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New United MileagePlus Elite Status Changes Coming in 2025

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Jarrod West
Updated: 
Edited by: Juan Ruiz
& Michael Y. Park
New United MileagePlus Elite Status Changes Coming in 2025
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United Airlines has just announced changes to how flyers will qualify for elite status in its MileagePlus program in 2025.

Unfortunately, elite status will now be harder to earn going forward, but United is also adding additional ways to earn status to soften the blow.

Here is a full look at everything you need to know.

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United MileagePlus Elite Status Requirements Are Increasing

If you already hold elite status with United, or hope to in the future, here is how many Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs) and Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) you need to earn to qualify for elite status in 2025 and beyond:

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Elite Status Level

Current Qualification Requirement

New Qualification Requirement

Premier Silver

12 PQFs and 4,000 PQPs OR 5,000 or more PQPs

15 PQFs and 5,000 PQPs OR 6,000 or more PQPs

Premier Gold

24 PQFs and 8,000 PQPs OR 10,000 or more PQPs

30 PQFs and 10,000 PQPs OR 12,000 or more PQPs

Premier Platinum

36 PQFs and 12,000 PQPs OR 15,000 or more PQPs

45 PQFs and 15,000 PQPs OR 18,000 or more PQPs

Premier 1K

54 PQFs and 18,000 PQPs OR 24,000 or more PQPs

60 PQFs and 22,000 PQPs OR 28,000 or more PQPs

At each elite status level, the number of Premier Qualifying Flights and Premier Qualifying points, or Premier Qualifying Points alone, is increasing by 20% to 25%.

That, of course, is significant and may be a bitter pill to swallow for United elites, but the airline is adding a few new perks and benefits to help soften these changes.

Current United MileagePlus Elite Members Get a Headstart

Those who already have some level of United MileagePlus elite status get a headstart toward the new qualification metrics in 2025 at the following rates:

  • Premier Silver: 300 PQPs
  • Premier Gold: 600 PQPs
  • Premier Platinum: 900 PQPs
  • Premier 1K: 1,400 PQPs

This will give elite members a 5% boost toward the number of Premier Qualifying Points they need to earn if they plan to qualify based on Premier Qualifying Points alone and a 6% boost if they plan to qualify by PQPs and Premier Qualifying Flights.

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More Ways To Redeem United MileagePlus PlusPoints

At the highest levels of United elite status, specifically Premier Platinum and Premier 1K status, members are awarded PlusPoints, which they can use to upgrade their seat, pending availability.

United Polaris 767 300 privacy partition
Use PlusPoints to upgrade to United Polaris. Image Credit: Ehsan Haque

“Pending availability” is the operative phrase there. As the number of United flyers with elite status has grown, the opportunity to use your PlusPoints for upgrades has dwindled. But starting in 2025, you’ll be able to redeem your PlusPoints in these new ways:

  • Bonus miles
  • Gifting elite status
  • Additional PQPs or PQFs
  • TravelBank Cash

We don’t have all of the details yet on the rates of these redemptions and whether or not they will offer good value for your PlusPoints. That said, your PlusPoints currently expire at the end of the year if you aren’t able to use them to upgrade your seat, so having any option to get some value out of them is a welcome addition.

Improved PQP Rates on United MileagePlus Credit Cards

As of March 24, 2025, United has made spending on United MileagePlus cards more rewarding for those who use them to earn elite status.

  • United Club℠ Card: 1 PQP per $15 spent, with a maximum of 28,000 PQPs per year (up from 15,000 PQPs)
  • United Club℠ Business Card: 1 PQP per $15 spent, with a maximum of 28,000 PQPs per year (up from 15,000 PQPs)
  • United Quest℠ Card: 1 PQP per $20 spent, with a maximum of 18,000 PQPs per year (up from 9,000 PQP)
  • United℠ Business Card: 1 PQP per $20 spent, with a maximum of 4,000 PQPs per year (up from 1,000 PQP)
  • All other eligible cards: 1 PQP per $20 spent, with a maximum of 1,000 PQPs per year

With these changes, someone holding the United Club card or the United Club Business card could spend their way to the 28,000 Premier Qualifying Points they need to reach Premier 1K status — after spending a whopping $420,000.

Although this may not be as rewarding as the elite-status-earning opportunities offered by American and Delta through their credit cards, it does provide United cardholders with greater motivation to utilize their United card more frequently.

Hot Tip:

If you’re in the market for a new United card to help earn United elite status but aren’t sure which card is right for you, read our guide to the best United credit cards.

Final Thoughts

This is United’s first increase to its MileagePlus status requirements since 2019, so it was only a matter of time before we saw changes implemented.

Of course, the news isn’t all bad. Earning more PQPs for spending on United cards and new ways to redeem your PlusPoints are valuable additions.

Increases to elite status requirements are always a double-edged sword because, while they make requalifying difficult, in theory, they should make elite status more valuable for those who are able to qualify, as they have less competition for upgrades and other perks.

Featured Image Credit: Katie Seemann
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About Jarrod West

Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 8 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year, and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.

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