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The primary metric for earning United MileagePlus elite status is Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs). So, if you want to earn United Premier status, you'll first need to understand how PQPs work.
You can earn PQPs in several ways, including through credit card spending. However, the most common way to earn them is by flying.
In this guide, we'll explain what United PQPs are, how many you'll need for each tier of Premier status, and the best ways to earn PQPs through flying. We'll also highlight a strategy for qualifying for United Premier status by flying with partner airlines.
What Are United Premier Qualifying Points (PQP)?
Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) are the primary qualification requirement for United Premier elite status. They generally reflect how much you've spent with United, and the main way to earn them is by flying United, United Express, or eligible partner airlines.
United has more than 40 airline partners — from Star Alliance members to unique non-alliance partners like JetBlue, Emirates, JSX, and Virgin Australia — but only eligible flights on certain partners earn PQP.
You can also earn PQPs through spending on United's co-branded credit cards. If you're serious about earning Premier status, carrying a United credit card is one of the easiest ways to boost your PQP balance.
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150Rates & Fees
- Earn at least 9X total miles on eligible United flights (excluding Basic Economy and other base fares)*
- 3X miles on all other eligible United purchases
- 2X miles on dining and direct hotel stays
- 1X on all other purchases
- 6x miles on the primary cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member
- 3x miles on United purchases with the United℠ Explorer Card
$150Rates & Fees
- Earn at least 8X total miles on eligible United flights (excluding Basic Economy and other base fares)*
- 2X miles on eligible United purchases
- 2X miles on dining and all other travel
- 1X on all other purchases
- 6X miles on the primary cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member
- 2X miles on entire United purchases with the United℠ Business Card
$695Rates & Fees
- Earn at least 11X total miles on eligible United flights (excluding Basic Economy and other base fares)*
- 5X miles on hotel stays at Renowned Hotels and Resorts
- 5X miles on eligible United purchases
- 2X miles on dining and all other travel
- 1X on all other purchases
- 6X miles on the primary cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member
- 5X miles on entire United purchases with the United Club℠ Card
United Elite Status PQP Requirements
Below are United's elite status qualification requirements for 2026. You can qualify using a combination of Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) and Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF), or by earning PQPs alone.
- Premier Silver: 5,000 PQP + 15 PQF OR 6,000 PQP
- Premier Gold: 10,000 PQP + 30 PQF OR 12,000 PQP
- Premier Platinum: 15,000 PQP + 45 PQF OR 18,000 PQP
- Premier 1K: 22,000 PQP + 60 PQF OR 28,000 PQP
In addition, you'll need to take at least four flights operated by United or United Express.
The qualification period runs on a calendar-year basis. Any Premier status you earn is valid for the remainder of that year, the entire following calendar year, and through January 31 of the year after that. For example, if you qualify between January 1 and December 31, 2026, your status will remain valid through January 31, 2028.
Related: Status Match to United and Get MileagePlus Status
How to Earn United Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) From Flying
You can earn PQPs by flying United and many of its eligible partner airlines. However, how many PQPs you'll earn depends on which airline issues your ticket.
In some cases, booking through United will earn more PQPs. In others, booking through a partner airline is the better option.
Before booking, compare your options and calculate your expected PQP earnings. If fares are similar, it's generally worth choosing the ticket that earns the most PQPs.
United-issued tickets
You'll earn 1 PQP for every eligible U.S. dollar you spend on United flights or on tickets issued by United. And you'll know it's a United-issued ticket if the ticket number starts with 016.
PQP earnings on United-issued tickets are based on the base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges but exclude government-imposed taxes, fees, and other charges. As a result, you'll always earn fewer PQPs than the total ticket price.
On domestic itineraries, those taxes and fees are generally modest. However, they can add up on international tickets, which reduces the number of PQPs you'll earn relative to the total cost.
When booking directly through United, the website shows how many PQPs and PQFs you'll earn. To check and see, simply expand the details for each itinerary to view the earnings.
Just note that while basic economy tickets earn PQPs, they do not earn PQFs.
The PQPs and PQFs are credited to the MileagePlus account of the traveler, which may not be the same person who purchased the ticket.
Keep in mind that United-issued tickets can include flights operated by partner airlines. As long as your ticket number begins with 016, you'll earn PQPs based on the amount you paid to United. However, if your ticket is issued by a partner airline instead, PQP earnings are calculated differently.
Earn PQP on ancillary purchases
Certain United add-on purchases also earn PQPs. For example, if you book a flight and later pay to upgrade to Economy Plus, that purchase counts toward your PQP total.
Other eligible purchases include:
- Economy Plus seating or Economy Plus subscriptions
- Preferred seat purchases
- Paid upgrades on United- and United Express-operated flights
- MileagePlus Upgrade Award co-pays (1 PQP per 100 miles redeemed, and PQP on the co-pay)
Also remember that select United credit cards also let you earn PQPs through everyday spending, so the card you use can make a difference if you're working toward Premier status.
