United Airlines And Chase Handing Out Bonus Miles To Encourage “Everyone To Fly With Pride”

Chase United Airlines co-brand credit card customers can earn up to 10 miles per dollar donating to select LGBTQ+ nonprofit organizations for Pride month: The Trevor Project, Human Rights Campaign, and StartOut.

  • Earn 5 total miles per dollar when they donate up to $500 in total donations
  • Earn 10 miles per dollar for additional donations, up to $1,500 in total donations

We want everyone to fly with pride — that’s why we’re joining forces with Chase and Visa to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community, break down barriers and promote inclusion. We’ve created this effort to celebrate Pride Month, and to encourage and reward United Cardmembers who are giving back to these three organizations.

I think this is great. If this is something you want to support, you can earn more miles doing so. And if it’s not, you can ignore the offer. Of course in 2023 it’s not so simple.

Politics is no longer about policy (if it ever was). It’s about relative status. There’s little question that historically, and still in many places, LGBTQ+ individuals could use an increase in their relative status. But since status games are relative that means a perceived loss of status for others, as much as we might think it shouldn’t. So there’s going to be pushback.

Businesses and ‘the left’ used to be anathema to each other, but that’s no longer the case. Since many large businesses have become ‘vaguely left-leaning’ in their mood affiliation, many of those on the right of center have become anti-large business. And so we have the spectacle of a Republican governor of Florida fighting against local control of Disney World.

While American Airlines may be criticized over its pension fund practices, former Chairman Doug Parker wore a Black Lives Matter wristband, and the company was added to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, management of the airline remained.. largely white. delta wraps themselves in the environment and indigenous amenity kits as a fig leaf for cost cuts. Meanwhile United Airlines supported affirmative action at the ballot box.

In a world where airlines are both among the most regulated businesses in the country, and the most subsidized, they’re inherently political and they push that mantle themselves. They do court controversy a bit. But as long as that means I can earn bonus miles I am ok with that.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. Still don’t understand why companies get involved in this stuff… they are suppose to service everyone, not one group over another. Get 10 miles per dollar donating to these groups but 1 dollar donating to veterans? We wonder why our country is where it is today…

  2. ESG at it’s finest. Worst part is these companies are just virtue signaling all this suff. They dont care about these fringe groups and are too dumb to realize the damage they are doing to their own brand name with many customers. These companies cycle in new CEO’s that could care less about the company or it’s investors. They trade C level management like they major league baseball teams cycle in new players.

  3. yep you def voted for Biden last election Gary.

    What’s next: a story about drag queen hour in an airport lounge?

    US veterans get one lousy day to celebrate their accomplishments for this country but if you”re into unnaturally changing genders you get a whole month of love by corp America

    Wake me up whenever corp america actually sponsors something the democrat party in the US would actually hate, like Easter

  4. @John L – I celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges

    https://viewfromthewing.com/today-was-a-very-important-day-more-far-more-than-travel/

    That decision was written by a Reagan appointee. Republicans used to care about individual liberty.

    (I happen to think that resting it on equal protection grounds made sense, that similarly-situated people need to be treated in the same manner by government, for instance Brown v Board of Education doesn’t require governments to run schools but once they do everyone needs to be treated equally. However I do not think that resting Obergefell on substantive due process makes sense, because marriage isn’t something that government is constitutionally required to do – that is, it could get out of the business of licensing marriage and recognizing married people differently altogether and that would not be constitutionally problematic. So I don’t endorse the entirety of the logic of Obergefell, though the substantive due process argument was also already precedent in Loving v Virginia.)

  5. @DaninMCI – actually, I do think Scott Kirby cares about this, or at least Josh Earnest has done a great job positioning United as actually caring not just signaling

  6. Who cares about earning more sky peso/lira/dinar?
    The miles are nearly worthless after they robbed existing account holders about 25% of their “savings”.
    Throw the crooks in jail.

