Earn United Miles with Lyft: The Complete Guide
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As of November 5, 2025, United MileagePlus members can earn miles on Lyft rides within the U.S. and Puerto Rico once accounts are linked. No new card, no codes, no weird hoops — just pick the right toggle in the Lyft app and let your airport rides quietly feed your MileagePlus balance.
The official offer page is here.
How many United miles do you earn with Lyft?
Once you link your accounts and pick United MileagePlus as your Lyft partner, here’s how you get miles on rides in the U.S. and Puerto Rico:
Per $1 spent (pre-tip, pre-tolls/fees):
- 4x miles – Pre-scheduled rides to/from airports
- 3x miles – Lyft Extra Comfort, Black, Black SUV + non-scheduled airport rides
- 2x miles – Standard / Priority / XL rides charged to a business profile
- 1x mile – All other Standard / Priority / XL rides
Important fine print:
- Only rides completed in the U.S. or Puerto Rico qualify.
- You can only earn with one Lyft travel partner at a time (United or Atmos or Bilt or Hilton, etc.).
- Partner must be active before you request the ride—no backdating.
- Miles post to MileagePlus, and they follow standard rules (no expiry, etc.).
Think of it as a permanent earn multiplier on rides you were taking anyway.
1,000-mile Lyft Sign-up Bonus
Per United/Lyft announcement:
New Lyft riders can earn 1,000 bonus MileagePlus miles by:
- Signing up for Lyft.
- Linking MileagePlus.
- Selecting “United MileagePlus” as a rewards partner.
- Completing 2 rides within 30 days.
At a realistic 1.3–1.5¢/mile, that’s ~$13–$15 in value for behavior you were going to do anyway. Not life-changing, but don’t leave it on the table.
How to Link United & Lyft
From United
- Go to united.com/lyft or the “Everyday earn” / Lyft tile in your MileagePlus account.
- Log in to MileagePlus.
- Click Connect with Lyft.
- Authorize and confirm United as your active partner.
From Lyft
- Open the Lyft app → tap your profile.
- Go to Rewards / Travel / Partners.
- Choose United MileagePlus.
- Log in with your MileagePlus credentials to link.
After linking:
- Confirm that United MileagePlus is toggled ON as your rewards partner.
- Check a couple of days after your first rides that miles are posting correctly in MileagePlus.
United vs. Atmos, Bilt, Hilton: Which Partner Should You Choose?
United is the best choice for scheduled airport rides compared to other Lyft partners in the US, such as Atmos, Bilt, and Hilton. Let’s compare their earnings:
| Program / Partner | Standard personal ride (US) | Business profile ride | Airport rides (on-demand) | Scheduled airport ride | Premium / Black & Extra Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United MileagePlus | 1 mile / $1 → ~1.4% back | 2 miles / $1 → ~2.8% back | 3 miles / $1 → ~4.2% back | 4 miles / $1 → ~5.6% back | 3x on Extra Comfort / Black / Black SUV to/from airport |
| Atmos Rewards (Alaska + Hawaiian) | 2 pts / $1 → ~2.8% back | Same as standard | 3 pts / $1 on airport & “elevated” rides → ~4.2% back | Same as on-demand airport (no extra boost for scheduling) | 3x on airport/elevated; 2x on all other eligible rides |
| Bilt Rewards | 2 pts / $1 with Bilt as active partner → ~4.0% back (or 5 pts / $1 if paid with Bilt Mastercard → ~10% back) | Same structure | Same structure (no special airport multiplier) | Same as above | No extra Lyft-based premium/airport tiers; power is in high point value + Bilt card stack |
| Hilton Honors | 3 pts / $1 → ~1.5% back | Same | 3 pts / $1 (no special airport boost) | Same as above | 3x on economy, luxury, extra seats |
So if you use MileagePlus miles (United + Star Alliance + partners) and often travel to/from airports, the choice is obvious.
Note that you can change partners in the app at any time. So you can set United as your partner when you plan your trips to the airport in advance (using Black/Extra Comfort to/from airports) and then switch to Bilt/Atmos/Hilton for purely local trips if their earnings are more profitable for you.
Planning your next award?
Use our PointsCrowd Award Travel Search to see where your new United miles can take you.
Inline links:
- To your Ultimate Guide to United MileagePlus
- To United Buy Miles analysis (why this Lyft earn is better than buying)
- To any sweet-spot posts (Pool United MileagePlus Miles With Family, MileagePlus partners, etc.), are they profitable for you?
Make every airport transfer push you closer to the next redemption.
