Not only will United Airlines leave spending requirements unchanged next year to earn MileagePlus elite status, it will make it easier than ever before to earn elite status based on credit card spending. With these changes, Premier 1K status may be within reach for a lot more flyers.
Earn MileagePlus Premier Elite Status On United Airlines In 2024 With Co-Branded Credit Card Spending
Currently, you can earn 500 PQPs for every $12,000 in spending on eligible co-branded United cards. That’s not a great rate and I do not recommend using a United co-branded card for major purchases (a flexible currency card like the Capital One Venture X or Chase Sapphire Reserve is the better option). But some people spend so much money on their cards that they do not care if there theoretically are better options: they like to diversify spending.
Staring next year, United will make it easier to PQP via credit card spending (though still not lucrative):
- Cardmembers will now earn 25 PQP for every $500 in qualifying card spend on eligible MileagePlus credit cards. At this new rate, Cardmembers can earn PQP faster and more frequently through qualifying purchases on their card
- This amounts to 600 PQPs for every $12,000 in spending versus the current 500, an increase of 20%
- All card-earned PQP will now count toward each status level, including the PQP-only requirement for Premier 1K status
- Increasing the total PQP amount you can earn annually with the United Club Infinite Card. In 2024, you can earn up to 10,000 PQP from qualifying purchases on your United Club Infinite Card (versus 8,000 PQP in 2023)
- Other caps include:
- United Explorer Card – 1,000 PQPs
- United Business Card -1,000 PQPs
- United Quest Card – 6,000 PQPs
- Other caps include:
- Removing the annual cap of 15,000 PQP that you can earn from qualifying spend across multiple eligible United MileagePlus credit cards issued by Chase
- Each card will still have PQP caps (for now…)
Two key points. First, the exemption for 1K status is gone. Currently, credit card PQPs only count toward the PQP + PQF requirement (54 PQF and 18,000 PQP) not the PQP-only requirement (24,000 PQP) for 1K status. That no longer applies. Second, with the annual flight cap removed, you can rack up even more elite points (even if you do not have the grandfathered United Presidential Plus Card or United Presidential Plus Business Card) across multiple cards.
Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) represent segments and Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) represent dollars spent. You can reduce the 1K spending requirements by 25% by flying 54 segments on United Airlines or on a partner in a calendar year.
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What Is United’s Strategy?
Understandably, United wants to drive more credit card spending to its portfolio of Chase co-branded credit card products and this move will certainly do so.
But I also have a number of clients at Award Expert who previously did not have top-tier elite status and now will have 1K status thanks to these changes, particularly counting credit card PQP earnings toward 1K status.
If there are more 1Ks due to this change, it will make upgrades even harder than they are now. That’s not exactly something I am rejoicing in because I still do not see the personal value in increasing spending on a United co-branded card to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars.
CONCLUSION
United is making it easier to earn MileagePlus Premier status next year thanks to a loosening of the limits on credit card spending. This policy change will result in more Premier 1K members and while still stingy compared to credit card spending in a flexible currency, it should have the intended effect of driving more credit card spending to Chase-United.
top image: Chase
Does the MileagePlus Select Credit Card spend count towards PQD earning?
Oops, I mean PQP, not PQD
I haven’t noticed a huge influx of credit card EXPs over at AA. If they fly 10% of what I do, it takes 10 of them to take the upgrades of one of me. I think card spend may disrupt the lower levels quite a bit more, but I don’t imagine you’ll experience “stolen” upgrades all the much.
Really? There have been numerous posts on many blogs about all these new exec plats that are now asking FA’s things like how to connect in DFW to their gate.
Your point just proves what Jerry said. If these new elites flew more than occasionally they’d know how to connect.
But multiply them by the tens of thousands and it is the equivalent of adding a lot more to each flight.
I’ve heard that on the internet, but I haven’t witnessed it. It’s possible many high spending, but infrequent travelers have moved to AA, but alas, my upgrades more or less always clear.
How would your clients who had no elite status now suddenly get 1K? Even with multiple credit card maximums of spending, they would still need 5000K PQP, which would have been enough for Silver…
Sorry, I meant 5000 PQP, not 5000K
I meant they don’t currently have 1K status.
I am 1/26 on upgrades as a current 1K (will be dropping down to Premier Gold) and the premier upgrade benefit is useless along with Premier Points except on the now defunct BOSLHR route. Only tangible benefits at this point as a 1K are the free drink/snack in E; pre-boarding with a carry-on and for the most part IROPS or tight connections. Clear+ is free but credited with AMEX Plat (although will be cancelling that card too).
I fly for work and pleasure but on cheapest E ticket and not on expensive OPM biz tickets…convenience and non-stops ex-BOS after so many tight connections and stress due to delays this year will be my motto in ’24. If one wants to spend tens of thousands on their UA branded cards go for it but better cards out there as we know.
Is this still less than AA is giving towards Exec Plat? I left them for UA for this very reason.
Honestly, it’s getting to the point that they almost need a new top tier for those that actually fly a lot. While I would never switch to DL given their redemption rates, I’m starting to wonder if they were on to something in making it more exclusive.
So if I’m 1K and put $16,000 of spending on my United Club card, I’ll end up with 18,050 PQPs. (1,250 started PQPs, 16,000 from direct spend, 800 from bonus PQPs). So $16,000 plus 54 segments would re-qualify if I’m doing my math right.
Not even close. You don’t get 1 PQP per dollar spent on your credit card. You only get 50 PQP per $1000 spent, or 500 PQP per $10k spent.
I like this change..
As a 1K remember, this year, I’ve earned 2,500 PQPs using 2 separate cards… and figuring out when I’ll hit the next 12,000 spend on each card and when the deposit will hit isn’t particularly customer friendly.
I spend considerably less on one of those cards. If I don’t hit the next 12k spend on the cards at year end, you’re leaving potential spend on the table that could have been better spent on other reward cards. Case in point, I’ve already reached 1K for 2024, so I’ve switch to using my Chase SR and Chase Freedom.
The incremental spend/rewards is welcome! Now, if only United let us rollover PQFs & PQPs 🙂
“This policy change will result in more Premier 1K members ”
Just what the program doesn’t need from a customer perspective. The realized benefits of being a 1K have declined over the years. This isn’t likely to reverse that trend, but only make it worse.
I don’t like where this is going…
Making 10% of partner mile earning count as PQP would be innovative (kind of close to how AA works)
Isn’t ‘24 the first year where the much higher 1K qualifications, instituted last year, will be felt?
So we don’t know how many “more” 1Ks will be produced from this policy change until we see how many are dropped after ‘23.
@ Matthew — The 20 PQP per dollar earn rate is pathetic, especially when you consider the fact that UA miles are worth even less than DL miles.
The per cards limit suck. I do most of my spending on a United business card and earning only 1000 PQP max is pretty limiting to how much I spend. I wish it was just a limit per account, not per card. I am happy that it 25 PQP per $500 spend, and not batched with a large total spend of $12,000 like before