United Airlines Closes Lucrative MileagePlus Loophole

United Airlines has recently updated the terms of its MileagePlus MillionMiler companion policy to end the practice of “daisy chaining” in which–at least in theory–an endless number of MillionMiler flyers could share Global Service status.

United Airlines Shuts Down MileagePlus Loophole By Restricting “Daisy Chaining”

The MillionMiler program for United MileagePlus is the most generous amongst US legacy carriers.

Lifetime flight miles
Status earned

1 million
Premier Gold

2 million
Premier Platinum

3 million
Premier 1K

4+ million
United Global Services

One of the few upsides of the merger between Continental and United Airlines was an alignment of the MillionMiler program that carried over Continental’s perk of letting a MillionMiler nominate a companion to share in the same status (it does not even have to be a spouse or partner, but the MileagePlus account does have to be registered at the same address).

In a process known as a “daisy chain” or a “conga line,” MillionMilers could share their inherited status with other MillionMilers who could then share their inherited status with others…and so on. As first noted by Dan’s Deals, that loophole has been closed:

One popular method that has long been abused is daisy chaining, though that’s something that was discussed more at seminars than on blogs. If a Million Miler with Global Services status nominated a companion with Million Miler status, who in turn nominated another companion with Million Miler status, everyone in the chain would get Global Services status, with no potential limit.

Effective for the 2025 status year, Million Milers will need to choose between being a donor of status or recipient of status. That will effectively kill the daisy chain loophole.

And that’s fair…

Going forward, MillionMilers can give or receive status, but not both (as before). The new changes will go into effect January 1, 2025, meaning those without status

CONCLUSION

To eliminate what amounted to the limitless sharing of Global Services status amongst United MillionMiler flyers, MillionMiler flyers must now choose to either be the recipient of status from another MillionMiler or share their status with a companion…but can no longer have both.

Frankly, I am surprised this loophole wasn’t closed years earlier, though it appears an uptick in this sort of “sharing” led to a recent decision to institute these changes.

I’m just sorry I didn’t take advantage of it!

image: United Airlines