What happened
MileagePlus elite status for the 2027 earning year will rest on Premier Qualifying Points plus four flights operated by United or United Express. Partner metal does not count toward the four-flight minimum. Status from that year covers the rest of 2027 and 2028, and 2026 rules stay as they are.
Silver remains 6,000 PQP. Gold stays 12,000 PQP and Platinum 18,000 PQP, the same PQP-only levels as today. The cheaper path of PQFs plus lower PQP is gone, including Gold at 10,000 PQP with 30 PQFs. Premier 1K moves from 28,000 PQP to 32,000, up 4,000 PQP or 14%. United Club cards raise their PQP caps from 28,000 to 32,000.
The 5% PQP boost is now limited to eligible United credit cardholders. A Silver cardholder gets 300 PQP deposited; a 1K cardholder gets 1,600 PQP. The boost is available to those who open a qualifying card by December 31, 2026. Dynamic pricing is being added for PlusPoints upgrades.
Anyone leaning on cheap extra flights to hit PQFs needs a spend-based plan for 2027, and 1K is both more expensive and more tightly tied to a United card.
- Numbers
- 6,000 PQP: 2027 Premier Silver threshold
- 12,000 PQP: 2027 Premier Gold threshold
- 18,000 PQP: 2027 Premier Platinum threshold
- 32,000 PQP: 2027 Premier 1K threshold
- 28,000 PQP: current Premier 1K PQP-only threshold
- 4,000 PQP: Premier 1K PQP increase
- 14%: Premier 1K PQP-only threshold increase
- 32,000 PQP: new United Club card PQP earning cap
- 28,000 PQP: previous United Club card PQP earning cap
- 5%: PQP boost or head start for eligible United cardholders
- 300 PQP: 2027 Silver cardholder PQP deposit
- 600 PQP: 2027 Gold cardholder PQP deposit
- 900 PQP: 2027 Platinum cardholder PQP deposit
- 1,600 PQP: 2027 Premier 1K cardholder PQP deposit
- 10,000 PQP: current Gold path with PQFs
- 15,000 PQP: current Platinum path with PQFs
- Links
- Announcement MileagePlus what’s new united.com