You may have already learned about the significant changes to the United Airlines MileagePlus membership program which will become effective as of Thursday, April 2, 2026 at midnight Central Daylight Time — so here is one last reminder of the details.
Significant Changes to United Airlines MileagePlus Program Effective As of April 2 2026
The good news is that all eligible Cardholders will save up to 15 percent on the amount of MileagePlus miles they redeem for award tickets with United Airlines — plus more saver award availability in Polaris business class will be available for elite members and Cardholders…
…but that is generally where the good news ends for many customers.
New Earnings For MileagePlus Members
First, tickets that are issued starting Thursday, April 2, 2026 at midnight Central Daylight Time will earn MileagePlus miles at new rates on eligible flights that are operated by United Airlines. MileagePlus miles that are earned are based on the eligible fare and include all flights operated by United Airlines, United Express, partner airlines that are members of Star Alliance, and MileagePlus partner airline tickets issued by United Airlines. Earn rates will vary based on Premier elite status and whether or not you are a United Cardmember.
Eligible primary Cardmembers have the opportunity to earn MileagePlus miles at a higher rate on their fares, and even more miles when using their cards to book eligible flights with United Airlines.
The following chart shows the total MileagePlus miles earned per United States dollar on eligible flights with United Airlines.
| Elite Status | Old MileagePlus Earn Rate | New MileagePlus Earn Rate | New Cardmember Earn Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Member | 5 miles per dollar | 3 miles per dollar — down 40 percent | 6 miles per dollar |
| Premier Silver | 7 miles per dollar | 5 miles per dollar — down 28.57 percent | 8 miles per dollar |
| Premier Gold | 8 miles per dollar | 6 miles per dollar — down 25 percent | 9 miles per dollar |
| Premier Platinum | 9 miles per dollar | 7 miles per dollar — down 22.22 percent | 10 miles per dollar |
| Premier 1K | 11 miles per dollar | 9 miles per dollar — down 18.18 percent | 12 miles per dollar |
MileagePlus members who:
- Do not possess an eligible credit card will see a reduction of their earnings by two MileagePlus miles per dollar
- Possess an eligible credit card will see an increase of their earnings by one MileagePlus mile per dollar
United MileagePlus Debit Rewards Card and United Gateway Card unlock higher Cardmember earn rates after spending $10,000.00 on the card within a calendar year. Members can earn a maximum of 75,000 MileagePlus miles per ticket — excluding purchases or bonuses from applicable promotions.
Earning MileagePlus Miles on Basic Economy Fares
Additionally — for tickets that are issued starting Thursday, April 2, 2026 at midnight Central Daylight Time — mileage accrual for eligible United Cardmembers and Premier elite members on Basic Economy fares and JetBlue Blue Basic fares will reflect a lower earn rate. General members without an eligible United card will not be eligible to earn MileagePlus miles on these fares.
The following chart shows the total MileagePlus miles earned per United States dollar on Basic Economy fares on eligible flights with United Airlines.
| Premier Elite Status | Old MileagePlus Earn Rate | New MileagePlus Earn Rate | New Cardmember Earn Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Member | 5 miles per dollar | No miles are earned at all | 3 miles per dollar |
| Premier Silver | 7 miles per dollar | 2 miles per dollar — down 71.43 percent | 5 miles per dollar |
| Premier Gold | 8 miles per dollar | 3 miles per dollar — down 62.5 percent | 6 miles per dollar |
| Premier Platinum | 9 miles per dollar | 4 miles per dollar — down 55.55 percent | 7 miles per dollar |
| Premier 1K | 11 miles per dollar | 6 miles per dollar — down 45.45 percent | 9 miles per dollar |
With Basic Economy fares, MileagePlus members who:
- Do not possess an eligible credit card will see a reduction of their earnings by five MileagePlus miles per dollar
- Possess an eligible credit card will see an reduction of their earnings by two MileagePlus mile per dollar
Premier Elite Status Qualification Thresholds
The following chart shows the total MileagePlus miles earned per United States dollar on Basic Economy fares on eligible flights with United Airlines.
