If you’ve never had airline elite status before, it can completely transform your travel experience. With perks like free checked bags, seat upgrades, preboarding, complimentary drinks, and more, it can save you money and elevate your journeys.
United Airlines offers these elite status benefits, but what if you don’t fly frequently enough to earn United elite status through flights alone?
Good news: You can still earn high-tier status through credit card spending. While this has been possible for years, recent updates to the United Airlines MileagePlus loyalty program and its credit cards mean you can now earn status much faster.
Here’s everything you need to know about United’s recent elite status changes.
How to Earn United Elite Status
To achieve entry-level Premier Silver status, you have two options:
- Earn 12 Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs) and 4,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs).
- Earn 5,000 PQPs.
PQFs are earned based on the number of United and United Express flights you take. PQPs are earned from your spending with United on flight purchases, seating upgrades, and paid upgrades.
You can even earn PQPs from award flights, getting 1 PQP for every 100 miles you redeem. Additionally, United credit card spending can also help you rack up PQPs.
Here’s a breakdown of the thresholds to achieve United elite status for the next year:
| Elite Status Tier | PQP + PQF | PQP Only |
|---|---|---|
| Premier Silver | 12 PQFs and 4,000 PQPs | 5,000 PQPs |
| Premier Gold | 24 PQFs and 8,000 PQPs | 10,000 PQPs |
| Premier Platinum | 36 PQFs and 12,000 PQPs | 15,000 PQPs |
| Premier 1K | 54 PQFs and 18,000 PQPs | 24,000 PQPs |
These thresholds remain the same for next year, which is especially good news, considering Delta Air Lines recently raised its elite status requirements.
Note: To qualify for status purely through PQPs, you’ll still need at least four segments flown on United each year.
Why United Elite Status Is Now Easier to Achieve
Increased PQP Earnings with Credit Cards
You can now earn 25 PQPs for every $500 spent on eligible United credit cards. Previously, you had to spend more to unlock large PQP bonuses, but now you’ll earn PQPs more incrementally.
For example, instead of earning 500 PQPs after spending $12,000, you’ll now get the same amount after spending just $10,000.
The United Club Infinite Card Gets Even More Valuable
Each United credit card has a cap on the PQPs you can earn annually. Here’s a quick look:
- United℠ Explorer Card: 1,000 PQPs max.
- United Quest℠ Card: 6,000 PQPs max.
- United℠ Business Card: 1,000 PQPs max.
- United Club℠ Business Card: 1,000 PQPs max.
However, the United Club℠ Infinite Card has the highest earning potential, and in 2024, the cap will increase to 10,000 PQPs. With this card alone, you can earn Premier Gold status by spending $200,000 on the card.
No Cap on PQPs Across Multiple Credit Cards
Starting next year, you can earn PQPs from multiple United credit cards. Previously, there was a 15,000 PQP cap. Now, it’s possible to earn up to 19,000 PQPs, as long as you hold multiple PQP-earning cards.
It would require significant spending—possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars—but the option to earn that many PQPs is a game-changer. For example, you could find yourself just 5,000 PQPs away from Premier 1K status.
United Elite Status Jumpstart
This is a non-credit card related update, but an interesting one nonetheless: If you hold United elite status on February 1, 2024, you’ll receive an automatic PQP deposit based on your status level:
- Premier Silver: 250 PQPs
- Premier Gold: 500 PQPs
- Premier Platinum: 750 PQPs
- Premier 1K: 1,250 PQPs
Though not a huge bonus, it’s a nice boost for those looking to re-qualify for elite status.
Bottom Line
United Airlines’ MileagePlus elite status can make a real difference in your travel experience. With the recent changes to the MileagePlus program, earning elite status through credit card spending is now easier and faster than before. Plus, United elites will get a jumpstart on their re-qualification in 2024 with an automatic PQP deposit.