United Airlines Affiliate Program: The Complete Breakdown for 2026
There is no United Airlines affiliate program for flight bookings. But most content ranking for this query gets the basics wrong — claiming 2% commissions on Impact Radius when the real rate is 0.50% on CJ. United does have programs for vacation packages and loyalty points across four networks. We pulled the actual data, checked every claim, and mapped every real monetization route.
The United-Branded Programs That Actually Exist
United has more affiliate touchpoints than most airlines. Of the Big Four US carriers, only Delta and American have no publicly accessible affiliate program at all — Southwest has limited options but nothing for flights. Three programs carry the United name, spread across four networks. None of them pay on flight bookings.
United Vacations
The headline program. United Vacations is operated by ALG Vacations Corp (part of Apple Leisure Group, owned by Hyatt Hotels) — the same company that formerly ran Southwest Vacations before Southwest brought packaging in-house. It pays commissions on vacation packages (flight + hotel) and hotel-only bookings. Standalone flights, activities-only, car-only, ski packages, dive packages, and escorted/independent tour packages are all non-commissionable.
CJ Affiliate is the official primary network, offering tiered commissions: 0.50% base and 1.00% at tier 2, with a 30-day cookie. The EPC is $0.08. No direct linking is allowed — you must send visitors to your own site first. Social media promotion is explicitly not permitted. Mavely is also tiered: up to 1.4% on international packages, but only 0.7% on domestic, with a non-commissionable list at 0%. Skimlinks averages roughly 2% and shows the most revealing data: a $2,186 average basket size, a 0.3% conversion rate, and an EPC of $0.13.
A critical detail most guides miss: commissions are paid upon completion of travel, not at booking. The long window between booking and actual travel — often weeks or months — means cancellations, date changes, and no-shows all result in reversed commissions. This is the primary driver of the 24% reversal rate in our data. For every four commissions you earn, expect roughly one to be clawed back.
One more compliance detail: CJ’s terms require affiliates to market the program as “United Vacations” — not “United Airlines.” Use of the United Airlines name is strictly prohibited. This matters for your content strategy — your pages and links need to reference the vacation brand specifically.
United Airlines MileagePlus — Points.com
This program pays approximately 2–2.5% when consumers purchase MileagePlus loyalty miles through Points.com. Not when they book a flight. Not when they sign up for MileagePlus. Not when they do anything else on united.com.
The lifetime EPC on FlexOffers is $0.02 — barely above zero. On Skimlinks it’s a flat $0.00 with a 0.02% conversion rate. The 7-day EPC spike to $0.35 on FlexOffers suggests occasional bursts of activity (likely during points sale promotions) but nothing sustained.
The average basket on Skimlinks is $293 — which makes sense for a bulk miles purchase. At 2.5%, that’s a theoretical $7.33 per sale, but the conversion rate is so low that the aggregate earnings are near zero.
What the Data Actually Shows
Most “United Airlines affiliate program” articles cite a single commission rate. The reality is messier — and the EPC data tells a different story than the commission rates suggest.
| Program | Network | Rate | EPC | Pays On | Red Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines flights | — | — | — | Does not exist | — |
| United Vacations | CJ | 0.50–1.00% | $0.08 | Packages + hotels | Low rate |
| United Vacations | Mavely | 0.7–1.4% | N/A | Packages + hotels | 0.7% domestic |
| United Vacations | Skimlinks | ~2% | $0.13 | Packages + hotels | 24% reversal |
| MileagePlus Points.com | FlexOffers | ~2% | $0.02 | Miles purchases | Near-zero conv |
| MileagePlus Points.com | Skimlinks | ~2.5% | $0.00 | Miles purchases | $0.00 EPC |
The core confusion across the internet comes from conflating three entirely different things: United Vacations (vacation packages and hotel-only bookings), MileagePlus Points.com (loyalty points purchases), and flight aggregators that happen to include United among hundreds of airlines. These are not the same program, and they don’t pay on the same consumer actions. Making it worse: CJ’s terms explicitly prohibit affiliates from using “United Airlines” when promoting the program — yet virtually every ranking page does exactly that.
