United Airlines frequent flier miles can now buy music, movies

This week United Airlines launched a new way for members of its MileagePlus frequent flier program to redeem miles.

Fliers can now  spend miles on downloading content – more than one million music songs, movies, electronic books, audio books, TV shows – via its new Digital Media Store.

United, the largest US airline by revenue, is offering songs in .mp3 format, covering many genres.

For instance, today you could download the Jennifer Lopez album “Dance Again … The Hits,” for 1,150 miles for the ordinary leisure traveler or for  1,035 miles under ”preferred pricing” offered to elite MileagePlus members.

Movies vary in cost, but a typical price is 2,300 to 2600 for a blockbuster like “The Hangover.”

As loyalty marketing commentator Bill Brohaugh notes:

“This is a redemption option that can be appreciated while frequent flyers are traveling and while engaging with the brand right there in-flight, hopefully appreciative of the reward that’s entertaining them at that moment.”

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3. Hotwire and United MileagePlus enter into unique hotel deal