United MileagePlus has announced that it’s making changes to elite status qualification for 2027. The changes are described as simplifying the program, and I suppose on some level that’s true. However, reducing flexibility is less than ideal, and in particular, top-tier Premier 1K status will be materially harder to earn.
United MileagePlus unveils elite qualification changes for 2027
Currently, United MileagePlus gives members two ways to earn elite status:
- You can earn elite status exclusively through Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs), where you earn one PQP per dollar spent on airfare, and you can also earn PQPs through credit card spending
- You can earn elite status through a combination of PQPs and Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs), with the idea being that if you also fly a certain number of segments, your requirement for PQPs is reduced
Here are the United MileagePlus elite requirements for 2026:
- Premier Silver requires 15 PQFs and 5,000 PQPs, OR just 6,000 PQPs
- Premier Gold requires 30 PQFs and 10,000 PQPs, OR just 12,000 PQPs
- Premier Platinum requires 45 PQFs and 15,000 PQPs, OR just 18,000 PQPs
- Premier 1K requires 60 PQFs and 22,000 PQPs, OR just 28,000 PQPs
Well, this system will be changing as of 2027, in two ways:
- There will no longer be a way to earn MileagePlus elite status through PQFs, so PQPs will be the only metric for earning elite status
- The number of PQPs required to earn Premier 1K will be increased materially
Here are the United MileagePlus elite requirements for 2027:
- Premier Silver will require 6,000 PQPs
- Premier Gold will require 12,000 PQPs
- Premier Platinum will require 18,000 PQPs
- Premier 1K will require 32,000 PQPs
As you can see, all tiers will see a reduction in flexibility for earning status, while Premier 1K status will require 4,000 additional PQPs. In other words, Premier 1K status will either require $32,000 in eligible spending, or since you earn one PQP per $15 spent on United’s most premium credit cards, it would require a staggering $480,000 in credit card spending.
Admittedly there are some shortcuts and head starts available, but broadly speaking, that’s the math.
Is United overly confident, or actually winning?
United is the first among the “big three” US carriers to announce plans to increase elite status requirements for 2027. Now, we’ll see if other airlines match, but I wouldn’t necessarily count on it. While we saw increases in elite requirements year after year pre-pandemic, it seems that has slowed down a bit post-pandemic.
Heck, a few years back, Delta SkyMiles partially backtracked on its elite requirement increases, given the amount of backlash the carrier got.
With that in mind, I’m curious about United’s strategy here:
- Is United actually seeing such an increase in business that the airline feels that increasing elite requirements is the right move? Or will we shortly see the same moves from other airlines? Is United actually winning elite flyers, compared to American and Delta?
- We know United has a loyalty revenue “deficit” compared to Delta, so is United simply hoping that increasing goalposts for status will result in more spending, with few people jumping off the “hamster wheel?”
It is interesting to see just how high United’s spending threshold for top tier status has become. For simplicity, I’m not counting any sort of credit card or status boosts (all airlines have this in one form or another), but broadly speaking:
- United MileagePlus Premier 1K requires $32,000 in airfare spending or $480,000 in credit card spending
- Delta SkyMiles Diamond Medallion requires $28,000 in airfare spending or $280,000 in credit card spending
- American AAdvantage Executive Platinum requires $18,180 in airfare spending or $200,000 in credit card spending
No matter how you slice it, that’s an absolutely massive “gap” in credit card spending requirements, so you can’t help but wonder….
Bottom line
United MileagePlus is making elite status significantly harder to earn as of 2027. Not only will it no longer be possible to earn status through a combination of segments plus spending, but the requirements for Premier 1K are also increasing greatly.
Premier 1K will require 32,000 PQPs, which is the equivalent of $480,000 in credit card spending. That’s quite the “premium” over what it takes to earn comparable status with American and Delta.
What do you make of United’s elite status requirement increases? Do you think this just reflects that United is winning brand loyal customers, or is the airline getting overly confident?
Do airlines ever release how many status members they have any given year? I've always wondered about the ebb and flow of status on an annual basis
Do you have some sort of inflation benchmark that would be applicable, say an airfare price index? You could go back to when United instituted the outgoing rules, and see how much spending that translates to, in today's dollars.
Is there anybody who puts massive amounts of non-airline spending on those cards?
I will probably loose my lowly status of Silver with these changes. I make chooses on cost and value. My main Airport is a United Hub so I don't have much option that most of my flights are United, but... If I never going to get status helped along by the number of flights then I might go with other choices especially at the end of the year.
One can actually argue that if the nominal cost is 32,000….it is less than the real cost of flights ( August 2026 ) you could have booked a year ago for a nominal cost of 28,000. As the real cost for that same 28,000 of spend equals approximately 34,522 on Augusts year over year number (+23.4 percent). So, I’m shocked United isn’t spinning it as a discount on qualifying for status with everything being equal...
One can actually argue that if the nominal cost is 32,000….it is less than the real cost of flights ( August 2026 ) you could have booked a year ago for a nominal cost of 28,000. As the real cost for that same 28,000 of spend equals approximately 34,522 on Augusts year over year number (+23.4 percent). So, I’m shocked United isn’t spinning it as a discount on qualifying for status with everything being equal LOL.
YES, money still has to be spent and come from somewhere….. of course ….. it’s also supply and demand. Prices will change, but haven’t airline executives said even if oil drops that fares will still remain higher.
Air fares are 30%-40% lower in real terms since deregulation in 1978 and the cost/mile is down 40%-50%. Even after accounting for fees the price of flying is significantly and there were no lie-flat seat/beds back in the glory days of air travel. Fares are still 12%-19% lower than pre-Covid.
What a lame change. Chasing airline status just does not make sense.
