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Airlines in the U.S. are always competing for profitable customers, and elite status matches are one of their favorite tools for poaching frequent flyers from rivals. United Airlines is no exception. And once again, United is offering its MileagePlus elite status match challenge for 2025 — and there are a few noteworthy updates this time around.
The program lets you temporarily match your status from another airline to United Premier status. From there, you can lock in that status all the way through January 2027 by meeting some specific requirements — which are often much easier than earning status the traditional way.
Let’s break down all the details.
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United MileagePlus Premier Status Match-Challenge
In 2025, MileagePlus members with another airline's elite status can match it to United. Here is a partial list of the airlines United accepts matches from:
| Frequent flyer program | Tier | Tier | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines Medallion | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
| American Airlines AAdvantage | Gold | Platinum | Platinum Pro |
| Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards | A-List | A-List Preferred | N/A |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | Mosaic | Mosaic 2 or 3 | Mosaic 4 |
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | MVP | MVP Gold | MVP Gold 75K |
| British Airways Club | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | Silver | Gold | Platinum Platinum One |
| Corresponding United Airlines MileagePlus level | Premier Silver | Premier Gold | Premier Platinum |
After submitting the required matching documentation, you'll receive the corresponding United Premier status for 120 days — but only after completing an “activating flight” within 90 days. An activating flight must be operated by United or United Express and earn Premier qualifying credits.
An “Activating Flight” is a flight operated by United or United Express® that is completed within 90-days after the documentation that you submit for this offer is approved and the flight is posted to the member’s MileagePlus account. Flights on tickets that do not earn Premier qualifying credits do not qualify for meeting the requirements of this offer.
United MileagePlus award flights flown on United earn PQPs, so award flights should count as an Activating Flight.
If you’ve already flown with United or United Express within 30 days before requesting the status match — and that flight took place after January 1, 2025 — you can ask for it to count as your activating flight when you submit your application.
This is a significant change compared to last year, as the 2024 offering did not include this activating flight requirement.
Related: Complete Guide to Airline Elite Status Matches and Challenges
How to extend your MileagePlus elite status past the trial period
To keep your matched Premier status beyond the initial 120-day trial, you’ll need to meet some specific travel requirements:
- Silver: Complete 5 Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) and earn 1,700 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP).
- Gold: Complete 10 Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) and earn 3,400 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP).
- Platinum: Complete 15 Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) and earn 5,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP).
These thresholds are noticeably higher than last year. Here’s what’s changed:
- Silver: Now requires one more flight and 400 additional PQPs.
- Gold: Now requires two more flights and 800 additional PQPs.
- Platinum: Now requires three more flights and 1,000 additional PQPs.
It’s important to note that you can only extend the Premier status level you matched. For example, if you matched to Premier Gold, you cannot leverage this challenge to qualify for Platinum or 1K status. You’ll need to meet United’s standard Premier qualification requirements to unlock a higher status.
Related: The Best Strategies for Earning United Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) by Flying
When you match your status to United matters
United offers two different lengths of Premier status extensions based on when you complete the challenge requirements:
- If you meet the requirements on or before June 30, 2025, your status will be valid through January 2026.
- If you meet the requirements on or after July 1, 2025, your status will be extended through January 2027.
Thus, you should aim to complete the challenge during the second half of the year to maximize the duration of your matched status. That means waiting until at least July 1 to initiate your status match. But if you need the MileagePlus perks sooner, there's less reason to wait.
How to request a United status match
To request a status match, navigate United's dedicated webpage for the MileagePlus Premier status match. Once there, you'll have to sign in and fill out a form that includes:
- United MileagePlus account number
- Valid email address registered on your MileagePlus account
- Digital copy of your 2025 membership card from the matching airline (with your name, elite status, frequent flyer number, frequent flyer program name, and status expiration date)
Once submitted, United may take 7–14 business days to respond and upgrade your account. Hopefully, your results arrive far sooner than that, though.
United Status Match Key Terms
- Status challenges are unavailable to members who have completed a status match or received a status exception within the last five years.
- Trial or temporary statuses aren't eligible for a MileagePlus Premier status match.
- Members won't receive Premier membership materials and may not have access to all reciprocal Star Alliance partner status benefits during the 120-day period, including Star Alliance lounge access.
- Members who complete the PQP and PQF requirements to retain Premier Platinum status will receive 20 PlusPoints within 7–10 business days.
- If a member fails to meet the status challenge requirements, the matched status will expire, and they may return to a lower status tier or general member status.
- PQF and PQP requirements during the challenge period must be earned via United or United Express flights.
Bottom Line
United has brought back its MileagePlus status match program for 2025. This program allows travelers to pick up United Premier elite status for 120 days and extend it by completing a challenge. While there are some changes this year — like higher qualification thresholds and the new requirement to take an activating flight — it’s still a great opportunity for elite flyers looking to switch airlines.
And if you can time it right, it's possible to unlock elite status through January 2027 — so you should try to wait until mid-year to initiate your match (if you can). And remember, United generally limits members to one status match challenge every five years, so it’s worth having a solid plan on how you'll use your perks before you jump in.
That said, you should consider how much value you’ll get from MileagePlus elite status. Several United credit cards offer similar perks to Premier elite status — all with reasonable annual fees. It's possible that applying for a co-branded credit card might offer the same benefits and savings you value — without the flying requirements.
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