United Airlines frequent flyers received pleasant news when the airline froze its Premier status thresholds for 2026. They’re effectively the same as in 2025, which makes it overall easier for loyalty members to receive elite status, especially when considering that airlines have generally been devaluing miles while increasing status thresholds for the past decade. However, the MileagePlus program underwent a radical transformation in 2026, dramatically shifting the dynamics of who gets the most rewards and who gets left behind.

The recent changes, which went into effect in April, are all about enticing members to sign up for co-branded credit cards. Credit cards are immensely lucrative for airlines, as the sale of miles from the carrier to the credit card issuer generates massive amounts of revenue while costing almost nothing. It’s in the airline’s best interest to keep demand for miles high and ensure that new members continue to sign up for cards.

The Thresholds For United Premier Status

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All MileagePlus members start as a general member, and there are four ‘Premier’ status tiers for high spenders. To qualify for each status requires either a combination of Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) and Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs), or a higher number of PQPs. Passengers earn PQPs for airfare spending with United and partner airlines, while its co-branded credit cards also earn PQPs. Meanwhile, PQFs are counted as a single segment on a paid ticket.

The Premier Silver status requires either 5,000 PQPs and 15 PQFs, or just 6,000 PQPs. Premier Gold requires either 10,000 PQPs and 30 PQFs or 12,000 PQPs, while Premier Platinum requires either 15,000 PQPs and 45 PQFs or 18,000 PQPs. The top Premier 1K status requires either 22,000 PQPs and 60 PQFs or 28,000 PQPs. These requirements are the same as in 2025, which were increased by roughly 25% compared to the status requirements in 2024.

MileagePlus requires members to take at least four flights operated by United or United Express in a program year to qualify for Premier status, but this is the only other requirement. Airlines have generally been increasing status qualifications while miles have been devalued, and even United has generally done this. The lack of changes for the 2026 program year is, therefore, a welcome development for members who may find it much easier to earn and keep status than expected.

The New Earnings Changes

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Rather than upping status requirements, United has instead revised how members earn miles. The earning rates for members have been lowered compared to before, but members who hold a United credit card now have higher earning rates compared to before. General members who hold a credit card now earn six miles per dollar, while cardholders with Premier Silver status earn eight miles per dollar. Cardholders with Premier Gold, Platinum, and 1K status now earn nine miles, ten miles, and 12 miles per dollar, respectively.

United has essentially split its members into two tiers depending on whether a customer holds a co-branded credit card or not, in addition to the status tiers. United also no longer offers any mileage earnings on basic economy tickets unless the passenger holds a credit card, and cardholders are entitled to a 10% discount on award flights, while cardholders with Premier status receive a 15% discount for award tickets. What’s more, cardholders are entitled to additional saver award tickets.

Airlines have been increasingly incentivizing loyalty members to sign up for credit cards by offering added perks and heavy advertising during booking as well as on flights. However, United isn’t just rewarding cardholders with higher earning rates and more benefits, but it’s also punishing members who do not hold a credit card. The aim is to disincentivize members from continuing with the program without a card, and MileagePlus now requires a credit card for customers to earn the full value of the program.

The Importance Of Loyalty Programs To Airlines

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American Airlines has generally been struggling, but Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are two of the most profitable airlines in the world. In reality, however, Delta and United lose money flying passengers, but record billions in profits largely from the success of SkyMiles and MileagePlus. On their own, these programs operate with extremely high margins, as opposed to the expensive business of flying passenger planes, and what makes these programs profitable in particular is the transaction with credit card companies.

Airlines sell millions of miles in bulk to program partners, and they receive full payment upfront. As such, it generates a massive amount of revenue while the cost to sell miles is quite low. Loyalty programs also provide steady business during industry downturns, which are otherwise severely harmful to airlines, and they lock in customer loyalty. This ensures that members don’t fly with competing airlines, and it’s also generally cheaper to retain loyal customers than to attract new ones.

Particularly in the US, airlines focus on loyalty program performance, while flying planes on scheduled routes is essentially what enables the programs to be successful. Flights are an airline’s core operation, but it’s no longer the core business for American, Delta, and United. Many of the commercial decisions that these carriers have made in recent years have been focused on boosting frequent flyer engagement, such as certain route decisions and the general push towards premium branding.

The Rise Of Frequent Spender Programs

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They’re often called ‘frequent flyer programs’, but airline loyalty programs barely resemble their original iterations. Initial programs were either segment-based or distance-based, where a member earns redeemable miles based on how many flights they take or how many miles/kilometers they travel with the airline. But the structure that’s become more prevalent in recent years is the spend/revenue-based design, where members earn miles based on how much they spend within an airline loyalty program’s ecosystem.

American Airlines and Delta Air Lines no longer even require members to fly with the airline to earn elite status (United is the notable holdout). Ultimately, revenue-based programs earn more money for the airline, which is why they’ve become increasingly common in loyalty programs. In addition to the ‘Big Three‘, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, Frontier, Air Canada, WestJet, and Aeromexico also operate spend-based programs. Alaska Airlines is the notable exception, as its Atmos program allows members to choose whether to earn miles by spending, distance, or segment.

A revenue-based program earns the most amount of money when credit card engagement is high, and the two combined have made United and Delta more successful than they have ever been. Ultimately, however, it requires members to spend thousands of dollars per year with one airline, and this prices out certain individuals who may not have the means to drop five figures on flights every year. Essentially, these airlines no longer operate frequent-flyer programs, but frequent-spender programs.

United’s Credit Cards On Offer

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United MileagePlus partners with Chase to issue co-branded credit cards. The two parties offer an entry-level debit card with no annual fee and minimal rewards, while the United Gateway card is the entry-level credit card, offering two free checked bags annually and 25% back on United purchases with no annual fee. The United Explorer card comes with a $150 annual fee, but it comes with a free checked bag on every flight, two United Club passes, priority boarding, and $530 in annual partner credits.

The United Quest card has a $350 annual fee, while offering an annual 10,000-mile discount on flights, another 10,000-mile flight discount after $20,000 in eligible spending in a year, two free checked bags, a $200 annual travel credit, and over $850 in annual partner credits. Meanwhile, the United Club card comes with a $695 annual fee and offers a United Club membership, Premier Access travel services, as well as over $875 in travel credits. This is United’s top co-branded credit card.

In addition to the personal cards, MileagePlus and Chase also offer two co-branded cards for business owners. The United Business card is roughly equivalent to the Explorer card, with a $150 annual fee, while including benefits like a free checked bag on each flight and two annual United Club passes. The United Club Business card is also very similar to the personal United Club card, with an annual fee of $695 while offering a United Club membership and Premier Access services.