United 1K squarely targeting Business travelers on company dime rather than Leisure or Miles & Points enthusiast. Even if an household spends $400k a year, they normally wouldn't do it on a United credit card. The only way this makes sense is still business travel. Long haul J fares is usually 7-8k USD, assuming 5k is the fare price, that's just 6 long haul flights a year. Fairly common in mid-upper management of larger companies.
I started the miles & points game back in 2010 when United didn't yet merge with Continental. 100% miles given per mile flown on the cheapest fare. Round trip fares to Asia and Europe on the cheap. Easy 1K. Amazing what this program has become now. On the bright-side, it just means the economy is doing well and people were fair better off than the economic depression we were in back in 2010.
No normal household spends $200k or $400k in credit card spending.
Most Americans take zero flights per year.
Not sure how sustainable all these requirements are
Arggg...this stings, and while it may thin the ranks of elites further, that is unlikely to help with benefits. Even on the Global Services side, it seems to have become substantially more difficult to get upgrades based on what I see with PN availability. The credit card spend required for PQPs is substantially higher than the competition. As someone who's been Gold or higher for over two decades, and with 4 years at Global Services,...
Arggg...this stings, and while it may thin the ranks of elites further, that is unlikely to help with benefits. Even on the Global Services side, it seems to have become substantially more difficult to get upgrades based on what I see with PN availability. The credit card spend required for PQPs is substantially higher than the competition. As someone who's been Gold or higher for over two decades, and with 4 years at Global Services, I may barely make Gold again this year. Perhaps time to stop chasing.
As someone who normally reaches just Platinum on a few segments and card spend, this change won't really affect me. And I don't usually get close enough to even consider 1K anyway.
Meanwhile I easily reach Executive Platinum on American Airlines with their credit card spending and tiered bonuses, hotel bookings and an occasional flight. United really does need to reconsider the amount of PQP earning per dollar of credit card spending. It's terrible.
This really sucks. I have made Gold the last 2 years and Platinum before that with a combination of flights and spending. I already have enough segments for Platinum in 2027, but will barely make Gold with just over $10k in spending this year. For those of us who fly out of smaller airports and connect to most of our destinations this final removal of segments for elite qualification is a sad day. I used...
This really sucks. I have made Gold the last 2 years and Platinum before that with a combination of flights and spending. I already have enough segments for Platinum in 2027, but will barely make Gold with just over $10k in spending this year. For those of us who fly out of smaller airports and connect to most of our destinations this final removal of segments for elite qualification is a sad day. I used to make Chairman's on US Airways with 100 segments easily by late Summer or early Autumn in my 4 to 6 segments a week travel days.
Four years ago, I hopped off the US airline elite status 'hamster wheel' when UA, right after the CV-19 pandemic, raised the requirement for making 1K to $28K, Finally, the bridge was just way too far. My only consolation after more than two decades of patronizing MileagePlus was that I walked away with the program's One Million Miler status and the LT Gold/*G that comes with it, which is without a doubt the "sweet spot"...
Four years ago, I hopped off the US airline elite status 'hamster wheel' when UA, right after the CV-19 pandemic, raised the requirement for making 1K to $28K, Finally, the bridge was just way too far. My only consolation after more than two decades of patronizing MileagePlus was that I walked away with the program's One Million Miler status and the LT Gold/*G that comes with it, which is without a doubt the "sweet spot" among LT statuses in the industry. In retrospect, walking away when I did was a brilliant move, given the whirlwind of programmatic devaluations that has since hit both the hotel and airline loyalty industries.
The bright side here, because there is always one, is that the stiffened requirements for earning Premier Plat and 1K will thin their ranks to potentially make my LT Premier Gold more valuable...
@dcsJust remember that Lifetime is defined by the airline, in this case United, for which “lifetime” is whatever United defines it to be. They can discontinue that status at any time and for any reason whatsoever and for that matter, any benefits that come with it.
I hear ya, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now I will not let what might happen keep me from enjoying the moment. Carpe diem!
@Faris…I wonder where he is going in Asia because Delta metal still does that out of SF with connections of course and I’m sure he could have found an equally priced flight from SF since distance doesn’t matter…… some people are just loyal regardless like preference of Pepsi or Coke and won’t have the other if there is a choice. Lol
@FoulOwl….. I hear ya too and agree. I didn’t actually mean to drop status,...
@Faris…I wonder where he is going in Asia because Delta metal still does that out of SF with connections of course and I’m sure he could have found an equally priced flight from SF since distance doesn’t matter…… some people are just loyal regardless like preference of Pepsi or Coke and won’t have the other if there is a choice. Lol
@FoulOwl….. I hear ya too and agree. I didn’t actually mean to drop status, I was just saying one side of the spectrum I have encountered and I’d say I fall into that category. Yes, I dread sitting next to people whom like to have a few drinks and want to give me an A-Z lesson on Delta / United frequent flyer program when I have zero interest in having a conversation. But I’m polite and indulge…..they usually shut up when a flight attendant recognizes me and we have family discussions quickly or thanks me for being xyz customer. It’s a lot of same routes.
And I personally wouldn’t mind not having status because I’ll pay for what I want. Yes, I would miss out on few intangibles which do matter, but who knows I might not if it’s an expensive ticket.
And I’m taking 10 people on a safari late spring / early summer and Delta will be footing the bill on our travel regardless of the insane D1 redemption rates. So, I guess I care about mileage earning, but to me it has never been important. I just never talk about status and actually sometimes it is embarrassing to me.
Now the correct credit cards to use to maximize rewards…. Yes.
Hopefully further changes do not try to “undo” the lifetime status that many of us “earned” by many years of flying on United – Gold for 1 million BIS (butt-in-seat) United miles, Platinum for 2 million BIS United miles, and 1K for 3 million BIS United miles.
As others have noted, totally forget about “free” upgrades, even for Global Services members. They are rarer than hen’s teeth. There is no such thing as an instant...
Hopefully further changes do not try to “undo” the lifetime status that many of us “earned” by many years of flying on United – Gold for 1 million BIS (butt-in-seat) United miles, Platinum for 2 million BIS United miles, and 1K for 3 million BIS United miles.
As others have noted, totally forget about “free” upgrades, even for Global Services members. They are rarer than hen’s teeth. There is no such thing as an instant upgrade to First or Business at the time of booking.
To me, the only remaining benefits of status, in my case Platinum, are (1) “free” access to Economy Plus seating when making reservations, (2) free luggage (3 pieces up to 70lbs each which I never have used – I check 1 piece of about 50lbs for longer vacation trips), (3) Boarding Group 1 (to be able to access space in overhead bins – and I wouldn't count on overhead bin access remaining “free” in the long term), and (4) Star Alliance Gold status that lets me access lounges on Star Alliance flights overseas.
Quite frankly, I would not be surprised if at some point, United suddenly decides to reset the “lifetime” status awards and/or reset the whole system. Read the fine print; none of the airline loyalty programs promise anything for the long term and even the points/miles/whatever and/or permanent status you think you have can be erased by a simple airline management decision.
Let's not forget that the United Club card earn 1 status point for every $15 of spend whereas the Delta Reserve card earns 1 point for every $10. As usual, United gives you less. For me, once I've attained Gold status I move all my spend to the Sapphire Preferred. I know I'm not going to reach Platinum at that crappy earn rate so why put another penny on the card.
There are very few reasons for me to keep a United credit card anymore.
The Club Card only pays if you travel a tremendous amount domestically (and there are lounges in the cities you travel to or from. (Note that except for Honolulu, there are no United Clubs in Hawaii!)
Thus, I downgraded to the simplest fee-based United card when I was no longer travelling for business. What it provides for me is (1)...
There are very few reasons for me to keep a United credit card anymore.
The Club Card only pays if you travel a tremendous amount domestically (and there are lounges in the cities you travel to or from. (Note that except for Honolulu, there are no United Clubs in Hawaii!)
Thus, I downgraded to the simplest fee-based United card when I was no longer travelling for business. What it provides for me is (1) Some advantage in terms of travel awards pricing/availability and (2) primary coverage for car rental damage when paying for car rental with the card. My wife and I use the two United Club one-time passes for breakfast once a year when departing SFO.
For everything else, I typically use the credit card that provides the greatest immediate statement credit for my everyday purchases, such as groceries, fuel/auto expenses, etc. And I keep as few cards as really necessary.
I know that doesn't help Ben with his income (from referrals to credit cards), but for me, in this stage of life, simplicity works! C'est la vie!
Can’t you use the ANA club in HNL
United indeed has a club in HNL, but as I originally posted “note that except for Honolulu, there are no United Clubs in Hawaii” – my destinations in Hawaii include Maui, Kauai, and Kona which have no United Clubs.
What do I think? F-EM. I earned my Premier 1k the old fashioned way, through miles. And they gave me lifetime status. Living abroad, I don't have access to any UA affiliated cc. So accruing miles will not yield any value. I only used it to get into LH Senator Lounges or their partner lounges.
It took me less than one year to earn LH Senator status. Early next year wife and I will fly...
What do I think? F-EM. I earned my Premier 1k the old fashioned way, through miles. And they gave me lifetime status. Living abroad, I don't have access to any UA affiliated cc. So accruing miles will not yield any value. I only used it to get into LH Senator Lounges or their partner lounges.
It took me less than one year to earn LH Senator status. Early next year wife and I will fly to HKG. We bought biz class tickets and used our vouchers to upgrade to FC.
Funny thing is that my Senator status lasts for two years. So by qualifying next year will give us status for three years. Being retired, I have no ambitions to go for Hon Circle.
And besides, @1990, I will keep having my roast goose dinner each year flying to Helsinki! And I am covered with EU 261. AND, since last April there have been no strikes at LH
Life remains exceptionally beautiful.
Why does retirement have anything to do with going for HON circle?
In theory, nothing. But I notice so many people chasing the status. I retired to get out of the rat race. And this post by Ben highlights that many FF are getting screwed. For my short flights, which we do once or twice month, we don't need FC lounge. For long haul, we do two three times a year, in fc. So we get into FC lounges included.As we pay for our flights, it is...
In theory, nothing. But I notice so many people chasing the status. I retired to get out of the rat race. And this post by Ben highlights that many FF are getting screwed. For my short flights, which we do once or twice month, we don't need FC lounge. For long haul, we do two three times a year, in fc. So we get into FC lounges included.As we pay for our flights, it is frivolous to buy our way into Hon Circle. Unlike in the U.S where 1k can't even access UA lounges, we get Senator lounges in FRA, MUC and others. Even if we fly biz, or even coach to, say, Singapore, their lounges give better above biz class lounges. At the end of the day, I keep watching status getting harder to attain, in the States, while the value keeps decreasing. I haven't seen the stats, but my gut tells me that more people chase status on OPM. This is my money that I spend for trips.
United Owns you guys & made every US traveler their bitches. They know it and know they’ll get away with it.
Who cares when I can spend 25K Skymiles on WSJ?
https://subscriptions.delta.com/
I can just about make this work. But the thing which will drive me away is if PlusPoints significantly devalue. And in the new 'dynamic' system that seems likely.
If everyone is elite, then no one is, so it makes sense to increase requirements and reward actual members who spend money.
Correct.
Airline arrogance always gets them in trouble. During the next recession they will be begging the people they tossed aside to come back.
At some point people will realize that the status is not really all that important.
