United Airlines Overhauls MileagePlus: Non-Cardholders Face Major Earnings Cut

United Airlines on Thursday released new rules for its MileagePlus loyalty program and the bottom line for travelers is, if you aren’t using a United-branded credit card, it’s going to be way more difficult to hit the higher tiers of the program.

While the airline is keeping the official qualification thresholds steady for 2026, it is making it more difficult to reach those thresholds for those without a co-branded card. Starting April 2, non-cardholders will see their mileage earning rates slashed—in some cases earning as much as 60% fewer miles than their card-carrying counterparts on the same flight.

For general MileagePlus members without a card, the accrual rate will drop to 3 miles earned for every $1 spent on United (down from 5 miles). Here are the changes for the rest of the tiers for non-cardholders:

• Premier Silver: From 7 miles per $1 to 5 miles per $1
• Premier Gold: From 8 miles per $1 to 6 miles per $1
• Premier Platinum: From 9 miles per $1 to 7 miles per $1
• Premier 1K: From 11 miles per $1 to 9 miles per $1

United is also stripping away mileage-earning on Basic Economy fares for general members who don’t hold a card, making it nearly impossible for budget-conscious travelers to build the momentum needed for status or meaningful redemptions.

It’s worth noting that United is far from the first of the Big 3 U.S. carriers to incentivize becoming a branded cardholder. Delta already offers cardholders a 15% discount on all award redemptions, which is slightly better than United’s new 10% base discount for its general cardholders. Delta also eliminated miles and status earnings on Basic Economy (what they call “Main Cabin”) back in 2021.

Cardholder Benefits

While it’s bad news for non-cardholders, those who use United’s co-branded credit cards will find it significantly easier to earn. Starting April 2, having an eligible United card “unlocks” a higher base earn rate. For example, a general member with a card will earn 6 miles per $1—double the rate of a non-cardholder.

Here are the new base rates for cardholders (before payment bonuses):

• General Member: 6 miles per $1
• Premier Silver: 8 miles per $1
• Premier Gold: 9 miles per $1
• Premier Platinum: 10 miles per $1
• Premier 1K: 12 miles per $1

When using a United card to pay for the flight, those numbers climb even higher:

• United Explorer Card: Adds an extra 3 miles per $1 (e.g., a 1K would earn 15 miles total).
• United Quest Card: Adds an extra 4 miles per $1 (e.g., a 1K would earn 16 miles total).
• United Club Card: Adds an extra 5 miles per $1 (e.g., a 1K would earn 17 miles total).

Beyond just earning miles faster, United is also giving cardholders exclusive “always-on” discounts of 10% to 15% off every award ticket they book. Perhaps most importantly for status seekers, cardholders now have expanded access to Saver Award inventory in Polaris Business Class, a perk previously reserved only for top-tier Platinum and 1K elites.