United Overhauls MileagePlus: Eliminates Flight Segments and Raises the Bar for Premier 1K

United Airlines is shaking up its MileagePlus loyalty program, shifting to a purely spend-based model and raising the threshold for its top-tier status.

Beginning January 1, 2027, United will officially eliminate Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs). Going forward, the number of flight segments a member flies will no longer count toward earning elite status. Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) will become the single, exclusive metric for qualification.

MileagePlus members can also no longer qualify using a hybrid combination of flight segments and spending. Every tier will rely entirely on spending through ticket purchases and eligible co-branded credit cards. (A minimum of four flight segments operated by United or United Express is still required).

At the same time, the top-tier of MileagePlus is going to get harder to reach. While thresholds for Silver, Gold, and Platinum remain unchanged in terms of PQP-only paths, the requirements for Premier 1K are jumping significantly. Members will now need 32,000 PQPs—an increase of 4,000 PQPs (or roughly 14%) from the previous 28,000 requirement.

United isn’t the only airline to shift to spend-based loyalty programs. The rest of the industry, including Delta Air Lines, Air Canada, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines have all moved in that same direction recently. Delta. which has the most valuable airline loyalty program in the world, strictly allows passengers to earn status through Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs), which are accumulated via spending on flights, co-branded American Express cards, and Delta Vacations.