  7. Any company that does not strictly adhere to my very specific, warped worldview has Gone Woke.

  8. If you’re not interested in the offer or the corresponding miles then just don’t participate.

    @Your_daddy says “they are suppose to service everyone, not one group over another.” Yes businesses have denied service to all sorts of people they don’t like and when those groups complained they were told to just go where they can get business.

    @Dan says, “Any company that does not strictly adhere to my very specific, warped worldview has Gone Woke.” Nailed it! Peopled loved Citizens United when the Supreme Court said corporations are people too and have the right to engage in the political process. Until, that is, corporations realizes their business was better served through more inclusive business practices. Now, the very business they protected are now their enemies because they don’t agree with how they are exercise their right to participate.

    Y’all did this, so deal with the consequences of your actions.

  9. I’m a libertarian. I don’t care what consenting adults do. But I don’t want to hear about it. I keep MY sex life private! I don’t understand why these companies think they need to promote other people’s sex lives in public! It’s just plain wrong! United is an airline, not a whore house! Gosh!

  10. Veterans have millions of better and bigger opportunities than LGBTQA+ folk! Veterans board FIRST always on ALL AIRLINES in the USA. Veteran discounts are available at nearly EVERY BUSINESS. Get off your high-horse if you’re claiming they do not.

    It’s about time the gay community got something back for their loyalty too!

    I support ESG-positive companies in my investments, in my daily purchases and which vendors my multi-million-dollar company spends their money on.

    HATE will never win – we’ll make sure of that!

    As for anti-drag-queen bunk, name ONE drag queen that has molested a child. Good luck. Now name 100 priests, ministers and youth pastors who have raped children… oh dear. The problem IS INDEED someone who wears a dress, but not as DRAG.

    As SOBE ER DOC says, “If you’re not interested in the offer or the corresponding miles then just don’t participate.” But, heed my warning: most companies are already “woke” (woke meaning “aware of their impact on society and the world and taking actions to prevent hard because they have ‘woken up’ and are now empathetic to the communities they wronged in the past.) You’ll soon find yourself buying 5-gallon pails of pancake mix from an evangelistic on a late-night cable television “infomercial”, as it’ll be the ONLY place your strongly held religious beliefs ass will be able to shop!

  11. @daddy: Veterans get one day? Huh? Veterans have all the days, with all sorts of year-round discounts and other benefits lavished on them by various businesses. And they should! It also has nothing to do with support for organizations that advocate for marginalized populations. Yours is exactly the sort of zero-sum reactionary thinking that is the problem.

    It’s pretty sad to feel threatened just because it’s not OK to hurt people who are different than you anymore.

  12. @John L – My, how fragile and sad Republican men have become. Maybe it’s time to ask yourself, why are you so scared of the LGBT community? Why do you care so much even if there were drag shows in the lounges? Have you ever been to a drag show? They’re incredibly fun and hilarious. Get out more, put down the Busch Light, and see the world.

    I promise you, your life will be a lot more fulfilling if you stop caring about what everyone else does when it doesn’t affect you, and start caring about why your wife no longer says I love you. Additionally, Democrats don’t care at all if companies decide to start celebrating Easter more. It’s completely your choice if you want to jump for joy about a zombie man exiting a cave after 3 days 2000 years ago. Doesn’t affect us 🙂 Have a nice day!

  13. Why is it that whenever there is any social initiative targeting any group, the response from some people is what about the veterans? United offers veterans 5% off any domestic flight, you don’t see other non-veteran groups opposing that. This is not to say we don’t need more support for veterans, of course we do. In fact I’d like to see that veteran discount at 10%, even if it costs me a bit more for my flights. But not everything is a zero sum game where we have to play whatsboutism.

  14. A world in which companies sort themselves into red and blue teams will make all of us poorer.

  15. > A world in which companies sort themselves into red and blue teams will make all of us poorer.

    No, it won’t.

    The world is dividing into two basic factions: those who want to CONTROL EVERYONE and those who want to be INDEPENDENT to do what they want.

