Can You Combine Two People’s Points for United Flights

Trying to book an award flight but don’t have quite enough miles in your United account? Good news — there are ways to combine United Airlines miles with a friend or family member. Whether you want to pool miles to book a big trip, keep miles from expiring, or just make use of small leftover balances, this guide walks you through your options.

Can You Combine United Airlines Miles from Two Accounts?

Yes, but with some important caveats. United Airlines offers a free Miles Pooling feature that lets MileagePlus members combine miles into a shared pool. This is different from transferring miles between accounts, which costs money. Pooling is the best way to combine United miles without paying a fee, but there are some key limitations to know.

United Miles Pooling is a solid option for combining United Miles.

How to Transfer United Miles

United does let you transfer miles from your account to someone else’s, but it’s not cheap. You’ll need to pay a fee of $7.50 per 500 miles transferred, plus a $30 processing fee. That means transferring 10,000 miles will cost you $180. There are occasional promotions like giving a 25% discount and waiving the processing fee to help make the cost more palatable. But for most people, it's not a good deal.

Occasional promotions to reduce cost of transferring miles.

Instead, consider using United’s Miles Pooling feature. It’s free and allows you to share miles with up to 4 other people. Just remember that:

• The pool leader must be at least 18 years old
• New members must wait 72 hours before they can contribute miles
• Any added miles can’t be used for 24 hours
• Pooled miles can only be used on United or United Express flights

If you’re trying to book a partner airline like Lufthansa or Singapore Airlines, pooled miles won’t work.

Costs of Transferring Miles

Here’s a quick breakdown of what it costs to transfer United miles directly:

• $7.50 per 500 miles transferred
• $30 processing fee
• No fee to use Miles Pooling, but there are usage restrictions

Unless you absolutely have to move miles to another person’s account and can’t use pooling, the fees make regular transfers a poor value.

Transferring miles directly to another United MileagePlus account is expensive.

Why Combine United Airlines Miles?

1. To Book a High-Value Award

Award flights, especially in business or first class, often require a lot of miles. Pooling lets you combine balances to book a flight like United Polaris business class that neither person could afford alone.

Book a high value award like United Polaris Business Class.

2. To Prevent Miles from Expiring

United miles don’t expire anymore, but in the past, combining miles was a way to keep them alive. Even today, using miles for a booking keeps your account active and can help prevent issues down the line.

3. To Make Small Balances Useful

Got 3,000 miles sitting in your account and no idea how to use them? Pooling allows you to combine those leftovers with someone else’s balance and actually book a flight.

4. As a Gift

Sometimes you want to help a friend or family member book a trip. Pooling lets you do that without spending cash or paying high transfer fees.

Can You Transfer United Miles to Partner Accounts?

No. United does not let you transfer miles to another airline’s loyalty program, even if they’re a Star Alliance partner. That means you can’t move miles to Air Canada, Turkish Airlines, or Lufthansa.

However, you can redeem United miles for flights operated by partners — as long as you're not using pooled miles. Pooled miles are only good for United or United Express flights.

FAQs About Combining United Miles

Can you combine United miles with family members?

Yes, through the Miles Pooling feature. You can pool miles with up to 4 other people. Just keep in mind the restrictions on when and how pooled miles can be used.

How much does it cost to transfer United miles?

Transferring miles directly costs $7.50 per 500 miles, plus a $30 fee. Using Miles Pooling is free.

Can I transfer United miles to a partner airline?

No, United miles can’t be transferred to partner airlines. You can only redeem them for partner flights, and only if you're not using miles from a pool.

Do United miles expire?

No, United miles no longer expire as long as your account remains in good standing.

Is transferring miles worth it?

Usually not. The fees for direct transfers are high. If possible, use Miles Pooling instead or transfer credit card points like Chase Ultimate Rewards directly into your own MileagePlus account.

Can I combine cash and miles when booking on United?

Yes, United lets you use a combination of cash and miles on many award bookings. This option is helpful if you don’t have enough miles in your account.

United lets you book flights with both money and miles.

Final Thoughts

Combining United Airlines miles can be a smart move, but only if you understand the rules. Miles Pooling is the best no-cost option, but it comes with delays and restrictions, especially if you’re trying to book partner flights or need to act fast.

To avoid frustration, plan ahead:

• Create a pool early if you think you’ll need it
• Use Chase points or another flexible program for instant redemptions
• Pay for FareLock to hold an award seat while pooled miles activate

For most people, pooling is great for families or close friends booking United-only flights. If you need more flexibility, transferring credit card points is often the better choice.