United Airlines is making a major change in how its frequent flyers earn elite status.
Starting in 2027, the carrier will stop counting the number of flights taken by its MileagePlus members when awarding status.
Instead, United drivers hoping to become “Premier” will need to focus solely on accumulating Premier Qualifying Points, or “PQPs.”
This means that to achieve United status, one must spend as much money as possible, both on flights and business travel. suite of co-branded credit cards.
This is not the only change announced by United.
In addition to change how MileagePlus members get status, the Chicago-based carrier announced it is increasing the requirements to reach 1K.
From 2027, members will need an additional 4,000 PQPs (for a total of 32,000) to achieve Tier 1 status compared to current requirements.
United revealed the changes in a memo to loyal members on Tuesday.
All in all, it is the second major upheaval to the airline’s loyalty program in 2026 — and the biggest structural change in how it awards elite status in years.
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Here’s what you need to know and what it means to fly United in 2027.
Double the PQPs and gradually eliminate the PQFs
By 2027, United will abandon Premier Qualifying Flights, or “PQFs,” as a measure of earning elite status.
How does the Premier qualification look today?
Currently, MileagePlus members can earn status in two ways:
- PQP only: Earn enough PQP by spending on United flights and credit cards
- PQF+PQF: Log enough flights, combined with fewer PQPs
What it will look like in 2027
This second option should disappear in 2027.
Moving forward, PQPs will be the only metric United will use to award Premier status.
That means it’s your spending on flights and your United card — if you have one — that will make the difference between you qualifying or not for the new year.
In an interview with TPG, United recently appointed head of loyalty said the changes were intended to simplify the program
“We thought it made more sense for them to have a consistent metric that they could focus on across the board, between their airline business and their engagement with the airline,” said Jarad Fisher, president of MileagePlus at United. “And really making sure that 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 need for Silver, Gold, and Platinum status will not change in 2027.
However, reaching 1K will become more difficult no matter how you look at it.
Here’s how the status requirements are changing. (If you’re reading this on mobile, scroll right to see how the new requirements compare to the old ones.)
| Premier Status Level | Qualification requirement 2027 | Previous thresholds |
|---|---|---|
6,000 PQP | 6,000 PQP Or 15 PQF + 5,000 PQP | |
12,000 PQP | 12,000 PQP Or 30 PQF + 10,000 PQP | |
18,000 PQP | 18,000 PQP Or 45 PQF + 15,000 PQP | |
32,000 PQP | 28,000 PQP Or 60 PQF + 22,000 PQP |
These changes will apply to MileagePlus members in the new year as they aim for 2028 status.
4 United flights still needed
While United is dropping PQFs as a status measure, MileagePlus members will still need to take at least four United flights per year to be eligible for Premier status.
This is a basic requirement that does not change.
Flights on United Express regional jets count toward this four-flight requirement, but flights on United partners do not.
5% ahead in 2027
Some 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 at the start of the new status year.
- Members entering 2027 with Premier Silver status will receive 300 PQP.
- Gold members will receive 600 PQP.
- Platinum members will receive 900 PQP.
- 1K members will receive 1,600 PQP.
MileagePlus members who open an eligible United credit card before December 31 will also receive the deposit for next year.
Related: Best Credit Cards for United Airlines Travelers
Who will this change affect most?
Depending on how you typically achieve status, these changes can be quite significant – or not so much.
If you’ve historically achieved Premier status by simply accumulating PQPs, not much changes for you in 2027 (unless you’re aiming for Premier 1K, which is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve).
According to Fisher, PQPs allow the majority of United members to obtain status today.
“It’s basically doubling the way most people acquire status,” he said.
The travelers most affected by this change are United travelers who typically log a ton of segments during the year. These members have historically been able to achieve status by combining all of these PQFs with a lower number of PQPs.
If you fall into this category, you will likely have to spend more to reach the same status in 2027.
“For those people, obviously getting a United card is going to be a way for them to close that gap,” Fisher said.
No more “segment executions”
Additionally, it’s probably not necessary to travel across the country on an end-of-year “segment” to achieve enough PQF. Checking in flight segments will no longer be a key metric of Premier status.
“As we thought about these changes, we no longer felt good about it — it was an old relic,” Fisher said. “And so we thought it was time to abandon this measure.”
1K becomes harder to achieve
As for 1K status, that will require more spending across the board to reach the first elite tier released by United in the new year.
1K requirements increase from 28,000 PQP to 32,000. This represents an increase of approximately 14%.
If you have already reached 1K through a combination of flight segments And expenses, you will need about 45% more PQP than before.
How to earn PQPs
United MileagePlus members earn 1 PQP for every $1 spent with the airline on flights.
Meanwhile, a handful of United credit cards can also earn PQP on everyday purchases:
United travelers can also earn PQPs on certain upgrades and other “extras” purchased after booking. And some partner flights are eligible to earn PQP, although they must be booked through United (look for a ticket starting with 016). Partner flights not booked through United will receive a discounted fare.
Conclusion
United’s changes to achieve Premier status come months after carrier rolled out a bigger change to its MileagePlus programoverhauling the way cardholders and non-cardholders earn and redeem miles.
United is far from the only airline changing how it grants status to its loyalty members. Major competitors, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, have focused exclusively on dollars spent – on air travel and credit cards – for years.
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