Having elite standing with an airline, akin to United Airways, could make a big distinction in your journey expertise. Shorter traces, sooner service, complimentary upgrades, worldwide lounge entry and different advantages can simply make aggravating journeys extra seamless. However these perks do not come and not using a value, and United MileagePlus elevated thresholds for incomes Premier standing in 2025.
Fortunately, United lately refreshed its bank cards to make it simpler to earn standing by means of on a regular basis spending. The United Quest℠ Card (see charges and costs) is at present providing an elevated welcome bonus that may get you midway to Premier Silver standing: Earn 100,000 bonus miles and three,000 Premier qualifying factors after spending $4,000 within the first three months from account opening.
This information will consider United Premier standing and break down the totally different standing tiers, tips on how to earn them and whether or not their perks are well worth the effort for United flyers.
Associated: When does airline elite standing expire?
What’s United Premier standing?
Whenever you select to fly United Airways and add your MileagePlus quantity to your reserving, along with incomes miles, you earn factors towards Premier standing. Relying on which United elite standing tier you obtain, perks vary from complimentary first-class upgrades on most home flights (relying on availability) to incomes bonus miles that may be redeemed for future journey.
You may qualify for Premier standing by means of a mixture of Premier qualifying flights and Premier qualifying factors, or with Premier qualifying factors alone. The variety of flights and factors you earn in a calendar 12 months will decide which standing you obtain, which is then legitimate for the rest of the calendar 12 months, the whole lot of the next 12 months, and the primary month of the 12 months after.
As an example, when you attain standing necessities anytime in 2025, you’ll maintain the standing by means of Jan. 31, 2027. So, incomes elite standing as rapidly as doable within the calendar 12 months is smart so you’ll be able to get pleasure from the advantages for so long as doable.
Associated: Greatest United Airways bank cards
United Premier standing tiers
Anybody could make a United MileagePlus account free of charge on-line, the place you begin as a “Member” and might take off in your elite standing expedition. You will have 4 official elite standing tiers to work towards:
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- Premier Silver
- Premier Gold
- Premier Platinum
- Premier 1K
These are similar to the elite standing tiers of rival airline loyalty packages American Airways AAdvantage and Delta Air Strains SkyMiles. As you climb the ranks, the perks turn into extra profitable, providing helpful advantages akin to lounge entry and free checked luggage.
There’s additionally an unpublished unique tier known as International Providers, which may solely be achieved by flying 4 million miles or receiving a private invitation.
Associated: Earn MileagePlus miles with United’s airline, lodge and bank card companions
qualify for United Premier standing
In recent times, many airways have moved away from calculating elite standing primarily based on precise mileage flown. For United, this implies elite standing is achieved by taking Premier qualifying flights, or PQFs, which embody flight segments on each United and accomplice airways, and incomes Premier qualifying factors, or PQPs. PQPs — to not be confused with United MileagePlus miles — are earned solely for the aim of elite standing and can’t be redeemed for award flights.
You may earn PQPs by flying, although the incomes fee will depend on which airline operates the flight and whether or not you ebook it with money or miles. It’s also possible to earn PQPs by means of spending on cobranded bank cards.
| Kind of flight | PQP incomes fee |
|---|---|
| United and United Categorical flights booked with money | Earn 1 PQP per greenback spent on base airfare and carrier-imposed surcharges (not together with taxes and different charges). |
| United and United Categorical flights booked with miles | Earn 1 PQP for each 100 MileagePlus miles redeemed on flights and seat upgrades. |
| Associate flights booked with money | Earn 1 PQP for each 5 award miles on most well-liked accomplice airways, as much as a most of 750 PQPs per flight for financial system and premium financial system seats and 1,500 PQPs for first- and business-class seats.
Earn 1 PQP for each 6 award miles on MileagePlus accomplice airways, as much as a most of 500 PQPs per flight in financial system and premium financial system and 1,000 PQPs per flight in first and enterprise class. |
| Associate flights booked with miles | Associate award tickets don’t earn PQPs; you may solely earn miles on flight segments operated by United. |
You could have two avenues to qualify for United Premier standing: You may attain a sure variety of mixed PQPs and PQFs, or earn PQPs alone.
Sadly, United elevated these thresholds by roughly 25% for the 2025 standing qualification 12 months. So, even when you secured elite standing in 2024, you might must rethink your qualification technique to fulfill the brand new incomes necessities in 2025.
Nevertheless, United additionally elevated its PQP head begin for present elite members. Members who certified for standing in 2024 obtained the next bonus PQPs in early 2025, relying on their standing tier:
- Premier Silver: 300 PQPs
- Premier Gold: 600 PQPs
- Premier Platinum: 900 PQPs
- Premier 1K: 1,400 PQPs
It is usually vital to notice that whether or not you meet standing thresholds with PQPs and PQFs or PQPs alone, you have to take a minimum of 4 flights operated by United or United Categorical to qualify for any standing tier.
