If you’re a MileagePlus member looking to make the most of your United miles, you’re in the right place. The year 2025 is a period of significant transformation for the program, with major devaluations, exciting new partnerships, and brand-new premium cabins on the horizon. Since United moved to a dynamic pricing model, finding the best value “Saver Awards” has become a real challenge.

But don’t worry, we are here to help. In this ultimate guide, we’ll show you exactly how to find United Saver Award flights in no time using AwardFares. We’ll cover everything from the basics of what a Saver Award is, to the secret fare codes you need to know, and advanced strategies for booking, helping you unlock the full potential of your MileagePlus account.

Let’s get started!

Key Takeaways

  • What is a Saver Award?: These are the cheapest award tickets offered by United, providing the best value for your miles but with limited availability.
  • Expanded Availability for Elites & Cardholders: Having a United co-branded credit card or Premier elite status unlocks access to hidden “XN” fare class Saver Awards, which have much better availability.
  • Major Devaluation in 2025: Key perks like the Excursionist Perk are being discontinued starting August 21, 2025. Book multi-city trips before this date to take advantage.
  • Dynamic Award Pricing: United uses a dynamic model. “Saver Awards” are your goal, while “Everyday Awards” can fluctuate significantly in price.
  • Use the Right Tool: AwardFares is essential for navigating United’s dynamic calendar. It lets you see a full month of prices, filter for Saver Awards, and uncover partner availability quickly.
  • Partner Awards Offer Value: United’s extensive Star Alliance network is a major strength for finding great redemptions, especially for business class.

In This Guide

What Is a United Saver Award?

A United Saver Award is the most affordable type of award ticket you can book with MileagePlus miles. While United’s overall award pricing is dynamic, they still categorize award seats into two main types:

  • Saver Awards: These are the lowest-priced awards. They require the fewest miles and offer the best value for your points. However, they have limited availability and can be difficult to find, especially for popular routes, peak travel dates, or in premium cabins like Polaris Business Class.
  • Everyday Awards (Non-Saver): These awards are much more widely available but come at a significantly higher mileage cost. The price fluctuates based on demand, the cash price of the ticket, and other factors.

Your primary goal when searching for award travel on United should always be to find a Saver Award to maximize the value of your miles.

What’s New With MileagePlus in 2025?

United Airlines is constantly evolving its MileagePlus program, and 2025 brings some of the most significant updates in years. Here’s what you need to know:

Major Program Devaluation

United has announced three key changes that reduce the value of the program for many members.

  1. Excursionist Perk Ends on August 21, 2025: The popular feature that gave members a free one-way flight on multi-city itineraries is being discontinued.
  2. Instant Upgrades on Top Economy Fares End: Also effective August 21, 2025, the ability to request instant upgrades on high-priced Y, B, and M economy fares will be removed.
  3. Upgrade Award Chart Goes Dynamic on November 24, 2025: The fixed-price chart for mileage upgrades will be retired in favor of a dynamic pricing model where costs will fluctuate.

New Partnerships and Products

  • ‘Blue Sky’ Partnership with JetBlue: United has launched a new reciprocal partnership with JetBlue, allowing members to earn and redeem miles across both airlines.
  • New Polaris Studio Suites: United is introducing a new, ultra-premium business class product on its upcoming Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
  • Introduction of Starlink Wi-Fi: United is adding free, high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi for MileagePlus members on equipped aircraft.

Changes to Earning Status

  • Increased Requirements for Premier Status: Thresholds for earning MileagePlus Premier status have been raised by 20-25%.
  • PQP Boost for Elite Members: United provided a one-time PQP deposit to existing elite members in early 2025 to help them meet the new requirements.

Don't Miss the Deadlines!

United’s Award Chart & Example Costs

While United no longer publishes an official award chart, there are predictable minimum prices for Saver Awards. Think of this as the “hidden” or “unofficial” United award chart. Sticking to these baseline prices ensures you’re getting excellent value.

Below is a comprehensive table of the typical one-way starting prices for Saver Awards on United and its partners, originating from the contiguous U.S.

