United Business Class To Europe, Up To 9 Seats

United has a nice chunk of business class award space to Amsterdam. While space is more widely available on the return, you can still find a nice bit of space on the outbound from some US airports.


Don’t forget, it may be possible to connect to other European destinations!


Now, let’s get into it!

United Polaris business class seat, front view

Straight To The Points



Routes: EWR, IAD, IAH, ORD - AMS
Operating airline: United
Class of service: Business class (Polaris)
Dates: November 2024 - April 2025
Seats available: 2 (up to 9)
Cabin layout: 1-2-1 (777-300 and 787-10); 1-1-1 (767)
Book with (per person, one-way): 

  • *Air Canada Aeroplan: 

    • EWR, IAD: 60,000 miles

    • IAH, ORD, SFO: 70,000 miles

  • *ANA Mileage Club: 100,000 miles (round-trip only)

  • *Asiana Club: 40,000 miles

  • *avianca lifemiles: 69,000 miles

  • *EVA Infinity MileageLands: 65,000 miles

  • *Lufthansa Miles & More: 56,000 miles

  • *Singapore KrisFlyer: 81,000 miles

  • *Turkish Miles&Smiles: 90,000 miles

  • *United MileagePlus: 80,000 miles


*No Surcharges


Taxes/fees (per person): 

  • From IAD: ~$5.60

  • From AMS: ~$94


Aeroplan and LifeMiles have partner booking fees.


Bank transfer partners: 

  • Air Canada: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Marriott

  • Asiana Club: Marriott

  • lifemiles: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Citi, Marriott

  • EVA: Capital One, Citi

  • Singapore: Amex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Marriott

  • Turkish: Bilt, Capital One, Citi, Marriott

  • United: Bilt, Chase, Marriott


Current Airline Transfer Bonuses
Best Card Offers


Let me know if you book!

United Polaris business class cabin

Available Dates

Book Your Stay With VIP Perks

United Polaris business class seat, rear view

Flight Experience


A quick look at the flight schedule shows that United is operating their Boeing 767, 777, 787-10 on these routes. On the  777 and 787-10, you’ll find a 1-2-1 cabin layout while the 767 has a 1-1-1 layout. The seats are the same regardless.

When departing from the US, I generally suggest eating at the Polaris Lounge and skipping meal service on the flight. Polaris Lounges typically have much better food and a solid selection of drinks.

Best Ways To Book


ANA: Best Round-Trip Option, Slow Amex Transfers

At 100,000 miles round-trip, ANA Mileage Club is your best round-trip option. However, Amex is your only transfer option and transfers can take a few days.

Connections won't increase the award rate but could increase the taxes/fees if you connect in Europe on a Star Alliance partner that has surcharges.


Aeroplan: Best East Coast Option

From IAD or EWR, Aeroplan is a great option at 60,000 points one-way for the non-stop. If you connect to IAD or EWR, the extra flight distance will almost always bump the rate to 70,000 points.


From IAH and 70,000 Aeroplan points is a solid option, but lifemiles might be a better option if you have Amex, Bilt, Capital One, or Citi points.


If you have the Chase Aeroplan Card, you can get a 10% transfer bonus when you transfer 50,000+ Chase Ultimate Rewards points. From EWR/IAD, you’d need 55,000 Chase points. From IAH/ORD, you’d need 64,000 Chase points.


If you connect from the west coast and within Europe, the total flight distance could bump the award rate up to 90,000 Aeroplan points.

You can also include a stopover for 5,000 additional miles. Use GCmap to calculate your total flight distance and double-check Aeroplan's award chart.


EVA: Best Central U.S. Option With Citi Points

If you need a one-way ticket from IAH or ORD, EVA Air Infinity MileageLands is actually a better option than Aeroplan or lifemiles at 65,000 miles. This only works if you have Citi points as the transfer ratio from Capital One to EVA is 1:0.75.


Please note that EVA isn’t the easiest program to use. You’re often better off booking multiple tickets separately from each person’s EVA account. It might even be easier to call or visit one of their ticket offices.


Ben from One Mile At A Time shared his experience booking with EVA miles.


Lifemiles: Great Rate From Many Departure Cities & With Connections

With Amex, Bilt, or Capital One points, Lifemiles is often a better option than Aeroplan at 69,000 miles since a few routes (and many with connections) require 70,000 points.


If you redeem a ton of lifemiles each year, it might be worth getting a lifemiles+ subscription to get a 10% rebate on Star Alliance redemptions. A Lite membership is only $240 per year while a Basic membership is $600 but you get free changes  and cancellations. Most people probably don’t need the higher tier memberships.


United: Solid West Coast Option With Chase Points


If you have Chase points and are connecting from the west coast, the Aeroplan rate could jump to 90,000 points. That would make 80,000 United miles a better option. Connecting in Europe might increase the rate, but still keep you under 90,000 points.


If you book a round-trip award, you can use United’s Excursionist Perk which is basically United’s version of a free stopover.

How To Search

  1. From United's homepage, select Advanced search

  2. Choose to show price in miles

  3. Select Roundtrip or One-way

  4. Enter the origin & destination

  5. Select Nonstop only (if you don't need a connection)

  6. Select the number of passengers

  7. Select your dates or choose Flexible dates and choose a month

  8. Select Business

  9. Run the search

  10. If booking with another Star Alliance partner, confirm space by searching with that program

  11. Transfer points (if necessary)

  12. Log into your account

  13. Run the search again

  14. Complete the booking


Happy booking!