Yes, United miles can be transferred to others, however not only will you pay to do the transfer, but you'll have to pay a processing fee as well. United charges $7.50 per 500 miles transferred plus a $30 processing fee. So, if you wanted to transfer 50,000 miles, you would have to pay $780.

You can "gift" United MileagePlus miles in two distinct ways: by transferring your existing miles or by purchasing new miles directly for someone else's account. Transferring miles is generally the most common "gift," but it is notoriously expensive. United typically charges a fee of $7.50 per 500 miles transferred, plus a $30 processing fee per transaction. Because of these high costs, travel experts often suggest a "free" alternative: instead of moving the miles, simply use your miles to book an award ticket in the other person's name. There is no fee for booking a flight for someone else using your own account's miles. If you choose to buy miles as a gift, you can do so through the United website, where the miles are deposited directly into the recipient's account, often during "bonus" periods where you get extra miles for your money. It is important to note that miles moved or gifted between accounts do not count toward Premier elite status for the recipient and once the transfer is finalized, it cannot be reversed.