What is a partner award?

What is a partner award and how does it work?

A partner award is an award flight booked with one programme's miles for travel on a partner airline, so the booking is made through the programme whose miles are being spent rather than through the airline operating the aircraft. United Airlines sets out redemption on its airline partners on individual partner pages: for Virgin Australia, Turkish Airlines, THAI Airways International and TAP Air Portugal, United says MileagePlus members can use their miles to book regular award flights on that airline online or by calling the reservations line. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Earning on a partner is a separate system from spending on it, and United's partner pages describe more than one earning structure. For tickets bought directly from United, award miles are based on the fare price and MileagePlus status; for tickets issued on or after 2 April 2026 the tables also list Cardmember earn rates alongside the MileagePlus rates. [4] [5] [6] [7] For tickets bought from another airline, a third-party website or a travel agency, miles are based on flight distance and a percentage set by the fare class of the ticket, and on some pages these tables are dated by when the flight is flown: on or after 24 June 2026 for Virgin Australia, 1 July 2026 for THAI Airways International and 1 June 2026 for TAP Air Portugal. [4] [6] [7] The Virgin Australia page also applies distance and fare-brand earning, rather than fare price, to tickets bought directly from Virgin Australia for standalone domestic Australia or short-haul international travel. [4] Separately, United says the award miles accrued on codeshare flights are based on the operating carrier and their equivalent fare class, which it notes can produce a difference between the booking class bought and the booking class flown. [4] [5] [6] [7] These earning rules govern the miles a flight produces rather than the miles a partner award costs.

How do you book a partner award with United miles?

United names two booking channels for these partner awards: online, or through the reservations line. [4] [5] [6] [7] The same pages state that award tickets cannot be issued at the airport, so the booking has to be completed before reaching the departure desk. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Miles are not necessarily the whole cost. United states that there may be service charges depending on the type of ticket, the travel dates and the member's MileagePlus status, so the charge depends on the booking rather than being one fixed amount for every partner award. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Members can also spend miles to upgrade a ticket with Star Alliance Upgrade Awards on Turkish Airlines, THAI Airways International and TAP Air Portugal. [5] [6] [7]

Do elite benefits apply when you fly a partner airline?

United describes status benefits separately from the award booking. On Virgin Australia, members with Premier Gold status or higher receive priority check-in, boarding and security clearance where available, one additional free checked bag, and access to Virgin Australia-operated lounges. [4] The additional free checked bag for Premier Gold, Platinum and 1K members does not apply to travel on VA Economy Lite fares. [4]

On Turkish Airlines, THAI Airways International and TAP Air Portugal, members with Premier status flying those airlines also get Star Alliance Gold or Silver benefits. [5] [6] [7]

What limits apply to partner awards?

• Operating carrier exclusions. United's Turkish Airlines page says flights operated by AJet are not eligible for mileage accrual or redemption. [5]
• Country limits on earning. On the earning side, that page says flights to and from Cuba are not eligible for MileagePlus award miles and qualifying earn, except on commercial flights operated by United Airlines, and that flights to and from Iran are not eligible. [5] Flights to and from destinations in Venezuela other than Simón Bolívar International Airport, Caracas (CCS) are excluded from 1 May 2026, a rule repeated on the TAP Air Portugal page. [5] [7]
• Where the ticket can be issued. Award tickets on these partners cannot be issued at the airport. [4] [5] [6] [7]
• Scope of these rules. The booking channels, service charges and exclusion lists above are United MileagePlus terms for the four named partners; other programmes and other partner airlines set their own award rules and conditions.

Frequently asked questions

Can you book a partner award at the airport?

No. United's partner pages for Virgin Australia, Turkish Airlines, THAI Airways International and TAP Air Portugal each state that award tickets cannot be issued at the airport. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Are there extra fees on partner awards booked with United miles?

United says there may be service charges depending on the type of ticket, the travel dates and the member's MileagePlus status. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Which partner flights cannot be redeemed with United miles?

Flights operated by AJet are not eligible for mileage accrual or redemption, according to United's Turkish Airlines page. [5] The same page also lists country restrictions that apply to earning MileagePlus award miles and qualifying credit. [5]

How are miles earned on these partner airlines?

United lists separate structures. Tickets bought directly from United earn on the fare price and MileagePlus status, with Cardmember rates shown for tickets issued on or after 2 April 2026; tickets bought from another airline, a third-party website or a travel agency earn on flight distance and a fare-class percentage. [4] [5] [6] [7] On codeshare flights, United says the miles accrued are based on the operating carrier and their equivalent fare class, which can differ from the booking class bought. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Do Premier benefits apply when flying a partner airline?

On Virgin Australia, Premier Gold status or higher brings priority check-in, boarding and security clearance where available, one additional free checked bag and access to Virgin Australia-operated lounges, with the bag benefit excluded on VA Economy Lite fares. [4] On Turkish Airlines, THAI Airways International and TAP Air Portugal, Premier status brings Star Alliance Gold or Silver benefits. [5] [6] [7]

Can miles be used to upgrade a partner flight?

Yes, on three of the partners named here: United says miles can be used to upgrade a ticket with Star Alliance Upgrade Awards on Turkish Airlines, THAI Airways International and TAP Air Portugal. [5] [6] [7]

Related pages

Terms: award availability, partner earning, codeshare. Guides: partner award booking checklist, airline alliances explained, award search workflow, and the full glossary.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers United Airlines' MileagePlus award terms for Virgin Australia, Turkish Airlines, THAI Airways International and TAP Air Portugal; other programmes and other partner airlines are not covered here.

1. United Airlines: Earn United miles on Virgin Australia, checked 18 October 2026
2. United Airlines: Earn United miles on Turkish Airlines, checked 18 October 2026
3. United Airlines: Earn United miles on Thai Airways, checked 18 October 2026
4. United Airlines: Earn United miles on TAP Air Portugal, checked 18 October 2026