Starting in January 2024, United Airlines will simplify the process for MileagePlus members to accumulate qualification points for Premier loyalty status through purchases made with co-branded credit cards. This change is a minor adjustment to the loyalty program, unlike the more significant changes implemented by Delta and Frontier.
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GLOStarting in January 2024, United Airlines will simplify the process for MileagePlus members to accumulate qualification points for Premier loyalty status through purchases made with co-branded credit cards. This change is a minor adjustment to the loyalty program, unlike the more significant changes implemented by Delta and Frontier.
Under the MileagePlus program, members achieve status by meeting specific flying and spending requirements. For example, to attain the entry-level Premier Silver Status, a traveler needs to complete 12 flight segments with United and its partners in a year and accumulate 4,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs). PQPs are awarded based on the dollar amount spent on airfare and flight extras and are also earned in part for expenses on United co-branded credit cards.
Alternatively, travelers can achieve Premier Silver status with 5,000 PQPs, even if they haven’t met the flight segment requirement. The qualification criteria for Premier Gold, Premier Platinum, and Premier 1K status follow a similar structure but with higher minimum thresholds.
United recently announced that it will maintain its existing qualification thresholds for the coming year. However, it will simplify the process of earning points with co-branded credit cards.
Currently, United co-branded credit cardholders receive 500 PQPs when they spend $12,000 on the card, and additional PQPs are awarded in the same ratio for every additional $12,000 spent, up to a maximum limit for each card type.
Next year, United will increase the frequency and ratio of PQPs awarded for spending on co-branded credit cards. The first 25 PQPs will be given for a $500 spend, with subsequent 25-point increments for each additional $500 in spending. Additionally, United will remove the current maximum limit of 15,000 PQPs that can be earned in a year through multiple United-branded cards held by a single MileagePlus member.
While maximum accruals for each card type will remain in place, United will raise the cap for the high-end United Club Infinity Card to 10,000 PQPs from 8,000.
Throughout the U.S. airline industry, carriers are increasingly incentivizing co-branded credit card spending as a significant component of loyalty program status accrual, as they aim to boost revenue from these cards. Delta, Frontier, Southwest, and JetBlue have all taken steps this year in their loyalty programs to provide more incentives for accruing status through co-branded credit card expenditures.
Source: United Airlines
