Earn bonus miles: Sign up now for United's latest Mile Play promotion

United Airlines has introduced a new series of Mile Play promotions, granting bonus miles to selected members who complete certain tasks. It's the perfect time to check your eligibility and register, even if your travel plans are uncertain.

To find out if you qualify and to sign up, visit United's Mile Play page. Input your MileagePlus number, confirm that you're not a robot, and hit "Start Mile Play."

As is typical with these promotions, the offers can differ significantly among members. Some may not have been selected for Mile Play, while others will receive distinct rewards and requirements to achieve them. We explored within the TPG team and discovered a variety of offers.

Illustrations of United's Mile Play offers

TPG Senior Director of Content Summer Hull received a proposal for 5,000 bonus miles by completing three trips costing $300 or more before December 13.

TPG's managing cruise editor, Erica Silverstein, who holds Premier Silver status, was offered 5,000 bonus miles for booking and completing three trips, with each fare needing to be $175 or higher.

Senior Travel Editor Lyndsey Matthews, who does not have MileagePlus status, was given an opportunity to earn 7,000 bonus miles by booking and completing three trips, each costing more than $100.

Associate Credit Cards Writer Chris Nelson, who holds Premier Silver status, received an offer to gain 6,800 bonus miles by booking and completing two trips, with each fare needing to be $250 or more.

Other TPG team members and their families received these offers:

• Earn 3,100 bonus miles after booking and taking two trips, each with a fare of $175 or more.
• Earn 7,500 bonus miles after booking and completing five trips, each with a fare of $100 or more.

Remember, to be eligible for these promotions, trips generally need to be booked and flown after you register and before the promotion ends on December 13. Therefore, if you already have a trip scheduled during the Mile Play period, it won't count (though you might think about canceling and rebooking it). Additionally, unless stated otherwise in your offer's terms, only paid flights marketed and operated by United and United Express will qualify for Mile Play offers.

Top credit cards for United flights

Regardless of whether you’re targeted for this promotion, you can accumulate a lot of bonus United miles by signing up for a cobranded credit card. Here’s a summary of the current welcome bonuses on selected United cards:

• United℠ Explorer Card: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after making $3,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening.
• United Quest℠ Card: Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.
• United Club℠ Infinite Card: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first three months of account opening.
• United Gateway℠ Card: Earn 20,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in the first three months of account opening.
• United℠ Business Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first three months your account is active.

While cobranded credit cards can boost your United miles, you might earn greater rewards by using one of the top cards for airfare purchases. For instance, The Platinum Card® from American Express offers 5 points per dollar spent on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (up to $500,000 of these purchases each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).

In summary

Even if you don't have any upcoming trips with United, it's still beneficial to register and think about planning a getaway. If you have any fully refundable flights booked—whether with United or other airlines—you might want to evaluate if your Mile Play offer is enticing enough to warrant canceling and rebooking with United.