Booking an epic cruise to Antarctica or the Arctic this month can earn you an epic number of United MileagePlus miles.
United Cruises has launched Limited time offer It will bring 200,000 bonus United miles when you book a sailing on Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot – a groundbreaking new ship built specifically for polar cruising.
That’s a truly amazing number of United MileagePlus miles. TPG currently values United MileagePlus miles at 1.3 cents each, meaning 200,000 miles would be worth $2,600 at our valuation.
Bonus miles, in addition, are in addition to the standard amount of United miles you earn when booking through United Cruises. United MileagePlus members earn up to 4 miles for every dollar spent on cruise fares, up to 25,000 miles per booking.
Plus, if you book with the United MileagePlus credit card, you can earn even more miles. United MileagePlus members who book with a United MileagePlus credit card earn up to 7 miles for every dollar spent on cruise fares, up to 45,000 miles per booking.
In other words, for some cruise bookings under this new offer, you can earn a total of up to 245,000 United miles.
Just be warned: you have to act fast to get the bonus miles. The bonus mileage offer is only available till 30 November.
Additionally, be prepared to pay to sail aboard Le Commandant Charcot. Many cruises to Antarctica and the Arctic start at more than $20,000 per person.
Details of bonus miles offer
Among the offer caveats: Miles are earned per cabin and awarded to only one passenger per cruise booking. Additionally, to be eligible, customers must book through United Cruises Program.
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Related: How to Book a Sailing Through United Cruises
Other fine print:
- You must provide United Cruises with a United MileagePlus number prior to travel.
- Miles will post to the member’s account six to eight weeks after the cruise is completed.
- Offer is good for new bookings only.
- Payment for the cruise must be made in US currency.
- This offer is for double occupancy bookings only.
- This offer is for select sailings on Le Commandant Charcot.
In addition, apart from the 200,000 bonus mile offer, the base miles you will receive at the time of booking are based on:
- 2 miles per dollar spent on an interior or ocean-view cabin when not using a United MileagePlus credit card
- 4 miles per dollar spent on a balcony cabin or suite when not using a United MileagePlus credit card
- 4 miles per dollar spent on an interior or ocean-view cabin when using the United MileagePlus credit card
- 7 miles per dollar spent on a balcony cabin or suite when using the United MileagePlus credit card
For these base miles, only dollars spent on cruise fares — not taxes, fees and port charges — will earn miles.
The itineraries available as part of the promotion are among the most ambitious designed by a cruise company. It includes journeys that take passengers to the North Pole.
As TPG has written before, Le Commandant Charcot is an unusual expedition ship capable of doing what no other expedition ship currently afloat can.
Related: Most Epic Cruise Ever? What it’s like to travel to the North Pole on a luxury icebreaker
The 245-passenger ship is a true icebreaker of the kind that so far only governments have operated — a vessel capable of cutting through the thick multiyear ice found in parts of the polar ice caps.
Which credit card should I use to book?
As mentioned earlier, you can maximize your purchase by using a United MileagePlus credit cards, such as the United Club℠ Infinity Card, which earn 2 miles per dollar spent on cruises. The card currently offers 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
If you don’t have a United card, it’s best to use a card that earns bonus points on cruises. A good option is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which earns 2 points per dollar spent on travel, including cruises. Right now, you can earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, plus a $300 statement credit on Chase Travel℠ purchases in the first year.
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