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Fall is upon us, the leaves are changing, and United is making MileagePlus program updates for 2025. Starting next year, Premier elite status will be more challenging to earn, PlusPoints will get more versatile, and a greater emphasis will be placed on your United credit card.
There's a lot to unpack, so buckle up. Here's a recap of what's changing with the United MileagePlus program for 2025.
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United Raises Thresholds for Earning Premier Status
If earning United MileagePlus Premier status is in the cards for 2025, you'll need to work harder for it than you did in 2024. Simply put, you'll need to collect more Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) and/or take more Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs).
Here's a breakdown of the requirements taking effect in 2025:
| Eliter Tier | Path 1: Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) and Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs) | Path 2: Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) |
|---|---|---|
| Premier Silver | 5,000 PQPs + 15 PQFs | 6,000 PQPs |
| Premier Gold | 10,000 PQPs + 30 PQFs | 12,000 PQPs |
| Premier Platinum | 15,000 PQPs + 45 PQFs | 18,000 PQPs |
| Premier 1K | 22,000 PQPs + 60 PQFs | 28,000 PQPs |
And it's worth noting that United will also maintain the requirement to take at least four flights on United or United Express. You won't earn United status without some United flying.
Compared to 2024's Premier status requirements, 2025's requirements represent about a 25% boost in qualifying activity to earn status. That's a big jump, which will inevitably make elite status more elite. You'll have to spend more to unlock elite benefits, which will hopefully make the advertised benefits, such as complimentary upgrades, something the airline can actually deliver on more often than not.
New United PlusPoint Redemption Options
One of the major benefits of unlocking Premier Platinum or Premier 1K status is receiving United PlusPoints. You can use PlusPoints to request upgrades on United plus a couple of other carriers, such as ANA and Lufthansa. However, one of the major gripes about PlusPoints is that they can be hard to use. That'll likely change in 2025, as United is making PlusPoints more versatile.
Starting next year, United will roll out four additional ways you can redeem PlusPoints:
- Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) or Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs)
- TravelBank cash
- Bonus MileagePlus miles
- Gift Premier status to other MileagePlus members
Unfortunately, that's about as specific as United got, but it did note that it will have more to share in 2025.
Additional redemption options are a plus in the case you can't confirm an upgrade with your hard-earned PlusPoints. This ensures they won't expire worthless at the end of the year; you'll at least get something out of them.
United Enhances PQP Deposit for 2025
One of the best perks of MileagePlus is that if you earned elite status last year, it'll give you a head start toward earning elite status next year. The airline does this by way of depositing a fixed number of PQPs in your account early in the year.
Starting in 2025, United will award you nearly 20% more PQPs for earning elite status in 2024. Here's what your head start will look like if you earned Premier status in 2024:
- Premier Silver: 300 PQPs
- Premier Gold: 600 PQPs
- Premier Platinum: 900 PQPs
- Premier 1K: 1,400 PQPs
This benefit takes a bit of the sting off the increased thresholds for earning Premier status in 2025, but make no mistake: You'll still have to do a lot of flying and/or spending to stay within United's elite ranks.
Earning Premier Status From United Credit Card Spending
As is the case with nearly every airline frequent flyer program nowadays, there's even more of a reason to pick up a co-branded credit card. United is no different.
In 2025, United will improve the PQP earn frequency to 1 PQP per $20 spent on all but one card. The exception listed below will earn PQPs at a better rate of 1 PQP per $15 spent.
But that's not the end of what's changing with United's credit card lineup. The airline will also increase the maximum number of PQPs you can earn from a trio of cards:
- The New United Club℠ Card: 28,000 PQP (from 15,000 PQP)
- United Club℠ Business Card: 28,000 PQP (from 15,000 PQP)
- The New United Quest℠ Card: 18,000 PQP (from 9,000 PQP)
In other words, United will let you earn more PQP via credit card spending to help you unlock Premier elite status. It's a helpful boost to help you overcome the now-higher Premier requirements.
Final Thoughts
No matter what airline you've flown in recent history, you've likely noticed the concentration of elite members. By increasing the requirements to earn MileagePlus Premier elite status, United will make elite status more elite.
Depending on who you are and how much you travel, these changes might work in your favor. Because of them, you might get more of those coveted first-class upgrades next year. And if you earn top-tier elite status, you'll have even more use cases for your PlusPoints.
But for those who barely squeaked by the requirements for earning Premier status in 2024, you'll need a new strategy for 2025. Part of that might mean spending more on a United credit card to again unlock the benefits you've come to appreciate.
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