Destination Region United Economy United Business Partner Economy Partner Business Partner First
U.S. & Canada 5k - 15k 30k+ 15k+ 33k+ –
Hawaii 10k - 25k 50k+ – – –
Mexico & Caribbean 5k - 20k 35k+ 20k+ 38k+ –
Central America 10k - 20k 35k+ 22k+ 39k+ –
N. South America 20k - 30k 55k+ 22k+ 51k+ –
S. South America 41k - 45k 80k+ 49.5k+ 88k+ –
Europe 30k - 40k 80k+ 44k+ 88k+ 121k+
Africa 45k+ 80k+ 49.5k+ 88k+ 143k+
Middle East 34k - 40k 80k+ 44k+ 88k+ 154k+
North Asia 50k+ 100k+ 53k+ 110k+ 132k+
Japan 55k+ 100k+ 60.5k+ 110k+ 121k+
Australia/New Zealand 37.5k - 55k 100k+ 60.5k+ 110k+ 143k+

Prices are in miles and subject to change due to dynamic pricing. Aim for these minimums.

United Saver Award Cost Calculator

Use our interactive calculator to quickly estimate the minimum mileage cost for a one-way Saver Award flight. Select your origin and destination regions to see the starting prices.

The Secret to Saver Awards: Understanding Fare Classes

Here’s a crucial detail that most casual flyers miss: not all Saver Awards are created equal. United uses specific fare codes to manage award inventory, and knowing them is the key to unlocking more availability.

The most important benefit of holding a United co-branded credit card or having MileagePlus Premier elite status is access to expanded Saver Award availability. This hidden inventory is coded differently.

Fare Code Cabin Who Can Access It Availability
XN Economy United Credit Cardholders & Premier Members only. Best availability. This is the primary benefit.
X Economy General Members (everyone). Limited availability.
IN Business/First Premier Platinum, 1K, & Global Services only. Best premium availability.
I Business/First General Members & all Premier levels. Very limited availability.

When you search for awards while logged into your account as a cardholder or elite member, United automatically shows you flights available in the expanded XN or IN buckets. This is why you might see Saver availability when a general member doesn’t.

United’s Airline Partners: Star Alliance & More

One of the greatest strengths of MileagePlus is its vast network of partner airlines. You can redeem your miles on any Star Alliance carrier, as well as several other valuable non-alliance partners.

Star Alliance Partners: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, SAS, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines.

Other Airline Partners: Aer Lingus, Air Dolomiti, Airlink, Azul, Cape Air, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss, Emirates, Eurowings, Flydubai, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, JSX, Olympic Air, Virgin Australia.

When Does United Release Saver Award Seats?

Knowing when to look is key to finding United Saver Award availability. United typically releases award seats 337 days in advance.

However, the best Saver Award availability is not always released this far out. Often, only a few (or zero) Saver seats are available initially. More seats, especially in premium cabins, can become available closer to the departure date, particularly within the last 14 days. Flexibility and frequent checking are essential.

Step-by-Step: How To Find United Saver Award Flights

1. Go to AwardFares

Creating an account is optional, but it’s also free, and it gives you access to more features. Make sure to sign up for one here.

2. Select the Frequent Flyer Program

In the Frequent Flyer Program picker, select United MileagePlus.

Select United MileagePlus in AwardFares to find the best United awards.

3. Add a Route(s)

In the From and To fields, enter your departure and arrival airports. In the example below, we search for flights between San Francisco (SFO) and London (LHR).

Select the origin and destination city to search for United award flights.

4. Explore Travel Dates

If you have a particular date in mind, tap on Calendar to add it.

Select the desired date to find United Award Flights.

AwardFares will start searching for available seats on flights that day, and show the results in a list below.

Search results for award flights on AwardFares (List View).

Alternatively, use the Timeline View to check availability across multiple days at the same time. This is the fastest way to see which dates have Saver availability without clicking day by day on United’s site.

Search results for award flights on AwardFares (Timeline View).

5. Sort by Price

On the result list, tap on the header columns (Eco, Prem, Biz, First) to sort the results by price and find the cheapest awards instantly.

Sort United Awards by price to find the cheapest business class seats.

6. Filter for Saver Awards

Use the quick toggle to exclude non-saver awards. This is the most crucial step to ensure you are only seeing the most economical options.

How to find the best United MileagePlus saver awards using the filter.

7. Exclude Mixed Cabins (Optional)

Tap on Exclude Mixed: No Mixed Cabins to filter out itineraries that combine premium and economy cabins on different legs of the journey.

