United offering rewards members chance to win free flights for a year with COVID-19 vaccine card

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The president released a questions-and-answers video on May 15 that showed experts answering common questions from ordinary Americans. (Source: White House via Storyful)

United Airlines will offer five lucky winners in their "Your Shot to Fly" sweepstakes free flights for a year, and the only requirements are that entrants have to already be a part of or join United’s MileagePlus club and must have proof of being fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

United Airlines announced it will pick five grand prize winners on July 1, and those who are selected will "receive one year of free travel to any of our global destinations in any class of service for themselves and one companion traveling with them," according to the sweepstakes website.

An additional 30 winners will be randomly selected in June and will receive a free, round-trip flight to anywhere United flies.

United Airlines plane 787.

MileagePlus members who upload their vaccination cards by June 22 will be automatically entered for a chance to win one of the 30 free roundtrip flights.

The sweepstakes runs between May 24-June 22.

"We're proud to do our part to incentivize people to get their shot," said United CEO Scott Kirby. "Thanks to the vaccine, more and more destinations are opening up for travel – and we know our customers are eager to fly. We're excited to give people one more reason to get vaccinated so they can reunite with friends and family or take that long-awaited vacation which all could be just one shot away."

Entrants must be 18 years or older and must become a member of MileagePlus in order to be considered. MileagePlus is how United will contact winners.

Any winners of the sweepstakes must complete their travels between July 15, 2021, until July 14, 2022.

United will also consider anyone who is unable to get the vaccine due to health or religious reasons.

In addition, anyone who is wary about sharing their vaccination information online is free to mail-in for a chance to win by sending a copy of their COVID-19 vaccine card to MileagePlus Vax Sweepstakes, PO Box 158, Freeburg, IL 622.43-0158.

For more information and how to sign up for MileagePlus, visit United’s Your Shot to Fly sweepstakes website.

United is not the only company jumping on the bandwagon when it comes to offering cash and freebies in order to incentivize Americans to get their COVID-19 vaccines.

Companies like Budweiser, Samuel Adams and Krispy Kreme are offering customers who show their vaccine cards a free beer or doughnut.

Some states are offering a chance to win cash in exchange for getting vaccinated.

The Ohio Vax-a-Million campaign offers a cash incentive to both adults and kids ages 12-17 who receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

"Ohioans 18 and older who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can enter to win one of five $1 million prizes. Ohioans ages 12-17 who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can enter to win one of five four-year, full-ride scholarships, including room and board, tuition, and books, to any Ohio state college or university," according to a news release.

On the day it went live, Ohio’s Vax-a-Million website had nearly 25 million page views and hundreds of thousands entered their name to potentially win the lottery.

On May 12, about 12,913 people got vaccinated in one day. That number nearly doubled to 25,406 on May 14, just two days after the lottery was announced, according to the state’s COVID-19 vaccination dashboard.

West Virginia is offering a $100 savings bond to younger adults who get vaccinated, while Maryland is giving $100 to any state employee who gets a shot.

Vaccines are now in plentiful supply, but with COVID-19 cases falling the daily number of people getting a shot has slipped. The U.S. remains short of the level of protection needed for widespread immunity to the coronavirus. And there are ongoing concerns about the emergence of variants that could prove resistant to vaccines.

President Joe Biden's administration is trying to convince more Americans to sign up for shots, using an upbeat message that vaccines offer a return to normal life.

Health experts are encouraging people who have yet to be vaccinated to do so despite the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases.

"My biggest concern is new strains of the virus and the need to remain vigilant in the months ahead," said Boston College public health expert Dr. Philip J. Landrigan.

The Associated Press and FOX 9 contributed to this report.

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