United Introduces “Award Accelerator”
United’s Mileage Plus Program just launched “Award Accelerator,” which allows frequent flyer members to pay for double or even triple miles on a flight. At first glance it seems like just another way to extract more money out of travelers, but after a quick review, we’ve determined that it could be a good way to pick up some extra miles if you are close to an award level.
United’s website demonstrates the cost for you to buy extra miles on their site. For instance, on a flight from Chicago to Cleveland, the cost to earn 316 double miles is $9, while triple is $19. This works out to be $0.028 per mile. On a 7,843 mile one-way flight from L.A. to Sydney, you would pay $224 for double miles and $449 for triple. This works out to be $0.03 per mile).
While it’s a little less expensive then buying miles directly from the airline (which run about 3.5 cents per mile), it still ain’t cheap. 3 cents a mile is an ok rate when you’re redeeming miles, but generally not a good idea if you’re flat out buying them. But if you’re 900 miles from an award, then you should consider it.
