{"id":248148,"date":"2026-02-19T16:35:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T16:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=248148\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T11:17:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T11:17:11","slug":"united-prioritizes-cardmembers-and-premier-status-holders-in-latest-update-slashes-earnings-for-everyone-else","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/united-mileageplus\/mileage-earning-changes-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"United Prioritizes Cardmembers and Premier Status Holders in Latest Update, Slashes Earnings for Everyone Else"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"custom-blue\"><em>The changes below have taken effect, and this post is no longer being updated. Here is our <a href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/tag\/major-updates\/\" target=\"new\">archive of major updates<\/a> from card issuers and loyalty programs.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>United Airlines has just announced some pretty major changes to its <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/united-mileageplus\/\" rel=\"noopener\">MileagePlus program<\/a>. Starting <strong>April 2, 2026<\/strong>, if you want to earn the most miles per dollar spent on United flights, you'll need to be a cardholder of a United co-branded credit card and hold United Premier elite status. Cardmembers are also getting some valuable new perks that might make you consider applying for a card.<\/p>\n<p>Here's everything you need to know about the latest United MileagePlus changes.<\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"toc_light_blue no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Page Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#United_Shakes_up_Mileage_Earning_Structure\">United Shakes up Mileage Earning Structure<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Earnings_on_basic_economy_tickets\">Earnings on basic economy tickets<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#New_Benefits_for_United_Cardholders\">New Benefits for United Cardholders<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Bottom_Line\">Bottom Line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n<h2><span id=\"United_Shakes_up_Mileage_Earning_Structure\">United Shakes up Mileage Earning Structure<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Starting <strong>April 2, 2026<\/strong>, the number of miles you earn on your flight will be tied directly to whether you hold a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/united-mileageplus\/united-credit-cards\/\" rel=\"noopener\">United credit card<\/a> and your level of elite status.<\/p>\n<p>The cardmember earning rate in the table below is for the three United credit cards that charge an annual fee. If you are a cardholder of the <a data-ccid=\"4048226\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/united-mileageplus\/united-gateway-card\/\">United Gateway\u2120 Card<\/a> (<a data-ccid=\"4048226\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/fs-bin\/click?id=g3lR0xvjyAU&offerid=1753725.10005123&type=3&u1=5eae03ead7be5082c41d595a08de6f6a&subid=639396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rates & Fees<\/a>) or the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/united-mileageplus\/united-debit-card\/\" rel=\"noopener\">United MileagePlus Debit Rewards Card<\/a>, you'll need to spend $10,000 on your card in a calendar year to unlock the cardmember earning rate.<\/p>\n<p>Here's the new earning structure:<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-1205\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-1205 tablepress-responsive\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Status<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Old Earn Rate<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">New MileagePlus Earn Rate<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">New Cardmember Earn Rate<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">General member<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">5 miles per $1<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">3 miles per $1<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">6 miles per $1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Premier Silver<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">7 miles per $1<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">5 miles per $1<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">8 miles per $1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Premier Gold<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">8 miles per $1<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">6 miles per $1<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">9 miles per $1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Premier Platinum<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">9 miles per $1<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">7 miles per $1<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">10 miles per $1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Premier 1K<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">11 miles per $1<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">9 miles per $1<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">12 miles per $1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<p>You will earn at the cardmember rate just for having a card. You could still choose to use a different credit card to make the purchase. However, the multipliers for United purchases on select United credit cards are increasing:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a data-ccid=\"4048117\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/united-mileageplus\/united-explorer-card\/\">United\u2120 Explorer Card<\/a> (<a data-ccid=\"4048117\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/fs-bin\/click?id=g3lR0xvjyAU&offerid=1753725.10005119&type=3&u1=6b1ebc12dfabeae12252dec6081e0735&subid=639396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rates & Fees<\/a>):<\/strong> Earn 3 bonus miles per $1 spent (previously 2)<\/li>\n<li><strong><a data-ccid=\"4048245\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/united-mileageplus\/united-quest-card\/\">United Quest\u2120 Card<\/a> (<a data-ccid=\"4048245\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/fs-bin\/click?id=g3lR0xvjyAU&offerid=1753725.10005127&type=3&u1=e5ce10b42983edf51d172f6ea8a030c4&subid=639396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rates & Fees<\/a>):<\/strong> Earn 4 bonus miles per $1 spent (previously 3)<\/li>\n<li><strong><a data-ccid=\"4048196\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/united-mileageplus\/united-club-infinite-card\/\">United Club\u2120 Card<\/a> (<a data-ccid=\"4048196\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/fs-bin\/click?id=g3lR0xvjyAU&offerid=1753725.10005115&type=3&u1=2d64c7d6077936ac7ad55cc2cacf1f0b&subid=639396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rates & Fees<\/a>):<\/strong> Earn 5 bonus miles per $1 spent (previously 4)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That means that a Premier 1K member who is also a United Club cardholder will earn a whopping 17 miles per $1 spent on United flights. Purchasing a $1,500 long-haul business class flight? You'll earn over 25,000 miles on a single booking.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, only the primary cardmember will earn at the cardmember rate. So, if you are an authorized user of a United credit card, you'll earn miles based solely on your Premier status level.<\/p>\n<div class=\"compare-cards-wrap compare-count-cards-3 compare-p-chase\"><div class=\"compare-card\"><div class=\"compare-pre\"><div class=\"compare-image\"><div><img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nextinsure.com\/imaging\/opt\/ff6d0beb-04a7-4cc5-9bf4-50bc3f5e5883.png\" alt=\"United\u2120 Explorer Card\" width=\"150\" \/ class=\"lazyload\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-name\">United\u2120 Explorer Card<\/div><div class=\"compare-offer\"><strong>Limited Time Offer<\/strong> Earn up to 80,000 bonus miles after qualifying activities<\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-apply\"><a class=\"btn-use qs-apply-now\" title='United\u2120 Explorer Card' data-ccid=\"4048117\" href=\"\/blog\/link\/UnitedExplorerCard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">Apply Now<\/a><\/div><div class=\"compare-fee-score\"><div class=\"compare-fee\"><strong>Annual Fee<\/strong><p>$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150<span class=\"compare-terms\"><a data-ccid=\"4048117\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/fs-bin\/click?id=g3lR0xvjyAU&offerid=1753725.10005119&type=3&u1=6b1ebc12dfabeae12252dec6081e0735&subid=639396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rates & Fees<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div><div class=\"compare-rating compare-rating--5\"><strong>Credit Score<\/strong><p>Excellent, Good<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-earning\"><ul>\r\n<li>3X miles per $1 spent on purchases from United<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>*<\/li>\r\n<li>2X miles per $1 spent on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel<\/li>\r\n<li>1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n*9X total miles per $1 spent on eligible United<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> flights<\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-card\"><div class=\"compare-pre\"><div class=\"compare-image\"><div><img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nextinsure.com\/imaging\/opt\/4a0f5eb9-f9b0-42ec-86be-4f4cf1af0205.png\" width=\"150\" alt=\"United Quest\u2120 Card\" \/ class=\"lazyload\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-name\">United Quest\u2120 Card<\/div><div class=\"compare-offer\"><strong>Limited Time Offer<\/strong> Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles and 3,000 Premier qualifying points after qualifying activities<\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-apply\"><a class=\"btn-use qs-apply-now\" title='United Quest\u2120 Card' data-ccid=\"4048245\" href=\"\/blog\/link\/UnitedQuestCard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">Apply Now<\/a><\/div><div class=\"compare-fee-score\"><div class=\"compare-fee\"><strong>Annual Fee<\/strong><p>$350<span class=\"compare-terms\"><a data-ccid=\"4048245\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/fs-bin\/click?id=g3lR0xvjyAU&offerid=1753725.10005127&type=3&u1=e5ce10b42983edf51d172f6ea8a030c4&subid=639396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rates & Fees<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div><div class=\"compare-rating compare-rating--5\"><strong>Credit Score<\/strong><p>Good, Excellent<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-earning\"><ul>\r\n<li>4X miled per $1 spent on United<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> purchases*<\/li>\r\n<li>5X miles per $1 spent at Renowned Hotels and Resorts<\/li>\r\n<li>2X miles per $1 spent on all other travel<\/li>\r\n<li>2X miles per $1 spent at restaurants<\/li>\r\n<li>2X miles per $1 spent on select streaming services<\/li>\r\n<li>1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n*10X total miles per $1 spent on eligible United<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> flights<\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-card\"><div class=\"compare-pre\"><div class=\"compare-image\"><div><img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nextinsure.com\/imaging\/opt\/450a0407-44c5-45f1-a335-068eefc6cb45.png\" width=\"150\" alt=\"United Club\u2120 Card\" \/ class=\"lazyload\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-name\">United Club\u2120 Card<\/div><div class=\"compare-offer\"><strong>Limited Time Offer<\/strong> Earn up to 110,000 bonus miles and 3,000 PQP after qualifying activities <\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-apply\"><a class=\"btn-use qs-apply-now\" title='United Club\u2120 Card' data-ccid=\"4048196\" href=\"[CC_AW_ApplyLink slug=UnitedInfinite tid=fcw]\" target=\"_blank\">Apply Now<\/a><\/div><div class=\"compare-fee-score\"><div class=\"compare-fee\"><strong>Annual Fee<\/strong><p>$695<span class=\"compare-terms\"><a data-ccid=\"4048196\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/fs-bin\/click?id=g3lR0xvjyAU&offerid=1753725.10005115&type=3&u1=2d64c7d6077936ac7ad55cc2cacf1f0b&subid=639396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rates & Fees<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/div><div class=\"compare-rating compare-rating--6\"><strong>Credit Score<\/strong><p>Excellent<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"compare-earning\"><ul>\r\n<li>Earn 5 miles per $1 spent on United<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> purchases*<\/li>\r\n<li>Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel<\/li>\r\n<li>Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining<\/li>\r\n<li> Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n*11X total miles per $1 spent on eligible United<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> flights<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p><strong>Related: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/united-mileageplus\/united-credit-cards\/\" rel=\"noopener\">From No Annual Fee to Club Lounge Access: Find the Right United Credit Card for You<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Earnings_on_basic_economy_tickets\">Earnings on basic economy tickets<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If these changes weren't enough, there's more. Also starting on <strong>April 2, 2026 <\/strong>\u2014 for tickets issued on or after this date \u2014 you'll need to be a cardholder of a United credit card or have <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/united-mileageplus\/premier-elite-status\/\" rel=\"noopener\">United Premier elite status<\/a> to earn any miles at all on basic economy tickets.<\/p>\n<p>Here's the new earning structure for <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/united-mileageplus\/basic-economy\/\" rel=\"noopener\">United basic economy<\/a> flights:<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-1206\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-1206 tablepress-responsive\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Status<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">New MileagePlus Earn Rate<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">New Cardmember Earn Rate<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">General member<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">N\/A<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">3 miles per $1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Premier Silver<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2 miles per $1<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">5 miles per $1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Premier Gold<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3 miles per $1<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">6 miles per $1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Premier Platinum<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">4 miles per $1<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">7 miles per $1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Premier 1K<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">6 miles per $1<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">9 miles per $1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<p>This isn't a surprising move, as many airlines have restricted the ability to earn miles on basic economy bookings. Airlines want to make booking a basic economy ticket as painful as possible to encourage members to book a more expensive ticket. And although you can technically earn up to 9 miles per $1 spent on basic economy tickets, odds are, if you are a Premier 1K member and a credit card holder, you aren't booking a basic economy ticket to begin with.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/united-mileageplus\/basic-economy\/\" rel=\"noopener\">The Complete Guide to United Basic Economy<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"New_Benefits_for_United_Cardholders\">New Benefits for United Cardholders<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Beginning <strong>April 2, 2026<\/strong>, United cardholders will enjoy savings of at least 10% on all United award flights. Premier members who hold an eligible card will save at least 15%. This will rival <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/credit-cards\/delta-skymiles\/delta-award-discount\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Delta's TakeOff 15<\/a> perk, which gives eligible cardholders 15% off award redemptions on all Delta-operated flights.<\/p>\n<p>Just like Delta, United's new discount on award redemptions for cardholders will apply only to United or United Express award flights and will not include Money + Miles bookings.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_136477\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"600\/480\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-136477 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/United-Polaris-cabin.jpeg\" alt=\"United Polaris cabin\" width=\"600\" height=\"480\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/United-Polaris-cabin.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/United-Polaris-cabin-300x240.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/United-Polaris-cabin-768x614.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/United-Polaris-cabin-325x260.jpeg 325w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><center><em>Credit: United Airlines<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>Another unique feature coming to cardholders is the ability to share your benefits with your children. Starting <strong>April 2, 2026<\/strong>, you will be able to link your child's MileagePlus account to your own to share your cardmember earning rate and cardmember discount on award flights. If you're booking travel for the whole family, you can help your child earn a chunk of miles or save some miles on a redemption.<\/p>\n<p>And keep in mind that one of <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/united-mileageplus\/premier-status-changes-2026\/\" rel=\"noopener\">United's big changes for 2026<\/a> is expanded Polaris saver award availability for card holders and elites. That means you could snag a Polaris award for just 68,000 United MileagePlus miles if you are a Premier member and a cardholder.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/united-mileageplus\/best-way-to-use-united-miles\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Sweet Spots with United Airlines MileagePlus Awards<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Bottom_Line\">Bottom Line<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>United is leaning heavily into developing goodwill with its most loyal members \u2014 credit card holders and Premier members. If you don't fall into either of these categories, you will have a hard time squeezing maximum value from the MileagePlus program. Discounts on award redemptions and increased earnings on revenue fares are huge incentives to apply for a card and work toward status.<\/p>\n<p>However, general members and infrequent flyers are getting left in the dust. Starting <strong>April 2, 2026<\/strong>, standard members will earn up to 40% fewer miles on flights and won't earn any miles on basic economy tickets. Those are tough pills to swallow, and might dissuade travelers from converting loyalty from another airline.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>United has just announced some major changes to its MileagePlus program. If you are a United credit card holder, these changes allow you to get maximum value from the program. If not, your earning potential is getting slashed by up to 40%. Here&#8217;s what you need to know.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":105,"featured_media":242169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[12069],"tags":[12622,12036,12772],"coauthors":[36518],"class_list":["post-248148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-elite-status","tag-major-updates","tag-united-mileageplus"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<title>United Announces Major Changes to Mileage Earnings - AwardWallet Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"United just announced major changes to how you earn miles. While good news for loyalists, infrequent flyers get burned. Here&#039;s what to know.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/united-mileageplus\/mileage-earning-changes-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"United Prioritizes Cardmembers and Premier Status Holders in Latest Update, Slashes Earnings for Everyone Else\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"United just announced major changes to how you earn miles. While good news for loyalists, infrequent flyers get burned. 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