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Award Travel

Use your miles to travel to 1,000+ destinations around the world with Delta and our partners. You can book Award Travel for yourself or for someone else – even if you’re not flying with them. And there are no blackout dates on any Delta Air Lines flight.

• Select ' Book ' at delta.com or in the Fly Delta app
• Check the box next to "Shop with Miles" on delta.com or "Show Price in Miles" on the app
• Enter your flight preferences and select ‘Find Flights’
• Our flexible Award calendar shows the lowest price options for the dates you select
• Choose your flight(s), complete your purchase and you’re on your way 

GET THE MOST OUT OF AWARD TRAVEL:

• Earn MQDs toward your next Medallion Status tier with Award Travel on Delta and our partners (excluding Basic Economy fares)
• We've made it easy for you to find the best deals for your miles by compiling all of our latest SkyMiles Deals 
• Follow #SkyMilesLife on Instagram to explore real experiences from your fellow SkyMiles Members and get inspired for your next adventure
• Miles can be redeemed toward travel on Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection carriers and on 30+ partner airlines 
• Book different experiences on the outbound and return flights – Relax in Delta Comfort+® on the way to your destination and fly home in Delta One® to return rested and refreshed
• Earn a Bonus Miles welcome offer with select Delta SkyMiles® American Express Cards. Plus, eligible Card Members save 15% when booking Award Travel on Delta flights. Not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes or fees. Terms apply.
• Award Travel flight miles flown (excluding Basic Economy fares) will count toward your total Million Miler balance

See if Award Travel or other fees apply to your ticket. All fees are non-refundable.

*Changes to origin, destination, routing, date and time are permitted except for Basic Economy tickets, and the mileage difference (and any applicable taxes) for the new Award ticket will apply. For travel originating from the United States and Canada to anywhere in the world (including flights operated by joint venture and codeshare partners), Members may change or cancel Award tickets for travel without a redeposit or change fee, excluding Basic Economy fares. For some travel originating outside the United States and Canada, Basic Economy Award ticket restrictions will vary and may be non-cancelable or may be changeable for a fee. For details, visit our Baggage & Travel Fees page .

Mileage difference, taxes and fees apply for any changes. Changes to Pay with Miles tickets are determined by the fare rules of the ticket purchased.

Mileage Upgrade Awards may be surrendered or cancelled any time prior to the scheduled flight departure time. Members may reissue or change a Mileage Upgrade Award prior to departure time. Taxes, fees and any additional collection is based on the rules of the purchased fare.

Not applicable where prohibited by local law.

1 Charges may vary by country. Charges will only apply to tickets issued in select European countries and Members may be eligible for a waiver of the direct ticketing international charge upon request. Charges are waived for all other points of origin.

2 Basic Economy fares are not eligible to make same-day confirmed or same-day standby travel changes, regardless of Medallion or other elite Status. Same-day Standby and Same-Day Confirmed are limited to availability, and only available on domestic flights.

See what other taxes and fees apply to your Award Ticket .

Terms & Conditions:

Your SkyMiles account must have enough miles for the Award Ticket you are purchasing.

All Awards are subject to availability, and additional taxes and fees may apply. See Membership Guide & Program Rules for details.

Awards are subject to capacity controls. Awards may require higher prices depending on routing rules and restrictions. Exceptions to these rules may require additional mileage or taxes and fees. Travel to all destinations within region may not be available at lowest price. Not all countries within region are serviced by Delta and/or partner airlines. Taxes and fees for Award Travel are the responsibility of the passenger and must be paid at the time the ticket is issued. The payment of any taxes, fees, and other government-, airport- or carrier-imposed charges is the responsibility of the passenger. Award redemption requires payment of at least $11.20 in U.S. government taxes and fees for domestic itineraries and may include up to $600 for foreign government taxes and fees and/or carrier-imposed fees for international itineraries.

Award seats may be limited and not available on all Delta Connection flights. Offers and benefits subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply.

Award Tickets issued by Delta Reservation Sales over the phone, in person at a ticket office or airport ticket counter, may be subject to a direct ticketing charge . Charges only apply to tickets issued in select European countries and may be waived upon request. Charges are waived for all other points of sale.

In some cases, seat assignments are made automatically based upon your preference for a window or aisle seat, noted in My Profile . We will request seat assignments when traveling on an airline partner at the time of ticketing. Seat assignments may not always be confirmed at the time of the request. Contact the airline partner directly for seat requests. If your seating preference is not available, "NA" will appear in the "Seat Assignment" column of your itinerary. In this case, you will receive your seat during check-in on the date of departure or you can go to Itineraries to select a seat. We accommodate the seating requirements of customers with certain types of disabilities. This could result in the occasional need to change another individual's pre-assigned seat, with bulkhead seats being particularly subject to reassignment.

Travel with Miles on Partner Airlines

Book Award Travel through delta.com with:

• Aerolineas Argentinas
• China Eastern
• China Airlines
• China Southern
• Garuda Indonesia
• Hawaiian Airlines
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
• Mandarin Airlines
• Middle East Airlines
• Saudia Airlines
• Shanghai Airlines
• Tarom Airlines
• Vietnam Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic
• Xiamen Airlines

Contact Delta Reservations for Award Travel on:

• Air Tahiti Nui
• Czech Airlines
• Kenya Airways

There are no blackout dates on Delta-operated flights. Blackout dates may apply on partner airline-operated flights and are defined by individual carriers .

Partner Airline Redemption for Members Residing in Japan:

Medallion Members or Delta SkyMiles Credit Card (issued in Japan) Members residing in Japan may redeem miles toward Award Travel on Skymark flights throughout Japan.

Routes/Destinations: Haneda, Kobe, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Naha and Ibaraki. Check flight schedule with Skymark Airlines , prior to submitting the request.

SEGMENTS AVAILABLE

• Fukuoka (FUK) - Naha (Okinawa, OKA)
• Haneda (HND) - Kobe (UKB)
• Kagoshima (KOJ) - Amami (ASJ)
• Kobe (UKB) - Ibaraki (IBR)
• Kobe (UKB) - Kagoshima (KOJ)
• Kobe (UKB) - Nagasaki (NGS)
• Kobe (UKB) - Naha (Okinawa, OKA)
• Kobe (UKB) - Sendai (SDJ)
• Naha (Okinawa, OKA) - Shimojishima(SHI)
• Central Japan International (Nagoya, NGO) - Kagoshima (KOJ)
• Central Japan International (Nagoya, NGO) - Naha (Okinawa, OKA)
• Central Japan International (Nagoya, NGO) - New Chitose (Sapporo, CTS)
• Fukuoka (FUK) - New Chitose (Sapporo, CTS)
• Haneda (HND) - Fukuoka (FUK)
• Haneda (HND) - Kagoshima (KOJ)
• Haneda (HND) - Naha (Okinawa, OKA)
• Haneda (HND) - New Chitose (Sapporo, CTS)
• Haneda (HND) - Shimojishima(SHI)
• Ibaraki (IBR) - Fukuoka (FUK)
• Ibaraki (IBR) - Naha (Okinawa, OKA)
• Ibaraki (IBR) - New Chitose (Sapporo, CTS)
• Kobe (UKB) - New Chitose (Sapporo, CTS)
• Kobe (UKB) - Shimojishima(SHI)

Skymark Terms & Conditions

• SkyMiles Medallion Members or Delta SkyMiles Credit Card (issued in Japan) Members, residing in Japan, may redeem miles toward Award Travel on Skymark flights throughout Japan. SkyMiles Medallion Members or Delta SkyMiles Credit Card Members cannot earn miles on their Skymark Award ticket. Supplemental card holder is not eligible for this offer. New Card Members are eligible to redeem miles for this offer after two months of activity on their card.
• Award Travel on Skymark is available on the segments listed above in Economy/Main Cabin Class in a booking class Skymark determines and currently on sale on the Skymark website. Travel must be booked at least 14 days prior to departure. Award Seats on Skymark are limited and may not be available on all flights or markets.
• Booking is available for travels through October 26, 2024
• February 2, 2024 – February 13, 2024 (for flights between New Chitose (Sapporo, CTS) and Haneda (HND), Ibaraki (IBR), Kobe (UKB), Fukuoka (FUK), and Central Japan International (Nagoya, NGO) )
• February 9, 2024 – February 13, 2024 (for all flights other than HND-CTS,IBR-CTS,UKB-CTS,NGO-CTS,FUK-CTS)
• March 19, 2024 – March 30, 2024
• April 26, 2024 – April 30, 2024
• May 1, 2024 – May 7, 2024
• July 12, 2024 – July 16, 2024
• August 8, 2024 – August 19, 2024
• September 13, 2024 – September 17, 2024
• September 20, 2024 – September 24, 2024
• October 11, 2024 – October 15, 2024
• Once your booking is confirmed, Delta will deduct the required miles from your SkyMiles account usually within 24 hours and a Skymark Confirmation Number with the flight details itinerary will be sent to the e-mail address provided when the booking was requested. If your ticket is not confirmed or additional information is needed, you will be emailed within 72 hours after the request is submitted. 
• You cannot check or view your Award Travel itinerary on Skymark website.
• A request response email of your Skymark award flight will be sent to the email address you provide on the online booking form within 72 hours after your submission of the request form. Skymark tickets are “ticketless” meaning no paper or electronic tickets will be issued after booking is complete. Once you receive the confirmation email, show the email to the Skymark check-in counter, and a boarding pass will be issued at the counter. 
• With your Skymark Confirmation Number, make sure to check in between 2 hours – 20 minutes prior to departure for your Skymark Award Travel at an auto check-in machine. If you do not meet the check-in window, you will not be able to travel on the scheduled flight. 
• Award Travel redemption on Skymark is not combinable with itineraries on any other carrier's flights, including with Delta or any other Airline Partner.
• Adults must enter their age as of the date of flight.
• Infant and children must travel with adult. Infant and children cannot travel alone. Infant is defined as a person of 0-2 years old and does not occupy a seat, and child is defined as a person of 3-11 years old.  The same award redemption level is required for children as adult. No miles are needed for infant not occupying a seat but only one infant is allowed to travel with one adult.
• One (1) infant must travel with at least one (1) adult. Please contact Skymark for more details about infant and child passengers.
• Waitlist is not permitted for Award Travel on Skymark.
• Upgrade is not permitted.
• Open-jaw travel is not permitted.
• One-way travel is permitted. One-way travel requires the same award redemption level as roundtrip.
• Return trips cannot be left open when making reservations. All flights must be confirmed before SkyMiles Award tickets can be issued. 
• Cancellation and changes are not permitted once the booking is confirmed. Redeposit of miles is not permitted. Award Travel has no cash value.
• If you miss a Skymark flight due to a flight delay or cancellation, Skymark will put you on the next flight with seats available only if you show a certificate proving the delay or cancellation of the original itinerary. If you do not use your Skymark flight due to a flight delay or cancellation, mileage will not be redeposited to your SkyMiles account, and Delta or Skymark will not provide a cash refund. 
• The number of seats available for this offer may be limited and are subject to availability.
• Passenger facility charges, fuel surcharge, security fees, any applicable taxes are the responsibility of the user.
• Redemption award level is subject to change without prior notice. Please refer to the Redemption Level for details.
• If you need any special assistance or arrangement, please contact Skymark. Please note that the special assistance or arrangement is subject to availability.
• An ID (Drivers license, Passport, Health insurance card, Student ID card, Basic resident register card, Resident card, Full copy of a person's family register, Abstract of a person's family register, Certificate of alien registration, War injury and sickness certificate, Mentally disabled person's certificate or Pension book) of the traveler is required when the customer checks-in the Skymark flight.
• Skymark terms and conditions apply .
• For luggage requirements and restrictions, please visit Skymark or contact Skymark.  
• Other restrictions may apply.
• Delta has the final authority in the interpretation of these rules.

Additional Terms & Conditions

Award Tickets on partner airlines may require higher rates or a Saturday night stay. Some airline partners impose a surcharge on Award redemptions for travel on their airline. These charges when applicable are the responsibility of the passenger and will be collected at the time of booking. Partner airline benefits are subject to change and subject to terms and conditions of each partner. Skymark operates on a Boeing 737-800.

If a flight is delayed or cancelled, Skymark is not responsible for ground transportation to/from the airport. Please visit Skymark , opens in a new window for details.

Food and beverages are not provided on Skymark flights. You can purchase soft drinks with 100 yen per drink or an alcoholic beverage with 200-300 yen per drink.

Book with Delta Vacations

Go Beyond the Flight with Delta Vacations. Your miles are now worth at least 15% more* to every destination at any time when you use them toward a Delta Vacations package booked through Delta Vacations. Use your miles to pay for just a portion or your entire vacation. With Delta Vacations you can choose from flights, expertly curated stays, rides and activities all over the world all in one place. Plus, you will still earn miles as you redeem them! 

• Visit Delta Vacations to customize your vacation package
• Enter your SkyMiles number
• During the “Review & Purchase” step, choose miles as your payment type. Keep in mind, only one SkyMiles account can be used for redemption
• Enter the amount of miles to redeem. Your mileage discount should appear in the payment overview
• Select ‘Complete Purchase’ 

* As compared to the mileage value with Delta Vacations prior to July 10, 2023.

• You can use your miles for yourself and everyone who is traveling with you, as long as they’re on the same reservation.
• There is no minimum or maximum number of miles, no blackout dates, and you don’t need a promo code. 
• You can use miles on any vacation package type. 
• When booking online, you can redeem up to 999,999 miles on flight and hotel packages to any Delta Vacations destination. To redeem more than 999,999 miles, please contact Delta Vacations at 1-800-800-1504.
• All SkyMiles Program rules apply. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/memberguide . To review rules for Delta Vacations mileage redemption, please visit delta.com/vacations-usemiles .

You can now use your miles to book your next hotel stay or vacation rental when you book with Delta Stays.  

How to Book with Delta Stays  

• Log into your SkyMiles account (either on delta.com or the Delta Stays platform)
• Click the "Book Now" button below to launch Delta Stays
• Select "Pay with miles" when searching for your hotel stay or vacation rental 
• Search the available inventory shown  
• Make your selection(s), complete your booking and enjoy your stay

General Terms and Conditions:

• Delta’s online booking engine for stays is powered and serviced by Expedia and is accessible via delta.com, delta.com/hotels, delta.com/stays or directly at travelextras-delta.com.
• Standard Mileage Offer: SkyMiles® Members will earn two (2) miles per US$1 or equivalent foreign currency spent at travelextras-delta.com on the base hotel or vacation rental rate for a completed stay. Base rate is the cost of the hotel room or vacation rental property, before taxes and fees, charged at the time of booking. Taxes and fees, gratuities, room service, other incidental charges, and insurance costs are excluded from mileage credit. Miles will not be awarded on any portion of the stay paid for using miles.
• Mileage can only be credited to the SkyMiles Member if the name on the booking matches the name of the SkyMiles account provided.
• SkyMiles number should be provided at the time of booking.
• Only one SkyMiles number can be provided per booking.
• Please allow up to 8 weeksn after completion of eligible stay for miles to be deposited in SkyMiles account.
• If mileage credit has not been recorded on your SkyMiles account within 8 weeksafter qualifying activity occurs, please  contact us  and select: Request Refund or Miles > Mileage Credit > Partners
• Requests for mileage credit will be accepted up to 6 months from check out date.
• Stays completed prior to enrollment into SkyMiles will not be eligible for mileage credit.
• Hotel currency or status are subject to each respective Hotel guest program and may not be applicable for bookings made on travelextras-delta.com.
• Miles awarded are bonus miles, and do not count toward Million Miler Status.
• Unless otherwise expressly specified as part of a limited time offer (which is subject to the terms and conditions of such offer), spend on completed stays does not count toward Medallion Qualification Dollars.

Redeeming Miles for Stays:

• For certain pay now hotel and vacation rental properties, SkyMiles Members have the option to pay for all or a portion of their booking using miles earned through the SkyMiles Program.
• There is no minimum number of miles needed to redeem for a stay, but if you would like to book your stay using only miles, your mileage balance must equal or exceed the total of your booking.
• If you do not have enough miles to pay for your entire stay, you can split your transaction using both miles and a credit/debit card for payment. When prompted, enter how many miles you would like to use for that booking; the remaining value (after subtracting the miles used) will be reflected as USD and must be paid using a credit or debit card.
• You must be logged-in to your SkyMiles account to complete a purchase when using miles.
• You may not combine miles from two or more accounts on a single transaction. Miles used may only come from one SkyMiles account.
• Miles will be deducted at the time of purchase from the SkyMiles account provided and will appear as “Delta Stays”.
• If permitted under the terms of your booking, refunds will be made to the original form of payment less any fees and charges, where applicable. If your booking was made using both miles and a credit/debit card, then the portion of your booking made with miles will be refunded as miles to your SkyMiles account and the credit/debit portion will be refunded to the original card used in the booking.
• If you change or alter your booking resulting in additional costs and charges, any charges must be paid using a credit card or debit card.
• Miles will not be awarded on any portion of the stay paid for using miles.
• Resort fees, gratuities, room service, and any third-party fees or charges, including those incurred while traveling, are in addition to the fees and charges of your original reservation and are not eligible to be paid for with miles.
• Delta reserves the right to cancel any stays bookings due to insufficient miles in your account, suspicion of fraud, violation(s) of the SkyMiles Program Rules, or termination of your SkyMiles account.
• Delta may change, suspend, or terminate the redemption program (including but not limited to any benefits and conditions of participation), in whole or in part, at any time with or without notice.

Miles + Cash

Don’t have enough miles for the flight you want? Available on select flights, Miles + Cash gives you the flexibility to pay for a flight using a combination of miles and dollars.

HOW TO USE MILES + CASH:

• Choose your flight
• Change the ‘Show Price In’ setting from “miles” to “Miles + Cash”
• Select your flight(s), complete your purchase and you’re on your way

Miles + Cash is offered worldwide only on flights operated by Delta, Delta Connection and Delta Shuttle. Remember, tickets purchased using Miles + Cash are Award Tickets and are subject to all the limitations of Award Tickets. They are not eligible to earn miles, and mileage purchases in Miles + Cash transactions are nonrefundable. All Award ticket change fees apply. In the event of ticket changes or cancellations, miles, including miles purchased as part of a Miles + Cash transaction, will be redeposited in the Member’s SkyMiles account.

Pay with Miles

Take a shortcut to your next adventure by using Pay with Miles*. Exclusively for Delta SkyMiles American Express Card Members, Pay with Miles is a Card benefit that gives you more flexibility by taking dollars off of Delta tickets or allowing you to use miles when you don’t have quite enough to cover the full ticket. Not yet a Card Member and based in the U.S. or its territories? Learn more about The Delta SkyMiles American Express Cards  here . 

HOW TO PAY WITH MILES 

• Log in at delta.com
• Go to Book a Trip
• Select flights marked as “Pay with Miles eligible”
• On the ‘Trip Summary’ page, choose “Pay with Miles” and pay with miles, money or a combination of both
• After you make your selection, continue booking your ticket
• If you choose to pay for a fare with both miles and a credit card, use your Delta SkyMiles American Express Card to pay for the remaining ticket price

Not U.S.-based? You may be eligible to use Pay with Miles internationally if you’re a SkyMiles Credit Card Member in certain countries. Learn more .

HOW DOES IT WORK*?

Pay with Miles is an exclusive benefit for Delta SkyMiles American Express Card Members.  This benefit allows Card Members to use their miles, starting at just 5,000 miles, to discount the price of Delta tickets.  Regardless of ticket price, a Card Member can reduce the cost of their ticket by up to $50 for every 5,000 miles. For example, redeeming 10,000 of your miles takes $100 off your fare, 15,000 miles takes $150 off, 20,000 miles takes $200 off, etc.

For example: a Card Member who currently has 22,000 miles in their SkyMiles account selects a round-trip flight from Atlanta, GA to Washington, D.C. for $250 total fare. By using Pay with Miles, the Card Member can redeem 20,000 miles to reduce the ticket cost by $200. The Card Member would then pay $50 and 20,000 miles for the ticket.

Frequently Asked Questions

There is no fee for using your Pay with Miles benefit.

As long as you have sufficient miles in your account, there is no limit on the number of times you can use your Pay with Miles benefit—use it as often as you like.

There is no cap on the amount of miles you can use. If you have enough miles, you can pay for your entire ticket price using miles.

Yes, you may use Pay with Miles to book someone else's ticket. You can use Pay with Miles for multiple tickets—you just need to have 5,000 miles per passenger available and they must be on the same itinerary.

If you do not have the minimum 5,000 miles per passenger available in your account, you will not see Pay with Miles as an option to purchase your ticket after selecting your flights. Pay with Miles is only available for Delta Air Lines (not partner airline) flights. You also must log into delta.com to see the Pay with Miles option.

Pay with Miles is a benefit of Delta SkyMiles American Express Cards where you can use miles to pay for all or part of the price of eligible flights. It is always available as a payment option on all Delta operated flights as long as you have 5,000 miles in your SkyMiles account. Pay with Miles always has a value of up to $50 per 5,000 miles for Card Members. Miles + Cash is a redemption option on Award Tickets offered to all SkyMiles members where you can pay for your flight using a combination of miles and dollars.

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How to Add Past Flight Miles to United MileagePlus

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

When flying United Airlines, Star Alliance and United partner flights, be sure that your MileagePlus number is attached to the reservation and appears on your boarding pass. If you want to redeem those valuable miles for a free trip, it can pay off to make sure they post to your account in the first place.

If they don't, here’s exactly how to add past flight miles to United MileagePlus.

Claim United miles for past flights on the airline

Head over to United's website to request missing miles from a United flight. You'll need to log in to your MileagePlus account to submit your request.

Your ticket number, which begins with 016 on United tickets, is all you need. Occasionally, United may request a copy of your boarding pass and receipt.

Input your ticket number and hit "Submit."

Request missing miles for flights on Star Alliance and partner airlines

To claim missing miles on Star Alliance or partner airlines, head over to the same page on United's website . You may be asked to provide details like destination and departure city or fare class.

Ticket numbers for partner airlines may have a different prefix than 016, which United tickets have. United also advises that travelers wait at least seven days for miles to post before trying to get credit for past flights by submitting a missing mileage request.

Travelers can retroactively request United miles from partner flights in the past year. Those who haven't joined MileagePlus yet can still join and retroactively request miles from the past six months’ flights.

Be aware that not all partner flights are eligible for earning mileage. You can check your airline and fare class paid on United's airline partners page .

ARE YOU EARNING ALL THE MILES YOU CAN?

A United Airlines credit card not only allows you to earn more miles when you fly United, but in many cases gives you additional miles for everyday spending. On top of that, United cards offer day-of-travel benefits and other perks that can more than make up for their annual fee. Options include:

on Chase's website

$0 intro for the first year, then $95 .

• 2 miles per $1 on United purchases, gas stations and local transit and commuting.

• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 on United purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants and hotels (when booked directly with hotel).

• 3 miles per $1 on United purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants, select streaming services and all other travel.

• 4 miles per $1 on United purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants and all other travel purchases.

• No foreign transaction fees.

• First checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.

• 2 United Club one-time passes each year.

• Credit of up to $100 every four years for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.

• Priority boarding.

• First and second checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.

• $125 United purchase credit per year (good on airfare).

• Two 5,000-mile award flight credits per anniversary year.

• Access to United Club airport lounges.

Earn 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Request missing miles for other MileagePlus partners

You can also request United miles retroactively for travel on Amtrak. To request missing miles from eligible train travel, wait at least 15 days. If they don't post to your account, you can upload proof of travel and a receipt by going to the same page on United's website .

In addition to train travel, on the same website, you can request missing miles for spending on hotels, car rentals and other partners.

» Learn more: Your guide to booking award flights on United

Final thoughts on requesting missing United miles

You can save time and effort by ensuring your MileagePlus number is both added to your reservation and printed on your boarding pass. Still, things can fall through the cracks. By following these steps (and confirming that your past flights have properly posted), you can add miles to a MileagePlus account after a trip and help your balance fill up for your next free flight.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1x-2x Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays and United® purchases. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases

50,000 Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

1x-2x Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores and on local transit and commuting. Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

75000 Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

1x-3x Earn 3x miles on United® purchases, 2x miles on dining, select streaming services & all other travel, 1x on all other purchases

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

How the Bask Bank Mileage Savings Account works

Is earning miles better than earning interest, tips for getting the most from bask’s miles savings account, should i open the bask bank mileage savings account, i found an easy way to earn miles without a credit card.

A high-yield savings account is cool, but this one may be better for the trip you want to book.

Julia Menez

Credit card expert and host of the Geobreeze Travel Podcast

Julia Menez is a points strategy coach, speaker, and host of the Geobreeze Travel Podcast. Through her podcast and social media channels, she distills the strategies from top award travelers around the world and creates step-by-step tutorials for how you can make the most out of your points and miles.

Dashia Milden

Dashia is a staff editor for CNET Money who covers all angles of personal finance, including credit cards and banking. From reviews to news coverage, she aims to help readers make more informed decisions about their money. Dashia was previously a staff writer at NextAdvisor, where she covered credit cards, taxes, banking B2B payments. She has also written about safety, home automation, technology and fintech.

Courtney Johnston

Senior Editor

Courtney Johnston is a senior editor leading the CNET Money team. Passionate about financial literacy and inclusion, she has a decade of experience as a freelance journalist covering policy, financial news, real estate and investing. A New Jersey native, she graduated with an M.A. in English Literature and Professional Writing from the University of Indianapolis, where she also worked as a graduate writing instructor.

CNET staff -- not advertisers, partners or business interests -- determine how we review the products and services we cover. If you buy through our links, we may get paid.

Summer travel is around the corner. If you’re looking to book a domestic flight, you can expect to pay around $720, based on the latest data from the Bureau of Transportation Services. While credit card points can help you lower your travel costs , there’s another option I recommend, especially if you like American Airlines. 

Bask Bank offers a Mileage Savings Account that lets you earn miles by letting your money sit in its account. You’ll accrue miles for every $1 in your savings annually. 

As a credit card expert, I love putting points and miles toward travel. But if you don’t want to deal with annual fees or worry about debt, Bask’s savings account is a great way to put money toward the cost of your flights and hotels . 

Read more: The Chase Freedom Flex Just Became Spring’s Best Travel Card

With Bask Bank, you could go the traditional route and earn interest on your savings with its Interest Savings Account. The APY is currently 5.10% APY, which is on par with CNET’s best high-yield savings accounts .

But if you travel often, Bask offers another savings account that lets you earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles instead. You’ll earn 2.5 AAdvantage miles for every dollar you save annually. You accrue miles daily and they’re posted to your account monthly based on your account balance. 

The more money you deposit, the more miles you earn. For example, if you deposit $5,000 in May and maintain that balance all month, you’ll earn approximately 12,500 in one year ($5,000 x 2.5 miles per dollar / 365 days in a year x 365 days in a year).

You’ll continue to earn miles as long as you maintain a balance, but if you need to withdraw that money, you’ll only earn miles for the days you had money in the account.

Bask is offering a limited-time bonus for first-time Bask Bank Mileage Savings Account customers. You can earn 10,000 AAdvantage miles if you maintain a minimum daily balance of $50,000 for 90 consecutive days out of the first 120 days following the initial account opening. The offer lasts until May 31.

Earning airline miles may sound great, but is it really that different from earning interest and using that money to book flights? The right savings method for you boils down to your personal preference, but opting for miles could add up to more in value. 

Bask’s mile-earning account offers 2.5 miles for every dollar in your account monthly and AAdvantage miles are worth 1.5 to 1.7 cents on average. If you keep $5,000 in this account for a year, you’ll accumulate roughly 12,606 miles, assuming a 1.7 cent redemption value per mile. In dollars, that’s about $214. 

But if you put that same $5,000 in Bask’s high-yield savings account, which currently offers 5.10% APY, you could earn $255 in one year. This assumes your APY will stay the same -- if it drops, you’ll earn less.

At first glance, it looks like earning interest is better, right? Not so fast. While miles are generally worth 1.5 to 1.7 cents per point, you can redeem them for even more if you know this one trick.

How to maximize your miles to make airfare even cheaper 

You can often find flights that offer you a bigger per-point redemption than the average 1.5 to 1.7 cent per point rate. You may just need to be diligent and flexible with your travel dates to find the best value.

For example, using the same example of $5,000 over a year of saving, I found a roundtrip flight from Charlotte, North Carolina to Sarasota, Florida from July 5 through 9. The trip, in total, costs 13,000 miles (plus taxes and fees that you’ll pay out of pocket). When converting from miles to dollars, the points would be worth $221 at a 1.7 cents-per-mile valuation. So even though the trip won’t be entirely free, you’ll only have to pay a few extra bucks out of pocket.

But paying for this same trip with cash would cost me $281 if I booked through American Airlines without points. If I earned $255 from my high-yield savings account, I’d still have to pay around $25 out of pocket -- not including the taxes and fees.

Based on  American Airline’s flight award chart , domestic flights start at 7,500 points for a one-way flight. So, if you have some money from your tax refund to add to your savings account or make regular contributions, those points can add up over a few months. And even though you may not earn enough to cover a round-trip flight if you start now, every point can help cut costs. 

Here’s what I recommend as you’re financially planning your trip. 

1. Pay yourself first 

This is a good personal finance habit to build -- whether you’re earning miles or not. Set up automatic transfers to your Bask Bank savings account each time you get paid to help you get in the habit of saving. Plus, you’re earning miles for your next vacation. You could also fast track your goal if you get a windfall of money, such as a tax refund or money gifted to you for birthdays or milestones.

2. Look for ways to earn more miles

Aside from the miles you earn with a Bask Mileage Savings Account, you can also earn AAdvantage miles in a few other ways.

• Link your favorite restaurant credit card or debit card to the  AA Dining Portal  to earn AA miles each time you use the linked card at a partnered restaurant. You’ll earn five miles for every dollar spent on each qualifying meal at participating restaurants. 
• Use the AA Shopping Portal when you’re shopping online. You may be able to take advantage of special promotions and earn miles at some of your most frequently visited stores by shopping through the portal. You won’t pay anything extra toward your purchase, but points will vary based on the store and deal. 
• Link your American Airlines account to partner programs. For example, you can  link your American Airlines account with your Hyatt account. And each time you stay at a Hyatt hotel, you’ll earn American Airlines miles for the hotel stay. Similarly, each time you fly with American Airlines, you can earn Hyatt hotel points for the flight.

3. Maximize how you redeem your miles 

Once you’ve earned American Airlines miles from your Bask Bank savings and other points-earning activities, you can pool your points together to save on your summer flights. One way I recommend maximizing your earnings is through the  American Airlines Award Map . It’s a free tool that lets you easily find all the best American Airlines flight deals from your home airport to a region of the world -- while keeping your travel dates and points budget in mind. 

If you don’t plan on flying, the AAdvantage miles can still save you money on your trip. American Airlines lets you use your miles toward rental cars and hotel partners.

4. Find ways to get the most from your miles 

Many of the best ways to use American Airlines miles aren’t by booking American Airlines flights. Some American Airlines sweet spot redemptions include:

• Flying on Japan Airlines business class to Japan for only 60,000 miles, or even flying first class for 80,000 miles. 
• Flying to Europe using FinnAir or British Airways starting at 57,500 points in business class.
• Flying on QSuites via Qatar Airways for only 70,000 points.

American Airlines also often includes positioning flights at no extra points cost. If you find an affordable flight from a different city, you might be able to travel there via positioning flights, or layovers, without paying more. For example, I once flew from Las Vegas to Egypt with two layover flights for only 70k points total per person one way in business class. 

Whether it make sense to earn miles over interest depends on how much you travel in a year. You might get more value from this account if you’re one of the below types of travelers:

Business owner: If you need to keep a large amount of cash liquid for business operations, parking the money in this account can help you earn many American Airlines miles passively. For example, if your business keeps an average of $100,000 in the account over the course of the year, you’ll earn about 250,000 American Airlines miles. But remember that this could change depending on the number of days in each month and if you don’t make any withdrawals. 

American Airlines frequent fliers: If you travel often (especially with American Airlines or its travel partners), accumulating miles through everyday banking activities is a no-brainer way to subsidize future trips. 

Budget-conscious travelers:  By earning miles instead of interest and learning how to maximize those miles, you can often stretch your travel budget and get more value from points than you can from savings account interest.

Avid savers looking for more : If you’re already in the habit of saving regularly, you may appreciate having another way to get more value from your savings.

If you’re not interested in American Airlines or its partners or don’t travel often, I recommend opting for a high-yield savings account instead.

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United's 'Miles Play' Promotion Is Back — and You Could Rack Up Some Serious Points

Scoring a few extra points is easy with this one.

Courtesy of United Airlines

Planning to fly with United soon? You could earn bonus miles with the airline's latest "Mile Play" promotion. So long as you're traveling by a certain date and so long as you're one of the few targeted for the offers. 

It's free to sign up for United's MileagePlus program, which allows travelers to stack points that they can use on future trips, and to gain status for perks like complimentary upgrades and free checked bags. It also allows travelers access to promotions like its United Mile Play program, which is sort of like a lottery system that gives certain users specific promotions based on their MileagePlus number. The promotion isn't offered to every member every time it's offered, but when it is, it's always enticing. 

Each offer is targeted to the individual user, but everyone who takes advantage of the offer must register and make their transactions by June 7, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. CT to get the benefits. 

Travel + Leisure spotted a few examples of promotions that different fliers were targeted for:

• Book and take a flight (must be $100+) and earn 3,000 miles
• Book and take 2 flights (must be $200+) and earn 8,300 miles
• Book and take 3 flights (must be $225+) and earn 12,000 miles

United says these miles will be posted to accounts "six to eight weeks after the promotion ends," so don't expect to use them immediately after travel. When redeeming those miles, travelers can check the rates using the "Book with miles" button on the airline's homepage . 

It's worth noting that these bonus miles are awarded to any standard earnings travelers would earn on their ticket. Fliers without United status will earn five miles per dollar spent on the base fare of a ticket, while a top-tier Premier 1k member can earn upwards of 11 miles.

Furthermore, United offers several unique ways for travelers to rack up miles , even if they're not flying. Just a few weeks ago, the airline launched a new, customer-friendly feature to pool miles between groups of up to five members. Travelers can also earn miles from everyday spending on a co-branded United credit card or by exchanging their unwanted gift cards . 

To participate in this promo, travelers just need to have their United MileagePlus number readily available and enter it on the promotional page . And maybe have a little good luck on their side too.

How to redeem miles with the United MileagePlus program

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

Earlier this year, United MileagePlus massively devalued its loyalty program by increasing award rates by up to 122% .

Still, United miles are easy to earn thanks to a suite of United credit cards and a couple of major transferable points partners. You also can redeem miles across United's vast network of domestic and international routes or on over two dozen Star Alliance partners.

Fortunately, United's website is one of the best for finding award availability , so you can find and book most Star Alliance awards by simply searching its site — no phone calls are required.

However, there are several quirks to understand when booking award flights with United miles, and although there are ways to redeem United miles outside of flights, you typically won't get a high redemption value.

Let's explore how to redeem United MileagePlus miles for United flights, partner flights, hotels and other merchandise.

Redeem United miles for United flights

United operates one of the largest international and domestic flight networks, with hundreds of destinations from which to choose — and that's not including its partner flights.

Just before the pandemic, United removed its award chart for its flights and flights operated by a partner . Now, it uses dynamic award pricing. This is a fancy way of saying United can charge whatever it wants whenever it wants for any flight. If you're curious how many miles it will cost to fly on United Airlines, you'll have to search for your desired route on your desired date.

In November 2021, United also introduced another way to redeem miles, Money + Miles . This option provides an unimpressive fixed 1 cent per mile redemption rate. If your ticket can be paid with Money + Miles, you will find this option on the final payment screen after selecting seats.

How to book flights on United's website

As noted above, United's website is one of the better Star Alliance options when searching for award tickets, even without logging in. Head to United's website, enter your flight search criteria and check "Book with miles." Then, click the purple "Find flights" button to run your search.

If you have United Premier status or have a United credit card associated with your MileagePlus account, you'll want to log in before searching. Cardholders and elite status members gain access to additional (or discounted) award inventory on United-operated flights.

United displays flights at the center of the page alongside prices. One nice thing about the United search engine is that it shows a week's worth of award pricing at the top of the screen. Click on a date to see all the available flight options for a given day. You can sort by price by clicking on the label for the cabin you'd like to fly in. For example, click "Business" to see business-class options.

Once you find an award you like, click the "select" button underneath the price and follow the on-screen prompts to book it. Pay the ticket's taxes and fees with a credit card that earns bonus miles on airfare and provides travel protections .

Related: The best credit cards for United Airlines flyers

Redeem United miles on partner flights

United is a member of Star Alliance , the world's largest airline alliance. Here's a look at United's list of alliance Star Alliance partners:

• Air New Zealand.
• All Nippon Airways.
• Asiana Airlines.
• Austrian Airlines.
• Brussels Airlines.
• Copa Airlines.
• Croatia Airlines.
• Ethiopian Airlines.
• LOT Polish Airlines.
• Shenzhen Airlines.
• Singapore Airlines.
• South African Airways.
• TAP Air Portugal.
• Thai Airways.
• Turkish Airlines.

Juneyao Airlines and Thai Smile are connecting partners of Star Alliance.

Additionally, United has an impressive portfolio of non-alliance partners too:

• Aer Lingus.
• Air Dolomiti.
• Boutique Air.
• Eurowings Discover.
• Hawaiian Airlines.
• Olympic Air.
• Silver Airways.
• Virgin Australia.

One of the biggest positives of redeeming United miles is that the MileagePlus program doesn't impose fuel surcharges on partner award tickets. Booking through other programs (like ANA Mileage Club or Asiana Club ) can add hundreds of dollars in additional taxes and fees . But at times, booking through partners will cost you significantly fewer miles.

The absence of fuel surcharges comes with a price, though. United's premium cabin award rates for long-haul partner flights are often higher than the least expensive awards operated by United. With its Europe devaluation , expect to spend at least 80,000 miles on a one-way United-operated flight or 102,400 miles on a one-way partner-operated flight from the U.S. to Europe in business class. Meanwhile, flights to Asia and other continents will almost always price above 100,000 miles now.

Related: Asiana is leaving Star Alliance. These are the carriers I'd like to see join as its replacement

Redeem for other travel

You can also redeem United MileagePlus miles for United Club memberships , hotel stays and Wi-Fi. But we seldom recommend doing this. These redemptions usually yield a far lower value than TPG's valuations , which peg the value of MileagePlus miles at 1.4 cents each. You'll usually get a value below 0.75 cents for these redemptions.

That said, here's a quick look at all of your other travel redemption options alongside their redemption values:

Redeem United miles for hotels

You can use United Hotels to book hotel rooms using your United miles, but it isn't a good deal. Using United's hotel booking portal, I checked for a one-night stay at the Andaz Singapore . One night in February 2024 costs $578.19 or 83,190 miles, which means you'll get about 0.7 cents per mile in value. You're far better off paying cash or redeeming World of Hyatt points for this particular stay.

Transfer United miles to Marriott Bonvoy

You can transfer United miles to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio. This isn't a good deal either — TPG values Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.84 cents each, which is 0.26 cents per point less than TPG's valuation of United miles. You should only transfer miles to Marriott if it's a small number of miles to top-up for a specific, high-value Marriott award.

Buy inflight Wi-Fi with United miles

You can use United miles to pay for inflight Wi-Fi on domestic United flights, but the cost varies by flight length. The airline also offers a $49 monthly Wi-Fi pass for $49 or 7,500 miles. However, by redeeming United miles for this pass, you'd only get 0.65 cents per mile in value, so we recommend steering clear of this redemption.

Related: How to save on inflight Wi-Fi for your next trip

Pay for TSA PreCheck with United miles

Finally, you can redeem United miles for TSA PreCheck. 11,000 United miles covers the $78 application fee, meaning you'd only get a redemption value of 0.7 cents per mile. You're far better off getting a credit card that covers the TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee , like the United℠ Explorer Card. Then you can save on the fee and earn a new sign-up bonus.

Related: Flights, credit cards and more: How to earn miles with the United MileagePlus program

Redeem for merchandise

You can also redeem United miles for merchandise, gift cards, newspapers and Broadway tickets. Like redeeming miles for hotels, these redemptions are generally a poor value that we recommend skipping.

Here's a quick look at all of your options alongside their redemption rates.

Redeem United miles for products

You can redeem United miles for merchandise via United's online store. This store offers electronics, luggage and home goods. We don't recommend doing this, as you'll generally get a low redemption value. For example, a pair of the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 costs 66,800 miles. These headphones retail for $379, giving you just 0.58 cents per mile in value.

Pay for MileagePlus X gift cards with United miles

We recommend earning miles with the MileagePlus X app , but we don't recommend spending your miles with it. This app lets you purchase gift cards for immediate use and earn miles. You'll get a mere 0.3 cents per mile in value if you redeem miles for gift cards. This is one of the worst possible redemptions you can make.

Subscribe to newspapers and magazines with United miles

You can also redeem United miles for magazine and newspaper subscriptions, but this is a poor use of miles as it yields an extremely low redemption value.

Donate your United miles to charities

Finally, you can donate United miles to select charities. You can donate a minimum of 1,000 miles at a time and choose from various charities. This can be a good option for those who want to liquidate their mileage balance and give to a good cause. That said, it's always worth considering if a cash donation is a more effective way to help.

Related: How you can donate your points and miles to charity

Best use of United miles

United has devalued its miles time after time, but there are still a handful of excellent ways to redeem United miles. Here's a look at some of the best United MileagePlus sweet spots you should know about.

Travel from the U.S. to Europe on a United Airlines flight

Although United increased Europe saver award rates by around 33% , you can still fly to Europe for 31,800 miles in economy class on off-peak dates. This can be a great use of miles.

Short-haul Europe and domestic Japan awards

You might consider using your United miles on short-haul Europe and domestic Japan awards. These flights generally cost under 10,000 miles; if you have Star Alliance Gold status, you'll have access to Star Alliance-branded lounges.

Low-cost domestic award tickets on United

One of the nice things about United's move to dynamic pricing is the addition of low-cost award tickets. Some of the low-cost tickets we've seen recently include Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) for 12,500 miles and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Denver International Airport (DEN) for 8,200 miles.

At the time of writing, this LAX to DEN flight was on sale for $103 in United's deeply discounted "G" fare class . If you redeemed miles for this flight, you'd get a redemption value of 1.19 cents per mile, which is above TPG's current valuation of United miles.

Free stopovers with the Excursionist Perk

One of the benefits of booking round-trip or multicity awards with United is the Excursionist Perk . This perk lets you add a free stopover to select round-trip tickets.

In its most basic form, you use this perk to book something like Newark to London's Heathrow Airport (LHR), then London to Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and finally Frankfurt back to Newark — with stops in both London and Frankfurt. You wouldn't pay any additional miles for the London to Frankfurt leg, an excellent money-saver on a European adventure.

Related: The best programs for maximizing stopovers and open jaws on award tickets

How to find United award space

Thankfully, finding United award space is relatively straightforward. Many travelers consider United's website the best Star Alliance search engine since virtually all United and Star Alliance partner award space is available online. You'll rarely have to call United to book an award ticket — search online and book accordingly.

That said, United's website sometimes shows phantom award space . This is when an award appears online that isn't bookable. You can verify award space before you transfer miles from Chase Ultimate Rewards by searching ANA's website. ANA's search tool isn't the most intuitive but reliable. All flights shown on ANA's website should be bookable with United miles.

Related: The best websites to search for Star Alliance award availability

Frequently asked questions

The United MileagePlus program may initially seem daunting — especially if you're new to the points and miles world. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding United MileagePlus:

How do I join United MileagePlus?

You can join United MileagePlus for free. Head to United's website and click "Join now" in the upper right corner of the screen. Then, enter the requested information at the center of the screen.

Once you've signed up, you can find your MileagePlus number by clicking on your name at the top of the screen. Add this number to United and Star Alliance partner bookings to earn mileage.

Related: United's best kept elite status secret: How to earn PQP faster with partner flights

When do United miles expire?

In 2019, United changed its expiration policy for the better. Nowadays, United miles don't expire even during prolonged periods of inactivity. This is excellent news for occasional United flyers and travelers without immediate use for their United miles.

Can I transfer points to United MileagePlus?

You can transfer miles from Chase Ultimate Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy to United MileagePlus. You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to United at a 1:1 ratio with a 1,000-mile minimum transfer. These transfers process instantly , giving you a fast and easy way to accrue miles.

Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to United MileagePlus at a 3:1 ratio. However, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points you transfer thanks to to United and Marriott's RewardsPlus partnership . Just note that transfers take roughly three days to process based on our prior tests.

Related: Marriott Titanium and Ambassador Elites can claim United status in under five minutes

Bottom line

There are many ways to redeem your United MileagePlus miles, but you're generally best off looking to book award flights. Thankfully, booking these tickets online with United and its Star Alliance partners is relatively easy.

The carrier's award search engine is one of the best out there, and the program charges low taxes and fees compared to other Star Alliance mileage programs. And with the ability to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United at a 1:1 ratio, you can quickly boost your account and unlock some of these redemptions as you plan your next trip.

Additional reporting by Kyle Olsen.

Michigan student dies 'suddenly' on school trip to robotics competition in Texas

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 to reach someone with  the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline . They're available 24 hours a day and provide services in multiple languages

A Michigan community is mourning after a student died suddenly while on a school trip to a robotics competition in Texas last week.

The student "suddenly passed away," Lake Orion High School confirmed with USA TODAY Tuesday, but did not identify the student. The school is located in Orion Township, about 40 miles north of Detroit.

"It is with deep regret that we inform you about a recent loss to our school community," superintendent Ben Kirby said in a statement sent out to the student body on Friday, obtained by USA TODAY.

"Today, Friday, April 19, one of our current high school students suddenly passed away. Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to their family and friends," the statement continued.

Officials have not identified the student.

Student was attending Robotics World Championship

The school's principal, Dan Hass, informed parents that the student was attending the Robotics World Championship, according to reporting by the Oakland County Times .

“Our hearts are very heavy as we mourn this loss," Hass said, per the outlet. "We will be ready to meet the needs of our students and staff Monday morning.”

Kirby noted in the statement that Lake Orion High School and Lake Orion Community Schools have crisis teams that will be ready to "help with the needs of students and school personnel."

"We are saddened by the loss to our school community and will make every effort to support our high school students through this tragedy," Kirby shared.

Authorities in Houston told USA TODAY a 16-year-old boy from Michigan died as a result of an apparent suicide Friday evening. 

The teen's official cause of death is pending an autopsy by the Harris County Coroner Coroner's Office.

Lake Orion High School Robotics team responds to tragedy

"This has been an incredibly challenging time for our team and community, and we are grateful for the overwhelming support we’ve received," Lake Orion Robotics FIRST Team 302 shared in an Instagram post .

