United MileagePlus 2025 Changes: Harder To Earn Elite Status, PlusPoints Changes

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United Airlines announced 2025 changes to its MileagePlus program today on the earning side and, as expected, will require significantly more spending in 2025 to earn elite status. PlusPoints will also become more flexible and earning elite status via credit card spending will become easier. A starter bonus will also return. Let’s unpack these changes.

United Airlines Announces Changes To MileagePlus Program In 2025

The changes were revealed to MileagePlus members this morning and will take effect next year for the 2026 program year.

More Spending Required In 2025 To Earn Untied MileagePlus Elite Status

United will require more spending in 2025 in order to earn elite status.

As in years past, you can qualify for status via reduced spending and segments flown or simply on spending alone.

PQP = Premier Qualifying Points, essentially one point per dollar on United spending, government taxes excluded

PQF = Premier Qualifying Flight, essentially one segment equals one PQF

Premier status
PQP and PQF
PQP only

Premier Silver
5,000 PQP + 15 PQF
6,000 PQP

Premier Gold
10,000 PQP + 30 PQF
12,000 PQP

Premier Platinum
15,000 PQP + 45 PQF
18,000 PQP

Premier 1K
22,000 PQP + 60 PQF
28,000 PQP

The changes represent about a 20-25% increase over 2024 minimum spending levels.

Starter PQPs Return In 2025

All members who achieved 2025 Premier status as of December 31, 2024, will once again receive a PQP deposit in early 2025 to get a head start for the 2026 program year. PQP deposit amounts will be based on their status level as of February 1, 2025, as outlined below:

Premier status
Starter PQP deposit

Premier Silver
300 PQP

Premier Gold
600 PQP

Premier Platinum
900 PQP

Premier 1K
1,400 PQP

These are higher than they were this year.

United Teases PlusPoints Changes

While United has not yet provided any concrete details, it has teased that PlusPoints will become more flexible next year:

Starting in mid-2025, in addition to using PlusPoints to request premium seat and cabin upgrades, members can redeem PlusPoints for new perks, including:

Premier qualifying points (PQP) or Premier qualifying flights (PQF)
TravelBank cash
Bonus miles
Gifting Premier status to other MileagePlus members

While more choice is ostensibly good, the key, of course, will be at what rates and whether the number of PlusPoints required for upgrades will be devalued in any way. This move somewhat morphs PlusPoints into a more flexible milestone-style benefit.

Earn More PQPs With Credit Card Spending

In 2024, United Chase cardmembers can earn more PQPs with eligible spending on United Chase credit cards.

PQP earn: PQP earn frequency will increase to 1 PQP earned per $20 spent on all eligible cards except the United Club Infinite Card and United Club Business Card which will increase to 1 PQP earned per $15 spent
PQP caps: The maximum amount of PQP that can be earned on card spend will increase over current amounts for the following cards:

United Club Infinite Card cap increasing from 10,000 PQP to 15,000 PQP
United Club Business Card cap increasing from 1,000 PQP to 15,000 PQP
United Quest Card cap increasing from 6,000 PQP to 9,000 PQP

United is still stopping far short of American Airlines and Delta Air Lines in allowing status qualification exclusively based on credit card spending.

CONCLUSION

United Airlines is raising spend requirements for 2025, but also making it easier to earn status via credit card spending. In mid-2025, it will make PlusPoints more “versatile.”

I’ll analyze these changes and what they mean for my own pursuit of Premier 1K status in my next post, but I do think these changes are reasonable…there are far too many 1Ks now and the benefits to 1K status are essentially worthless, at least for me this year, when it comes to upgrades or any other meaningful benefit that separates Premier 1K from other elite status members.