United Airlines gets rid of a path to elite status in 2027 and makes its top tier harder to reach.
The Chicago-based airline is removing the ability for MileagePlus members to earn status partially based on flight segments flown in a calendar year for 2027. Instead, starting Jan. 1, United will only count the number of points earned by members based on Premier qualifying points earned through eligible flight spending, award travel and eligible United credit card spending.
United announced the change Tuesday in emails to MileagePlus members and on its website. The change is intended to simplify how customers obtain Premier status, according to the email obtained by CNBC that United sent to members.
Previously, members could advance to the lowest elite status, Premier Silver, with a combination of 15 flight segments and 5,000 points earned in a year, or with 6,000 points. From now on, customers will only be able to obtain this status in points at the threshold of 6,000 points.
The number of Premier Qualifying Points required for members to reach Premier Gold and Platinum through points will also remain the same as the previous points-only option. However, to reach United’s highest rewards tier, Premier 1K, members now need 32,000 qualifying points, up from 28,000 in 2026.
Travelers earn one Premier Qualifying Point, or PQP, per dollar spent on United base fares and upgrades, and for every 100 miles they redeem for travel on United flights. United Chase cardholders also earn points when they spend money with their card.
MileagePlus members will still need to take at least four flights on United or United Express jets per year to be eligible for Premier status.
In an interview with travel site The Points Guy, United’s MileagePlus president Jarad Fisher called flight segment measurement an “old relic,” saying the airline “felt it made more sense for them to have a consistent measurement…that they could focus on across the board between their flight activity and their engagement with the airline.”
United also announced Tuesday that United cardholders who have Premier status will get a head start by automatically receiving 5% of the points needed to reach the status level they earned the previous year at the start of a new year.
United earlier this year overhauled the way travelers earn miles to reward customers holding its credit cards. The carrier also reduced its revenue on basic economy flights, following earlier changes to the same practice by American airlines And Delta Airlines. United had previously raised the thresholds required to achieve Premier status in 2024 for the 2025 qualifying year.
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