If you're flying often enough to hit the new 1K threshold you may as well join the program & qualify. It means nothing outside the airline universe, and I don't think anyone thought otherwise.
I would personally argue that the vast majority of the “most loyal / valuable” customers on Delta / United ( more so with 75k cap ) could almost careless about the miles they earn or even talk / brag about status. What they care about is customer support, IRROPS, soft treatment and getting home or to a destination relatively easily regardless if it’s a normal sunny day, snowstorm or IT glitch.
Delta 360 and...
I would personally argue that the vast majority of the “most loyal / valuable” customers on Delta / United ( more so with 75k cap ) could almost careless about the miles they earn or even talk / brag about status. What they care about is customer support, IRROPS, soft treatment and getting home or to a destination relatively easily regardless if it’s a normal sunny day, snowstorm or IT glitch.
Delta 360 and Global Services…..and yes, they do rank you internally within those status levels fyi.
I hear ya. and partially agree with you, but even you just dropped your top tier status. So, clearly there is some care about it…. And same with many GS I sit next to whom love talking (or bitching) about it all.
What I've found working in SF is that these high-spenders absolutely do care about their points and status and go out of their way to stay on the hamster wheel. I was just talking to a guy who recently moved to SF from NY and who is flying back to NY to start his trip to Asia just so he can fly Delta and re-qualify for Diamond.
Free agency is sounding more and more like a good option. Take the money usually spent to stay loyal, and go with the best and lowest priced option while using the loyalty money to pay for the upgrades. May not net out exactly, but now open to flights on other airlines including more nonstops, higher value points with other non-airline cards and no rat race.
United has hit me twice this year. I have 1,500,000 miles with the airline, and now my wife will not get one case status with me in 2027. Now instead of spending 28,000 to earn one case status I need to spend 32,000. I now need to make the decision about jumping to another airline. I could spend 28,000 with Delta and get Diamond medallion status. Less of the spend, but Delta's points are worth...
United has hit me twice this year. I have 1,500,000 miles with the airline, and now my wife will not get one case status with me in 2027. Now instead of spending 28,000 to earn one case status I need to spend 32,000. I now need to make the decision about jumping to another airline. I could spend 28,000 with Delta and get Diamond medallion status. Less of the spend, but Delta's points are worth far less than United when I book an overseas trip in first class. American Exec Platinum is the lowest spend, about 18,000. As far as I can, tell, Americans points are about as valuable as United points. If American offers some sort of status match, I may jump to American.
AA and AS (Alaska) miles are the most valuable of the major US carriers, with great overseas partners and much easier to book business/first flights.
AA miles are more valuable than United.
Why not just google “AA status match” and see how to do it? The big three always offer them.
AA miles are more valuable than United.
Why not just google “AA status match” and see how to do it? The big three always offer them.
This officially prices me out.
I get about $20k of OPM per year, and have been making 1K with personal travel. The jump from $28k to $32k means a jump from $8k to $12k personal spend, which is enough to push me away.
With IN now available to CC holders and Group 1 available to Gold, I hardly see much incremental benefit to getting Platinum. The 40 PP will never clear. I don't...
This officially prices me out.
I get about $20k of OPM per year, and have been making 1K with personal travel. The jump from $28k to $32k means a jump from $8k to $12k personal spend, which is enough to push me away.
With IN now available to CC holders and Group 1 available to Gold, I hardly see much incremental benefit to getting Platinum. The 40 PP will never clear. I don't need more than 1 E+ companion. I have never checked 3 bags in my life.
I'll just get to Gold and leave it there. In some sense this simplifies my life a lot. No more need to count PQP.
Wow. I've been 1K continuously for almost 20 years, about 98% based on personal leisure travel, not business, so a lot of incremental revenue has gone to United. It's been a stretch for me to get to $22K+60 flights, but I make an effort and spend more than I otherwise would because I highly value 1K status and particularly the PlusPoints. There's no way I can get to $32K PQP. I can't even get PQP...
Wow. I've been 1K continuously for almost 20 years, about 98% based on personal leisure travel, not business, so a lot of incremental revenue has gone to United. It's been a stretch for me to get to $22K+60 flights, but I make an effort and spend more than I otherwise would because I highly value 1K status and particularly the PlusPoints. There's no way I can get to $32K PQP. I can't even get PQP from credit card spend since I live in Canada. So now I have to decide whether Platinum is even worth it because I automatically get Gold from my million-miler status without doing anything. I now need to look a lot more closely at Aeroplan, VIPorter, and Flying Blue.
Daniel is right, There are way too many 1Ks (and it will only get worse as we get closer to the end of the year).
I believe this move is an indication of how well their credit card PQP/spend revenue strategy has worked, and it’s also further indication that they don’t value customers earning flight PQP as much as those earning credit card PQP.
Now… my question is do they do anything at...
Daniel is right, There are way too many 1Ks (and it will only get worse as we get closer to the end of the year).
I believe this move is an indication of how well their credit card PQP/spend revenue strategy has worked, and it’s also further indication that they don’t value customers earning flight PQP as much as those earning credit card PQP.
Now… my question is do they do anything at all to make 1K more rewarding, or do they just hope that the reduction in 1Ks alone is enough to keep us on the hook…. as is, 1K is not worth the stark additional credit card spend required compared to DL/AA.
PS, American Exec Plat is way too crowed as well.
They will absolutely not do anything more for 1Ks (and I am one, so this is not just a UA hater opinion or something).
The logic I guess is less 1Ks come 2028, the remaining ones will see some uptick in upgrades clearing (especially PPs).
Now, that was a bit the logic the last time they upped the requirements, I think in 2024 accrual year or so, and that didnt really work since flight inflation probably outpaced the increase at the time.
