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News
United's big MileagePlus program changes are here: What to know
Sean Cudahy is an aviation reporter covering news about airlines, frequent flyer programs and consumer travel issues.
April 2, 2026 • 8 min read
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Quick summary
Major changes to a leading airline's loyalty program took effect April 2, impacting how members earn and redeem miles.
Members without a cobranded card now earn fewer miles on flights, while cardholders see increased earning rates and deeper discounts on award bookings.
Basic economy flyers without status or a card no longer earn miles, and others in this fare class receive reduced mileage accrual.
Children linked to a cardholder's account can now earn miles and receive discounted award pricing at the cardmember rate.
What to consider
Cardholders must meet a minimum annual spend to unlock higher earning rates with certain entry-level products.
Award discounts for cardholders are automatic and apply to tickets issued from April 2 onward.
Basic economy tickets still earn Premier qualifying points but not Premier qualifying flights for status purposes.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of new earning and redemption rates across status tiers and fare types, plus tips for maximizing benefits under the updated program.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
April 2 will go down on this year’s calendar as perhaps the most significant day of 2026 for frequent United flyers. Specifically, it’s the day that sweeping changes to the carrier’s MileagePlus program officially take effect.
These are the changes the airline first announced back in February and involve a big shake-up to how many miles you’ll earn as a United customer going forward. They include:
Awarding more miles on flights to loyalty members who also carry a cobranded United credit card
Awarding fewer miles to members who don’t — even if they have elite status
Upping the number of miles most credit card holders can earn when they use their United card to pay for a United flight
Slashing the miles basic economy flyers can earn, especially if they don’t have status or a United card
Offering deep, automatic award discounts to cardholders redeeming their miles
As I wrote in February, these changes represent one of the most aggressive moves any U.S. airline has made to lean into its credit card portfolio by rewarding customers who carry a card and effectively penalizing those who don’t.
There was a ton to digest when United announced these changes earlier this year, and there’s plenty to digest now.
SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
Here’s a quick rundown of the changes taking effect this month.
Changes to United mileage earning on flights
As of April 2, United has changed how many miles its MileagePlus members earn on flights.
If you don’t carry a United credit card, this is generally bad news. If you do, it’s good news.
Here's a look at the number of MileagePlus miles you’ll earn on flights.
Elite status tier
Previous earning rate
New earning rate, effective April 2
New earning rate for most cardholders
MileagePlus member
5 miles per dollar spent
3 miles per dollar spent
6 miles per dollar spent
Premier Silver
7 miles per dollar spent
5 miles per dollar spent
8 miles per dollar spent
Premier Gold
8 miles per dollar spent
6 miles per dollar spent
9 miles per dollar spent
Premier Platinum
9 miles per dollar spent
7 miles per dollar spent
10 miles per dollar spent
Premier 1K
11 miles per dollar spent
9 miles per dollar spent
12 miles per dollar spent
One important note: Members who carry the United Gateway℠ Card (see rates and fees) or the United MileagePlus® Debit Rewards card will not automatically get the cardholder earnings rate. Those cardholders will unlock the higher earning rate after spending $10,000 on purchases with the card in a calendar year.
The information for the United MileagePlus Debit Rewards card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Card earning rate changes
United has also upped the number of miles certain cardholders can earn when paying for their flight (or any other eligible United Airlines purchase) with a cobranded credit card.
In other words, these are the miles you now earn when paying for the flight with your card:
The earnings rate remains unchanged for members who carry the United Gateway Card or one of the airline’s business credit cards.
Better redemption rates for cardholders
United cardholders also now get the best deals on MileagePlus redemptions going forward.
Cardholders receive at least 10% off United flights booked with miles.
Cardholders who also have Premier elite status get at least 15% off United flights booked with miles.
These discounts apply to tickets issued on or after April 2.
United Airlines planes at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
We should note that United had already started offering up the best award space to its Premier elite members and cardholders, as TPG staffers found during a recent award search blitz completed before the changes took effect.
Now, the discounts for the airline’s VIPs will be even more obvious (and automatic).
Important note for families
For United cardholders who often fly with kids, there's an additional perk available as of April 2: The airline now allows children of cardholders to earn miles at the same “cardmember rate” enjoyed by their parent. They’ll also get the same discounted award pricing.
Simply link your child's MileagePlus number to your account to take advantage of this benefit.
American Airlines recently stopped allowing its American Airlines AAdvantage members to earn miles or elite credit on basic bookings — even those with status or a card.
Delta Air Lines has had a similar policy in place for years.
When it comes to Premier status accrual, United passengers who purchase a basic economy ticket will continue to earn Premier qualifying points but not Premier qualifying flights.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