    History shows that the FASCISTS and AUTHORITARIANS always gains some power, but the LIBERAL PEOPLE are better coordinated to fight back and WIN. The creation of the United States when they declared INDEPENDENCE from ENGLAND is a perfect example of this.

    Basically — if you CANCEL US, we CANCEL YOU. And we have the $$$$$$, so corporations are on OUR SIDE.

  16. Holy crap! You can keep your god damn points. I will never support these “alphabet people”. Why not make a bonus to ANY charity organization? Not just these mentally ill.

  17. “There’s little question that historically, and still in many places, LGBTQ+ individuals could use an increase in their relative status.“

    ⬆️ Required statement so as to not get thrown off your website hosting service.

    Why can’t these credit card companies just offer bonus miles for anyone donating to a charitable organization? We all know why. *wink wink*

  18. At this point I think the only way to comply with the ever growing list of companies the far-right wants to boyocott is to just stay home and do nothing… Which honestly would be fine with most people I think. Who needs someone shouting at store employees, airline personnel, elected officals etc, because their feelings are hurt. If you want to live in a perpetual state of victimhood, please go ahead.

  19. A bonus for any charity is good but we already told United that we are not using thier card again unless they moderate the huge redemption increase fiasco.

  20. @Robin_Wade, and I will increase the use of mine to offset the decrease in your spend. Kind of like how you are probably awash in stuff from Hobby Lobby and I would sooner die than step foot in one of their stores. You see, in the end most boycotts turn into a zero-sum game. You decrease your spend in protest, I increase my spend in support. I decrease my spend in protest, you increase your spend in support.

    As a point of reference, your opposition to LGBTQ+ equality, like opposition to most forms of equality, is in the minority. And, as time progresses, we have always moved toward more equality and inclusion. Folks who flame the culture wars in resistance to evolution are on the wrong side of history.

  21. @RobinWade: I don’t know this for sure, but I suspect that United welcomes your cancelling of their credit card, and the loss of your business, given your clear contempt for LGBTQ+ people. And I’m personally glad that I won’t have to experience sitting next to you on a future United flight.

  22. “But as long as that means I can earn bonus miles I am ok with that.”

    Translation: I have no principles.

  23. @ Gary
    Well Josh Earnest was able to do a great job convincing people Obama actually cared …

  24. How ironic of you folks who are putting down Robin Wade just because of his/her view is contrary to yours. Shows that you yourselves don’t have that much tolerance either or even hate someone whose idea is different than yours. You are so quick to point out the fault of others when you don’t see the fault of own self.

  25. @Al: There is no irony at all in putting down someone for having abhorrent views, and no equivalence between a view that it is OK to persecute people that are different from you and a view finding such an opinion abhorrent.

    Robin Wade hates people that are different than him. That’s an opinion of his own choice.

  26. Wow, just wow! The racist, sexist, anti-LGBT people on here, is shocking! Do any of you realize that the LGBT group spends way more on travel than any other demographic, with the exception of business travel?

    Do you people even hear how hateful your statements sound? Do any of you realize that this ‘woke’ crap is just a political tool? Used by one candidate, who most describe as an utterly uncaring, vindictive political hack?

    The Southern Babtist Convention organized a boycott of Disney, about 25 years ago. It was a complete failure! You have the right to choose who you give money in purchasing and donations. But don’t think that anyone is following you. Because most Americans do not care about this woke baloney!

  27. I don’t care what straight people do, as long as they don’t ACT straight, express physical attraction to the opposite sex, touch one another in public, talk about, post about, photograph their relationships, or broadcast incessantly about their straight lives, spouses, children, family discounts, vacations, celebrations, and “values.”

    Other than that… totally OK with them.

    Have a nice day! 😀

  28. @John L May is National Military Appreciation Month. They get an entire month too. Why are YOU so concerned with Pride Month when you didn’t even pay any attention to last month celebrating veterans? Seems like that’s on you.

  29. I’m gay and I’m not donating to get miles which really have NO value anymore. UA just devalued their miles by a staggering amount. I’m new to airmiles but that stunt has made me realize what a farce they are.