MileagePlus award tickets on United and United Express
Many AwardWallet readers enjoy redeeming United miles, so this is worth highlighting in its own section: You can also earn PQPs on award tickets booked with MileagePlus miles for flights operated by United or United Express.
On these tickets, the traveler (who may not be the person who redeemed the miles) earns 1 PQP for every 100 MileagePlus miles redeemed. If your itinerary includes a partner-operated flight, you'll only earn PQPs for the segments operated by United or United Express.
Partner-issued tickets
Earning United Premier Qualifying Points on partner flights booked outside of United works differently. Instead of being based on how much you spend, PQPs are calculated as a fraction of the award miles you earn.
- Preferred partners: Earn 1 PQP for every 5 award miles earned
- Other MileagePlus partners: Earn 1 PQP for every 6 award miles earned
Award miles on partner flights are based on a percentage of the actual miles flown, with the percentage determined by the airline and your fare class. As a result, PQP earnings on partner-issued tickets are distance-based rather than revenue-based.
Wondering which partner airline falls into which camp? Here's the roster of each set of partners:
United's preferred partners
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air Dolomiti
- Air New Zealand
- All Nippon Airways (ANA)
- Austrian Airlines
- Avianca
- Azul
- Brussels Airlines
- Copa Airlines
- Discover Airlines
- Edelweiss
- Eurowings
- Lufthansa / Lufthansa City Airlines
- SWISS International Airlines
- Virgin Australia
Other MileagePlus partners
- Aegean Airlines
- Air India
- Asiana Airlines (Partnership ending December 17, 2026)
- Croatia Airlines
- EgyptAir
- Ethiopian Airlines
- EVA Air
- Juneyao Air
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Olympic Air
- Shenzhen Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airlines
- TAP Air Portugal
- Thai Airways International
- Turkish Airlines
Note that a handful of United partners do not earn Premier-qualifying credits. These include Aer Lingus, Airlink, Cape Air, Emirates, Flydubai, JetBlue, and JSX. If you're flying one of these airlines, it may make more sense to credit your flight to a different loyalty program.
Also pay close attention to your fare class. Some partner basic economy fares are not eligible to earn United PQPs.
Limits on earning United PQP on partner flights
One downside of earning PQPs on partner flights is that United caps the number of PQPs you can earn per flight segment. This can be especially frustrating if you're flying on a very expensive premium economy, business, or first class ticket.
| Class of service | Preferred partner PQP maximum | Non-preferred partner PQP maximum |
|---|---|---|
| First/business class | 1,500 | 1,000 |
| Economy/premium economy | 750 | 500 |
The caps are even lower for non-preferred partners than for preferred partners, which can significantly reduce your PQP earnings on premium-cabin tickets.
Example United partner flight PQP earnings
Let's look at an example of earning United Premier Qualifying Points on a partner-issued ticket. I found an Air Canada Economy Standard itinerary from Miami (MIA) to Delhi (DEL) for $1,711.29, connecting through Montreal (YUL) in both directions.
This itinerary books into L class on the outbound and T class on the return. According to United's Air Canada partner earning chart, both fare classes earn award miles at 50% of the miles flown.
The routing covers 8,411 miles each way: 1,406 miles from MIA to YUL and 7,005 miles from YUL to DEL. Since Air Canada is a preferred MileagePlus partner, you earn 1 PQP for every 5 award miles earned. Here's the math:
- MIA–YUL each way: (1,406 flown miles × 50%) ÷ 5 = 141 PQP
- YUL–DEL each way: (7,005 flown miles × 50%) ÷ 5 = 701 PQP
Across all four flight segments, this itinerary earns 1,684 PQPs. That's an impressive return for an economy ticket, especially since it exceeds the dollar amount you paid for the fare.
If you booked the same itinerary through United instead, you'd earn 1 PQP per eligible U.S. dollar spent, excluding taxes and fees. In this case, that would result in fewer PQPs than booking directly through Air Canada.
Ultimately, if the fare is available at a similar price through a partner airline, it's often worth comparing the PQP earnings before you book. In some cases, booking through the partner can earn you significantly more PQPs.
The best strategy for earning United Premier Qualifying Points through flying
With United flights, earning PQP is simple, as it's a product of your ticket price minus taxes and fees. You'll have a ballpark idea of your earnings when searching Google Flights, and United will show them up front if you book through the airline.
Things are much different in the case of partner flights, and it is here that you can get creative. Here's a general strategy for finding the best PQP-earning flights with partners:
- Look for long-haul fare deals. With partners, your PQP earnings are a function of flight distance. The ticket cost doesn't matter, so the cheaper the better.
- Consider routes with connections. Long flights, especially in higher cabin classes, will hit the PQP caps. Flying to Europe from the West Coast on Air Canada is a prime example of an ideal route with a connection to avoid the PQP caps.
