The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Advertiser disclosure
The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
News
Why United’s increased status thresholds might not be as bad as they seem
Zach Griff is a senior reporter at TPG. He writes travel and product reviews, deep dives into loyalty programs, news about the airline industry and more.
November 11, 2022 • 8 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Comments
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.
Related stories
Quick summary
United Airlines is reinstating its 2019 elite status requirements, making it more challenging to qualify for top-tier Premier status due to increased spending thresholds.
Award tickets redeemed through United's loyalty program will now count toward elite status, allowing members to earn qualifying points and flights from mileage redemptions.
Credit card spending will play a larger role in reaching status, with higher thresholds for qualifying points earned from eligible card use.
Existing Premier members will receive a qualifying points deposit in early January to help with requalification under the new requirements.
What to consider
Award ticket accruals for elite status apply only to flights operated by United and United Express, booked directly with United's loyalty program.
Qualifying points from credit card spending do not count toward the points-only track for the highest Premier tier.
Some offers or promotions referenced may no longer be available.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed analysis of how these changes affect upgrade chances and the overall elite experience, plus tips for maximizing status under the new rules.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Travel demand is roaring back to 2019 levels, and airlines are making adjustments to their loyalty programs that reflect this reality.
As the new year rolls around, earning elite status is going to get considerably harder, especially with United.
And while United's adjustments may have you wondering whether it’s worth chasing Premier status next year, I’m personally not as concerned about the changes just yet. Here’s why.
When this feature launches on Jan. 1, 2023, you’ll be able to earn Premier qualifying points and Premier qualifying flights for award travel. The earning rate is 1 PQP for every 100 MileagePlus miles redeemed, and 1 PQF for each flight taken.
Note that these perks are limited to flights operated by United and United Express, and must be redeemed directly with the carrier's MileagePlus program to be eligible for Premier accrual.
In the past, I’ve historically needed to end the year with a few paid United tickets to close the gap to Premier status. But now, I’ll no longer need to be as worried about trading off between redeeming points and paying for my ticket.
Going forward, I’ll try to redeem points when I find a compelling value, knowing that these mileage redemptions will help me on my way to status. It also makes MileagePlus miles a bit more valuable to me, so I'll definitely be crunching the numbers more closely on award redemptions next year.
This feature will undoubtedly help some Premier members close the gap to status, and I imagine that for many members, this perk alone will help soften the blow of the increased requirements.
Credit cards are more important than ever
Along with the ability to earn elite status on award tickets, United is also making it more lucrative to spend on your cobranded credit card.
For 2023, United is doubling the maximum number of PQPs you can earn from the United Quest Card and the United Club Infinite Card. These thresholds are going from 3,000 to 6,000 PQPs and from 4,000 to 8,000 PQPs, respectively. (You'll continue to earn 500 PQPs for every $12,000 spent on these cards, up to the increased PQP limit.)
Personally, I'm not going to shift my spending to a United card early next year. I’ll wait and see how my flight activity tracks over the first few months of 2023, and I’ll then assess whether it’s worth moving some expenses from other lucrative points-earning credit cards to a United card.
But, simply knowing that I could get a big Premier boost from spending on a United credit card gives me a bit more reassurance that, despite the higher requirements, United status may actually be within reach.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from United’s announcement is that the airline wants to right-size the elite population.
"We wanted to ensure that we were getting a program that did a really good job of balancing the ability to access status with the number of members that achieve each tier with the benefits that we can give to members once they achieve that tier," said Luc Bondar, United's president of the MileagePlus program, in an exclusive interview with TPG.
Throughout the pandemic, lower thresholds, lucrative promotions and blanket extensions have bloated United’s elite ranks, perhaps more than any other U.S. carrier.
With so many elite members, it's been hard for me (and the TPG team) to take advantage of Premier perks, especially the complimentary upgrade program.
The larger-than-normal elite pool has led to plenty of 70-person-long upgrade lists, even on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, which have historically been quieter travel days with better odds of scoring an upgrade.
This is exacerbated by the dramatic rise in travel demand, which means that there are simply fewer premium seats available for upgrading.
The famous saying goes, “When everyone is an elite flyer, no one is.” And as a Premier 1K throughout the pandemic, I’ve definitely felt this way on plenty of United flights this year
The same can be said for the TPG team — we recently compiled a list of our upgrade tips because many of us have felt that it's been harder than ever to score a fancy seat on United.
So yes, the Premier thresholds are going up, but at the same time, it should help rebalance the elite tiers. Even though it'll be harder to earn status, the program will (hopefully) once again be able to consistently deliver the benefits that come with each tier.
Set a high bar, and adjust accordingly
United seems to be charting a smart strategy for next year.
At the moment, travel demand is at unprecedented levels, and the airline is doing well financially. Given the current upward trajectory, it makes sense for United to reintroduce the 2019 requirements that it never actually implemented due to the onset of the pandemic.
But there are considerable head winds facing the industry at the moment. While they haven’t necessarily slowed down travel's recovery, it’s very possible that the macroeconomic landscape and rising inflation will soon have a lasting effect on the travel industry.
If travel demand were to once again retract — whether that’s due to a new coronavirus variant, or some outside economic factor — United can always add promotions and make adjustments to the thresholds in the new year.
That’s exactly what it’s done over the past two years, and if necessary, there's no reason to think that it couldn't be done again. From extending status to lowering the thresholds to offering multiple limited-time promotions, the MileagePlus team worked to meet members where they were the past two years.
And that’s seemingly the sentiment going into the next year as well. While the plan is for the new changes to stick, there’s always a possibility that United might need to make another adjustment next year.
After all, United seemingly already realized that it might need to help elite members requalify with the higher requirements. The airline is giving existing Premier members a head start on requalifying for status next year with a PQP deposit that'll be processed in early January.
The bonus amounts range between 500 PQPs for Silvers and 2,500 PQPs for 1Ks. While the amounts aren't massive, something is certainly better than nothing.
Bottom line
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
United has brought back the status thresholds it first unveiled in 2019. Given the trajectory of the travel recovery, the move makes sense. Demand is off the charts, and airlines are making money once again.
While significantly increased thresholds may make it harder to earn Premier status, the move isn’t necessarily as bad as it seems.
For one, award tickets will now count toward Premier qualification, which should definitely make it easier to close the gap to earning status. Additionally, credit card spending will be more important than ever to help hit your status ambitions.
Plus, a head start bonus will give existing elite members a little bit of a boost at the beginning of next year.
But, perhaps just as important, the increased goal posts should also make it easier for United to deliver a more elevated elite experience across the board. The elite pool will likely be smaller, and the stratification across the four published tiers is also bound to shift.
Of course, your unique travel pattern will largely dictate how you feel about these changes, but overall, I'd say they’re not nearly as bad as they might seem on paper.
Comments
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.