Exclude mixed cabins when searching for United Polaris business class.

8. Book on United’s website

Once you find your desired flight, click the Book button to be redirected to United’s website to finalize your booking.

AwardFares redirects you to United's website to book MileagePlus award flights.

Advanced Tips for Finding United Saver Award Availability

1. Enable “Expert Mode”

For power users, United offers an “Expert Mode” that reveals the exact number of seats available in each fare class.

  • How to enable it: Log in to United.com -> My Account -> Settings -> Travel needs -> Scroll down and check “Enable expert mode”.
  • How to use it: When you search for flights (using cash), expand the “Details” of a flight. You will see a list of fare codes and a number next to them (e.g., XN9, I4). This tells you exactly how many award seats are available in that bucket. XN9 means 9 Economy saver seats for elites/cardholders. I0 means no Business saver seats for general members.

2. The Business/First Class Saver Award Waitlist Trick

If you want a premium cabin Saver seat (IN or I class) but it’s not available, you can waitlist for it.

  • How it works: Find a flight that has Economy Saver (XN or X) availability. Call a United agent and ask to book the Economy Saver seat but pay the higher mileage amount for a Business Saver award. This will place you at the top of the upgrade waitlist.
  • The Outcome: If a Business Saver seat opens up, you will be automatically upgraded. If it doesn’t, the mileage difference will be redeposited into your account after the flight. This requires calling in and can be a powerful strategy.

3. Book United Flights with Partner Miles

Sometimes the best way to book a United flight isn’t with United miles. Other Star Alliance programs, like Air Canada’s Aeroplan, may charge fewer miles for the exact same United-operated flight. For example, a United business class flight from the U.S. to Europe might cost 80,000 United miles but only 70,000 Aeroplan points. It’s always worth comparing!

United offers its own tool called Featured Awards for members looking for inspiration on how to use their miles. This page presents a simple, curated list of award deals on specific routes and dates.

United Airlines' Featured Awards tool showing a list of deal routes.

While it can be a decent starting point for beginners or those with complete flexibility, it is extremely limited for travelers who want to find the best possible redemptions. For that, a dedicated tool like AwardFares is essential. Here’s a direct comparison of why:

Here’s a quick summary of the differences:

Feature United Featured Awards AwardFares
Search Scope Limited, curated list ✅ Comprehensive, all flights
Date Flexibility Single “featured” dates ✅ Full calendar (Timeline View)
Partner Airlines Primarily United-operated ✅ Full Star Alliance & all partners
Advanced Filters No ✅ Yes (stops, airlines, etc.)
Award Alerts No ✅ Yes
Best For… Casual browsing, inspiration Finding the best specific redemptions

How AwardFares Is Your Secret Weapon

With dynamic pricing, searching on United.com can be frustrating. AwardFares gives you a clear advantage.

1

See a Month at a Glance

Our Timeline View defeats the slow, day-by-day United calendar. Instantly spot the dates with open Saver Award seats across an entire month.

AwardFares Timeline View showing United Saver Award availability.
2

Filter for Saver Awards

Dynamic prices for "Everyday Awards" can be sky-high. Instantly filter for Saver Awards only to ignore the expensive options and pinpoint the best-value redemptions.

Filtering for United Saver Awards in AwardFares to find the cheapest flights.
3

Uncover Partner Flights

Find hidden availability on partners like Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, or the new partner JetBlue. Our filters let you search for specific airlines with ease.

AwardFares showing MileagePlus partner award flights.
4

Never Miss a Seat

That Polaris Business Class seat isn't available? Set an Alert. We'll monitor the flight 24/7 and email you the second it opens up.

The booking button in AwardFares for a United flight.