"We’re prioritizing the privacy of the family right now and will share more when it’s appropriate. Thank you all for your understanding and support."

Lake Orion High's robotics team was attending the FIRSTS robotics world championships in Houston, Texas that ran April 17 through April 20, according to the competition's website.

Support has poured in from other robotics teams across the country.

"Everyone on f(x) robotics sends their love and support to all @firstteam302 team members, their families, and the entire Lake Orion community as they get through this incredibly difficult time. #wearealldragons ," a North Carolina team wrote.

"4362 would like to extend our deepest condolences to all of the families, students, mentors, and coaches on @firstteam302 we our all here for you. #morethanrobots #wearealldragons ," wrote a Michigan team.

A West Virgina team said it is "grieved by the fact FIRST has lost a member of its community."

"This is a tragic time for everyone associated with team 302 and the FIRST community," an Idaho team shared.

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2024 BMW iX xDrive50 Long-Term Test: A Road Trip Champ, Even With A Flat Tire

Spotting the sun meant covering a lot of miles, and sacrificing one tire to the gods..

I 'm six months and just over 6,000 miles into owning a BMW iX , and while the smiles still outweigh the groans by a healthy margin, for the first time, we've hit a real headache on the road. It wasn't, though, necessarily the car's fault.

If you missed our introduction , I'm leasing a 2024 BMW iX xDrive50, purchased with my own money and without any friendly discounts offered due to my position in the industry. I paid what any other customer off the street would have paid.

I'm charting my impressions of the thing, an SUV that is generally held to be among the best cars that BMW makes—but also perhaps the ugliest. At this point, I'm genuinely over the looks. In fact, I've come to like it, but as a former owner of a bugeye Subaru WRX , I've never been one to shy away from a great-driving but, funny-looking machine.

Since last month, my wife and I engaged on our biggest road trip in the iX since we picked up the thing, a drive that turned into something of an adventure. It was all in pursuit of the eclipse. Or, more specifically, clear skies through which to view that celestial moment. 

Following The Sun

With our bulky GSO Newtonian telescope and Sky-Watcher mount secured in the back to the iX's handy tie-down points, we headed off on the 180-odd mile journey from our home near Albany, NY, to see family who live near Watertown, NY. Watertown happened to be right smack dab in the middle of totality for the event. 

Our route was a mix of back-way and highway, and while I usually use Google Maps via Android Auto for navigation around town, for longer drives, when I want to monitor range accuracy, I use BMW's integrated navigation.

The BMW nav is good enough that I should use it more, but lately, it's been getting extremely slow to chart routes. While the voice recognition is quick to enter an address, the infotainment system takes upwards of 60 seconds to figure out which way to go, plus another solid 30-second delay before alternate routes show up.

It certainly wasn't that sluggish before, and I'm not sure if it's a software update or something else at play here. I'll keep an eye on it going forward.

Once the route was calculated, the iX showed an estimated 38 percent charge remaining upon arrival in Watertown. And that's precisely what we got when we arrived. This thing is yet again providing world-class accuracy on range estimation. And solid efficiency, too. That 180-mile trip was completed at a reasonable 2.8 mi/kWh despite the chilly 45-degree day and a fair bit of time on the highway.

Knowing that we might have to change venue based on the weather forecast, while in Watertown, we used a 150 kW EVolve NY charger to bring us back to full. Well, to 95 percent, anyway.

The iX preconditioned itself so that we were getting 144 kW almost as soon as we plugged in, but that, of course, tapered off as the battery capacity increased. The charge to 95 percent took about 45 minutes.

While the car was charging and I was trying to make a little headway on the never-ending struggle to conquer my email, my wife was comparing a dozen different forecasts. The news wasn't looking good. Where Watertown had previously been showing clear skies, the clouds were coming, and their timing looked terrible.

We had the choice of staying there and hoping for the best, or making a run through northern New York, an area with barely any chargers, on a weekend when absolutely everyone was heading north. It was a risky decision, and with a car with less range, we wouldn't have tried it. 

But try it we did.

Still A Range And Efficiency Beast

We topped up the car to 100 percent on a level one charger overnight and then headed east again in the morning. This time, our journey would take us through the Adirondack Park on some of the most scenic country roads the Northeast has to offer. 

Scenic, but hilly. From Watertown's elevation of just 466 feet we climbed up through the park, winding around the High Peaks, then back down again as we made our way to Lake Champlain. 

I was curious to see what the terrain and the still-chilly temperatures would do to the iX's range, but neither I nor the car expected the journey to be as efficient as it was.

The car's navigation predicted we'd make the 200-mile journey with 28 percent remaining. We actually rolled in with 41 percent. This was by far the biggest miss the SUV's nav has delivered yet, but it's hard to fault the thing for under-promising and over-delivering.

Anyhow, the terrain and temperature were countered by the relatively low, 50 mph average speed, resulting in 3.2 mi/kWh for that leg of the journey. That equates to over 350 miles of theoretical range.

Going that far through a land barren of chargers was a risk, but it paid off. Vermont is a stunning place at the worst of times, but beautiful weather made for a spectacular eclipse. 

The iX VS. The Flat Tire

When the sun stopped hiding it was time for us to head home. As you've likely seen, the crowds vacating the path of totality on Monday evening were intense. Thankfully, we had access to a level-two charger at my brother-in-law's, so we were fully charged well before the sun did its disappearing act.

But we still needed to dodge the traffic. One stretch of Rt. 22A was particularly jammed, so we decided to take a scenic detour around some pasture land on less-used routes.

One of those was Class 4, Vermont's category of barely maintained roads, intended for proper 4X4 machines. Despite still being in the throes of an extended mud season and despite the road being sloppy and rutted, the iX did fine, pulling us through without issue.

Its Goodyear tires, however, didn't fare so well. We picked up a puncture in the left-rear, a half-inch gouge right in the center of the tread. The tire thankfully held pressure long enough to get back to the family we'd stayed with in Vermont, but it surely wouldn't survive the drive home.

It took two patches to plug the hole, a process made more complicated by the iX's use of BMW's customary recessed jack points. The iX does not include the requisite adapter to enable the use of a standard floor jack. It also features neither a spare tire nor a scissor jack, offering only an emergency can of sealant.

But the patch held, and by the time we'd finished the job, the worst of the traffic had passed. We managed an average of 41 mph on the journey back to Albany, a 155-mile trip that saw the iX deliver an impressive 3.3 mi/kWh. 

The BMW was still showing an estimated 209 miles of range on the dash when we got home, for a theoretical total range of well over 400 miles, about a third higher than the SUV's EPA rating. Maybe being stuck in traffic isn't so bad.

While the journey wasn't without its headaches, the iX was a perfect companion. It delivered stellar range through an EV-charging black hole, had plenty of cargo space for two telescopes plus a weekend's worth of food and luggage, and was calm and smooth the entire way. 

Coming soon: More updates as the iX heads into warmer weather.

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