How to earn United Premier status

In case you are a frequent flyer and spend many hours touring every year, having elite status with an airline, comparable to United Airways, could make a major distinction in your journey expertise. Shorter traces, sooner service, complimentary upgrades, worldwide lounge entry and different advantages can simply make disturbing journeys extra seamless.

Nevertheless, these perks don’t come and not using a value. Airways usually require vital time, cash or each to realize that elusive elite standing. With thresholds to achieve standing seemingly ever-increasing, it is very important weigh the advantages towards the drawbacks of remaining loyal to 1 airline program. That is very true for the United MileagePlus program, which lately unveiled elevated thresholds for earning Premier status in 2025.

This information will consider United Premier standing and break down the completely different standing tiers, how you can earn them and if their perks are well worth the effort for United flyers.

Associated: United Airlines MileagePlus: Guide to earning and redeeming miles, elite status and more

Once you select to fly United Airways and add your MileagePlus quantity to your reserving, along with incomes miles, you earn factors towards Premier standing. Relying on which United elite standing tier you obtain, perks vary from complimentary first-class upgrades on most domestic flights (relying on availability) to incomes bonus miles that may be redeemed for future journey.

You’ll be able to qualify for Premier standing via a mixture of Premier qualifying flights and Premier qualifying factors, or with Premier qualifying factors alone. The variety of flights and factors you earn in a calendar 12 months will decide which standing you obtain, which is then legitimate for the rest of the calendar 12 months, the whole lot of the next 12 months, and the primary month of the 12 months after.

As an example, in the event you reached standing necessities anytime in 2024, you’ll maintain the standing via Jan. 31, 2026. So, incomes elite standing as shortly as potential within the calendar 12 months is smart so you’ll be able to take pleasure in the advantages for so long as potential.

Associated: Best United Airlines credit cards

United Premier standing tiers

Anybody could make a United MileagePlus account at no cost on-line, the place you begin as a “Member” and might take off in your elite standing expedition. You will have 4 official elite standing tiers to work towards:

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• Premier Silver
• Premier Gold
• Premier Platinum
• Premier 1K

These are corresponding to the elite standing tiers of rival airline loyalty applications American Airlines AAdvantage and Delta Air Lines SkyMiles. As you climb the ranks, the perks change into extra profitable, providing unbelievable advantages comparable to lounge entry and free checked baggage.

There’s additionally an unpublished unique tier known as Global Services, which may solely be achieved by flying 4 million miles or receiving a private invitation.

Associated: How to redeem miles with the United MileagePlus program

Easy methods to qualify for United Premier standing

In recent times, many airways have moved away from calculating elite standing primarily based on precise mileage flown. For United, this implies elite standing is achieved by taking Premier qualifying flights, or PQFs, which embrace flight segments on each United and companion airways, and incomes Premier qualifying factors, or PQPs. PQPs — to not be confused with United MileagePlus miles — are earned solely for the aim of elite standing and can’t be redeemed for award flights.

You’ll be able to earn PQPs by flying, although the incomes fee is dependent upon which airline operates the flight and whether or not you ebook it with money or miles. You may also earn PQPs via spending on cobranded bank cards.

Sort of flight	PQP incomes fee
United and United Specific flights booked with money	Earn 1 PQP per greenback spent on base airfare and carrier-imposed surcharges (not together with taxes and different charges).
United and United Specific flights booked with miles	Earn 1 PQP for each 100 MileagePlus miles redeemed on flights and seat upgrades.
Associate flights booked with money	Earn 1 PQP for each 5 award miles on preferred partner airlines. Be aware which you can solely earn a most of 750 PQPs for financial system and premium financial system seats and 1,500 PQPs for first- and business-class seats. Earn 1 PQP for each 6 award miles on MileagePlus partner airlines. You’ll be able to earn 1 PQP for each 6 award miles; you may earn a most of 500 PQPs per flight in financial system and premium financial system and 1,000 PQPs per flight in first and enterprise class.
Associate flights booked with miles	Associate award tickets don’t earn PQPs; you may solely earn miles on flight segments operated by United.

You could have two avenues to qualify for United Premier standing: You’ll be able to attain a sure variety of mixed PQPs and PQFs, or earn PQPs alone.

Sadly, United lately introduced that these thresholds would enhance by roughly 25% for the 2025 standing qualification 12 months. Here is a abstract of the adjustments:

Standing tier	PQPs and PQFs (2024)	PQPs and PQFs (2025)	PQPs solely (2024)	PQPs solely (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 in the event you secured elite standing in 2024, it’s possible you’ll must rethink your qualification technique to satisfy the brand new incomes necessities in 2025.

Nevertheless, United has introduced plans to offer present elite members a head begin on subsequent 12 months’s standing within the type of bonus PQPs — and these numbers have additionally elevated from final 12 months. In case you certified for standing in 2024, you may get the next bonus PQPs in early 2025, relying in your present standing stage:

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

It is usually necessary to notice that whether or not you are working towards standing with PQPs and PQFs or PQPs alone, United has a four-segment requirement to realize standing. This implies you should take at the least 4 flights operated by United or United Specific to earn any standing tier.

United Premier standing advantages

As you’ll be able to think about, the perks of United loyalty get increasingly more interesting as you climb the Premier standing ladder. Here is an outline of what you may take pleasure in with every tier:

Premier Silver

That is the bottom elite tier within the MileagePlus program, the place you’ll obtain advantages comparable to:

• Earn 7 miles per greenback spent on flights (fundamental members solely earn 5 miles per greenback)
• Star Alliance Silver standing
• Precedence Group 2 boarding
• Most well-liked seating at reserving (for as much as eight journey companions)
• Economic system Plus seating at check-in (for you and as much as one journey companion)
• One free 70-pound checked bag
• Precedence telephone assist
• Complimentary Premier Upgrades as early because the day of departure
• On the spot upgrades to premium cabins on financial system tickets

Premier Gold

Once you attain the Gold tier, you obtain the entire identical perks as Silver, along with:

• Earn 8 miles per greenback spent
• Star Alliance Gold standing
• Marriott Bonvoy Gold standing
• United Membership lounge entry when flying internationally with United or another Star Alliance airline
• Economic system Plus seating at reserving (for you and as much as one journey companion)
• Group 1 boarding
• Two free 70-pound checked baggage
• Complimentary Premier Upgrades as early as 48 hours earlier than departure

Premier Platinum

For even more-frequent United flyers, you obtain the entire identical perks as Premier Gold, along with:

• Earn 9 miles per greenback spent
• Waived phone reserving charges (these usually value $25)
• Avis President’s Membership standing
• Economic system Plus seating at reserving (for as much as eight journey companions)
• Complimentary Premier Upgrades as early as 72 hours earlier than departure
• 40 PlusPoints

Premier 1K

That is the highest tier in United’s program for its most frequent vacationers, the place you’ll obtain the entire identical perks as Premier Platinum, along with:

• Earn 11 miles per greenback spent
• Precedence boarding, together with preboarding the plane
• Three free 70-pound checked baggage
• Complimentary Premier Upgrades as early as 96 hours earlier than departure
• An extra 280 PlusPoints

PlusPoints, which can be found solely to Platinum and 1K members, are a separate foreign money used for seat upgrades. Sadly, utilizing them towards upgrades has grown more and more troublesome in recent times as demand has skyrocketed. That is why United MileagePlus is introducing a number of new methods to make use of your PlusPoints in 2025:

• A PQP or PQF deposit
• TravelBank money
• Bonus miles
• Gifting Premier standing to different MileagePlus members

Although we do not have many particulars on these adjustments but, they need to make it simpler to get worth from this elite standing perk. Look out for extra data on new methods to make use of your PlusPoints as we head into the brand new 12 months.

Associated: Your guide to Star Alliance airlines, lounges and elite status

Can a bank card allow you to earn United Premier standing?

United has several personal and business credit cards, all issued by Chase, that may allow you to get nearer to elite standing. None of those playing cards present complimentary elite standing, however you may earn extra PQPs with on a regular basis purchases.

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

The next playing cards earn 25 PQPs for each $500 in eligible spending; plus, some playing cards provide PQPs as a part of the welcome bonus:

The knowledge for the United Membership Enterprise Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

Associated: The ultimate guide to earning elite status with United cards

Is United Premier standing price it?

Elite standing can definitely make journey extra snug and handy. For instance, when your flight is delayed and also you need to converse to an agent to get a decision, having elite standing can undoubtedly make the distinction in a immediate response. Moreover, holding any United Premier standing will assist save time with precedence boarding and expedited airport check-in lanes. Complimentary upgrades are at all times satisfying, although they will generally be onerous to return by on busy routes, particularly between hubs.

In case you journey with United or its companion airways usually and/or spend considerably on a cobranded bank card, it’s possible you’ll discover it simple to earn Premier standing, and it may be a savvy method to maximize your journey. Plus, this implies you may even be incomes loads of United miles, which you’ll redeem for United award flights, all whereas having fun with your elite standing advantages.

Nevertheless, it isn’t price pursuing standing when you’ll be able to’t take pleasure in the advantages you’ve got labored onerous to earn. Make sure you contemplate United’s route map, its presence at your private home airport(s) and the way simple it’s to get to your required vacation spot. Dwelling close to a United hub comparable to Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) or George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) can definitely make it extra worthwhile to pursue United standing. If United and its companion airways do not fly the place you reside or the place you need to journey, you will not get a lot use from United standing.

Lastly, keep in mind that Premier standing doesn’t present home lounge entry when touring with United. If this profit is necessary to you, contemplate making use of for the United Club Infinite Card, which gives United Membership entry and elite perks comparable to two free checked baggage and Premier Entry journey companies.

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