United Premier status: How to earn it — and is it worth it?

1 week ago 19

If you are a frequent flyer and spend many hours traveling each year, having elite status with an airline, such as United Airlines, can make a significant difference in your travel experience. Shorter lines, faster service, complimentary upgrades, international lounge access and other benefits can easily make stressful trips more seamless.

However, these perks do not come without a cost. Airlines often require significant time, money or both to achieve that elusive elite status. With thresholds to reach status seemingly ever-increasing, it is important to weigh the benefits against the drawbacks of remaining loyal to one airline program. This is especially true for the United MileagePlus program, which recently unveiled increased thresholds for earning Premier status in 2025.

This guide will evaluate United Premier status and break down the different status tiers, how to earn them and if their perks are worth the effort for United flyers.

What is United Premier status?

When you choose to fly United Airlines and add your MileagePlus number to your booking, in addition to earning miles, you earn points toward Premier status. Depending on which United elite status tier you achieve, perks range from complimentary first-class upgrades on most domestic flights (depending on availability) to earning bonus miles that can be redeemed for future travel.

You can qualify for Premier status through a combination of Premier qualifying flights and Premier qualifying points, or with Premier qualifying points alone. The number of flights and points you earn in a calendar year will determine which status you achieve, which is then valid for the remainder of the calendar year, the entirety of the following year, and the first month of the year after.

For instance, if you reached status requirements anytime in 2024, you will hold the status through Jan. 31, 2026. So, earning elite status as quickly as possible in the calendar year makes sense so you can enjoy the benefits for as long as possible.

United Premier status tiers

Anyone can make a United MileagePlus account for free online, where you start as a "Member" and can take off on your elite status expedition. You'll have four official elite status tiers to work toward:

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Premier Silver
Premier Gold
Premier Platinum
Premier 1K

These are comparable to the elite status tiers of rival airline loyalty programs American Airlines AAdvantage and Delta Air Lines SkyMiles. As you climb the ranks, the perks become more lucrative, offering incredible benefits such as lounge access and free checked bags.

There's also an unpublished exclusive tier called Global Services, which can only be achieved by flying 4 million miles or receiving a personal invitation.

How to qualify for United Premier status

In recent years, many airlines have moved away from calculating elite status based on actual mileage flown. For United, this means elite status is achieved by taking Premier qualifying flights, or PQFs, which include flight segments on both United and partner airlines, and earning Premier qualifying points, or PQPs. PQPs — not to be confused with United MileagePlus miles — are earned solely for the purpose of elite status and cannot be redeemed for award flights.

You can earn PQPs by flying, though the earning rate depends on which airline operates the flight and whether you book it with cash or miles. You can also earn PQPs through spending on cobranded credit cards.

Type of flightPQP earning rate

United and United Express flights booked with cash	Earn 1 PQP per dollar spent on base airfare and carrier-imposed surcharges (not including taxes and other fees).
United and United Express flights booked with miles	Earn 1 PQP for every 100 MileagePlus miles redeemed on flights and seat upgrades.
Partner flights booked with cash	Earn 1 PQP for every 5 award miles on preferred partner airlines. Note that you can only earn a maximum of 750 PQPs for economy and premium economy seats and 1,500 PQPs for first- and business-class seats. Earn 1 PQP for every 6 award miles on MileagePlus partner airlines. You can earn 1 PQP for every 6 award miles; you'll earn a maximum of 500 PQPs per flight in economy and premium economy and 1,000 PQPs per flight in first and business class.
Partner flights booked with miles	Partner award tickets do not earn PQPs; you'll only earn miles on flight segments operated by United.

You have two avenues to qualify for United Premier status: You can reach a certain number of combined PQPs and PQFs, or earn PQPs alone.

Unfortunately, United recently announced that these thresholds would increase by roughly 25% for the 2025 status qualification year. Here's a summary of the changes:

Status tierPQPs and PQFs (2024)PQPs and PQFs (2025)PQPs only (2024)PQPs only (2025)

Premier Silver	4,000 PQPs and 12 PQFs	5,000 PQPs and 15 PQFs	5,000 PQPs	6,000 PQPs
Premier Gold	8,000 PQPs and 24 PQFs	10,000 PQPs and 30 PQFs	10,000 PQPs	12,000 PQPs
Premier Platinum	12,000 PQPs and 36 PQFs	15,000 PQPs and 45 PQFs	15,000 PQPs	18,000 PQPs
Premier 1K	18,000 PQPs and 54 PQFs	22,000 PQPs and 60 PQFs	24,000 PQPs	28,000 PQPs

So, even if you secured elite status in 2024, you may need to rethink your qualification strategy to meet the new earning requirements in 2025.

However, United has announced plans to give existing elite members a head start on next year's status in the form of bonus PQPs — and these numbers have also increased from last year. If you qualified for status in 2024, you'll get the following bonus PQPs in early 2025, depending on your current status level:

Premier Silver: 300 PQPs
Premier Gold: 600 PQPs
Premier Platinum: 900 PQPs
Premier 1K: 1,400 PQPs

It is also important to note that whether you're working toward status with PQPs and PQFs or PQPs alone, United has a four-segment requirement to achieve status. This means you must take at least four flights operated by United or United Express to earn any status tier.