Even more reason to just settle for the lowest mid tier elite level that allows free extra legroom seating at booking
Sure, unless it’s oneworld and you like premium lounges, then, maybe, go for OWE. Otherwise, yes, ‘settle’ for Star Alliance Gold, SkyTeam Elite Plus with any carrier, or just match into the others.
Don’t get me wrong, the Oneworld Emerald lounges are awesome. But personally I wouldn’t be willing to contribute a material amount of additional spend to access them versus Oneworld Sapphire lounges.
But for those who value them, there are an increasingly smaller number of reasons to make much effort to go beyond the lowest Emerald tier offered.
Makes me miss the days of segment running on AA for EXP. Simple. Good times. No longer.
TATL business class fares have soared this year, so if you are a paid business traveler it was not unusual to earn 1K in just 2 roundtrips. I'm guessing they are adjusting to the inflation in airfares which have probably swelled their elite ranks.
The days of Delta's high revenue model are over. Delta started really struggling this summer. Look at Southwest vs Delta stock price for the past month. Delta is down 1.2% while Southwest is up 2.9%. It's bad when you can't beat Southwest.
I get it as airfares are rising, but the issue is being 1K or Exec Platinum doesn't get you much these days. Upgrades are tougher to come by. You get better mile earning per flight but marginally and it's not like miles also haven't become incredibly inflated. It's nice to have status but the benefits have basically went down where it's not worth going much out of the way to get.
Specifically PlusPoints and System Wide Upgrades are a farce, unless you enjoy ‘dying on the Waitlist.’ Not perfect, but at least GUCs and Move to Mint often confirm at booking.
I'll clear $28K spend this year and qualify for 1K, which I have for as long as I can remember. But this is the end of the line for me. For starters, I refuse to play the credit card game "Annual Head Start Will Require The Credit Card." At some point you realize you are just a number to them and it's not about loyalty. And one person exits the program, another joins for the...
I'll clear $28K spend this year and qualify for 1K, which I have for as long as I can remember. But this is the end of the line for me. For starters, I refuse to play the credit card game "Annual Head Start Will Require The Credit Card." At some point you realize you are just a number to them and it's not about loyalty. And one person exits the program, another joins for the first time. They don't care. In some regards it will be liberating. UA was always my go to, even sometimes paying a little extra. Most of my travel is international so I will definitely look at more travel on foreign carriers.
1K status aside, I do feel (anecdotally) that UA miles have actually become a bit more useful (not just more "valuable") over the last ~12 months or so.
For real. Specifically if you have one of their cards and can snag a 75% discount on Polaris. Win some, lose some; also, wine some, whine some.
(shrug)
Whatever. I took more than half of my airfare spend to non-US based airlines some time ago. Not looking back. Once EWR gets the Centurion lounge, I'll downgrade or cancel my United Club.
I liked your use of "(shrug)"... I also await the opening of the new Amex Centurion lounge at EWR Terminal A, now pushed back to 2027... (meh)
The one infuriating part of this for me is that they are constantly recognizing the need to adjust PQP tiers, but have not changed the 75K award mile earning cap in like 10 years. That is the real punch in the face to high spend flyers on United.
This is a great point. Trying to have it both ways - rightly say we need to increase thresholds since air travel is more expensive but then not simialrly expand the thresholds around this earning route..
I honestly appreciate this, not because it benefits me, but because it finally pushes 1K beyond reasonable reach for me.
Work travel has slowed for me over the past year or so, and this year I'm hitting 1K largely from personal travel, but just barely. The PQF thing is irrelevant as I haven't flown near enough segments since COVID to make that math relevant.
However, I've realized there are really no tangible benefits for...
I honestly appreciate this, not because it benefits me, but because it finally pushes 1K beyond reasonable reach for me.
Work travel has slowed for me over the past year or so, and this year I'm hitting 1K largely from personal travel, but just barely. The PQF thing is irrelevant as I haven't flown near enough segments since COVID to make that math relevant.
However, I've realized there are really no tangible benefits for me of maintaining 1K. I had Global Services for ~4 years and that was the only period in the last 8 years where I consistently received complimentary upgrades and utilized PQP successfully.
Otherwise, with just 1K I almost never receive complimentary upgrades and my PQP upgrade success is extremely low as well to the point that I won't chance international upgrades on PQP and just buy Polaris outright. Domestically I purchase First class when pricing is reasonable.
These days the main IRROPS I experience are weather related and usually there isn't a better option (or at least not a more guaranteed option) to get out so the available self-service capabilities are totally sufficient. I haven't had to call United in well over a year. So for me, that leaves free snacks / drinks, and pre-boarding as the only "perks" I take advantage of. Certainly not worth trying to spend more. I dropped to Platinum last year and can't say I've noticed any difference in my experience between last year and this year (with 1K).
Honestly my real question with this change is whether United is planning to enhance 1K in any way with the increased requirement? Global Services is still a very useful status to have. However, these days 1K doesn't feel valuable at all and is more just a marginal recognition worth having if you have lots of high spend work travel and United is generally the best option for you based on your home airport. Maybe this is the goal - no longer diverting resources to loyalty and instead competing on product and routes and trying to focus on incentivizing credit card spend (unrelated to loyalty because their PQP earning is abysmal).
I think you just hit the nail on the head. United may want to increase the reward of 1K by reducing the number of them
I think AA should raise the bar for EP.
I don't. That's because I am one and you're not. Jealous much?
Yet again your comment makes no sense ORD
They will. They previewed it with the changes to the AA Exec Card. You now get 40k LP as follows: 10k at 50k; 10k at 90k; 10k at 165k; 10k at 240k. Have to imagine EP will go to 250k, PPro to 175k, etc.
Completely Agree @Notbad41
Would be great to have an article that compares where all airlines were say 10 years ago as compared to today for status earning.
