United Airlines started the week with some big news about its United MileagePlus program for 2026 and beyond.
Most important to know: The requirements to reach Premier elite status won’t be changing in the new year. But the Chicago-based carrier is making some significant changes surrounding upgrades.
For starters, it will soon get a lot easier to score a spot in its premium cabins when flying on an award ticket.
However, the airline also announced it will start dynamically pricing upgrades secured with PlusPoints, the special currency it awards to high-level elite status members. That means the number of PlusPoints you’ll need for an upgraded seat will get a lot less predictable in the future.
Read more: How to get upgraded on United Airlines flights
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
There’s plenty to digest in Monday’s announcements. Here’s a rundown of what to know.
Premier qualification stays the same
While United hiked Premier qualification requirements a year ago, MileagePlus members won’t have any changes to digest on this front in 2026.
Premier thresholds will remain exactly the same next year.
Here’s what it takes to qualify:
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Status tierQualification requirements
15 Premier qualifying flights plus 5,000 Premier qualifying points, or 6,000 PQPs
30 PQFs plus 10,000 PQPs, or 12,000 PQPs
45 PQFs plus 15,000 PQPs, or 18,000 PQPs
60 PQFs plus 22,000 PQPs, or 28,000 PQPs
Keep in mind that flights on eligible United partners count toward Premier status qualification, but you’ll need at least four flights on United itself.
You can read more here about how to earn Premier status, including through spending on certain cobranded United credit cards.
PQP head start remains intact
In 2026, United will offer existing Premier members the same head start toward status that we saw in 2025.
If you have Premier status going into the new year, you’ll start 2026 with a PQP boost:
- Premier Silver: 300 PQPs
- Premier Gold: 600 PQPs
- Premier Platinum: 900 PQPs
- Premier 1K: 1,400 PQPs
Getting upgraded on award flights gets easier
Now to the changes.
Likely the most positive shift United announced Monday involves upgrades for award tickets.
Beginning Feb. 1, 2026, all Premier members will be eligible for upgrades even when traveling on a ticket booked with United MileagePlus miles.
That includes:
- Complimentary upgrades awarded to Premier elite members
- Upgrades secured using PlusPoints
United’s first-class seats on an Airbus A321neo. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
Until now, United has had a fairly restrictive upgrade policy when it comes to travelers flying on award tickets. Now, the upgrade experience will be pretty consistent whether you paid for your flight with cash or miles.
Big PlusPoints changes
Speaking of PlusPoints, United announced two fairly significant changes for its special currency that unlocks perks for Premier Platinum and 1K members.
To recap:
- Premier members get 40 PlusPoints upon reaching Premier Platinum status.
- Premier 1K members get 280 PlusPoints.
You can redeem PlusPoints for upgrades into a higher cabin (including Polaris business-class) or — new this past year — exchange them for a handful of different benefits like bonus miles, travel credits and gifting status to someone else.
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Credit card spending can help you earn more PlusPoints
Starting Jan. 1, 2026, Premier 1K members will be able to earn extra PlusPoints through spending on eligible cobranded United credit cards.
Currently, United cards can help you earn PQPs toward status — but most cardholders can’t earn extra PlusPoints with their spending.
This will change for 1K members in the new year, perhaps opening up new upgrade opportunities for high-level elites.
Note that credit cardholders will still have limitations on how many PQPs (and by extension PlusPoints) they can earn through their card spending.
PlusPoints upgrades to go dynamic in 2027
Time for the news that may raise the antennas of some Premier members.
While it’s getting easier to earn PlusPoints if you’re a Premier 1K member, redeeming them for upgrades is going to get a lot less predictable in the future.
Currently, United has a neat, tidy chart that explains how many PlusPoints you need for an upgrade. For instance, you currently need 40 PlusPoints to move from economy to Polaris business class on a long-haul flight.
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Starting in February 2027, though, PlusPoints upgrades will shift to dynamic pricing — which means the number of PlusPoints you’ll need for a high-end seat will fluctuate based on factors like the travel date, the route, demand and how many seats are available.
“There will be upgrades that will cost less. There will be many priced around the same. And there will be those that are priced higher,” Luc Bondar, United’s chief operating officer of MileagePlus, told TPG.
I’d expect to see PlusPoints upgrades cost more during the peak summer and holiday seasons and on routes where a business-class seat is a hot ticket.
“It will be very much a function of route, cabin, demand,” Bondar said, explaining United’s thinking. “It’s not a devaluation. It’s just market pricing.”
United loyalists will ultimately have the final say there — again, this change will take effect a little over a year from now.
The move comes roughly six years after United ditched its award chart for flight redemptions in favor of dynamic pricing — a move we’ve seen across a wide swath of the airline industry.
Expanded saver award availability
Finally, United also noted that it has expanded Polaris saver award availability for certain United MileagePlus members.
Essentially, if you’re a Premier member or a United Chase credit card holder, you’ll have more chances to see cheaper award redemptions for the airline’s fanciest seats — so make sure you’re logged into your loyalty account when you search for award space.
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
“We are ensuring that for our Premiers and our cardholders,” Bondar said, “that that’s where the best access to the best award seats and best tickets resides.”
We’ve seen a growing number of airlines offer cheaper mileage redemptions to certain customers, such as frequent flyers with a cobranded credit card in their wallet or those who reach elite status.
That appears to be what’s happening here.
Looking ahead
In recent months, United executives have teased bigger-picture changes on the horizon for the airline’s MileagePlus program. So, it’s worth watching to see how the program evolves in the coming years.
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