What happened
United Airlines maintains a cap of 75,000 miles per person per ticket in its MileagePlus program, regardless of elite status or co-branded card bonuses. This cap was established in 2015 when the airline shifted to distance-based earning and has not been adjusted for inflation. Consequently, high-spenders on premium international tickets (e.g., $9,000–$12,000 roundtrips) stop earning incremental miles once they exceed the threshold (approx. $6,250 for Premier 1K). In contrast, American AAdvantage and Delta SkyMiles have removed similar caps, allowing unlimited mileage earning based on spend. The article discusses the rationale for the cap and the potential for United to update it