New United MileagePlus Elite Status Changes Coming in 2025

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.

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/or Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) you’ll need to earn to qualify for elite status in 2025 and beyond:

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 will 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’ll 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.

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.

Pending availability is the operative word there; as the number of United flyers with elite status has grown, the availability 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, currently your PlusPoints 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

United is making spending on United MileagePlus cards more rewarding for those who use them to earn elite status.

• United Club℠ Infinite Card: 1 PQP per $15 spent, with a maximum of 15,000 PQPs per year (up from 10,000 PQPs)
• United Club℠ Business Card: 1 PQP per $15 spent, with a maximum of 15,000 PQPs per year (up from 1,000 PQPs)
• United Quest℠ Card: 1 PQP per $20 spent, with a maximum of 9,000 PQPs per year (up from 6,000 PQP)
• All other eligible cards: 1 PQP per $20 spent, with a maximum of 1,000 PQPs per year

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

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.

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.