United Makes It Easier For MileagePlus Members To Earn Status With Credit Cards

Summary Starting January 1, 2024, United customers can earn 25 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) for every $500 spent on Chase co-brand credit cards, making it easier to earn elite status.
United is focusing on credit cards to keep customers loyal, while still requiring minimum flight segments for Premier status. The changes won’t affect eligibility until at least 2025.
United’s MileagePlus frequent flyer program has announced key changes to credit card spending. All Chase co-brand cards will now earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) at the rate of 25 PQPs for every $500 spent. Notably, requirements will not change for 2024, so members have plenty of time to earn status through next year too.
Another way to earn
Earning status with MileagePlus has always been about flying with the carrier, with credit cards only an ancillary way to pick up some PQPs if you spend heavily (or get a bonus). However, United Airlines is looking to change this with an update today.
Starting January 1st, 2024, you’ll earn 25 PQPs for every $500 spent on Chase co-brand credit cards. Each card type has a cap, ranging from 1,000 PQPs for the Explorer and 10,000 for the Club Infinite, but this is a significant jump from the previous rule.
Photo: United
Previously, the Explorer, Quest, and Club Infinite cards earned 500 PQPs for every $12,000 spent. That number has fallen to 25 PQPs for every $500 spent (or 500 PQPs for every $10,000 spent). The new caps are:
United Explorer: 1,000 PQPs
Quest: 6,000 PQPs
Club Infinite: 10,000 PQPs (up from 8,000)
The Gateway card, which has no fee, cannot earn elite points. There is also no 15,000 PQP cap, so you could apply for all three cards (and business equivalents) to maximize your earnings.
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Why now?
Simple Flying sat down with Luc Bondar, CEO and President of MileagePlus and Vice President of Loyalty at United, about the changes. He noted that while changes are not as far-reaching as perhaps its competitors (like Delta’s recent SkyMiles updates), it is the perfect update for members to get closer to unlocking Premier status.
He emphasized that the 2019 MileagePlus overhaul has worked effectively for the program, eliminating the need for a massive update. However, credit cards have become the industry’s new focus, and United doesn’t want to miss out on keeping customers loyal.
Photo: JJava Designs | Shutterstock
You 2ill still need to fly the four minimum segments with United or United Express to qualify for Premier status, but getting the required PQPs just got a little bit easier with day-to-day spending.
The decision to not affect 2025 qualification, meaning PQPs will not go up until at least next year, will be positive for elite members, and no benefits will change. When asked whether they would go up after that, Bondar noted that any increase would depend on customer demand and increased elite members.
No slowing down
Bondar framed United and MileagePlus’ story as one of growth. United Clubs has seen a 50% increase in locations, adding 100,000 square feet at seven new facilities in the last 12 months alone. The carrier has also been busy adding new routes across the country and internationally, with United even bringing forward the start of the summer season to service popular routes.
What do you think about United’s latest changes to its credit card earnings? Let us know in the comments!