If you’ve been saving up your United Airlines miles, you might wonder: Can I transfer them to another airline, like Delta or American? It’s a common question, especially for seniors planning family visits or dream vacations. The short answer is: you can’t directly transfer United miles to another airline.
But here’s the good news—you can use United MileagePlus miles to book flights on dozens of partner airlines around the world. That gives you flexibility without having to juggle multiple frequent flyer programs. If you’d like help booking, call 877-297-0699 and a United representative can guide you.
❌ Direct transfers to airlines like Delta, Southwest, or American: not possible.
✅ What you can do: Use your United miles to book flights on partner airlines within the Star Alliance network.
💡 Think of it this way: Your miles stay in your United account, but you can “spend” them to fly on other carriers that work with United.
United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which includes more than 25 airlines. Some popular examples:
Lufthansa (Europe)
Air Canada (North America)
Swiss International (Europe)
ANA (Japan)
Singapore Airlines (Asia)
This network means your United miles can take you almost anywhere in the world.
Log in to your MileagePlus account on United.com.
Search for flights as you normally would.
Results may include flights operated by partner airlines.
Simply select and pay with your United miles—no transfer required.
👵 Senior tip: If the online booking feels tricky, call 877-297-0699 and have an agent book the partner flight for you.
A grandmother in Florida used her United miles to book an Air Canada flight to Toronto to visit her grandchildren.
A retired couple from Texas redeemed United miles for a Lufthansa flight to Europe for a family reunion.
One senior shared: “Even though I didn’t transfer my miles, I was amazed that they worked for international airlines.”
Your MileagePlus account offers more than flights:
Seat upgrades – Make long flights more comfortable.
Hotels and car rentals – Book through United partners.
Vacation packages – Combine flights + hotels for convenience.
Book for others – Use your miles to gift trips to family members.
❌ You cannot move United miles into programs like American AAdvantage or Delta SkyMiles.
❌ Pooling miles across family accounts isn’t allowed, but you can book flights for others directly from your account.
✅ Best practice: Keep your miles in MileagePlus and use them through the partner network.
Simplicity: One account, many airlines.
Flexibility: Fly to destinations worldwide without switching programs.
Support: United agents can help over the phone at 877-297-0699.
Peace of mind: No need to worry about losing value in a transfer.
While you can’t transfer United miles directly to another airline, you don’t need to. Through United’s Star Alliance and partner network, your miles can be redeemed for flights almost anywhere in the world. That gives seniors the freedom to plan family visits, vacations, or group trips without worrying about complicated transfers.
For help booking or learning which airlines you can use your miles on, call 877-297-0699 today. Your miles may go farther than you think.