How to Earn United Miles

Before you can redeem miles, you need to earn them. Here are the most effective ways to build your MileagePlus balance:

  • Flying United & Partner Airlines: You earn miles based on the fare price (minus taxes) and your elite status level. The higher your status, the more miles you earn per dollar spent, up to 11x for Premier 1K members.
  • United Co-Branded Credit Cards: This is one of the fastest ways to accumulate a large number of miles, primarily through generous sign-up bonuses. Chase issues a wide range of personal and business cards.
  • Transfer Partners: You can transfer points to United MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio from Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards. These transfers are typically instant, making it an excellent way to top off your account for a specific award booking.
  • MileagePlus Shopping & Dining: Use the MileagePlus online shopping portal to earn bonus miles on purchases you were already going to make. You can also link a credit card to the dining program to earn miles at participating restaurants.
  • Miles Pooling: United allows up to five members to pool their miles together in a single account. This is a fantastic feature for families or groups, making it easier to combine smaller balances for a significant redemption. The “pool leader” must be over 18.
  • Other Methods: You can also earn miles through hotel stays booked via United Hotels, car rentals with partners like Avis, and even by buying miles (though this is usually poor value unless for a specific, high-value redemption).

United MileagePlus Award & Program Details

Money + Miles

United offers the option to pay for part of a cash ticket with miles. However, this usually offers poor value (around 1 cent per mile or less) and is not recommended if you want to maximize your miles. It can be useful if you’re just a few miles short of a full award.

Award Holds

United does not offer complimentary award holds. You must have enough miles in your account to book immediately.

Taxes and Fees

A huge advantage of MileagePlus is that United does not pass on carrier-imposed surcharges for most partners. This means you can book awards on airlines like Lufthansa or SWISS without paying hundreds of dollars in extra fees.

Cancellation Policy

United currently offers free cancellations and mileage redeposits for all award tickets, as long as you cancel before departure. This provides incredible flexibility.

United MileagePlus Premier Elite Status

Earning Premier status with United unlocks a range of benefits, including bonus mileage earning, complimentary upgrades, and better award availability.

Tier PQP + PQF Requirement PQP Only Requirement Key Saver Award Benefit
Premier Silver 5,000 PQP + 15 PQF 6,000 PQP Access to XN Economy Saver fares
Premier Gold 10,000 PQP + 30 PQF 12,000 PQP Access to XN Economy Saver fares
Premier Platinum 15,000 PQP + 45 PQF 18,000 PQP Access to IN Business/First Saver fares
Premier 1K 22,000 PQP + 60 PQFs 28,000 PQP Access to IN Business/First Saver fares

To qualify for any status, a minimum of 4 flights on United/United Express is required.

The Best United Co-Branded Credit Cards for Saver Awards

Holding a United credit card is the easiest way for most people to gain access to the expanded XN Economy Saver award space. Here are the top personal cards:

Card Name Annual Fee Key Saver Award Benefit
United Gateway Card $0 Unlocks expanded Economy (XN) Saver Award availability.
United Explorer Card $0 intro, then $95 Unlocks expanded Economy (XN) Saver Award availability. Plus free checked bag & lounge passes.
United Quest Card $250 Unlocks expanded Economy (XN) Saver Award availability. Plus travel credits and more perks.
United Club Infinite Card $525 Unlocks expanded Economy (XN) Saver Award availability. Plus full United Club membership.

Maximize Your United Miles

With AwardFares, finding the best MileagePlus award flights takes just seconds. Try it for free and see how easy it is! For access to even more powerful features like unlimited daily searches, alerts, seat maps, and flight schedules, explore our Gold and Diamond tiers.

Continue Your Journey

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

What is a United Saver Award?

A Saver Award is United’s term for their lowest-priced award tickets. They offer the best value for your MileagePlus miles but come with limited availability, unlike the more expensive and widely available “Everyday Awards.”

What's the difference between a Saver Award and an Everyday Award?

The key differences are price and availability. Saver Awards are cheap but scarce. Everyday Awards are expensive but almost always available if a seat is for sale. For example, a one-way business class flight to Europe might be 80,000 miles as a Saver Award, but 250,000+ miles as an Everyday Award.

Are Saver Awards available for all cabins like business and first class?

Yes, Saver Awards exist for all cabins, including Economy, Premium Plus, and Polaris Business Class. However, premium cabin Saver Awards are significantly harder to find than those in Economy.

How can I find United Saver Award availability?

The best way is to be flexible with your travel dates and to use a powerful search tool like AwardFares. The Timeline View in AwardFares lets you see a whole month at once, making it easy to spot the days with cheap Saver-level pricing.

Why can't I find any Saver Awards for my dates?

This is a common issue. Reasons include:

  • Peak Travel: You’re searching during holidays or peak season when demand is high.

  • Limited Inventory: Airlines only release a few Saver seats per flight, and they may already be booked.

