MileagePlus Elite Status
MileagePlus has 4 elite status levels, plus the invitation-only Global Services level:
- Premier Silver
- Premier Gold
- Premier Platinum
- Premier 1K
Due to COVID-10, United has reduced requirements for status through the 2022 program year beginning on January 1, 2021:
2022 Status | Earn Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) | and Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) | …or Meet a Higher PQP Goal |
Silver | 8 | 3,000 | 3,500 |
Gold | 16 | 6,000 | 7,000 |
Platinum | 24 | 9,000 | 10,000 |
1K | 36 | 13,500 | 15,000 |
Members holding United MileagePlus Premier status at the end of 2020 will receive a 25% bonus of the 2021 PQP requirement to help them achieve status for the following year.
The bonuses are:
- Silver: 875 PQP
- Gold: 1,750 PQP
- Platinum: 2,500 PQP
- Premier 1K: 3,750 PQP
The PQD waiver for Chase MileagePlus cardholders has been discontinued, but members can earn PQP with select cards.
Hot Tip: Learn more about COVID-19-related changes to United MileagePlus is our guide: Coronavirus (COVID-19): Airline Elite Status Extensions, Changes, and Update.
MileagePlus Elite Benefits
Image Credit: United
Premier Silver:
- Complimentary Economy Plus seats at check-in
- Complimentary upgrades at day of departure (subject to availability)
- Priority check-in, security, and boarding
- 1 free checked bag of 70 lbs on domestic flights, 2 free checked bags of 70 lbs for international flights (3 on any flight if traveling in business, first, or Polaris)
- Increased Saver Award availability in economy on United
- Reduced award ticket fees
- Discounted membership in CLEAR for $109 so you can breeze through airport security
- Hertz Five Star status (register here)
Premier Gold:
- All Silver benefits plus:
- Complimentary Economy Plus seats at booking
- Complimentary upgrades 48 hours prior to departure (subject to availability)
- Free same-day flight change (subject to availability)
- 2 free checked bag of 70 lbs on domestic flights, 3 free checked bags of 70 lbs for international flights (3 on any flight if traveling in business, first, or Polaris)
- United Club access when traveling internationally
- Star Alliance Gold status for access to partner lounges, even on domestic travel (excludes United Club)
- Marriott Gold Status with the RewardsPlus program (register here)
Premier Platinum:
- All Gold benefits plus:
- Complimentary upgrades 72 hours prior to departure (subject to availability)
- 40 PlusPoints to be used for flexible upgrades
- 3 free checked bags of 70 lbs on any flight
- Increased Saver Award availability in premium cabins on United
- Award fee waivers up to 60 days prior to travel
- Hertz President’s Circle status (register here)
Premier 1K:
- All Platinum benefits plus:
- Complimentary upgrades 96 hours prior to departure (subject to availability)
- 280 PlusPoints (plus the 40 you earned with Platinum status)
- Additional 20 PlusPoints for every 2,000 PQP beyond 15,000 PQP
- Complimentary award change and redeposit
- Free drinks and snacks when in economy on United
- Free membership to CLEAR so you can breeze through security
See the full line-up of benefits for all the details and benefit terms.
Value of MileagePlus Elite Status
MileagePlus has not made significant changes to its elite status benefits in several years.
Premier Silver is of limited value.
Premier Gold’s fee waiver for same-day changes (even on international flights) is a road warrior favorite. Delta excludes international flights entirely from its same-day change program, and American only waives fees for Executive Platinum.
Premier Gold also comes with Star Alliance Gold status. Many travelers do not realize that if your airport has a Star Alliance member lounge, you can use that lounge when flying any Star Alliance airline (even United domestically).
For example, when flying Los Angeles to New York, you will not get United Club access. However, with Premier Gold you can visit the superb Star Alliance Lounge in the Tom Bradley International Terminal (you can enter with a boarding pass for any terminal).
Premier Platinum recently saw the introduction of fees for changes to award tickets within 60 days of travel. Anecdotally, upgrade rates are low even when using PlusPoints. Premier Platinum has fallen behind Delta Platinum, but it is roughly on a par with American’s new Platinum Pro.
Premier 1K members enjoy a higher level of service and still have award fee waivers. The headline benefit of PlusPoints is not all it seems: upgrade availability on international routes is severely limited, though travelers no longer have to gamble in advance by buying more expensive upgrade-eligible flights than the cheapest economy flights. Delta and American have much more customer-friendly upgrade systems for their top-tier elites.