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@Anonymous wrote:As long as you have activity on your Mileage Plus account (earning miles by flying UA or making purchases on the Explorer Card) any miles that you have earned will not expire. If you stop flying UA and stop making purchases on your card, then your points will expire after 18 months.
The statement about purchases is incorrect. From the United site:
Thank you for being a Chase MileagePlus cardmember. Your miles will not expire as long as your credit card account is active, your annual membership fee has been paid and the card is not in default. Upon cancellation of your credit card account, your miles will expire in accordance with the MileagePlus program rules.
From the terms from Chase:
Miles Don't Expire
Your miles will not expire as long as there is activity on your credit card account, including paying your annual membership fee, and the credit card account is open and not in default. Upon cancellation of your credit card account your miles will expire according to the MileagePlus program rules.
@driftless wrote:
Or, you can open a CSP instead and book UR's instead of miles. UR's don't expire as long as your card is open.
It really depends on the specifics but better value is generally attained through these programs by transferring to travel partners. The CSP and the UMPE are not mutually exclusive. I find both useful.