Key Takeaways:
- United Airlines now offers frequent flyers the option to pool miles in a shared account.
- Once combined into the joint account, miles cannot be transferred back to individual accounts.
- Similar miles-pooling programs have been launched by JetBlue and Frontier Airlines.
United Airlines now allows frequent flyers to pool miles with four other people in a joint account, the airline said in a press release on Thursday.
United Airlines has unveiled a new feature allowing MileagePlus members to combine their miles into a joint account, as long as each individual is a member of the loyalty program. However, there is a catch: once pooled, the miles cannot be transferred back into individual accounts, according to Luc Bondar, the COO of United’s MileagePlus program, as reported by CNBC.
The process works by designating one MileagePlus member, referred to as the “pool leader,” who can invite up to four other members to join the joint account. These additional members can be of any age, as specified in the airline’s press release.
Each member has the flexibility to decide how many miles they want to contribute to the joint account, with no limit on the total number of miles that can be pooled together, as stated by United.
Once the miles are pooled, members can utilize them to redeem discounts when purchasing tickets through United’s website and mobile app. However, United did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment on the matter.
This initiative by United follows similar programs introduced by other US airlines. In November 2018, JetBlue launched a program allowing up to seven members of its TruBlue loyalty program to pool miles. Similarly, in January, Frontier Airlines introduced its “Family Pooling” program, enabling up to eight members of its Frontier Miles loyalty program to combine miles.