Recently, United Airlines has made a strategic move that will make history in the landscape of frequent flyer programs. The airline has announced that members of its loyalty program, known as MileagePlus, can now redeem miles for Lyft ride credits. With this move, United Airlines has become one of the top airlines to extend its rewards currency to the rideshare platform. So, until now, you may have been looking for a United Airlines Tuesday flight offer, but now you can book a ride using Pay with miles. The airline has shared this by announcing it on their newsroom platform on April 29, 2026. It said, "a first-of-its-kind feature that allows MileagePlus members to redeem miles directly in the Lyft app for eligible rides." The VP of Partnerships and Loyalty at Lyft, Jordan Glassberg, said, "Every ride should move you forward — in more ways than one." He added, "Pay with miles means that the miles you've earned on your last rideshare can help get you to your next one. We're proud to be the first rideshare platform to make this possible, and to deepen our relationship with a global leader like United to make the entire journey more rewarding."
Since the partnership reflects evolving behavior of customers, United Airlines is trying to retain loyalty in the aviation industry by diversifying the redemption options. To use miles with Lyft, members need to link their MileagePlus and Lyft accounts. The process is explained in easy-to-follow steps:
Pay with Miles: MileagePlus members can easily link their MileagePlus account to their Lyft account and find a new Pay with Miles option when they request a ride. Members will also have the option to see how many miles can be redeemed for a particular ride before confirming the payment & booking. It will allow them to track their mileage usage and provide better flexibility. Once the miles are redeemed and the ride is completed, a receipt shows the amount deducted from the total ride cost and the number of miles redeemed. Jarad Fisher, President of United MileagePlus, said, "Many MileagePlus members have already linked their account with Lyft, showing strong demand for earning miles and more flexible ways to engage with the MileagePlus program." This step is a competitive move that demonstrates that legacy carriers, such as United Airlines, are adopting new strategies. The rideshare partnerships will likely depend on how customers respond to the program, which, in turn, affects the member-engagement metrics. For more information, visit the official offer page at united.com/lyft to learn about rates and terms & conditions.