  • Popular Route: High-demand routes (e.g., New York to London) have fewer available Saver seats.

    The solution is to search a wider range of dates, consider nearby airports, or set an alert with AwardFares to be notified if a seat opens up.

When does United release new Saver Award seats?

United’s booking calendar opens 337 days in advance, but Saver seats are released intermittently, not all at once. More availability, especially for business class, can often appear in the last two weeks before departure as United gets a better sense of unsold seats.

Do United credit cardholders get better award availability?

Yes, absolutely. This is one of the biggest perks of having a co-branded United credit card. Cardholders and Premier elite members get exclusive access to an expanded inventory of Economy Saver Awards, known as the XN fare class. This means you will see Saver availability on many flights where a general member would not.

Is there a United Saver Award Chart?

No, United does not have an official, published award chart. It uses a dynamic pricing system. However, there are predictable starting prices for Saver Awards, which function as an “unofficial” chart. For example, a one-way business class saver ticket to Europe on United typically starts at 80,000 miles.

How many miles do I need for a free flight on United?

It varies widely, but here are some Saver Award starting points for one-way flights:

  • Short Domestic Flight: As low as 5,000 miles in Economy.

  • Transcontinental U.S. Flight: Around 12,500 miles in Economy.

  • U.S. to Europe: Around 30,000 miles in Economy or 80,000 in Business.

  • U.S. to Asia: Around 35,000 miles in Economy or 88,000 in Business.

Are partner awards more expensive than United awards with miles?

Yes, typically. A Saver Award on a partner airline like Lufthansa or SWISS usually costs about 10% more miles than the same route on a United-operated flight.

What are the rules for United Saver Awards?

The main rule is that they are capacity-controlled and not available on every flight. They are also generally non-upgradable with cash or PlusPoints. Otherwise, they follow the same rules as other award tickets regarding changes and cancellations.

Can I put a United award ticket on hold?

No, United does not offer a free hold for award tickets. You must have the required miles in your account to book immediately.

What happens if I cancel a Saver Award ticket?

Currently, United has a very generous policy. You can cancel any award ticket before the departure of the first flight and have all your miles redeposited for free. This policy is subject to change.

Do United award tickets have high taxes or fuel surcharges?

No, this is a major strength of the MileagePlus program. United does not pass on carrier-imposed fuel surcharges for most of its partners. This can save you hundreds of dollars compared to booking the same partner flight with other programs. You only pay mandatory government taxes and fees.

Do my United miles expire?

No, United MileagePlus miles never expire, as long as your account remains open.

Can I book a Saver Award for someone else using my miles?

Yes, you can use your MileagePlus miles to book an award ticket for anyone. You do not need to be traveling with them. Simply enter their details as the passenger during the booking process.

Can I combine miles from two different accounts to book one ticket?

No, you cannot combine miles from separate accounts for a single reservation. However, United’s Miles Pooling feature allows up to five members to contribute miles into a shared pool, which can then be used by the designated “pool leader” to book awards.

What is the difference between XN, X, IN, and I fare classes?

These are United’s internal codes for Saver Award inventory:

  • XN: Economy Saver for cardholders/elites (best availability).

  • X: Economy Saver for general members.

  • IN: Business/First Saver for top-tier elites (Platinum and above).

  • I: Business/First Saver for all members.

What is the Excursionist Perk and is it still available?

The Excursionist Perk was a unique United benefit that offered a free one-way flight within a multi-city award itinerary. This perk is being discontinued for all bookings made on or after August 21, 2025. You must book before this date to take advantage of it.

Can I use PlusPoints to upgrade a Saver Award ticket?

No. PlusPoints, the upgrade instruments for Premier Platinum and 1K members, can only be used to upgrade cash tickets, not award tickets.

What is 'Expert Mode' on United's website?

‘Expert Mode’ is a feature you can enable in your United profile that shows you the exact number of seats available in every fare class for a given flight, including all award fare classes (X, XN, I, IN). It’s a powerful tool for advanced users to gauge true award availability.

Is it ever better to book a United flight with partner miles?

Yes, sometimes. Another Star Alliance program, like Air Canada Aeroplan or Avianca LifeMiles, might have a more favorable award chart and charge fewer miles for the exact same seat on a United-operated flight. It is always a good idea to compare redemption rates.