United Premier status benefits

As you can imagine, the perks of United loyalty get more and more appealing as you climb the Premier status ladder. Here's an overview of what you'll enjoy with each tier:

Premier Silver

This is the lowest elite tier in the MileagePlus program, where you will receive benefits such as:

Earn 7 miles per dollar spent on flights (basic members only earn 5 miles per dollar)
Star Alliance Silver status
Priority Group 2 boarding
Preferred seating at booking (for up to eight travel companions)
Economy Plus seating at check-in (for you and up to one travel companion)
One free 70-pound checked bag
Priority phone support
Complimentary Premier Upgrades as early as the day of departure
Instant upgrades to premium cabins on economy tickets

Premier Gold

When you reach the Gold tier, you receive all of the same perks as Silver, in addition to:

Earn 8 miles per dollar spent
Star Alliance Gold status
Marriott Bonvoy Gold status
United Club lounge access when flying internationally with United or any other Star Alliance airline
Economy Plus seating at booking (for you and up to one travel companion)
Group 1 boarding
Two free 70-pound checked bags
Complimentary Premier Upgrades as early as 48 hours before departure

Premier Platinum

For even more-frequent United flyers, you receive all of the same perks as Premier Gold, in addition to:

Earn 9 miles per dollar spent
Waived telephone booking fees (these typically cost $25)
Avis President's Club status
Economy Plus seating at booking (for up to eight travel companions)
Complimentary Premier Upgrades as early as 72 hours before departure
40 PlusPoints

Premier 1K

This is the top tier in United's program for its most frequent travelers, where you will receive all of the same perks as Premier Platinum, in addition to:

Earn 11 miles per dollar spent
Priority boarding, including preboarding the aircraft
Three free 70-pound checked bags
Complimentary Premier Upgrades as early as 96 hours before departure
An additional 280 PlusPoints

PlusPoints, which are available only to Platinum and 1K members, are a separate currency used for seat upgrades. Unfortunately, using them toward upgrades has grown increasingly difficult in recent years as demand has skyrocketed. That's why United MileagePlus is introducing several new ways to use your PlusPoints in 2025:

A PQP or PQF deposit
TravelBank cash
Bonus miles
Gifting Premier status to other MileagePlus members

Though we don't have many details on these changes yet, they should make it easier to get value from this elite status perk. Look out for more information on new ways to use your PlusPoints as we head into the new year.

Can a credit card help you earn United Premier status?

United has several personal and business credit cards, all issued by Chase, that can help you get closer to elite status. None of these cards provide complimentary elite status, but you'll earn additional PQPs with everyday purchases.

In 2023, United announced how cardholders would earn PQPs from credit cards. Cardholders now earn 25 PQPs per $500 spent on an eligible cobranded United card.

The following cards earn 25 PQPs for every $500 in eligible spending; plus, some cards offer PQPs as part of the welcome bonus:

CardBest forWelcome offerPQP earning capAnnual fee

United℠ Explorer Card	Frequent United flyers	Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.	Up to 1,000 PQPs per calendar year	$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
United Quest℠ Card	Frequent United flyers	Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 PQPs after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.	Up to 6,000 PQPs per calendar year	$250
United Club℠ Infinite Card	Frequent United flyers who want United Club lounge access	Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.	Up to 10,000 PQPs per calendar year	$525
United℠ Business Card	Frequent United flyers with an eligible business	Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open	Up to 1,000 PQPs per calendar year	$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99
United Club℠ Business Card	Frequent United flyers with an eligible business who want United Club access	Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 1,000 PQPs after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open	Up to 1,000 PQPs per calendar year	$450

The information for the United Club Business Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Is United Premier status worth it?

Elite status can certainly make travel more comfortable and convenient. For example, when your flight is delayed and you want to speak to an agent to get a resolution, having elite status can undoubtedly make the difference in a prompt response. Additionally, holding any United Premier status will help save time with priority boarding and expedited airport check-in lanes. Complimentary upgrades are always enjoyable, though they can sometimes be hard to come by on busy routes, especially between hubs.

If you travel with United or its partner airlines regularly and/or spend significantly on a cobranded credit card, you may find it easy to earn Premier status, and it can be a savvy way to maximize your travel. Plus, this means you'll also be earning plenty of United miles, which you can redeem for United award flights, all while enjoying your elite status benefits.

However, it's not worth pursuing status when you can't enjoy the benefits you've worked hard to earn. Be sure to consider United's route map, its presence at your home airport(s) and how easy it is to get to your desired destination. Living near a United hub such as Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) or George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) can certainly make it more worthwhile to pursue United status. If United and its partner airlines don't fly where you live or where you want to travel, you won't get much use from United status.

Finally, remember that Premier status does not provide domestic lounge access when traveling with United. If this benefit is important to you, consider applying for the United Club Infinite Card, which provides United Club access and elite perks such as two free checked bags and Premier Access travel services.

Bottom line

Earning elite status, especially a top-tier status like Premier 1K, is no easy feat and requires countless hours on planes and thousands of dollars spent. Understanding the cost and perks of United's elite status is important to determine if it is right for you — especially since United's recent changes will make status harder to earn in 2025.

Premier perks can make the travel experience less stressful and more enjoyable. Every traveler has their own set of benefits that make it worthwhile to pursue elite status based on budget constraints, home airports, destinations and other individual factors. If you strive for United Airlines elite status, be sure you'll be able to use the benefits you've earned.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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