Don't have enough airline miles for that free flight? United Airlines is now allowing people to pool and share their frequent flyer points with family and friends, a feature currently offered by some smaller carriers.
United said Thursday that a “pool leader” can choose up to four other people to create a joint account in its MileagePlus program.
The group leader must be over 18 years old, but there is no minimum age for others, so parents can register children. Each person in the group must have their own frequent flyer account with United.
JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, and Frontier Airlines already offer pooling, with the rules varying slightly from one to the next.
Frequent flyer programs remain popular despite complaints that the value of miles and points declines over time as airlines raise requirements to redeem them for flights or other items.
These programs are valuable to airlines by increasing customer loyalty and giving consumers a reason to get an airline-branded credit card. United's credit cards are issued by Chase.
United Points falls in the middle of the value pack among programs at U.S. and global airlines, according to a recent analysis by consumer site NerdWallet.