The 24% reversal rate is particularly worth understanding. Because United Vacations commissions are paid after travel completion — not at booking — every cancellation, date change, or no-show between booking and departure reverses the commission. On a $2,186 average package at 2%, you’d earn a gross $43.72 per sale — but the effective value drops to about $33 when you factor in reversals. Compared to programs like Whimstay ($29.92 EPC) or Apple Vacations ($1.99 EPC), United Vacations is dramatically underperforming.
The Aggregator Route: Your Best Option for Flights
Unlike Southwest, which only recently joined metasearch engines, United has been on every major OTA and aggregator for years. Here’s what the economics look like on a $400 United flight.
Kayak / Momondo
Skyscanner
Expedia
Aviasales
Kiwi.com
WayAway
CheapOair
Access All These Programs in One Place
Travelpayouts bundles 50+ travel affiliate programs — Kayak, Skyscanner, Expedia, Aviasales, Kiwi.com, and more — into a single dashboard with unified reporting. One signup, all the aggregators.
Join Travelpayouts (Free)Where the Money Actually Is
United flyers tend to be higher-spending travelers than budget airline passengers. A full-service carrier audience means bigger hotel bills, more activities, and more ancillary purchases — all of which pay better commissions than flights.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: flights are the worst-paying category in travel affiliate marketing. The margins are razor-thin by design. But if your audience is researching United flights, they’re planning a trip — and the trip itself is where the real commissions are.
United’s average flyer skews business and premium leisure. These travelers are more likely to book hotels, rent cars, and purchase activities at their destination — all at higher price points than the budget traveler segment. That’s your monetization edge.
| Category | Example Program | Commission | On a United Trip | Est. Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight | Kayak (CPC) | $0.90/click | $400 flight | $0.90 |
| Car Rental | DiscoverCars | 23–54% | $250 rental | $57.50 |
| Activities | Viator / GetYourGuide | 8% | $250 in activities | $20.00 |
| Insurance | AirHelp | 15–16.6% | $80 policy | $12.80 |
| Hotel | Booking.com | 3–5% | $350 (3 nights) | $14.00 |
| Total per reader trip | $105.20 | |||
A single “planning a trip on United Airlines” post deploying all of these can earn $105+ per reader who books a complete trip. The flight commission — whether through Kayak, Expedia, or Aviasales — is less than 1% of that total. Note the higher spend assumptions vs budget carriers: United travelers typically book more expensive hotels and activities.
The numbers above assume moderate spending. Business travelers or international trip planners could push these figures significantly higher — a $500 car rental through DiscoverCars alone could be worth $115+.
Stack All These Programs From One Dashboard
Flights, hotels, car rentals, activities, and insurance — Travelpayouts gives you access to programs across every travel category from a single account with unified reporting.
Start Stacking (Free)The Play Nobody Mentions: Credit Cards
If you’re writing about United Airlines and not mentioning credit cards, you’re leaving the highest-paying affiliate opportunity on the table. This is how the biggest travel publishers actually monetize airline traffic.
Here’s the financial reality that explains everything about airline affiliate programs: United’s MileagePlus loyalty program was valued at approximately $20–22 billion when the airline used it as loan collateral. In 2025, MileagePlus generated billions in revenue — the majority from third-party partners, primarily Chase. United sells miles to Chase at roughly 2 cents each, and Chase packages those miles into sign-up bonuses and earning rates on co-branded credit cards.
Airlines have zero financial incentive to pay affiliate commissions on $300 flights when the lifetime value of a credit card customer — spending thousands annually — dwarfs any per-booking commission. This is why no Big Four US airline has a direct flight affiliate program. The money flows through credit cards instead.
| United Chase Card | Annual Fee | Sign-Up Bonus | Key Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Gateway℠ | $0 | 30,000 miles | 2 free checked bags after $10K/yr |
| United℠ Explorer | $150 | 70,000 miles | Free 1st checked bag, 2 Club passes |
| United Quest℠ | $350 | 80,000 miles + 3K PQP | $200 TravelBank credit, 2 free bags |
| United Club℠ Infinite | $695 | 90,000 miles | United Club membership, $200 hotel credit |
| United℠ Business | $150 | 100,000 miles + 2K PQP | Free 1st checked bag, $125 TravelBank |
| United Club℠ Business | $695 | 100,000 miles + 2K PQP | Club membership, $200 hotel credit |
Chase runs a professional affiliate program (primarily through CJ Affiliate and Impact) with strict vetting requirements. The commission structures are dramatically different from vacation packages: credit card referrals typically pay $50–$200+ per approved application, depending on card tier and affiliate volume. High-volume publishers can negotiate significantly higher rates.
