Deal of the day: Book flights around the US starting at just 5,000 miles

Editor’s note: We bring you new deals of the day as we find them, so check back soon for more. Availability for these deals changes regularly, so book now! If you’ve been procrastinating booking your summer vacation, it’s not too late to find a great deal. We found several United Airlines flights with award pricing …

Jun 24, 2025 - 21:18

Deal of the day: Book flights around the US starting at just 5,000 miles

Editor’s note: We bring you new deals of the day as we find them, so check back soon for more. Availability for these deals changes regularly, so book now!

If you’ve been procrastinating booking your summer vacation, it’s not too late to find a great deal.

We found several United Airlines flights with award pricing as low as 5,000 United MileagePlus miles each way to destinations such as San Francisco, Denver, Chicago and San Diego.

Whether you are planning a California beach vacation or a trip to Chicago (the Windy City has a ton of free activities to make your trip even more affordable), here’s how you can save on summer travel by redeeming United MileagePlus miles.

TPG’s deal of the day basics

Airline: United

Routes: Between Denver International Airport (DEN) and Cheyenne Regional Airport (CYS) in Wyoming; San Diego International Airport (SAN) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO); John Wayne Airport (SNA) in California and SFO; Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas; Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT); and Miami International Airport (MIA) and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, among others

TPG tip: If you prefer creature comforts like a larger seat, priority check-in and boarding, and complimentary food and beverages, you can also find first-class deals on these routes for as few as 30,000 United MileagePlus miles.

Best way to book: United MileagePlus; transfer Bilt Rewards Points or Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United at a 1:1 rate

Price: Between 5,000 and 7,000 United miles plus $5.60 in taxes and fees each way, depending on origin and destination

Retail price: Starting from $121 round-trip

Travel dates: July and August, though exact dates vary by destination

How to find and book TPG’s deal of the day

A view of the downtown San Diego skyline from the water with teal water in the foreground — San Diego. GLOWIMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

We used the time-saving Seats.aero tool to quickly find domestic award availability throughout the summer. If your dates and destinations are flexible, you can do a broad search to show flights from your home airport to any airport in North America for the next 60 days (or you can search a full year out with a Seats.aero pro account).

As an example of some available options, one-way economy flights from SAN to SFO are available for 5,000 United miles and minimal fees and taxes. Your round-trip flight would cost 10,000 United miles plus $11.20 in taxes and fees.

Or, you can pay slightly more and fly between MIA and IAH for 13,600 United miles round-trip.

You can book these flights online through the United website. But remember, card transfers to partner programs like United MileagePlus cannot be reversed, so ensure you find availability before transferring points or miles.

How to earn the points or miles required for TPG’s deal of the day

It’s easy to earn United miles with the following credit cards offering great welcome bonuses:

[applyLink pid=”7752″ overridetext=”United Quest℠ Card”] (see [termsConditions pid=”7752″ overridetext=”rates and fees”]): Earn 100,000 bonus miles and 3,000 Premier qualifying points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening.
[applyLink pid=”6976″ overridetext=”United Club℠ Card”] (see [termsConditions pid=”6976″ overridetext=”rates and fees”]): Earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening.
[applyLink pid=”22035884″ overridetext=”United℠ Explorer Card”] (see [termsConditions pid=”22035884″ overridetext=”rates and fees”]): Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening.

You can also transfer Bilt Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United MileagePlus at a 1:1 rate. Here are some great card welcome offers that earn points you can transfer to United:

[applyLink pid=”221211836″ overridetext=”Chase Sapphire Reserve®”] (see [termsConditions pid=”221211836″ overridetext=”rates and fees”]): Earn 100,000 bonus points plus a $500 Chase Travel℠ promo credit after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
[applyLink pid=”10965″ overridetext=”Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠”] ([termsConditions pid=”10965″ overridetext=”rates and fees”]): Earn 200,000 bonus points after spending $30,000 in the first six months from account opening.
[applyLink pid=”22125056″ overridetext=”Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card”] (see [termsConditions pid=”22125056″ overridetext=”rates and fees”]): Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
[applyLink pid=”221211974″ overridetext=”Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card”] (see [termsConditions pid=”221211974″ overridetext=”rates and fees”]): Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Bottom line

Airfare can get pretty pricy if you wait too long and book at the last minute. But United’s award pricing between several U.S. cities this summer means you can book that last-minute summer vacation without breaking your budget.

Continue planning your summer vacation: