Oct 20, 2019, 6:42 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Partner ticket PQP calculator
Beginning in 2020, if you fly a partner airline (not UA metal) and your ticket is on the stock of another airline (not 016 ticket), you will earn PQP as a fraction of the distance flown. That fraction is determined by your fare class, and can be found in the tables below. 
Other Partner Airlines (not Star Alliance)
Warning: It is strongly recommended that you consult the United earnings page for your airline and confirm the earning rate here, as they have been to known to change without notice and apply retroactively to tickets purchased before the change.
GREEN background is a "preferred" partner.
Updated PQP calculator with new per-segment earning cap
More Information on earning PQP and PQF
Archive: Earning Status (PQP) on non-016 Tickets and Partner Metal {Archive}
Partner Earning
Beginning in 2020, if you fly a partner airline (not UA metal) and your ticket is on the stock of another airline (not 016 ticket), you will earn PQP as a fraction of the distance flown. That fraction is determined by your fare class, and can be found in the tables below.
The way to derive this fraction is to go to the United earnings page for your airline and determine the RDM (not PQM) earning rate for your fare class. Then divide this number by 5 for "preferred partners" and 6 otherwise.
If the fare class of a non-016 *A partner flight allows RDM earnings (and therefore PQDs), the flight also earns Premier Qualifying Flight (PQF) credit.
Preferred Partner Airlines: AC AD AV CA CM EN EW LH LX NH NZ OS SN VA WK
Other Partner Airlines (status earning): A3 AI BR ET HO LO MS OA OU OZ SA SK SQ TG TK TP ZH
Other Partner Airlines (NO Premier credit): 3M 4B 9K EI HA UK VW
Note that for the third category you will earn RDM but no PQP, regardless of ticket stock (this is no change from before when you would not earn PQM).
For flights on or after July 1, 2020, the maximum Premier qualifying points that can be earned per flight {segment} on tickets issued and operated by Star Alliance partners and select MileagePlus partner airlines are as follows:
MileagePlus members who purchased tickets on eligible partners prior to these new rules may submit receipts showing tickets were issued prior to April 29, 2020, to [email protected] with the subject line "OA PQP Review" to be considered for PQP earning under the prior rules. Receipts should not be submitted until after travel is completed for flights on or after July 1, 2020.
UA Capping PQP Earn with Partners (update -- per flight segment)
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I fly a United-operated segment on a non-United ticket? You will earn PQP equal to the portion of the fare assignable to that segment. This information is transmitted from the ticketing carrier to United, and will be a somewhat arbitrary number between 0 and the full value of the fare component which includes that segment**. (This is the same as earning PQD on such a segment today.)
**Many reports of this not working even this well, and the potential number being outside this range.
What about codeshare segments? As before, codeshares do not matter. Only the operating carrier (metal) of each segment and the stock of the ticket determine your earnings.
How do I get a non-016 ticket? Any ticket purchased directly from another airline will be a partner-issued ticket, even if it has United segments. (Any ticket purchased from United will be an 016 ticket, even if it has no United segments.) Tickets purchased from an agency will usually have a stock of the marketing carrier of the most significant segment ("first long segment" usually).
What's the trick here? Because PQP are earned as a fraction of the distance flown, flying long distances on low-priced fares can earn more PQP than dollars spent. For any given journey, you should consider where you are earning a favorable ratio of PQP to dollars of at least 1.0 when ticketing this way, and consider ticketing with United if you are not.
What about BULK fares? Bulk fares will also earn PQP by distance, as noted in the table below. This is the only way to earn by distance on United metal.
Earnings Tables
Last updated in the image on 17-Nov-23.
To use: Determine the flight miles of your trip, then multiply by the applicable percentage based on the fare class of the ticket. That is your PQP for that segment. Example: 1000 mile flight on Air Canada booked in W fare code: PQP = 1000*.15=150).
Note that values >= 20% are rounded to the nearest 1%, and smaller values are rounded to the nearest 0.1%. If precise calculations are needed, you should always use the original source material (United website).
Star Alliance Airlines
Warning: It is strongly recommended that you consult the United earnings page for your airline and confirm the earning rate here, as they have been to known to change without notice and apply retroactively to tickets purchased before the change.