I don't know why people chase status these days. Specially if you are an small independent business. The rewards do not justify the spend or the effort. Just free yourself and book the the combo of best fare + itinerary. I love the freedom.
100%. Especially if you sometimes buy premium fares, you'll receive good service and amenities through that and the manufactured halo from status is meaningless.
Changing flights, cancelling and receiving credit to use on other flights, etc. provides more than enough flexibility that used to be more differentiated based on status.
I feel like this is right up Ben’s alley! Especially the days when it was just pure mileage. I was able to get UA Silver from one round trip on SQ from JFK-MNL via FRA & SIN and one or two more domestic segments.
Yep. Latam or AeroMexico for Latin America, European airlines for Europe, Asian for Asia. If United or Delta offer a lower price, great.
Do whatever with status levels, United, but PLEASE raise the bar on entry to United Clubs, which are overcrowded, hot, nowhere to sit, and featuring messy buffets. Also, O’Hare is practically disabled, with 30-60 min tarmac taxis, rendering this connecting airport nearly useless and a frequent trap for missed flights.
Who cares about the Grand Tour? O'Hare is my destination. I just want to get to the gate, get to my car, and go home. I do not care about your plans.
This is why I gave up my 1K at the end of 2024. In this instance, it was the increase in PQP from 18000 to 22000 that drove me into the status of Executive Platinum. I was in that ill-defined middle ground for PQPs between those two figures. 32000 with no PQF reduction is a complete disincentive to going back. With AA, I stay.
This is just a gigantic Go Pound Salt to loyal customers....
This is why I gave up my 1K at the end of 2024. In this instance, it was the increase in PQP from 18000 to 22000 that drove me into the status of Executive Platinum. I was in that ill-defined middle ground for PQPs between those two figures. 32000 with no PQF reduction is a complete disincentive to going back. With AA, I stay.
This is just a gigantic Go Pound Salt to loyal customers. It's also a huge disadvantage to those of us who live in their headquarters town, given the artificial depression of PQPs due to lack of distance and lower fares based on geography. I can live with Group 2 boarding on the short (and rare) flights I take on UA, and I still have the credit card so I have United Club access.
Is it really though? If United provides the product, routes, and convenience that I need out of ORD, why does it matter if they reward us with status any more? I don't need them to say "you're more important than 72% of other customers on this flight!". Were you really benefiting from anything that came along with 1K in recent history and similarly are you significantly benefiting from Executive Platinum? If you are, great, though...
Is it really though? If United provides the product, routes, and convenience that I need out of ORD, why does it matter if they reward us with status any more? I don't need them to say "you're more important than 72% of other customers on this flight!". Were you really benefiting from anything that came along with 1K in recent history and similarly are you significantly benefiting from Executive Platinum? If you are, great, though I wouldn't count on that lasting significantly longer with AA either (unless they decide to differentiate on loyalty as a means of winning business).
For me, United has a better product and better route options out of ORD than AA so regardless of what status I end up hitting with UA, I'm going to continue to fly them. If AA is better for you in terms of routes, then it makes sense but I don't think it makes sense to preference either airline purely based on marginal perks in a world where loyalty programs are being deprioritized.
Yes. I do not check in any baggage. Therefore I need open space on board for my bags. The benefit of 1K in boarding during pre-boarding (and Executive Platinum in Group 1) gets me that space without having to gate-check. I also want to be seated as the parade of human misery passes down the aisle because I am actually better than them. Status is a reinforcement of that. I want to be rewarded and...
Yes. I do not check in any baggage. Therefore I need open space on board for my bags. The benefit of 1K in boarding during pre-boarding (and Executive Platinum in Group 1) gets me that space without having to gate-check. I also want to be seated as the parade of human misery passes down the aisle because I am actually better than them. Status is a reinforcement of that. I want to be rewarded and pampered for my patronage. I'm spending money on my flights and I want ackowledgement of that.
You make it sound as if only Group 1 gets overhead space. I laugh everytime I fly at the people aggressively trying to board first that then run to their coach seats as if 100 people are in front of them and they are about to run out of bag space. Relax, or better yet, buy First and then status is meaningless.
Like I said in my comment, Gene: Go pound salt, you officious little pizzle.
That’s quite the view to have ORD of your fellow brethren while sitting in…. Economy!
I expect we will see DL increase MQDs to match. Those levels were already what I expected, but this announcement practically guarantees that DL will move to 32,000 MQDs for Diamond. That said, DL status is FAR easier to achieve than UA due to unique earning opportunity via AMEX cards.
Once the airlines went revenue based, they do need to adjust the requirements regularly, or they would be diluting the status levels. Airfares will increase along side general price levels, plus the post pandemic world with first a strong growth in premium travel, and the various international conflicts extending flight routes and increasing fuel oroves, there is probably quite a bit of a back log of spend requirements adjustment. Otherwise the elite members will balloon....
Once the airlines went revenue based, they do need to adjust the requirements regularly, or they would be diluting the status levels. Airfares will increase along side general price levels, plus the post pandemic world with first a strong growth in premium travel, and the various international conflicts extending flight routes and increasing fuel oroves, there is probably quite a bit of a back log of spend requirements adjustment. Otherwise the elite members will balloon. I'd expect DL and AA to follow quickly. If they can make it with decent warning for the next qualifying year.
UA just recognizes that loyalty costs the company alot more than alot of people that chase status realize. The revenue opportunity cost is much higher on international routes and UA needs to be able to fill seats at higher fares in order to offset high fuel costs.
The US airline industry has a cost problem right now; there appears no cracks in the high revenue model that DL built its financial success around and...
UA just recognizes that loyalty costs the company alot more than alot of people that chase status realize. The revenue opportunity cost is much higher on international routes and UA needs to be able to fill seats at higher fares in order to offset high fuel costs.
