click buy additional miles, go through rakuten.com to United points and pick up 2% cash back.
Register at rakuten.com through the blog referral link🔗 ($50 after you spend $50 within 90 days).
On the purchase page, the promotion shows a 75% bonus.
The payment page shows the total price and the miles you should receive.
After tax, the cost works out to 560 × 1.075 / 490 = 1.23 cpp USD.
Step 3: The miles post immediately
Rakuten also shows the shopping trip for that purchase.
October 7, 2026: the inflight application link has caught up with a 105,000-mile offer—spend $5,000 in the first 3 months for 90,000 miles, add an authorized user for 10,000 miles, and use flight-attendant code VAHH7P for 5,000 more. See the Welcome Offer section for details.
October 4, 2026: the welcome offer is 90,000 miles plus 500 PQP—500 PQP on the first purchase, 80,000 miles after $4,000 in the first 3 months, and 10,000 miles for adding an authorized user. The card includes a $200 annual United Travel Credit, free first and second checked bags, and 4x on eligible United purchases.
Alaska’s latest buy-miles promo adds 70% on purchases of 35,000 miles or more, for about 1.74 cpp USD. We run that cost through JAL, Korean Air, Hawaiian, and Condor business-class sweet spots.
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