Note: There are special rules for AC branded Economy fares on 014 tickets.
GREEN background is a "preferred" partner.
Preferred Partner Airlines: AC AD AV CA CM EN EW LH LX NH NZ OS SN VA WK
Other Partner Airlines (status earning): A3 AI BR ET HO LO MS OA OU OZ SA SK SQ TG TK TP ZH
Other Partner Airlines (NO Premier credit): 3M 4B 9K EI HA UK VW
Note that for the third category you will earn RDM but no PQP, regardless of ticket stock (this is no change from before when you would not earn PQM).
For flights on or after July 1, 2020, the maximum Premier qualifying points that can be earned per flight {segment} on tickets issued and operated by Star Alliance partners and select MileagePlus partner airlines are as follows:
MileagePlus members who purchased tickets on eligible partners prior to these new rules may submit receipts showing tickets were issued prior to April 29, 2020, to [email protected] with the subject line "OA PQP Review" to be considered for PQP earning under the prior rules. Receipts should not be submitted until after travel is completed for flights on or after July 1, 2020.
UA Capping PQP Earn with Partners (update -- per flight segment)
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I fly a United-operated segment on a non-United ticket? You will earn PQP equal to the portion of the fare assignable to that segment. This information is transmitted from the ticketing carrier to United, and will be a somewhat arbitrary number between 0 and the full value of the fare component which includes that segment**. (This is the same as earning PQD on such a segment today.)
**Many reports of this not working even this well, and the potential number being outside this range.
What about codeshare segments? As before, codeshares do not matter. Only the operating carrier (metal) of each segment and the stock of the ticket determine your earnings.
How do I get a non-016 ticket? Any ticket purchased directly from another airline will be a partner-issued ticket, even if it has United segments. (Any ticket purchased from United will be an 016 ticket, even if it has no United segments.) Tickets purchased from an agency will usually have a stock of the marketing carrier of the most significant segment ("first long segment" usually).
What's the trick here? Because PQP are earned as a fraction of the distance flown, flying long distances on low-priced fares can earn more PQP than dollars spent. For any given journey, you should consider where you are earning a favorable ratio of PQP to dollars of at least 1.0 when ticketing this way, and consider ticketing with United if you are not.
What about BULK fares? Bulk fares will also earn PQP by distance, as noted in the table below. This is the only way to earn by distance on United metal.
Earnings Tables
Last updated in the image on 17-Nov-23.
To use: Determine the flight miles of your trip, then multiply by the applicable percentage based on the fare class of the ticket. That is your PQP for that segment. Example: 1000 mile flight on Air Canada booked in W fare code: PQP = 1000*.15=150).
Note that values >= 20% are rounded to the nearest 1%, and smaller values are rounded to the nearest 0.1%. If precise calculations are needed, you should always use the original source material (United website).
Star Alliance Airlines
Warning: It is strongly recommended that you consult the United earnings page for your airline and confirm the earning rate here, as they have been to known to change without notice and apply retroactively to tickets purchased before the change.
Note: There are special rules for AC branded Economy fares on 014 tickets.
GREEN background is a "preferred" partner.
Other Partner Airlines (not Star Alliance)
Warning: It is strongly recommended that you consult the United earnings page for your airline and confirm the earning rate here, as they have been to known to change without notice and apply retroactively to tickets purchased before the change.
GREEN background is a "preferred" partner.
Updated PQP calculator with new per-segment earning cap
I created a updated version of the PQP calculator to handle the upcoming per segment PQP earning limits. It also calculates RDM:
https://pqp.economiles.com/
https://pqp.economiles.com/
More Information on earning PQP and PQF
Earning PQP on flights ticketed and operated by a Star Alliance Partner
Members can also earn Premier qualifying points on tickets issued and operated by Star Alliance partners and select MileagePlus partner airlines. Your PQP will be equal to award miles earned divided by 5 if you’re flying on a preferred partner; for other MileagePlus partner airlines, it will be award miles earned divided by 6.
Please note award miles is your base award miles earning plus your fare class bonus award miles earning, if eligible. Premier bonus miles earned are not included within this calculation and are ineligible for Premier qualifying points accrual.
