I decided to have a fun date night with Jennifer at a nearby restaurant using our United miles. I continue to be thrilled with the parties United Airlines throws.

Booking

In December 2023, I was perusing the United MileagePlus Exclusives website to see what was out there. I then saw United Airlines decided to host another event in the Los Angeles area in February 2024. We had been to one of their prior New Year’s Eve parties and thought it was a blast.. I’ve been trying to find an occasional excuse to ditch the kids and have some fun as an adult and this dinner at Dear Jane’s offered an excellent opportunity.

This event ended up being a flat rate of 12,000 United miles per person. It was only available to those with a United credit card, but I was able to get in with my no annual fee credit card. Honestly, their no annual fee card is one of the best values they offer since it does also unlock better award availability on their flights. I wouldn’t apply for the card directly—instead, it’s better to get a different card (with a higher sign up bonus) and then downgrade to the no annual fee version.

Is 12,000 miles worth it for a dinner? That’s ultimately up to the redeemer. With the devaluations United has done both to its own flights and to partner awards, I certainly don’t feel any apprehension about using my miles at a nice restaurant. I also feel that it’s an excellent opportunity to network with other like-minded individuals (United seems to heavily encourage mingling with their events) and you also get a chance to chat with people from United, who take a lot of pride in hosting these events.

Dear Jane’s

We arrived at the restaurant to find valet staff who parked our car. It’s nice that of the two events I’ve been to, United pays for the valet parking. They’ve also bought out the whole restaurant, making for a private evening.

Immediately inside was a welcome table, where guest names were confirmed, along with a banner welcoming us.

Just to the side of the entrance was the restaurant bar, where drinks were on the house. We arrived just a little bit early and there was already a decent size crowd, but it got far more crowded as the night continued and everyone waited for dinner to be served.

The bartenders were busy making their house specialty, Smokey Jane, which is a combination of buffalo trace bourbon, syrup, a bit of smoke, and some bitters. I was a fan and ended up drinking a few.

There was a choice of two passed hors d’oeuvres. I found both of them to be excellent—perfectly crispy and warm.

We were caught up in the happy hour and chatting with others that we forgot to do the kitchen tour until the very end of the bar service. We were able to get an expedited version of the tour, but we didn’t get to see too much given how busy the kitchen was in preparing dinner for everyone.

The evening started with a few opening remarks. The setting was quite beautiful with nice views of the adjacent marina. We were seated with another local couple and it was nice getting the chance to interact with them.

Each place setting had a menu. I’ll let the pictures mostly speak for themselves (though I’ll admit it was hard juggling taking pictures with being social). Everything here was delicious and frankly I would love to come back someday and enjoy the food here another time.

Odds and Ends

Both United events I’ve been to have included a raffle. They have some awards to hand out for those who might have been the newest member and who traveled the farthest. Then they also picked names out of a hat to issue some extra points. Though I was busy socializing at the time, I thought I heard my name being called. Sure enough, I had won the raffle. The points also posted to my account the next day, ultimately making this a free dining experience. It was just icing on top of the cake; I certainly would have been satisfied with the experience even if we didn’t win the raffle.

At the end of the evening, each guest was given a parting gift. Inside the bag was a United-branded cocktail shaker and a small pot with seeds. It was a simple gift, but it’s nice getting something to take home and practical enough to also use.

Recommendation: Yes

United Airlines continues to invest a lot of effort into the events they host. I find the price to be affordable, it’s nice to be able to meet others who have similar interests, and do so at places that have delicious food. I’m not able to make every event they host, but I do wish I could make them all. If you’re in the mood for a simple use of United miles, you can’t go wrong choosing one of their dinner events.

As for Dear Jane’s, I expect to be back and try out their regular dining experience. The food was delicious and the setting is quite beautiful, making for a fun night out. Perhaps we will even bring the kids next time.

Have you been to Dear Jane’s? Or signed up for a United dining experience yet?