Next year, United Airlines will revert to its pre-pandemic qualification requirements to achieve elite status but will also count more credit card spending toward meeting your elite qualification goal. For the first time, United will also count award travel on United toward elite status qualification.
United Airlines Increases Elite Status Requirements For 2023 – 2024 MileagePlus Program Year
In a widely-expected move, United will revert to its pre-pandemic qualification thresholds to achieve elite status in 2023 for 2024:
Top-tier 1K status will require $18,000 in spending (PQP meaning Premier Qualifying Points – each PQP roughly translate to $1 in spending) and 54 segments (PQF meaning Premier Qualifying Flights) or $24,000 in outright spending. 1Ks will earn 20 PlusPoints for every 3,000 PQP beyond the $18,000.
However, United has indicated that it will offer existing elite members a “jump start” PQP deposit into member accounts at the following rate:
- Premier Silver – 500 PQP
- Premier Gold – 1,000 PQP
- Premier Platinum – 1,500 PQP
- Premier 1K – 2,500 PQP
Earn Premier Qualifying Credit On Award Credit
For the first time, United will award PQPs on award redemptions. Starting in 2023, when you use MileagePlus miles for award flights operated by United or United Express, you will now earn Premier qualifying credits at a rate of 1 PQP per 100 miles redeemed, as well as 1 PQF per United or United Express flight.
For example, a 60,000-mile redemption from Chicago to London will earn 600 PQP. Put another way, you could earn 1K status by redeeming 1.8 million United miles on United flights.
More Credit Card Spending Will Count
For 2023, the maximum PQP able to be earned will double for the United Quest card will double from 3,000 to 6,000 and for the United Club Infinite card from 4,000 to 8,000 PQP. Furthemore, eligible United MileagePlus Chase Cardmembers will continue to earn 500 PQP per $12,000 spent. The maximum number of PQP that can be earned on eligible card spend in a calendar year across multiple credit cards has increased from 5,000 PQP to 15,000 PQP.
While I hesitate to recommend so much spending on a United-branded card, the pathway to Premier Platinum status without flying does exist.
Permanent Elimination Of Award Redeposit Fees
While MileagePlus Premier qualification requirements will rise, United is permanently ending award redeposit fees for all MileagePlus members.
CONCLUSION
United Airlines is reverting to its pre-pandemic qualification requirements to achieve elite status, but this makes sense with travel roaring back in 2022. Current elites will receive a head start of some kind early next year and more PQP earning via credit card spend will be available. For the first time, United will count award travel (only flights operated by United) toward your PQP and PQF goal. Finally, United will not restore award redeposit fees, a plus for all members with or without elite status.
Ok it was expected. Now how about they return to pre pandemic service levels, especially in Polaris. It would be nice if it worked both ways. But I’m not holding my breath.
Correct if I’m wrong, but PQP added via credit card spend some not count, unless you go for
The 54 minimum segment, right??
Seems like United is now the most difficult airline to earn the first 3 tiers of status. AA you can earn without even stepping foot on a plane if you do enough online shopping and Delta has a CC waiver that eliminates the spend requirement. Is it worth it?
Delta makes it easier to spend on credit card up to Platinum but $250k on credit card spending for Diamond is a very hard one. With the current prices for airfares it won’t be that difficult to spend that much money on airfares alone. It is crazy out there!!!
Exactly why I switched to UA this year after nearly two decades as an Exec Plat. I prefer status with an airline that doesn’t give it away and values butt In seat flyers.
Well, I live in a Delta hub so I simply have no option. Delta flies to basically everywhere I need non stop from here and they treat me really well so nothing to complain.
I get that and being in MSP I can see why it works for you…Non-stops are everything these days. Being in DC though I have a choice (both AA and UA offer many options) and UA (despite the horrific catering) seem to actually want to prioritize people who fly over people who just spend. That’s value to me and as a 1K for the first time it’s a value I greatly appreciate. Exactly why I switched earlier in the year and am now banking on hearing how everyone who stuck with AA is complaining how many Exec Plats there are, the lack of upgrades, boarding chaos, and an entirely watered down elite experience.