For Star Alliance airlines as well as Air Dolomiti, Azul, Eurowings, Edelweiss, and Olympic:
Preferred partner PQP: Award miles divided by 5
MileagePlus partner PQP: Award miles divided by 6
For example, if you earned 360 award miles for your flight, you’ll receive 72 PQP if you flew with a preferred partner, and 60 PQP if you flew with a MileagePlus partner.
PQP Calculator with option to apply max PQP per flight:
https://pqp.economiles.com/
For flights on or after July 1, 2020, the maximum Premier qualifying points that can be earned per flight on tickets issued and operated by Star Alliance partners and select MileagePlus partner airlines are as follows:
MileagePlus members who purchased tickets on eligible partners prior to these new rules may submit receipts showing tickets were issued prior to April 29, 2020, to [email protected] with the subject line "OA PQP Review" to be considered for PQP earning under the prior rules. Receipts should not be submitted until after travel is completed for flights on or after July 1, 2020.
For more information on PQP accrual for a specific airline, visit our airline partner pages.
Members can also earn Premier qualifying points on tickets issued and operated by Star Alliance partners and select MileagePlus partner airlines. Your PQP will be equal to award miles earned divided by 5 if you’re flying on a preferred partner; for other MileagePlus partner airlines, it will be award miles earned divided by 6.
Please note award miles is your base award miles earning plus your fare class bonus award miles earning, if eligible. Premier bonus miles earned are not included within this calculation and are ineligible for Premier qualifying points accrual.
For Star Alliance airlines as well as Air Dolomiti, Azul, Eurowings, Edelweiss, and Olympic:
Preferred partner PQP: Award miles divided by 5
MileagePlus partner PQP: Award miles divided by 6
For example, if you earned 360 award miles for your flight, you’ll receive 72 PQP if you flew with a preferred partner, and 60 PQP if you flew with a MileagePlus partner.
PQP Calculator with option to apply max PQP per flight:
https://pqp.economiles.com/
For flights on or after July 1, 2020, the maximum Premier qualifying points that can be earned per flight on tickets issued and operated by Star Alliance partners and select MileagePlus partner airlines are as follows:
MileagePlus members who purchased tickets on eligible partners prior to these new rules may submit receipts showing tickets were issued prior to April 29, 2020, to [email protected] with the subject line "OA PQP Review" to be considered for PQP earning under the prior rules. Receipts should not be submitted until after travel is completed for flights on or after July 1, 2020.
For more information on PQP accrual for a specific airline, visit our airline partner pages.
Archive: Earning Status (PQP) on non-016 Tickets and Partner Metal {Archive}
Earning Status (PQP) on non-016 Tickets and Partner Metal
Oct 17, 2023, 6:45 pm
#226
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,517
Depends on the actual fare paid.
Even with capped PQP, you can still get outsized value of 2, even 3 PQPs for every dollar spent for partner earning.
On a UA ticket, it's generally always 1 to 1 (excluding taxes and fees). On a non-UA ticket, partner earning can get incredibly good if you can get the right deal.
I recently flew SK - PE ticket $500+, PQP = 1,300. Even as a non-preferred partner like SQ, you can do the math of the multiples in PQP I got.
Depends on the actual fare paid.
Even with capped PQP, you can still get outsized value of 2, even 3 PQPs for every dollar spent for partner earning.
On a UA ticket, it's generally always 1 to 1 (excluding taxes and fees). On a non-UA ticket, partner earning can get incredibly good if you can get the right deal.
I recently flew SK - PE ticket $500+, PQP = 1,300. Even as a non-preferred partner like SQ, you can do the math of the multiples in PQP I got.
Last edited by Repooc17; Oct 17, 2023 at 6:52 pm
Oct 17, 2023, 7:13 pm
#228
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: UA-1K MM, AA-Gold, DL-Silver, AS-MVP
Posts: 2,509
Oct 17, 2023, 9:00 pm
#229
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,891
As mentioned, absolutely dependent on fare class.
a lot of lower ones are very poor - until recently, many earned nothing. It has now changed so all paid fares (I think) earn at least something, but the ones that used to earn nothing earn 10% now. BLR-SIN and my wife and kids got 33 PQM on an N fare (I credited to SQ, so got more, but still 50% I think - those PQP weren’t going to do anything for me - wife and kids basically had nowhere better to credit.).
a lot of lower ones are very poor - until recently, many earned nothing. It has now changed so all paid fares (I think) earn at least something, but the ones that used to earn nothing earn 10% now. BLR-SIN and my wife and kids got 33 PQM on an N fare (I credited to SQ, so got more, but still 50% I think - those PQP weren’t going to do anything for me - wife and kids basically had nowhere better to credit.).
