cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Anyone use their expiring United miles for magazines?

tag
mkhan1093
Established Contributor

Anyone use their expiring United miles for magazines?

I just got a letter in the mail reminding me that I have United miles expiring in the spring (< 5k), which isn't really enough to fly anywhere. I can apparently get magazine subscriptions and I was wondering if anyone has done that and if when looking at cash prices, it's at least not a laughable redemption. I was looking for cash+miles fares on United but I don't want to take a trip just because miles were expiring. What have you guys done? Thanks!

Message 1 of 10
9 REPLIES 9
wasCB14
Super Contributor

Re: Anyone use their expiring United miles for magazines?


@mkhan1093 wrote:

I just got a letter in the mail reminding me that I have United miles expiring in the spring (< 5k), which isn't really enough to fly anywhere. I can apparently get magazine subscriptions and I was wondering if anyone has done that and if when looking at cash prices, it's at least not a laughable redemption. I was looking for cash+miles fares on United but I don't want to take a trip just because miles were expiring. What have you guys done? Thanks!


You could use the United online shopping portal to keep the points active, then transfer URs to top off your balance when you did find an attractive redemption.

 

Apparently cheap magazines may actually be 90% advertisements and 10% fluff.

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select
Message 2 of 10
imaximous
Valued Contributor

Re: Anyone use their expiring United miles for magazines?

Use the MPX app. Best way to earn United miles on the go and keep the account active.

ETA: You actually get to triple dip once you get familiar with it.
Message 3 of 10
NRB525
Super Contributor

Re: Anyone use their expiring United miles for magazines?

You can also sign up for Mileage Plus Dining. All the major domestic airlines use the same basic provider. When you dine at one of the available restaurants with the properly linked card, you earn a few miles in that program.

I will not admit to using airline miles many times in the 2000 - 2009 timeframe for magazine subscriptions.
High Bal Jan 2009 $116k on $146k limits 80% Util.
Oct 2014 $46k on $127k 36% util EQ 722 TU 727 EX 727
April 2018 $18k on $344k 5% util EQ 806 TU 810 EX 812
Jan 2019 $7.6k on $360k EQ 832 TU 839 EX 831
March 2021 $33k on $312k EQ 796 TU 798 EX 801
May 2021 Paid all Installments and Mortgages, one new Mortgage EQ 761 TY 774 EX 777
April 2022 EQ=811 TU=807 EX=805 - TU VS 3.0 765
Message 4 of 10
mkhan1093
Established Contributor

Re: Anyone use their expiring United miles for magazines?

Oh, ok good to know. I have been using the MPX app regularly, which is why the fact that miles were expiring kind of scared me. I thought that maybe each mile has an expiration date regardless of whether you've been adding to your account. I'll try to add more to the account and see if the expiration date goes away.

Message 5 of 10
imaximous
Valued Contributor

Re: Anyone use their expiring United miles for magazines?


@mkhan1093 wrote:

Oh, ok good to know. I have been using the MPX app regularly, which is why the fact that miles were expiring kind of scared me. I thought that maybe each mile has an expiration date regardless of whether you've been adding to your account. I'll try to add more to the account and see if the expiration date goes away.


If you've been using the MPX app, then your miles shouldn't be expiring so soon. Every time there's new activity, it extends the expiration date fully (18 mos).

Now, I'm more inclined to think that what you received is a letter from the magazine promo company trying to get you to redeem miles for a subscription. They can be sneaky like that. I've got a few of those before telling me to use my soon-to-expire miles for a subscription. 🙄

Log in to your United account and look under your mileage balance. It tells you the expiration date right below.

Message 6 of 10
mkhan1093
Established Contributor

Re: Anyone use their expiring United miles for magazines?


@imaximous wrote:

@mkhan1093 wrote:

Oh, ok good to know. I have been using the MPX app regularly, which is why the fact that miles were expiring kind of scared me. I thought that maybe each mile has an expiration date regardless of whether you've been adding to your account. I'll try to add more to the account and see if the expiration date goes away.


If you've been using the MPX app, then your miles shouldn't be expiring so soon. Every time there's new activity, it extends the expiration date fully (18 mos).

Now, I'm more inclined to think that what you received is a letter from the magazine promo company trying to get you to redeem miles for a subscription. They can be sneaky like that. I've got a few of those before telling me to use my soon-to-expire miles for a subscription. 🙄

Log in to your United account and look under your mileage balance. It tells you the expiration date right below.


Wow yeah that must have been it. Just logged into MPX and it said my miles are due to expire in June 2020. Thanks for the sanity check!

Message 7 of 10
CreditInspired
Community Leader
Super Contributor

Re: Anyone use their expiring United miles for magazines?

A question. Can they be donated to a charity?

|| AmX Cash Magnet $40.5K || NFCU CashRewards $30K || Discover IT $24.7K || Macys $24.2K || NFCU CLOC $15K || NFCU Platinum $15K || CitiCostco $12.7K || Chase FU $12.7K || Apple Card $7K || BOA CashRewards $6K
Message 8 of 10
CreditInspired
Community Leader
Super Contributor

Re: Anyone use their expiring United miles for magazines?

OMG sneaky, sneaky magazine subscriptions

Thanks @imaximous. This is one of a million reasons I love this forum.

|| AmX Cash Magnet $40.5K || NFCU CashRewards $30K || Discover IT $24.7K || Macys $24.2K || NFCU CLOC $15K || NFCU Platinum $15K || CitiCostco $12.7K || Chase FU $12.7K || Apple Card $7K || BOA CashRewards $6K
Message 9 of 10
imaximous
Valued Contributor

Re: Anyone use their expiring United miles for magazines?


@CreditInspired wrote:
A question. Can they be donated to a charity?

Never done it, but yes, you can donate to charity. 

Message 10 of 10
Advertiser Disclosure: The offers that appear on this site are from third party advertisers from whom FICO receives compensation.