- Stick to preferred partners. The PQP earning rate is better, and the per-segment PQP cap is much higher.
With the best partner flights, you'll earn far more PQP by booking with the partner and crediting the flights to United than you would get by booking through United directly.
Other Ways to Earn United PQP
Outside of flying, United offers a couple of additional ways to earn PQP, such as through spending on its co-branded credit cards or by purchasing them outright.
Credit card spending
You can spend your way to status if you have a United card (or two). However, note that you'll still need to take at least four United flights in a calendar year to be eligible for Premier status.
Here's how you'll earn PQP on United credit card spending in 2026:
- Earn 1 PQP per $15 spent
- United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees) — up to 28,000 PQP
- United Club℠ Business Card — up to 28,000 PQP
- Earn 1 PQP per $20 spent
- United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees) — up to 1,000 PQP
- United Quest℠ Card (Rates & Fees) — up to 18,000 PQP
- United℠ Business Card (Rates & Fees) — up to 4,000 PQP
- United℠ Explorer Business Card — up to 1,000 PQP
- United MileagePlus® Awards Card — up to 1,000 PQP
- United MileagePlus® Card — up to 1,000 PQP
- United MileagePlus® Business Card — up to 1,000 PQP
- United MileagePlus® Select Card — up to 3,000 PQP
- United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Card — up to 10,000 PQP
- United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Business Card — up to 10,000 PQP
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150Rates & Fees
- Earn at least 9X total miles on eligible United flights (excluding Basic Economy and other base fares)*
- 3X miles on all other eligible United purchases
- 2X miles on dining and direct hotel stays
- 1X on all other purchases
- 6x miles on the primary cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member
- 3x miles on United purchases with the United℠ Explorer Card
$695Rates & Fees
- Earn at least 11X total miles on eligible United flights (excluding Basic Economy and other base fares)*
- 5X miles on hotel stays at Renowned Hotels and Resorts
- 5X miles on eligible United purchases
- 2X miles on dining and all other travel
- 1X on all other purchases
- 6X miles on the primary cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member
- 5X miles on entire United purchases with the United Club℠ Card
$150Rates & Fees
- Earn at least 8X total miles on eligible United flights (excluding Basic Economy and other base fares)*
- 2X miles on eligible United purchases
- 2X miles on dining and all other travel
- 1X on all other purchases
- 6X miles on the primary cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member
- 2X miles on entire United purchases with the United℠ Business Card
In 2024, United removed the PQP cap. Previously, you could only earn 15,000 PQPs across all the United cards in your wallet. This restriction is no longer in effect — although each eligible credit card retains its own annual PQP cap.
But of all the cards, the United Quest℠ Card is one of the best options for earning PQP, as you can accrue up to 18,000 PQP each year through credit card spending. You'll earn 1 PQP for each $20 spent on the card. And the card's welcome offer regularly includes bonus PQP for new applicants as well.
- Earn up to 70,000 bonus miles and 500 PQP
- NEW! 10x total miles on eligible United flights and 4x miles on all other eligible United® purchases
- 1x mile on all other purchases
- Get a jump start on earning Premier status with 1,000 Card Bonus PQP each year, awarded within 8 weeks of February 1, starting in the calendar year following your account open date.
- Free first and second checked bags--a savings of up to $440 per roundtrip (terms apply)
- Receive a $200 United® travel credit and 10,000-mile award flight discount on each account anniversary
- NEW! Save 10% or more when booking flights with miles. Premier members save even more.
- Member FDIC
- Earn at least 10X total miles on eligible United flights (excluding Basic Economy and other base fares)*
- 5X miles on hotel stays at Renowned Hotels and Resorts
- 4X miles on eligible United purchases
- 2X miles on all other travel, select streaming services and dining
- 1X on all other purchases
- 6X miles on the primary cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member
- 4X miles on entire United purchases with the United Quest℠ Card
Related: Guide to Earning United Premier Qualifying Points Through Credit Card Spending
Buy PQP
United also offers the option to buy PQP outright. You can do this through a Premier Accelerator purchase, which must be done in conjunction with an Award Accelerator purchase. The number of PQP and the rate per PQP vary depending on the flight.
Final Thoughts
If you plan on chasing United Premier status, you should understand everything about how to earn Premier Qualifying Points. Knowing your options lets you plan for and meet your status goals. Don't be like me and fall short of a United status level by fewer than 10 PQP, a feat I managed in a recent qualification year.
Also, it's essential to distinguish between accruing PQP on United tickets and partner tickets. Partner tickets can work to your advantage to help you earn more PQP by booking your ticket through the method that yields the most PQP.
Finally, if you're going to fall short of United Premier status, consider spending on a United credit card that offers additional PQP. For a full rundown on earning and redeeming United miles and the basics of the Premier program, check out our complete guide to United MileagePlus.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), United℠ Business Card (Rates & Fees), United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees), and United Quest℠ Card (Rates & Fees)
