United Airlines’ MileagePlus program has quietly increased mileage prices for many last-minute savings awards. As View from the Wing first reported, close economy awards that were previously priced at 15,000 miles are now priced at 20,000 miles one-way, a 33% increase.
The change appears to affect trips booked within two weeks of departure; pricing outside of that window generally looks more typical.
A TPG test of popular short-haul domestic flights operated by United found prices on some routes had increased by more than 50%. Is United simply raising award prices for last-minute holiday travelers, or will these prices become the new normal in 2026?
Here’s what you need to know about the price increase and how you can still book last-minute flights on United for fewer points and miles.
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United Airlines MileagePlus increases last-minute award prices
United MileagePlus dynamically prices United-operated awards, so there’s no guarantee of the price you’ll pay from one day to the next, although last-minute awards on the shortest domestic routes are typically 6,000 miles one-way.
When searching for last-minute award flights from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), TPG found that a one-way economy class flight currently costs at least 13,900 miles. But after a window of about two weeks, the price drops dramatically by more than 50%, costing just 6,000 miles (most days).
In the Northeast, fares are higher over the next 14 days from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C., but most flights drop to just 6,800 miles.
The next one-way fare from Denver International Airport (DEN) to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) has increased to 20,000 miles 13 days (not 14), then down to 15,000 miles or less.
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In TPG’s testing, long-haul routes were not affected by last-minute award price increases.
Is there a cheaper way to book last-minute United awards?
You can also book United awards through the Aeroplan program of United’s Star Alliance partner Air Canada. While Aeroplan now has dynamic pricing on United-operated flights (and may not be able to get as many United-operated seats as you can with United MileagePlus), on the same routes mentioned above, we found lower fares with Aeroplan for United flights departing within the next 13 days:
- EWR to IAD: 10,000 Aeroplan points plus $33
- LAX to SFO: 10,000 Aeroplan points plus $33
- DEN to AUS: 15,000 Aeroplan points plus $33
Note that Aeroplan adds a $39 CAD (approximately $30 USD) partner booking fee to United awards.
If you want to book a short-haul United flight departing within the next 14 days and have transferable credit card points and miles, consider redeeming through Aeroplan. As always, please check the Aeroplan website for availability before transferring as these transfers cannot be reversed.
bottom line
This unannounced increase is a disappointing devaluation of United’s MileagePlus program, as it’s a great way to discover last-minute reward value in emergency situations, such as travel for a family emergency or a funeral.
The change follows a number of negative changes to United MileagePlus this year, including the end of the valuable Excursionist Perk.
This is a reminder that earning transferable points and miles is a smart strategy to protect yourself from unexpected increases in program prices.
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