United MileagePlus Gold, Platinum & 1K Members to Lose Benefits in 2015

The changes are slight and hidden in the fine print, but for United Airlines MileagePlus Premier Gold, Premier Platinum and Premier 1K members, elite status will be a little less elite next year.

Earlier this month, United Airlines followed Delta Air Lines’ lead in announcing it would raise the minimum requirements for MileagePlus members to earn elite status. United has since quietly made changes to the benefits for those who qualify for elite status.

As of February 1, 2015, Premier Gold members will be limited to two complimentary checked bags on flights within the U.S. Under the current policy, Premier Gold members are entitled to three checked bags on flights within the U.S. Checked luggage perks will not change on international flights when the new policy goes into effect next year, and existing baggage allowances for Premier Silver, Premier Platinum and Premier 1K will not be affected.

In addition, the $100 application fee for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Global Entry program will no longer be waived for Premier Platinum and Premier 1K flyers after January 31, 2015. United previously provided a payment code that covered the initial application costs of the Global Entry program, which allows qualified international travelers to bypass certain CBP screening procedures when entering the U.S.

There is some hope that these will be the only perks lost in 2015; the changes to Premier Gold, Premier Platinum and Premier 1K benefits have been highlighted as “updated” on United’s MileagePlus page.

[Photo: United Airlines]