To put this in perspective: a single credit card approval at $100 CPA earns as much as 770 clicks’ worth of United Vacations EPC. Major travel publishers like The Points Guy and NerdWallet built multi-million-dollar businesses primarily on credit card affiliate revenue, not flight commissions.
How United Compares to Other Airline Programs
If you want to stay in the flights category, the EPC data shows where the real money is — and it’s not with US carriers.
| Airline Program | Network | EPC | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austrian Airlines (US) | CJ | $25.93 | Direct bookings |
| Brussels Airlines (US) | CJ | $16.91 | Direct bookings |
| ITA Airways (US) | FlexOffers | $5.21 | Direct bookings |
| Malaysia Airlines | Impact | $4.05 | Direct bookings |
| Turkish Airlines (Americas) | CJ | $3.11 | Direct bookings |
| Air Canada Aeroplan — Points.com | Impact | $3.29 | Points purchases |
| Pelago (Singapore Airlines) | Impact | $2.99 | Experiences |
| Ethiopian Airlines | CJ | $2.07 | Direct bookings |
| Qatar Airways | Impact | $1.65 | Direct bookings |
| United Vacations (best) | Skimlinks | $0.13 | Packages + hotels |
| United MileagePlus Points.com | FlexOffers | $0.02 | Points purchases |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | FlexOffers | $0.00 | Points purchases |
What We’d Actually Recommend
Here’s the honest assessment for travel bloggers and content creators evaluating United as an affiliate play.
For Flight Comparison Content
Start with Travelpayouts as your foundation. A single signup gives you access to Kayak, Skyscanner, Expedia, Aviasales, and Kiwi.com for flights — plus Booking.com, Viator, GetYourGuide, DiscoverCars, and dozens more. Build content around fare comparison rather than pushing a single airline. Kayak’s CPC model is the most reliable earner since you get paid on the click-out regardless of booking.
Join TravelpayoutsFor Vacation Package Content
Test United Vacations through Mavely first. The $2,186 average basket means even at the 0.7% domestic rate, you’re looking at ~$15 per sale — and international packages at 1.4% yield ~$30. Skimlinks offers a higher rate (~2%) but the post-travel payout model drives a 24% reversal rate that makes the effective payout comparable. If your audience is actively shopping for United vacation packages, this is worth testing — but keep your expectations calibrated to the low EPC data.
Join MavelyFor General Travel Content
Stack your approach. Use Kayak or Skyscanner for flight links, DiscoverCars for rental cars, Viator or GetYourGuide for activities, and Booking.com for accommodations. A single “planning a United Airlines trip” post can deploy all of these — and if you’re running them through Travelpayouts, your reporting is unified in one place. The $105+ per-trip stacking opportunity dwarfs any individual program.
Skip: MileagePlus Points Program
The MileagePlus Points.com program on FlexOffers has a near-zero EPC across reporting periods. We can’t recommend building content around a program with effectively no demonstrated earnings. If you already have a MileagePlus-focused audience, test it — but don’t build a strategy around it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does United Airlines have an affiliate program?
Not for flight bookings. United Airlines does not offer a direct affiliate program that pays commissions when someone books a United flight. What does exist is United Vacations (vacation packages and hotel-only bookings through CJ, Mavely, and Skimlinks) and United Airlines MileagePlus via Points.com (loyalty points purchases through FlexOffers). You can also earn indirectly through flight aggregator programs like Kayak and Kiwi.com that include United flights in their search results. Note: CJ’s terms require you to market as “United Vacations,” not “United Airlines.”