  30. United is walking a fine and dangerous line here…have they not learned from Budwiser???!! To their credit, at least they didn’t put someone’s face on a 737 tail…lol

    Everyone saying “but veterans…” is just gaslighting and whataboutting. This is about something United did. Not about what they didn’t do. Whaddabout Parkway is over there….

    Now I will be raked over coals for pointing out the obvious, even though I support veterans materially and meaningfully.

    Oh whale.

  31. @Brian…The difference is heterosexuals aren’t constantly shoving their lifestyle in our face.

  32. My guess on why airlines went woke is that United got accused of racism against Asians over the Bumpgate incident, and NAACP issued a travel advisory on AA. Naturally, these airlines want to prove that they treat customers equally and they see no other way to do so than to go woke. Prior to Bumpgate and NAACP advisory, airlines were not as heavily involved in politics as they are now.

  33. Chase and United haven’t learned that it’s not a smart move continue to force this shit? You will be the Bud Light! I’ll cancel my Chase cards, and close any accounts I have, and stop flying United (which I fly a lot).

  34. This is gross. If flying in June means that I need to watch a bunch of people flaunting sexuality on a plane, then I’ll postpone travel until July. People needing to flaunt sex constantly on PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION have a psychosis. A plane flight is to transport a person from Location A to Location B. I expect to NOT HAVE PDA SHOVED IN MY FACE DURING TRANSPORT.

  35. @Lindy When have you ever, ever had PDA shoved in your face on a plane? I’ve flown many, many times and I’ve never had that happen to me from anyone, gay or straight. This is a straw-man argument if I’ve ever seen one.

  36. @James N What do you mean? Yes, they are. Literally all the time. Watch any TV for more than 5 seconds. See all the heterosexual couples kissing and holding hands in public. They do it just as much if not more. The only difference is that you don’t judge them for it.

  37. Funny @James_N and @Lindy, I was in the ORD UC out in C last Thursday. At 8am a man and a woman were sitting at the bar making out and getting a little handsy. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a gay couple rounding first and heading into second in an airline club. Twice in the past year I’ve had heterosexual passengers sitting next to me on a flight try to conceal their attempt to look at porn on their phones. Nearly all of the IFE in planes featuring amorous scenes are of heterosexual couples / groups engaging in risque behavior. But, you’re right, if hold my partner’s hand while sitting on a plane I’m being some promiscuous exhibitionist.

  38. Great job SOBE ER, you just committed the fallacious argument known as the “anecdotal”. You know exactly what I’m referring to and it ain’t about a couple getting “handsy” in public. Try again!

  39. @James N Clearly, no one knows exactly what you’re referring to, because you made a bad argument. How about you explain it?

  40. Supporting liberty and freedom of choice is everything American, except when it’s not, then again, it is exactly American.

  41. @James N So you’re still refusing to actually make your point then. I agree with that other person, anecdotally, in that I’ve seen heterosexual people exhibiting MUCH more PDA than gay people. If that’s not what you’re referring to, then clarify. If you can’t, you’re making a terrible argument.

  42. Get rid of all the divisive months to single out groups. While I don’t disagree with better attention to Veterans (as a Vet of 30 years, many of your perceptions about discounts, etc are wrong). Person who said Veterans get to board first, you are wrong. Active duty, normally in uniform get to board first – there is a difference. Leave what consenting adults do in their bedroom out of business and leave the other parts out of schools (and business, right Anheiser Busch?)

    Celebrate everyone everyday and simply be kind. Our great country will implode because sheep allow us to be further and further divided. We are all Americans.

  43. @CSG1987 “I keep MY sex life private!”

    Do you mean that you don’t condone or attend weddings? Or photos of couples hanging on their living rooms walls? Or spousal privilege or parental rights for spouses or medical proxy or next of kin rights? Because that is literally all LGTBQ+ people are advocating for. Not sex in public. Just the rights and privileges that straight people have had forever.

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