United Airlines Mileage Plus Recognition Miles

May 14, 2013

United Airlines has a program for businesses to reward their employees or third parties with Mileage Plus miles starting at 2000 miles per recipient to up 100,000 per calendar year.

Now, United is offering up to 25% discount on purchased miles OR Platinum status with United Club access. You can read more about this offer on United’s website here.

united-mileage-plus-recognition-miles-table

The miles purchased under this program are not cheap and you can do a lot better by participating to United’s regular mileage sales or by taking advantage of the award accelerator (read more about this here).

This program, however, has a different target group. Mainly small business that decide to award customers, employees, or third parties with United miles.

You can choose between up to 25% discount on the price of the purchased miles OR getting United Platinum status with Club access for a year. Thing to note is that the status is only valid for the current 2013 membership year per the terms and conditions.

Conclusion

If someone is using United miles as incentives and wishes to get United status and/or discount on the price of the purchased miles, they could consider this program.

Here are the terms and conditions of the Recognition Miles program:

By accessing and making transactions through this site, specifically by clicking the “I AGREE” and similar buttons, you expressly indicate your acknowledgment and acceptance of the terms and conditions of the MileagePlus Recognition Miles Program (the “Recognition Miles Program”) and the MileagePlus program rules. MileagePlus, at its sole discretion, may adopt, modify or remove terms and conditions regarding the Recognition Miles Program or terminate the Recognition Miles Program at any time without notice. MileagePlus has the sole right to interpret and apply these terms and conditions as it sees fit.

Miles purchased as part of the Recognition Miles Program will be placed into an administrative account, not the member’s MileagePlus account, until distributed by the member. Miles purchased through this program must be deposited into a MileagePlus member’s account within twelve (12) months from the date the miles are purchased or they will expire. No refunds will be given for expired miles. Activity in the member’s regular MileagePlus account will not extend the life of Recognition Miles Program miles. Once miles are deposited into a member’s MileagePlus account, they are subject to expiration under MileagePlus program rules in eighteen (18) months if there is no account activity. See the MileagePlus Program Rules for further details.

In connection with the Recognition Miles Program, you hereby consent to receive electronic communications, including transaction confirmations, from MileagePlus whether addressed to the email address associated with your MileagePlus account or other email address that you provide. You acknowledge and agree that any communication via email or postings on the MileagePlus site satisfies any legal requirements that such communications be made in writing.

MileagePlus members must have an account in good standing. MileagePlus reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to permit or deny participation of a MileagePlus member in the Recognition Miles Program.

New MileagePlus members will need to wait a minimum of 90 days before being eligible to purchase miles through the Recognition Miles Program.

MileagePlus Small Business Network members are eligible to participate in the Recognition Miles Program.

Members may choose to receive either Premier® status or a discount in connection with their Recognition Miles Program purchase, as shown in the chart below. Members who already have Premier status at the time of purchase and MileagePlus Small Business Network members must either choose the discount or must assign the Premier status to another MileagePlus member who does not have Premier status and who is not a MileagePlus Small Business Network member. A member will not be able to upgrade their Premier status level by making a purchase in or receiving a benefit of the Recognition Miles Program.

If chosen, Premier status will be awarded once per qualifying transaction. There is no limit to the number of transactions that may be made. Once Premier status is assigned, it can’t be changed or upgraded if an additional purchase is made. A purchaser of miles under the Recognition Miles Program who already has Premier status and that chooses the Premier status benefit must assign the Premier status benefit to another MileagePlus member who does not have Premier status. The recipient’s MileagePlus account number must be included at the time the miles are purchased. After designation, the Premier status recipient may not be changed or canceled. Premier status assigned via Recognition Miles is for the 2013 program year.

Premier status designation will take five to seven days from the time of the qualifying transaction to display in the MileagePlus account of the assigned member, and the Premier member credentials kit will arrive at the address associated with the member’s MileagePlus account four to six weeks thereafter.

A member who receives Platinum status will also receive a one-year United Club membership. United Club membership will be activated within seven days from the date of the qualifying purchase through the MileagePlus Recognition Miles Program. The United Club credentials will be mailed to the address listed on the account of the MileagePlus member who is receiving the membership within six weeks from the date it was selected. The United Club membership is valid for 12 months from the date it is activated. All regular United Club membership terms and conditions apply. The United Club annual membership is only available for the member who is granted the Platinum status.

MileagePlus Recognition Miles cost $0.035 per mile plus a U.S. Federal Excise Tax, currently 7.5%. Mileage rates and taxes are subject to change. Miles purchased through this program are award miles and do not count toward MileagePlus Premier® status.

Members may give a minimum of 2,000 and a maximum of 100,000 miles per recipient account, including their own, per calendar year as part of the Recognition Miles Program. No member may receive more than 100,000 miles in any calendar year pursuant to the Recognition Miles Program. Miles given in connection with the Personal Miles and Give Miles programs are tracked separately and do not count toward the maximum for Recognition Miles. A member may buy 100,000 via the Personal Miles program and then give themselves an additional 100,000 via the Recognition Miles program.

After the minimum 2,000 miles, additional miles may be distributed in any increments.

Please allow up to 48 hours for miles to post to the recipient’s account. Award miles distributed will appear in the recipient’s account as MILEAGEPLUS RECOGNITION MILES.

There are no additional transfer fees when the purchaser gives out Recognition Miles via the Manage Miles tool on the MileagePlus Recognition Miles site.

The mileage discount or Premier status options chosen in conjunction with the Recognition Miles product cannot be combined with any other offers.

The purchase of miles through the Recognition Miles Program alone does not qualify as account activity on the purchaser’s MileagePlus account unless the purchaser makes a deposit of a portion of the purchased miles into their MileagePlus account via the “Manage Miles” tool.

The purchaser’s credit card will be billed immediately.

Once the Recognition Miles Program purchase is complete, it is nonrefundable, and no changes to recipient names and/or the incentive chosen are allowed.

Once miles have been distributed to the account of the purchasing member or any other recipients, such distributed miles may not be further transferred except pursuant to the rules of the MileagePlus program.

Miles purchased under the Recognition Miles Program may not be sold or used for improper purposes (including any attempted sale or improper use). In the event of any such action, and in the event of any fraudulent activity or attempted fraudulent activity or any misrepresentation of any information furnished to United or its affiliates by any member, or anyone else acting on the member’s behalf, all miles purchased or received by the subject person under the Recognition Miles Program shall be subject to forfeit, and MileagePlus may pursue any and all other rights and remedies available under applicable law or the MileagePlus Program rules. MileagePlus shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief to prevent or stop any such actions.

The Recognition Miles program and miles purchased and benefits issued thereunder are subject to change and are subject to the rules of the United MileagePlus program. United may change the MileagePlus program including, but not limited to, rules, regulations, travel awards and special offers, or terminate the MileagePlus program at any time and without notice. Miles purchased through the Recognition Miles program, bonus award miles, award miles and any other miles earned through non-flight activity do not count or qualify toward Premier status, unless expressly stated otherwise. United and its subsidiaries, affiliates and agents are not responsible for any products and services of other participating companies and partners. Taxes and fees related to award travel are the responsibility of the member. The accumulation of mileage or Premier status does not entitle members to any vested rights with respect to the program. United and MileagePlus are registered service marks. For complete details about the MileagePlus program, go to united.com.