United Airlines kicked off the week with some big news regarding its United MileagePlus program for 2026 and beyond.
The most important thing to know is this: the requirements to achieve Premier elite status will not change in the new year. But the Chicago-based airline is making some big changes around the upgrades.
First, it will soon be easier to get premium cabins when flying on award tickets.
However, the airline also announced that it will begin dynamic pricing upgrades through PlusPoints, a special currency the airline rewards to premium elite members. This means the number of PlusPoints you need to upgrade your seat will become more unpredictable in the future.
Learn more: How to upgrade on a United flight
There was a lot to digest in Monday’s announcement. Here’s an overview of what you need to know.
Advanced qualifications remain unchanged
Although United raised its Premier eligibility requirements a year ago, MileagePlus members won’t have any changes to absorb in 2026.
Next year’s prime ministerial threshold will remain exactly the same.
Here’s what’s needed to qualify:
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| status level | Qualification requirements |
|---|---|
|
15 Premier qualifying flights plus 5,000 Premier qualifying points, or 6,000 PQP |
|
|
30 PQF plus 10,000 PQP, or 12,000 PQP |
|
|
45 PQF plus 15,000 PQP, or 18,000 PQP |
|
|
60 PQF plus 22,000 PQP, or 28,000 PQP |
Keep in mind that flights with eligible United partners count toward Premier status, but you need at least four flights on United itself.
You can learn more about how to earn Premier status, including spending with certain United co-branded credit cards, here.
PQP lead remains unchanged
In 2026, United will provide existing Premier members with the same leadership position as in 2025.
If you have Premier status in the new year, you will start to receive PQP promotions in 2026:
- Advanced Silver: 300 PQP
- Premium Gold Level: 600 PQP
- Premium Platinum Card: 900 PQP
- Premier 1K: 1,400 PQP
Upgrading award flights just got easier
Now let’s look at the changes.
Perhaps the most positive shift announced by United on Monday involves upgrades to award tickets.
Starting February 1, 2026, all Premier members will be eligible for upgrades even when traveling on tickets booked with United MileagePlus miles.
These include:
- VIP elite members can enjoy free upgrades
- Secure upgrades with PlusPoints
Until now, United has had a pretty strict upgrade policy for passengers flying on award tickets. Now, whether you pay for your flight with cash or miles, the upgrade experience will be very consistent.
Big change
Speaking of PlusPoints, United announced two pretty significant changes to its special currency, unlocking benefits for Premier Platinum and 1K members.
To recap:
- VIP members receive 40 PlusPoints after reaching VIP Platinum status.
- Premier 1K members receive 280 PlusPoints.
You can redeem PlusPoints to upgrade to a higher cabin (including Polaris Business Class), or use them to redeem a number of different benefits, such as bonus miles, travel points and gifting status to others (new last year).
Credit card spending can help you earn more PlusPoints
Starting January 1, 2026, Premier 1K members will be able to earn additional PlusPoints on eligible United co-branded credit card purchases.
Currently, United cards can help you earn PQP toward membership, but most cardholders can’t earn additional PlusPoints on purchases.
In the new year, this will change for 1K members, perhaps opening up new upgrade opportunities for senior elites.
Please note that credit card holders are still limited in the amount of PQP (and by extension PlusPoints) they can earn on credit card purchases.
PlusPoints upgrade will be dynamic in 2027
It’s time to break the news that might catch the attention of some members of the Prime Minister.
Although it’s getting easier earn If you are a Premier 1K member, the use of PlusPoints for upgrades will become unpredictable in the future.
Currently, United has a concise and clear chart of how many PlusPoints you need to upgrade. For example, you currently need 40 PlusPoints to transfer from Economy to Polaris Business Class on a long-haul flight.
However, starting in February 2027, PlusPoints upgrades will move to dynamic pricing, which means the number of PlusPoints you need to purchase a premium seat will fluctuate based on factors such as travel dates, route, demand, and available seats.
Luc Bondar, chief operating officer of United’s MileagePlus, told TPG: “There will be some upgrades that cost less. A lot of upgrades will be around the same price. And there will be some upgrades that will cost more.”
I would expect PlusPoints upgrades to be more expensive during peak summer and holiday seasons and on routes where business class seats are popular.
“It depends a lot on routes, cabins and demand,” Bondar said, explaining United’s thinking. “It’s not devaluation. It’s just market pricing.”
United loyalists will ultimately have the final say – again, with the change set to come into effect in just over a year’s time.
About six years ago, United ditched its flight redemption award chart in favor of dynamic pricing — a move we’ve seen across all parts of the airline industry.
Expanded availability of saver rewards
Finally, United also noted that it has expanded the availability of Polaris benefits for certain United MileagePlus members.
Essentially, if you’re a Premier member or United Chase credit card holder, you’ll have more opportunities to redeem the airline’s most luxurious seats at a cheaper price – so make sure you’re logged into your loyalty account when searching for award space.
“We make sure our VIPs and cardholders have access to the best award seats and the best tickets,” Bondar said.
We’re seeing more and more airlines offering cheaper mile redemptions to certain customers, such as frequent flyers who have a co-branded credit card in their wallet or those who have achieved elite status.
That seems to be what’s happening here.
Looking to the future
In recent months, United executives have revealed that bigger changes are coming to the airline’s MileagePlus program. So it will be interesting to see how the program develops in the coming years.
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