What commission rate does the United Airlines affiliate program pay?
It depends on which program and network. United Vacations pays 0.50–1.00% through CJ (tiered), 0.7% domestic / 1.4% international through Mavely, and averages about 2% through Skimlinks. The MileagePlus Points.com program pays approximately 2% on loyalty points purchases. Flight aggregators like Kayak pay $0.89–$0.95 per click, and Kiwi.com pays 3% per booking. Multiple top-ranking sites incorrectly claim United pays 2% commissions through Impact Radius — the official network is CJ Affiliate, and the base rate is 0.50%, not 2%.
United Vacations affiliate program vs United Airlines affiliate program — what’s the difference?
They are commonly confused but entirely different — and CJ’s terms actually prohibit affiliates from using “United Airlines” when marketing the program. The United Vacations affiliate program pays commissions on vacation packages (flight plus hotel) and hotel-only bookings, but not standalone flights. There is no United Airlines affiliate program that pays on individual flight bookings. United Vacations is available on CJ Affiliate, Mavely, and Skimlinks, each at different commission rates.
What is the best affiliate network for United Airlines?
For vacation packages, Skimlinks offers the highest effective commission rate at roughly 2% with a $2,186 average basket size — but the 24% reversal rate across vacation packages (driven by the post-travel payout model) is a serious concern. Mavely pays 0.7% domestic and up to 1.4% international with no reversal data available. CJ pays 0.50–1.00% but is the official primary network with deep linking and better tracking. For flight aggregator access, Travelpayouts bundles Kayak, Skyscanner, Kiwi.com, and other travel programs into one account. For maximum earnings, credit card affiliate programs through Chase (CJ/Impact) pay $50–$200+ per approved application.
How can I earn money promoting United Airlines flights?
The most practical approach is through flight aggregator affiliate programs. Kayak and Skyscanner pay per click ($0.40–$0.95) when users click through to book, while Expedia pays a flat $2 per completed booking. Travelpayouts gives you access to most of these from a single dashboard. However, flight commissions are thin — you’ll typically earn more promoting complementary travel services like car rentals (23–54%), activities (8%), and travel insurance (15–16%).
Is the United Vacations affiliate program worth joining?
It depends on your audience and expectations. The average basket size is $2,186, which is substantial. But the EPC is low ($0.08–$0.13 depending on network), the conversion rate is 0.3%, and because commissions are paid after travel completion, the 24% reversal rate means roughly one in four commissions gets clawed back. If your audience is already shopping for vacation packages, it’s worth testing through Mavely (0.7% domestic, 1.4% international). But don’t build a strategy around it — the stacking approach and credit card angle will typically outperform.
Can I promote United through Travelpayouts?
Travelpayouts does not offer a direct United Airlines affiliate program. What it offers is access to flight aggregator programs — Kayak, Skyscanner, Expedia, Aviasales, Kiwi.com, and others — that include United flights among hundreds of airlines. This is an indirect route, not a United-specific program. For the United Vacations program specifically, you need to join through CJ, Mavely, or Skimlinks directly.
Methodology
This analysis is based on affiliate program data from AvidAffiliate’s database of 44,000+ programs across CJ, Impact, Awin, ShareASale, Rakuten, AvantLink, FlexOffers, Mavely, and Skimlinks. EPC, commission rates, conversion rates, reversal rates, and average basket sizes are sourced directly from network APIs and dashboards. Aggregator program data (Kayak, Skyscanner, Kiwi.com, CheapOair, Aviasales, WayAway) is sourced from Travelpayouts’ published rates, network dashboards, and our own testing. Commission rate claims from competing content were verified against official program pages and network data.
All figures are current as of March 2026. EPC values represent earnings per 100 clicks as reported by each network. The stacking scenario assumes a moderate-spend United traveler: $400 flight, $250 car rental, $250 in activities, $80 travel insurance, and $350 hotel (3 nights). Actual earnings will vary based on your audience’s booking behavior and the specific programs you deploy.
Have a correction or additional data? hello@avidaffiliate.com
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