Oct 18, 2023, 2:27 pm
#230
Join Date: Dec 2015
Programs: UA Mileage Plus
Posts: 300
Depends on the actual fare paid.
Even with capped PQP, you can still get outsized value of 2, even 3 PQPs for every dollar spent for partner earning.
On a UA ticket, it's generally always 1 to 1 (excluding taxes and fees). On a non-UA ticket, partner earning can get incredibly good if you can get the right deal.
I recently flew SK - PE ticket $500+, PQP = 1,300. Even as a non-preferred partner like SQ, you can do the math of the multiples in PQP I got.
Depends on the actual fare paid.
Even with capped PQP, you can still get outsized value of 2, even 3 PQPs for every dollar spent for partner earning.
On a UA ticket, it's generally always 1 to 1 (excluding taxes and fees). On a non-UA ticket, partner earning can get incredibly good if you can get the right deal.
I recently flew SK - PE ticket $500+, PQP = 1,300. Even as a non-preferred partner like SQ, you can do the math of the multiples in PQP I got.
Better than nothing I suppose.
Last edited by azfanboy; Oct 18, 2023 at 2:27 pm Reason: wrong post
Oct 18, 2023, 2:37 pm
#231
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,517
I have flown multiple world's longest flight + connections, and they were huge AS miles haul.
Oct 18, 2023, 4:52 pm
#232
Join Date: Dec 2015
Programs: UA Mileage Plus
Posts: 300
Oh thanks for the suggestion. I would have, but I really need these PQP. I am barely scraping into make 1K this year. I am still 386 PQP short...
Oct 19, 2023, 11:06 am
#234
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: INN
Posts: 2,914
United hasn't caught up on the rename from Eurowings Discover to just Discover, but otherwise this should be all you need.
Oct 19, 2023, 1:40 pm
#235
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,436
See: https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/mil...-discover.html
United hasn't caught up on the rename from Eurowings Discover to just Discover, but otherwise this should be all you need.
United hasn't caught up on the rename from Eurowings Discover to just Discover, but otherwise this should be all you need.
Oct 19, 2023, 2:09 pm
#236
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: INN
Posts: 2,914
Eurowings or Discover? For the latter it would at least make some sense, as discover inherited the 4Y IATA code (and IIRC the certificate, but I'm not sure) from Germanwings. Then again Germanwings at the end was simply one of the operating carrier for the Eurowings marketing carrier.
And if you go further back Germanwings was founded as a Low-Cost subsidiary of Eurowings after Eurowings was bought by Lufthansa and only operated as an operating carrier for LH coded flights, before they started rebranding the LCC operation as Eurowings. And that doesn't even get started on the various other Eurowings Something operating carriers.
And if you go further back Germanwings was founded as a Low-Cost subsidiary of Eurowings after Eurowings was bought by Lufthansa and only operated as an operating carrier for LH coded flights, before they started rebranding the LCC operation as Eurowings. And that doesn't even get started on the various other Eurowings Something operating carriers.
Oct 21, 2023, 4:07 am
#237
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,436
Eurowings or Discover? For the latter it would at least make some sense, as discover inherited the 4Y IATA code (and IIRC the certificate, but I'm not sure) from Germanwings. Then again Germanwings at the end was simply one of the operating carrier for the Eurowings marketing carrier.
perated by Eurowings. The flight has the EW code on it.
Oct 31, 2023, 10:05 pm
#239
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,517
It would make no difference. Partner PQP is calculated by segment anyway.
Nov 1, 2023, 12:00 am
#240
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,421
If you could find this unicorn routing, sure, although as Repooc17 points out, it doesn't mater if you book it on one ticket or two as far as PQP earnings go.