The US airline industry has a cost problem right now; there appears no cracks in the high revenue model that DL built its financial success around and UA has been able to successfully deploy esp. over the past 5 years.
getting fares up high enough to offset high fuel costs and keep them there even if fuel comes back down (anyone's guess when that will happen) is what UA and the rest of the industry that wants to be around in 5 years has to do
When fuel falls, fares will fall. That is not going to change, no matter what airline executives dream of. Plus, let's not fool ourselves in thinking the economy is so great. Its not, and the idiot in charge doesnt care.
@Gene, you'll probably find that a part of the increased fares from the current fuel shocks will remain if the fuel goes down again.
TD is actually right for once. I always laughed at 'Sky pesos'. Loyalty is just like air fares in that it is a matter of supply and demand. The more demand for an airline's tickets/status benefits, the higher the price.
@rebel
If you spit out words "roughly the same length as War and Peace and Moby Dick combined" you're probably going to say something right once or twice.
I am so glad that I no longer chase status with any carrier(s), though I end up with status anyway (AF, EK, SQ), but that status is still meaningless for me.
This piece just reinforces the sense of freedom I have when choosing carriers, and the fact that I've made the right decision in *never* flying any US carrier internationally.
For 2026, I believe you also need a minimum of 4 flight segments on UA / United express metal for elite status. This in addition to the other requirements.
You've always needed four flight segments. This is nothing new.
Just recently started re-engaging with United MileagePlus status due to varied travel patterns.
Status has always been with BA / OW and SQ / *A
I write this with no claimed expertise other than living in Chicago and flying both United and American regularly. United has a better overall experience - nicer planes, more courteous staff/crew, and they keep you better informed on delays and cancellations. American planes just feel older, less comfortable and the flight/crew just seem crankier/stressed. I will say when there is a cancellation and American finally does announce it, they are better than United when it...
I write this with no claimed expertise other than living in Chicago and flying both United and American regularly. United has a better overall experience - nicer planes, more courteous staff/crew, and they keep you better informed on delays and cancellations. American planes just feel older, less comfortable and the flight/crew just seem crankier/stressed. I will say when there is a cancellation and American finally does announce it, they are better than United when it comes to rebooking and comps.
Says someone who's never had status on either.
United lost my business years ago, and they will never, ever get it back.
It's tough to get status as a Canadian because United does not have an credit card with "spend"
Yeah might as well go back to AC for that.
The increase in the credit card spend is for Chase. The bank is driving the change. Lifetime status changes will be next.
I'd reckon that United has seen some more stickiness due to how they've improved own metal redemptions in terms of availability and pricing with the credit cards, so they feel comfortable making this change.
Regardless, it just goes to show you all those people bragging about how amazing United is and how much they've "improved" have a lesson to learn still.
"Have a lesson to learn still" - how so exactly? These days, I don't think it really makes sense to blindly align to any US carrier in terms of status. You can find United significantly improved as an airline, appreciate the product they offer (the new interiors and Starlink wifi), and yet no longer focus on achieving status with them.
These days, the main area I find challenging with United is their regular United...
"Have a lesson to learn still" - how so exactly? These days, I don't think it really makes sense to blindly align to any US carrier in terms of status. You can find United significantly improved as an airline, appreciate the product they offer (the new interiors and Starlink wifi), and yet no longer focus on achieving status with them.
These days, the main area I find challenging with United is their regular United Club food and in flight food. Everything else (mobile app, Starlink wifi, IFE, Polaris experience, self-service capabilities, operational reliability, route network) is excellent in my personal experience. That is more than enough to win my typical business given they're the dominant carrier at my home airport (ORD), and separately I no longer find status worth prioritizing for any airline.
Yes, you might individually already understand that. And so if you already do, then this wouldn't apply to you.
I'm talking about all the sheep that brag about how much "better" United are and how they're "jumping ship", not thinking that changes like this are possible.
Yolo says, "I'm talking about all the sheep that brag about how much "better" United are and how they're "jumping ship", not thinking that changes like this are possible."
Who doesn't know "changes like this are possible"? Ever heard of Sky Pesos? Such changes are as old as loyalty programs. It's a simple matter of supply & demand.
As Jetset said, "Everything else (mobile app, Starlink wifi, IFE, Polaris experience, self-service capabilities, operational reliability,...
Yolo says, "I'm talking about all the sheep that brag about how much "better" United are and how they're "jumping ship", not thinking that changes like this are possible."
Who doesn't know "changes like this are possible"? Ever heard of Sky Pesos? Such changes are as old as loyalty programs. It's a simple matter of supply & demand.
As Jetset said, "Everything else (mobile app, Starlink wifi, IFE, Polaris experience, self-service capabilities, operational reliability, route network) is excellent in my personal experience. That is more than enough to win my typical business given they're the dominant carrier at my home airport."
I mean for the people who hit 28,000 PQPs each year, the incremental 4,000 doesn’t mean anything.
@ aerodro -- Sure, but presumably a good number of 1Ks also earn status through 60 PQFs and 22K PQPs. A 45% increase in the requirement for PQPs is significant.
As someone who generally flies enough PQFs and will get close to the current 28k PQPs - I just have to say: why get rid of the PQF/PQP requirement option.
Raise it - fully fine iwth that - make it hte same 60 PQFs and 26k PQPs or something. As I agree there are too many 1Ks, and as a result the perks, including the key one of the upgrades, is less valuable, but to...
As someone who generally flies enough PQFs and will get close to the current 28k PQPs - I just have to say: why get rid of the PQF/PQP requirement option.
