United Airlines Has The Money-Saving Solution To Your Unwanted Gift Cards

When many of us receive a gift card, we often wish that we could spend the money on a vacation instead of something we don't need. Well, now that wish has been granted because you can save money on your next United Airlines flight by cashing in your unwanted gift cards!

There are more than 100 retailers on the list whose vouchers you can exchange and these include stores like Starbucks, Home Depot, Target, and even American Airlines. To change them into points you need a MileagePlus account where your award miles will be calculated and stored until you are ready to book your trip. If you have any questions you need answering about United Airlines then you can ask their customer services for help once you're set up on the points plan. This is not the only way to save money on your flights either, as there are many plans which can help you accrue points to cover your next United Airlines journey.

It is important to open your account as soon as possible because it needs to be open for 90 days before you sell gift cards on MileagePlus. Any included retailer's card can be exchanged so long as it has at least $15 on it. However, it can take five days after the exchange for the points to go into your account, so make sure you do it well in advance of booking your flight. At the moment, it is a service only available to those in the U.S.

According to The Points Guy, a website which showcases expert knowledge on air miles, "the calculation is the gift card value times 26.6, rounded up to the nearest 10 miles." This means that you will get one mile for every 3.70 to 3.76 cents you cash in. It is straightforward to do this on the MileagePlus website as they will show you a value before you agree to transfer them. Therefore, you will be able to see whether you are happy with that amount, or if there are other money-saving methods you want to use to save money on United Airlines flights.

When booking your flights, try to utilize the United Airlines flexible calendar as this could help you to score a cheaper option on a less popular day or time. You can also choose to pay for your ticket with money and miles if you don't have enough to pay for the whole flight. That way, you can put the savings toward something else on your vacation.

There are other methods to earn miles too. Points from your Chase Ultimate Rewards card can be transferred to your United Airlines account or you can shop with a credit card that is partnered with them. You can also accrue rewards by using the airline's online portal to do your shopping. Look out for a miles promotion too, as you can buy them more cheaply in certain periods therefore getting more points for your money. As United Airlines often makes changes to its boarding processes, it is useful to follow any announcements from the company in case you come across any more ways to save on their flights!