United Airlines lets passengers pool frequent flyer miles

United Airlines is letting its most loyal passengers combine their airline miles with friends and family members.

Groups of up to five MileagePlus members can now share and redeem miles into one linked account, according to United. 

JetBlue, Frontier and Spirit already have pooling programs available to customers.

United cited data from the Family Travel Association indicating that a majority of parents are concerned about travel affordability, given the current economy. 

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While 81% of parents said they are likely to travel in 2024, nearly 60% say affordability is an ongoing challenge to family travel, according to the 2023 Family Travel Association annual family travel survey.

The new "pooling" rule aims to take some of the financial burden away, United said, adding that even the youngest family members can contribute. 

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For instance, if a group of friends is planning a summer trip, and each of them has a MileagePlus account, they can combine their miles or "select amount of their personal miles into one central 'pool' that can be used to purchase flights and offset the cost of ticket prices," the carrier said.

It's another way to encourage flyers to join its loyalty program right before the chaotic summer travel season kicks off. 

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The program is free to join, and it rewards passengers when they fly or partake in certain activities and experiences. Pooling will not affect an individual's Premier status, United said.

The announcement comes after United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby attempted to reassure flyers in a letter that the carrier is looking into the string of incidents that have recently involved its planes, from engine and structural issues to a wheel falling off during takeoff.