Raise it - fully fine iwth that - make it hte same 60 PQFs and 26k PQPs or something. As I agree there are too many 1Ks, and as a result the perks, including the key one of the upgrades, is less valuable, but to just take out a route for qualification, which is probably only the small minority of 1Ks anyway, is sad.
I realize United was the holdout here and DL/AA already got rid of a flight-based route, but UA to do so along with making it tougher than any other airline to reach their top tier is a rough look.
It's crazy United no longer wants international flyers because we can't get ANY points with credit card spending.
You’d be surprised. A vast majority of 1Ks end up accruing beyond the minimum threshold for 1K, even with the new requirements. Many of whom don’t even track it as closely as the miles/avgeek world does. This tier will fly UA as work dictates (quite a lot obviously) and on personal trips, they will also continue to fly UA or a Star partner.
Yeah for the majority of flyers on OPM, the $4k increase is meaningless...chasing status and remaining loyal is not worth the headache nor hassle anymore except in IROPS but even then there is no guarantee you are getting on the next flight or out the same day.
4k is indeed meaningless to OPM flyers, there are many ways to manipulate yourself into higher "spend" when its not your money.
This is the behavior United wants, get your max OPM dollar.
United is dominating the US airline industry. Delta is sinking and United knows they will dominate for the next 5 to 8 years. I'm glad top tier status is harder to obtain. I don't want the exodus from Delta to United to limit my upgrade chances.
@ TJ Hart -- Genuinely curious, what's your current complimentary upgrade rate on eligible flights as a 1K?
@Ben, as a 1K out of SFO for the last 5-6 years, mostly flying hub-to-hub, I basically never get upgraded, even if I apply PlusPoints. The front cabin almost always sells out, and the 1-2 seats that are open go to the many Global Services people that are on every flight to or from SFO. I would consider switching, but there is no other airline with remotely comparable flights out of SFO. The only flights...
@Ben, as a 1K out of SFO for the last 5-6 years, mostly flying hub-to-hub, I basically never get upgraded, even if I apply PlusPoints. The front cabin almost always sells out, and the 1-2 seats that are open go to the many Global Services people that are on every flight to or from SFO. I would consider switching, but there is no other airline with remotely comparable flights out of SFO. The only flights I get upgraded on are random short-hops on the occasions I need to connect to a smaller airport -- think ORD to MSN, 35 minutes in the air on an Embraer jet where I'd be getting upgraded even as a Silver or Gold.
hold onto that thought over the next week as UA reports its financial results and over the next 2 years as DL further expands its TPAC network, the only region where UA has a significant size advantage over DL.
AA and DL are about the same size domestically in revenue. UA's size to Europe is largely because of narrowbody flying and to second and third tier cities, most of which are seasonal.
UA is larger...
hold onto that thought over the next week as UA reports its financial results and over the next 2 years as DL further expands its TPAC network, the only region where UA has a significant size advantage over DL.
AA and DL are about the same size domestically in revenue. UA's size to Europe is largely because of narrowbody flying and to second and third tier cities, most of which are seasonal.
UA is larger than DL to Latin America on its own metal but add in JVs and DL is quite a bit larger.
and the basis of your comment is unsubstantiated to begin with. Please document this supposed exodus from DL.
DL Q3 net income $756m down 47% YOY and refinery lost $33m due to "volatility in crude pricing and the negative impact from a temporary outage that halted production at the refinery beginning in the middle of June."
UA Q3 earnings estimate is ≈ $1.13b and even the bottom of UAL's range is > $800m net income. UA is doing great.
BTW UA is now bigger domestically than WN (TTM) even without UAX.
@Conrad/Tim/WorldTraveller/Tomm767,
Why does every article have to involve DL with you? Stop! This is about United and MileagePlus. We all know about your prognostications about DL's roaring to success in the TPAC, and with the A350s, no matter how flawed the argument (and we just hear that AA is doubling don on LAX at their TPAC gateway, so good luck to DL).
But as a 3M miler on UA, and for now, still 1K for...
@Conrad/Tim/WorldTraveller/Tomm767,
Why does every article have to involve DL with you? Stop! This is about United and MileagePlus. We all know about your prognostications about DL's roaring to success in the TPAC, and with the A350s, no matter how flawed the argument (and we just hear that AA is doubling don on LAX at their TPAC gateway, so good luck to DL).
But as a 3M miler on UA, and for now, still 1K for life. I'm made I made it over the threshold before these changes were made.
Lol there's no way you're clearing significant upgrades as a 1K unless you fly some really off-peak, low-demand routes.
I'm currently 1K and I don't even bother checking the upgrade lists anymore. I think I've cleared 1 complimentary upgrade this year and 2 domestic upgrades with PlusPoints and otherwise I've ended up paying to upgrade or buying the desired class of service outright.
Off-putting.
Think I’ll exit UA’s hamster-wheel.
Fuel is up which means airfare is up. Same distance flown but a higher number attached to it
If the ranks gets swelled then the benefits, specifically chances of being given a complimentary upgrade get deluded. Chances are if you're in the top published tier (not the invite only tier) but towards the bottom in qualifications your upgrade success is likely not that good.
Loyalty programs have become about profitability, not just how much you fly on an airline.
After just squeaking by as a 1K for many years, I can confirm that my upgrade success rate was low.
There are too many 1Ks overall so I dont mind the concept of making that tougher, but putting the CC spending side by side with Delta and American is stark.
UA either needs to address this or, like AA (and maybe Delta, but less familiar with their program) expand the routes to earning additional PQPs on hotels and what not.
480k!!!!!!
That's double of what Carl paid to break his back for a lifetime.
4k is indeed meaningless to OPM flyers, there are many ways to manipulate yourself into higher "spend" when its not your money.
This is the behavior United wants, get your max OPM dollar.
*making a fresh bucket of popcorn*