In what MAY be a targeted effort by United to its MileagePlus members, United is offering the opportunity to buy miles at a 30% discount. It may also be a mild response to US Airways’ earlier annoucement regarding a 50% off Miles Promotion (details by Lucky @ One Mile At A Time).

As the saying goes: “Your Miles May Vary (YMMV)”, but I thought I would put the opportunity out there for all to try.

The terms:
20% savings when you buy 24,999 or less miles
30% savings when you buy 25,000 or more miles.
These are NOT Elite Qualifying Miles.
You can buy up to 100,000 miles annually
Offer ends JANUARY 25, 2012.

I would provide the link, however it is targeted and has my MileagePlus number already populated. Unless of course you want the link and want to buy miles for me. Who am I to refuse such generosity! 🙂

But seriously, please check your emails this evening or log into your accounts to see if you were targeted. The email stated that only the link in the email would allow you to buy miles, but try the website anyway. You can try Promo Code MPGB22 and see what happens.

It’s not often that I’ve seen a miles sale come from United!

AND IN OTHER UNITED AIRLINES NEWS:

United has begun releasing the details behind the conversion to the 2012 MileagePlus Program. The following statement was released on www.milepoint.com’s United Airlines Forum:

2012 Premier status levels and associated benefits will officially begin March 3rd.

For those of you who have qualified for 2012 Premier status, you’ll receive a new credential card in late February with your permanent MileagePlus number. As a reminder, for those who have linked your OnePass and MileagePlus accounts, your 8-digit alpha numeric number will become your permanent MileagePlus number. If you haven’t already linked your accounts you can still do so here, until January 28.

2011 Elite status and credential validity will be extended through March 2nd.

Later this week, elite members will begin to receive a letter in the mail with a special hologram sticker that, when affixed to your 2011 card, will extend its validity through March 2nd. The sticker is designed to outlast the everyday wear and tear that a card may encounter during this short transition and will allow Star Alliance Gold members access to applicable lounges when traveling internationally. We are also working closely with our airline partners to ensure uninterrupted benefits during this interim period.

Worth noting:

If you earned a higher status for 2012 than what’s reflected on your 2011 credential, you’ll continue to receive benefits based on this higher status when traveling on United or Continental (still using the 2011 Elite tier mapping and program rules). If you’ll have a lower status in 2012, you’ll continue to receive benefits based on your 2011 status through March 2nd.
Members will be able to log in to view personalized details for the 2012 program. Within the next few days you’ll have access to view a customized page that will include confirmation of your 2012 Premier status (including invitations for Global Services membership) as well as information on your overall lifetime flight mileage balance that will be effective March 3rd. The link to access this page will be updated on our website later this week. And, for those members who receive notifications from us, we’ll send out information on how to access this page as well.

A special note on timing. Due to time zone differences and the roll out of various systems, some member benefits may begin a few hours before or after 12:01am on March 3rd.

Our websites will be updated with the most up to date information later this week. As always, we look forward to answering your questions.