| Premier Elite Status | Premier Qualifying Points + Premier Qualifying Flights | Or Premier Qualifying Points Only |
|---|---|---|
| Premier Silver | 5,000 Premier Qualifying Points + 15 Premier Qualifying Flights | 6,000 Premier Qualifying Points |
| Premier Gold | 10,000 Premier Qualifying Points + 30 Premier Qualifying Flights | 12,000 Premier Qualifying Points |
| Premier Platinum | 15,000 Premier Qualifying Points + 45 Premier Qualifying Flights | 18,000 Premier Qualifying Points |
| Premier 1K | 22,000 Premier Qualifying Points + 60 Premier Qualifying Flights | 28,000 Premier Qualifying Points |
Additionally, all members who achieved Premier status in 2025 will once again receive a PQP deposit in early 2026 to get a head start on their status goals for the new year. The deposit amount will remain the same as in 2025.
| Premier Elite Status | Starter Premier Qualifying Points Deposit |
|---|---|
| Premier Silver | 300 Premier Qualifying Points |
| Premier Gold | 600 Premier Qualifying Points |
| Premier Platinum | 900 Premier Qualifying Points |
| Premier 1K | 1,400 Premier Qualifying Points |
Other Enhancements to the MileagePlus Program
- More ways to earn PlusPoints — Effective as of January 1, 2026, all Premier 1K and above members can earn even more PlusPoints because Premier Qualifying Points earned through eligible United credit card spending now count toward earning additional PlusPoints. No limit is imposed to the amount of PlusPoints you can earn.
- Even more opportunities to upgrade — Effective as of February 1, both PlusPoints and Complimentary Premier Upgrades are eligible toward upgrades on award tickets for all Premier members.
- Enhanced Polaris Saver Award availability — United Chase Cardmembers, Premier Silver members, and Premier Gold members are now eligible for increased access to Polaris Saver Award fares, which eases the process of booking seats in United Polaris business class when available.
- Dynamic approach to PlusPoints upgrades — Effective as of February 2027, the fixed chart for PlusPoints upgrade amounts was retired and transitioned to a dynamic system. This change will allow the number of PlusPoints required for an upgrade to better reflect factors like demand, cabin, and more, providing members with greater flexibility.
- Updates for Bam MileagePlus Visa Infinite Cardmembers — Members will earn one Premier Qualifying Point per $20.00 in United States dollars spent, with a cap of 1,500 Premier Qualifying Points for the 2026 program year.
- Updates for First Hawaiian Bank United and First Hawaiian Bank United World Elite Business Cardmembers — Members will continue to earn one Premier Qualifying Point per $20.00 in United States dollars spent with an increased cap of up to 2,000 PQP for the 2026 program year.
Final Boarding Call
Without an eligible credit card, the United Airlines MileagePlus membership program is effectively useless. As a person who has been a member of MileagePlus for years, I am not sure that I want to open an eligible credit card solely to take advantage of the changes — which are especially brutal for passengers who purchase Basic Economy fares — as I do not need certain benefits such as complimentary checked baggage…
…but as airlines act like lemmings in a perceived oligopoly, United Airlines follows Delta Air Lines and then American Airlines in destroying most of whatever benefits Basic Economy fares had with their membership programs simply because passengers wanted to save some money — as though they were earning thousands of miles on Basic Economy fares before the changes. If you think about it, gutting most benefits from Basic Economy fares was really the way for legacy airlines to operate a “low-cost subsidiary” while saving money on capital expenditures and not having to start costly subsidiaries — such as song and Ted — as was done years ago.
I can understand airlines wanting to earn as much revenue and profits as possible — but it almost feels as though they are trying to do everything possible to ensure that travel is as painful and as expensive as possible for most of their passengers…
…except, of course, those passengers who are willing to spend copious amounts of money per ticket — such as $10,000.00 for a flight of ten hours round trip in the premium class cabin, which comes out to $500.00 per hour. Is a lie-flat bed, a couple of meals, and more personalized service really worth that much money aboard an airplane that is operated by a commercial airline?
Also, why is a maximum limit imposed on the amount of MileagePlus miles one can earn on a ticket?
Similar to the airplane that is featured in the photograph at the top of this article, members of the MileagePlus membership program will basically get soaked if they do not have an eligible credit card — so earning a meaningful amount of MileagePlus miles will become more costly as of Thursday, April 2, 2026 chiefly due to the annual fees of the eligible credit cards.
Calling MileagePlus a loyalty program in 2026 may be a grave misnomer…
All photographs ©2024 by Brian Cohen.
