Airbnb doesn’t run a guest points program that we know of, so most travelers earn on a vacation rental only once: whatever their credit card pays. One older trick can add a second (and sometimes third) layer. You buy an Airbnb gift card through an airline’s shopping app, pay for it with a rewards card, and then use the gift card balance to book your stay. Here’s how that works with United’s MileagePlus X app, what American Airlines offers (less than you might hope), and when the trick isn’t worth it any more.
The quick version (as of October 2026)
| Piece | What we found | How confident |
|---|---|---|
| Airbnb gift cards in MileagePlus X | Listed, with a reported 2 United miles per $1 and amounts from $25 to $500 | Reported by NerdWallet (updated Oct. 13, 2026). Rates rotate, so check the app. |
| United cardholder bonus | 25% extra miles on MileagePlus X purchases for primary holders of U.S. United co-branded cards linked to your account, even if you pay with another card | Several guides updated in 2026 report this. We couldn’t open United’s own page. |
| American Airlines | No AA app or portal we could find sells Airbnb gift cards directly | See the AA section below |
| Card earning on the gift card | Usually your card’s base rate. Gift card buys aren’t a travel purchase. | Card coding has varied over the years. Plan for the base rate. |
How the United “dip” works
- Dip 1, your card: Buy the Airbnb e-gift card in the MileagePlus X app and pay with a rewards card. Expect the card’s base rate. A 2018 Doctor of Credit report said MileagePlus X charges started coding as miscellaneous retail rather than travel on the Sapphire Reserve. Some bloggers have reported different coding since, so don’t count on a bonus category.
- Dip 2, United miles: The app pays miles per dollar at a rate that changes by merchant and over time. NerdWallet reported 2 miles per dollar for Airbnb in October 2026. Upgraded Points says miles post to your United account right away.
- Dip 3, the cardholder bonus: If you hold a United co-branded card (guides list the Gateway, Explorer, Quest, Club and business versions) and it’s linked to your MileagePlus account, guides report a 25% bonus on the miles you earn in the app.
Then you add the gift card to your Airbnb account and apply the balance before you book. Airbnb says you can’t add a gift card balance to a reservation that’s already confirmed.
What about American Airlines?
We looked at AAdvantage eShopping, SimplyMiles and AA’s gift card site and found no American Airlines channel that sells Airbnb gift cards directly as of October 2026. What exists:
- AAdvantage gift cards (launched March 2026) lets you redeem miles for gift cards. You don’t earn miles there. AA’s announcement named Sephora, Nike and Best Buy, not Airbnb. Upgraded Points found redemptions topping out around 0.7 cents per mile, which is poor value.
- AAdvantage eShopping: Airbnb isn’t a portal store that we could find. One workaround is to buy an Airbnb gift card from a retailer that is in the portal. Lazy Points reported in 2023 earning 200 miles on a $100 Airbnb gift card bought from Staples through the portal. But many portal stores exclude gift cards, and The Vacationer notes that many stores don’t pay miles on gift card purchases. Read the store’s exclusions first.
- Loyalty Points: AA counts base miles from non-airline partners such as eShopping toward Loyalty Points, so a purchase that does earn base miles there could help with status. The Vacationer says special bonus-mile offers don’t earn Loyalty Points.
- SimplyMiles: Offers rotate, and we found no Airbnb offer reported there.
You also can’t earn United and American miles on the same dollar, because each gift card is bought in one place.
The 2026 twist: the Sapphire Preferred may beat the trick
On June 15, 2026, Chase added 3x points on “vacation homes at top brands including Airbnb, Vrbo and more” to the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Everything else not in a bonus category stays at 1x. The Points Guy reports that the category covers bookings made directly with Airbnb. When you pay with a gift card balance, your card isn’t charged for the stay, so you give up that 3x and earn only the base rate on the gift card. One reviewer (Card-Savvy) reports that direct Airbnb bookings earn just 1x on the Sapphire Reserve, which makes the gift card route look better for Reserve holders.
