United Airlines is making a big change to the way its frequent flyers earn Elite status. Starting in 2027, the airline will stop counting the number of flights its MileagePlus members take when granting status. Instead, United travelers who want to become “Premier” will have to focus solely on accumulating Premier Qualification Points, or “PQPs.” That means the path to status on United involves spending as much money as possible, both on flights and the airline’s suite of co-branded credits. Cards. That’s not the only change United announced. In addition to changing the way MileagePlus members earn status, the Chicago-based airline announced that it is increasing the requirements to reach 1K. Starting in 2027, members will need an additional 4,000 PQPs (for a total of 32,000) to achieve top-tier status compared to current requirements. United Airlines Premier Access Lane at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUYUnited revealed those changes in a memo to loyalists on Tuesday. In total, it is the second significant restructuring of the airline’s loyalty program in 2026, and the biggest structural change to the way it grants elite status in years. Here’s what you need to know and what it means to fly with United in 2027. Doubling PQPs and phasing out PQFs Going into 2027, United will abandon Premier Qualified Flights, or “PQFs,” as a metric for granting Elite status. How the Premier rating stands currently. Currently, MileagePlus members have two ways to earn status: PQP Only: Earn enough PQP by spending on United flights and credit cards. PQF+PQF: Log enough flights, combined with a smaller number of PQPs. What it will look like in 2027 That second option will disappear in 2027. Going forward, PQPs will be the only metric United will use to award Premier status. That means it’s your spending on flights and on your United card, if you have one, that will make the difference between qualifying or not in the new year. United Airlines Boeing 737-800 at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY In an interview with TPG, United’s newly appointed chief loyalty officer said the changes were intended to simplify the program. “We thought it made more sense for them to have a consistent metric that was actually something that … they could focus on across the board between their flying activity and their engagement with the airline,” said Jarad Fisher, president of United’s MileagePlus. “And really make it so we can invest more in the people who invest in us.” How many PQPs will you need to reach Premier status? If you earn status solely through PQPs, the number of points you’ll need for Silver, Gold, and Platinum status won’t change in 2027. However, reaching 1K will be more difficult no matter how you look at it. This is how the status requirements are distributed. (If you’re reading this on a mobile device, scroll to the right to see how the new requirements compare to the old.) Premier Status Level 2027 Qualification Requirement Previous Thresholds Silver 6,000 PQP 6,000 PQP or 15 PQF + 5,000 PQP Gold 12,000 PQP 12,000 PQP or 30 PQF + 10,000 PQP Platinum18,000 PQP18,000 PQPO 45 PQF + 15,000 PQP1K32,000 PQP28,000 PQPO 60 PQF + 22,000 PQP These changes will apply to MileagePlus members in the new year as they aim for 2028 status. United flights in a year to be eligible for Premier. That is a basic requirement that will not change. Flights on United Express regional aircraft count toward that four-flight requirement, but flights on United partner aircraft do not. BE CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY5% head start in 2027Certain MileagePlus members will get a head start on status in 2027. If you have an eligible United credit card, the airline will deposit the equivalent of 5% of the PQP required for your current status level into your account as the new status year begins. Members entering 2027 with Premier Silver status will earn 300 PQP. Gold members will get 600 PQP. Platinum members will get 900 PQP. 1,000 members will get 1,600 PQP. MileagePlus members who open an eligible United credit card by December 31 will also receive the deposit for next year. Related: Best credit cards for United Airlines travelers Who will be affected the most by this change? Depending on how you normally obtain the status, these changes can be quite significant, or not so significant. If you’ve historically achieved Premier status by simply accruing PQPs, there won’t be much change for you in 2027 (unless you’re aiming for 1K premier, which is getting According to Fisher, PQPs are how most United members get status today. “It’s basically doubling down on how most people got status,” he said. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY The travelers most affected by this change are those on United, which typically log a ton of segments in the year, those members have historically been able to achieve status by combining all of those PQFs with fewer PQPs. If you fall into that category, you’ll likely have to spend more to achieve the same status in 2027. “For those people, obviously, getting a United card will be a way to close that gap,” Fisher said. Plus, there’s probably no need to go cross-country on a year-end run. of segment” to achieve enough PQFs. Recording flight segments will no longer be a key metric for Premier status. “When we thought about making these changes, we didn’t feel great about it anymore; that was an old relic,” Fisher said. “So we thought it was time to retire that metric.” 1K becomes more difficult to achieve. As for 1K status, that will require more spending across the board to reach the highest elite level released by United in the new year. The 1K requirements jump from 28,000 PQP to 32,000. That’s an increase of about 14%. If you previously reached 1K through a combination of flight segments and expenses, you’ll need about 45% more PQP than before. A handful of United credit cards can also earn PQP on everyday purchases: United travelers can also earn PQP on certain upgrades and other “extras” purchased after booking. And certain partner flights are eligible to earn PQP, although they must be booked through United (look for a ticket that starts with 016). major change to its MileagePlus program, overhauling the way cardholders and non-cardholders earn and redeem miles United is far from the only airline changing the way it awards status to its loyal members. Major rivals American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have focused exclusively on money spent (on air travel and on credit cards) for years.