Now, if we can just get UA to maybe do something about the catering?
I agree, if you’re top tier then you want to be with the one that’s best for you. Right now I’m Gold on UA and Alist Preferred on WN. If I want to keep that after next year I probably have to give up status on WN. The only benefit of gold I value is Economy plus as I’m not getting anywhere close to top of upgrade list and even if I made platinum thats not going to change much. Silver is almost worthless if you have the credit card.
More likely what I’ll do is fly United if I want to pay for First, otherwise stick with WN for domestic economy
Matthew loves using the 757 business class pictures in articles
Definitely not a 757, it’s a 777-200 (the safety card is visible in bottom right corner). Also, the overhead bins and side panels around the windows were a definite indicator it wasn’t a 757.
In regards to the award tickets now getting PQP and PQF, does it also get lifetime flight miles now or is that still a no?
Does the award redeposit fee elimination apply to non-US itineraries as well? Those are still subject to a $125 fee for changes and redeposit even when the US origin itineraries had it waived for the last few years.
I’m not seeing the value in Plus Points. I have tried to use them multiple times this year and have been waitlisted every time even when booking months in advance and seeing 50 – 90% of business/first seats available at booking. Is there a secret trick I’m missing?
No secret trip, though I’ve used mine on Copa and Lufthansa so try partners. UA used to let you pay 2x to clear the waitlist. I wish that was still the case. Even that was too good of a deal…
For me (1K/3MM) +Points stopped being effective this year. I’ve had several international flights booked Prem Econ and (30 PP), almost always waitlisted. 1-3 days out from departure, I sometimes get an offer to pay for the upgrade.
Like others witness, several open seats in biz, long waitlist that doesn’t clear. Instead. UA opts to sell upgrades without regards to PP or status.
It’s not a new practice. Even a few years ago, I had offers to pay to upgrade even without using GPUs or now PPs.
It’s a big problem I will address tomorrow.
Right, I’ve got a lot expiring unused. Without a reasonable chance for an upgrade, I don’t see much value to 1K
These requirements are tough, even more so the PQF for me, since I don’t travel for work and my flight patterns do not involved many segments. And without PQF, the pure PQP is also really tough. Also, from what I read, it’s harder to cheese these requirements through partners and/or CC spend (DL makes it easy to do both for MQD)
You’re right that with PQP limits on partner carriers, it is very hard to earn via backdoor partner spending, like on AA or DL.
Do you have an update on if UA will give PQP’s for flights booked through partner airlines. They started that in 2019. Personally, I think it was a stupid move that sometimes awarded more points on a partner than on a flight booked through UA. But, since they are back to the full earning requirement, have they also brought back the partner PQP’s and PQF’s?
They are still capped (500 econ/prem, 1000 buisness/first for partners, 750/1500 for preferred partners) and I do not expect that to change.
Well, I’m going to enjoy my last year of being 1K. I needed the bonus (which was 3000 points) to make 1K for next year, although I have a lot of flights coming up in 2023 to places like Boise that engender expensive airfare. If I’m close, I may have to start looking at mileage runs next November and December. Either that or bite the bullet and get a co-branded credit card. I just have this thing about paying annual fees for credit cards. But if the Club Infinite card can get me 1K…it’s a decision to make.
I feel really sorry for anyone who spends $18k (or $24k) flying UA. It’s such a deliberately awful inflight product these days.
They do have the best int’l partners out of the US3 (IMO), so going for UA status has its merits.
That’s debatable. OW provides better status benefits, including F lounge access and free seat selection. Plus you don’t have to fly UA domestic. The F product on UA is an absolute disgrace.
In any event, I already have lifetime Gold and will make zero effort to go higher. 12 year consecutive 1K, 2023 will be my last.