Worked example: a $1,000 stay (hypothetical)
Assumptions: 2 United miles per $1 in MileagePlus X with a 25% cardholder bonus, two $500 gift cards, and 1x on the card for the gift card purchase. These are illustrative numbers, not a promise. Rates change.
| Approach | Card points | Airline miles | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay Airbnb directly with Sapphire Preferred (3x) | 3,000 Chase | 0 | 3,000 |
| MileagePlus X gift card, paid with Sapphire Preferred, no United card | 1,000 Chase | 2,000 United | 3,000 |
| MileagePlus X gift card, paid with Sapphire Preferred or Reserve, United card linked | 1,000 Chase | 2,500 United | 3,500 |
| MileagePlus X gift card, paid with United Explorer (1x on non-United spend) | 1,000 United | 2,500 United | 3,500 United |
| Hypothetical: Airbnb gift card from an AA eShopping store paying 2 miles/$ on gift cards | 1,000 Chase | 2,000 AA (+ about 2,000 Loyalty Points) | 3,000 |
Chase points transfer 1:1 to United, so the first three rows can all end up as United miles if you want them to. For more on which Chase card earns what, see our guide to the Chase Trifecta.
Airbnb gift card rules to know
- Airbnb’s U.S. terms (updated July 29, 2025) say gift cards have no fees and don’t expire. They have no cash value and can’t be resold, reloaded or cashed out except where the law requires.
- Gift cards cover stays, Experiences and Services. They can’t be used for damage claims, Resolution Center payments or other gift cards.
- Once added, the balance stays in that Airbnb account and can’t be moved to someone else. The card’s issuing country has to match your account’s country of residence.
- If Airbnb suspects fraud, it can refuse a card, close the account and charge your other payment methods.
Risks and fine print
- Non-refundable: Upgraded Points notes MileagePlus X gift cards are non-refundable. Only buy what you’ll spend on a stay you’re fairly sure of.
- Rates and listings change: Airbnb has dropped out of the app before (reader comments in 2016 reported it disappearing), and rates rotate.
- Caps and fraud holds: Buying several $500 cards quickly can trigger fraud checks with your card issuer or the app. Programs can also shut down accounts they see as gift card churning.
- Lost card benefits: Trip cancellation and similar card protections usually require paying for the trip with that card. A stay paid with gift card balance may not qualify, so check your benefits guide.
- Cancellations: Airbnb’s help pages we read don’t spell out how gift card money comes back on a cancelled booking. Ask Airbnb before you rely on it.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer 1:1 to United MileagePlus, and the Sapphire Preferred now earns 3x on Airbnb booked directly. You can compare current offers and apply with our Chase referral link.
Disclosure: This is our personal Chase referral link. If you’re approved through it, we may earn a referral bonus, at no extra cost to you. You can always apply directly on Chase’s website. See our Advertising & Referral Disclosure.
Our take
The MileagePlus X route still works on paper, and it makes the most sense if you already hold a United card (for the 25%) and pay with a card that earns only 1x on Airbnb anyway. If you have the Sapphire Preferred, the extra layer adds about 500 points on $1,000 in our example. In exchange, you give up the purchase protections and the flexibility of paying with a card. For American Airlines flyers, there’s no clean Airbnb gift card path. The retailer workaround is hit-or-miss, so treat any miles from it as a bonus rather than the plan. Check the live rate in the app on the day you buy, and keep it to stays you’re sure you’ll take.
Sources
- NerdWallet: How to earn or redeem points on Airbnb stays (updated Oct. 13, 2026)
- Upgraded Points: United MileagePlus X guide
- AwardWallet: MileagePlus X app
- 10xTravel: MileagePlus X guide
- The Points Guy: Earning on Airbnb and alternative stays
- Doctor of Credit: MPX no longer coding as travel (2018)
- Point Me to the Plane: United miles on Airbnb (2016, with reader comments)
- Chase: Meet the New Chase Sapphire Preferred (June 15, 2026)
- The Points Guy: Sapphire Preferred vacation homes category
- Card-Savvy: Does Airbnb count as travel for Chase Sapphire?
- Chase: United Explorer Card
- Upgraded Points: Chase transfer partners
- American Airlines Newsroom: Redeem miles for gift cards (March 12, 2026)
- Upgraded Points: Redeeming AAdvantage miles for gift cards
- American Airlines: Loyalty Points
- The Vacationer: AAdvantage eShopping guide
- Lazy Points: Airbnb rewards hacks
- Airbnb: U.S. Gift Card Terms
- Airbnb: Using an Airbnb gift card
- Airbnb: Checking your gift card balance
Programs, gift card offers and earning rates change often; confirm details with the program before you buy. Points Capital is not a financial advisor.