United Premier standing advantages
The perks of United loyalty get an increasing number of interesting as you climb the Premier standing ladder. This is an summary of what you may get pleasure from with every tier:
Premier Silver
The bottom elite tier within the MileagePlus program requires incomes 6,000 PQPs or 15 PQFs and 5,000 PQPs. You’ll obtain advantages akin to:
- Earn 7 miles per greenback spent on flights (fundamental members solely earn 5 miles per greenback)
- Star Alliance Silver standing
- Avis Most popular Plus standing
- One free checked bag in financial system
- Precedence Group 2 boarding
- Most popular seating at reserving (for as much as eight journey companions)
- Economic system Plus seating at check-in (for you and one journey companion)
- Precedence telephone assist
- Complimentary Premier Upgrades as early because the day of departure
Premier Gold
Whenever you attain the Gold tier, which requires 12,000 PQPs or 30 PQFs and 10,000 PQPs, you may obtain all of the perks of Silver in addition to:
- Earn 8 miles per greenback spent
- Star Alliance Gold standing
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold standing
- Two free checked luggage in financial system
- Precedence Group 1 boarding
- United Membership lounge entry when flying internationally with United or every other Star Alliance airline
- Economic system Plus seating at reserving (for you and one journey companion)
- Complimentary Premier Upgrades as early as 48 hours earlier than departure
Premier Platinum
Incomes 18,000 PQPs or 45 PQFs and 15,000 PQPs will get you to Platinum. This tier confers all the advantages of Gold, plus:
- Earn 9 miles per greenback spent
- Waived phone reserving charges (these sometimes value $25)
- Avis President’s Membership standing
- Three free checked luggage in financial system
- Economic system Plus seating at reserving (for you and as much as eight journey companions)
- Complimentary Premier Upgrades as early as 72 hours earlier than departure
- 40 PlusPoints
Premier 1K
That is the highest tier in United’s program for its most frequent vacationers, and to get it, you may have to achieve 28,000 PQPs or 60 PQFs and 22,000 PQPs. You will be rewarded with all of the Platinum advantages listed above, along with:
- Earn 11 miles per greenback spent
- Precedence preboarding
- Complimentary Premier Upgrades as early as 96 hours earlier than departure
- An extra 280 PlusPoints
PlusPoints
PlusPoints, which can be found solely to Platinum and 1K members, are a separate forex used for seat upgrades. Sadly, they’ve turn into tougher to redeem for upgrades lately as demand has skyrocketed. That is why United MileagePlus launched a number of new methods to make use of your PlusPoints, together with bonus miles, PQPs, PQFs, TravelBank money and gifting Premier standing to different MileagePlus members.
Nevertheless, these redemptions are solely accessible for PlusPoints earned within the 2025 standing 12 months and past. You probably have PlusPoints earned final 12 months, you are still restricted to utilizing them for seat upgrades.
Associated: Your information to Star Alliance airways, lounges and elite standing
Can a bank card show you how to earn United Premier standing?
United has a number of private and enterprise bank cards, all issued by Chase, that may show you how to get nearer to elite standing. None of those playing cards present complimentary elite standing, however you may earn PQPs on on a regular basis purchases (as much as a specific amount), and a few playing cards provide PQPs as a part of the welcome bonus.
| Card | Greatest for | Welcome provide | PQP incomes cap | Annual payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United℠ Explorer Card | Frequent United flyers | Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. | As much as 1,000 PQPs per calendar 12 months | $0 introductory annual payment for the primary 12 months, then $150 (see charges and costs) |
| United Quest℠ Card | Frequent United flyers | Earn 100,000 bonus miles and three,000 Premier qualifying factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months your account is open. | As much as 18,000 PQPs per calendar 12 months | $350 (see charges and costs) |
| United Membership℠ Card | Frequent United flyers who need United Membership lounge entry | Earn 90,000 miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. | As much as 28,000 PQPs per calendar 12 months | $695 (see charges and costs) |
| United℠ Enterprise Card | Frequent United flyers with an eligible enterprise | Earn 75,000 bonus miles and a couple of,000 PQPs after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. | As much as 4,000 PQPs per calendar 12 months | $0 introductory annual payment for the primary 12 months, then $150 (see charges and costs) |
| United Membership℠ Enterprise Card | Frequent United flyers with an eligible enterprise who need United Membership entry | Earn 80,000 bonus miles and a couple of,000 PQPs after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months your account is open. | As much as 28,000 PQPs per calendar 12 months | $695 |
The data for the United Membership Enterprise Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
Associated: The last word information to incomes elite standing with United playing cards
Is United Premier standing price it?
Elite standing can actually make journey extra snug and handy. In the event you journey with United or its accomplice airways frequently and/or spend considerably on a cobranded bank card, you might discover it comparatively straightforward to earn Premier standing, and it may be a savvy method to maximize your journey. Plus, this implies you may even be incomes loads of United miles, which you’ll be able to redeem for United award flights — all whereas having fun with your elite standing advantages.
Nevertheless, it is not price pursuing standing when you’ll be able to’t get pleasure from the advantages you have labored exhausting to earn. Make sure you think about United’s route map, its presence at your own home airport and the way straightforward it’s to get to your required locations. If United and its accomplice airways do not fly the place you reside or the place you wish to journey, you will not get a lot use from Premier standing. You might be higher off pursuing standing with a special program, akin to Delta SkyMiles or American AAdvantage.
Lastly, do not forget that Premier standing doesn’t present home lounge entry when touring with United. If this profit is vital to you, think about making use of for the United Membership Card, which gives United Membership entry and elite perks akin to two free checked luggage and Premier Entry journey companies.
Associated: Full information to United’s income, award and improve fare lessons
Backside line
Incomes elite standing, particularly a top-tier standing like Premier 1K, isn’t any straightforward feat and requires numerous hours on planes and 1000’s of {dollars} spent. Understanding the associated fee and perks of United’s elite standing is vital to find out whether it is best for you — particularly since United made standing tougher to earn in 2025.
Take into account your journey plans and whether or not it is smart to remain loyal to 1 airline. In the event you’re involved in incomes elite standing, try our information to airline standing matches and challenges and one TPGer’s standing plans for 2025.
