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
Mar 30, 2023, 1:30 pm
#63
Moderator: United Airlines
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If LX ticket, the fare or upgrade cost does not matter but the fare class does and sometimes the LX fare class will change, sometimes it will not. (more the latter, but others may have a more complete explanation)
Mar 30, 2023, 3:29 pm
#64
Join Date: Jul 2022
Programs: United MileagePlus
Posts: 336
iF on a 016 ticket, no change in PQP becuase PQPs are only fare / upgrades purchased from UA.
If LX ticket, the fare or upgrade cost does not matter but the fare class does and sometimes the LX fare class will change, sometimes it will not. (more the latter, but others may have a more complete explanation)
If LX ticket, the fare or upgrade cost does not matter but the fare class does and sometimes the LX fare class will change, sometimes it will not. (more the latter, but others may have a more complete explanation)
Mar 30, 2023, 3:49 pm
#65
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
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Apr 16, 2023, 4:37 pm
#66
Join Date: Jun 2019
Programs: MileagePlus
Posts: 199
What's the rule around PQP earning on partner (not preferred) airlines? I need to go to Singapore next month. I could do a 1 stopper on UA or fly the direct EWR -> SIN on Singapore Airlines. I think I want to do the 1 stopper to get the PQP. It looks like you're capped at 1,000 PQP on Singapore Airlines. Am I right about that?
Apr 16, 2023, 5:15 pm
#67
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
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What's the rule around PQP earning on partner (not preferred) airlines? I need to go to Singapore next month. I could do a 1 stopper on UA or fly the direct EWR -> SIN on Singapore Airlines. I think I want to do the 1 stopper to get the PQP. It looks like you're capped at 1,000 PQP on Singapore Airlines. Am I right about that?
May 1, 2023, 1:49 pm
#68
Join Date: Sep 2022
Programs: United Mileage Plus
Posts: 735
I must be using the pqp.economiles.com site incorrectly.
I tried a business class fare for NZ, which ranges from about $6350 to just under $7000 depending on whether you use UA, NZ or some third-party booking site.
PQP Economiles calculator says a P fare would earn 326 PQPs for the SFO-AKL segment. Presumably the AKL-SFO segment would have the same earning.
Also 1629 RDMs, regardless of which status level I select and click Calculate.
So if I book through UA or NZ, I should get almost the amount of PQPs as the fare right?
And 11X RDMs for a 1K?
But if I book through a third party linked in GF, I'd get a small fraction of the RDMs and PQPs on a $6350 fare by saving $600-700 on the fare?
I tried a business class fare for NZ, which ranges from about $6350 to just under $7000 depending on whether you use UA, NZ or some third-party booking site.
PQP Economiles calculator says a P fare would earn 326 PQPs for the SFO-AKL segment. Presumably the AKL-SFO segment would have the same earning.
Also 1629 RDMs, regardless of which status level I select and click Calculate.
So if I book through UA or NZ, I should get almost the amount of PQPs as the fare right?
And 11X RDMs for a 1K?
But if I book through a third party linked in GF, I'd get a small fraction of the RDMs and PQPs on a $6350 fare by saving $600-700 on the fare?
May 1, 2023, 1:54 pm
#69
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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May 1, 2023, 1:59 pm
#70
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,369
I must be using the pqp.economiles.com site incorrectly.
I tried a business class fare for NZ, which ranges from about $6350 to just under $7000 depending on whether you use UA, NZ or some third-party booking site.
PQP Economiles calculator says a P fare would earn 326 PQPs for the SFO-AKL segment. Presumably the AKL-SFO segment would have the same earning.
I tried a business class fare for NZ, which ranges from about $6350 to just under $7000 depending on whether you use UA, NZ or some third-party booking site.
PQP Economiles calculator says a P fare would earn 326 PQPs for the SFO-AKL segment. Presumably the AKL-SFO segment would have the same earning.
Only on 016 ticket stock.
No, in most cases you'd get either the NZ amount or the UA amount, depending upon which ticket stock they used. In very rare cases, you might get the calculator's value for UA -- but only if flying UA-operated flights.
May 1, 2023, 2:10 pm
#71
Join Date: Sep 2022
Programs: United Mileage Plus
Posts: 735
Interesting, so NZ is a partner but the same fare booked through NZ yields a fraction of PQPs and RDMs.
I think the UA verbiage is preferred partners, like AC, LH are preferred as is NZ.
But MP partners earn less, like SQ and SAS.
I think the UA verbiage is preferred partners, like AC, LH are preferred as is NZ.
But MP partners earn less, like SQ and SAS.
May 1, 2023, 2:19 pm
#72
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
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I would quess a NZ business fare (booked with NZ) will cap out at 1,500 PQPs each way, 3,000 roundtrip
Also, NZ is a Preferred Partner or the cap would be 1,000 PQPs each way.
Last edited by WineCountryUA; May 1, 2023 at 2:26 pm Reason: Also, NZ is a Preferred Partner
May 1, 2023, 2:31 pm
#73
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Join Date: Oct 2001
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Posts: 21,369
In this case, WineCountryUA is correct. You're likely to hit the 1500 PQP per segment cap.
May 1, 2023, 3:36 pm
#74
Join Date: Sep 2022
Programs: United Mileage Plus
Posts: 735
I didn't note the fare class in the GF search, just chose Business or Premium Economy, didn't drill down to the fare coding rules.
So I'm using "P" more generically I suppose but it's some discounted business for both UA and NZ flights which show up in the GF search results.
So do you have to book AC flights on 016 stock to maximize PQP as well? Does it still yield greater PQPs than even UA flights on the same or similar routing?
So I'm using "P" more generically I suppose but it's some discounted business for both UA and NZ flights which show up in the GF search results.
So do you have to book AC flights on 016 stock to maximize PQP as well? Does it still yield greater PQPs than even UA flights on the same or similar routing?
May 1, 2023, 3:47 pm
#75
Join Date: Jun 2017
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Posts: 1,916
If you ticketed the same AC metal on UA ticket stock, you'd earn based on what you paid for the ticket. Taxes/fees/etc. generally run up to around 1.25 cents per PQP, so you'd breakeven somewhere around $1695 if ticketed on UA.
Edit: for clarity, a 014-ticketed SFO-YYZ RT on AC metal currently prices out around $2k, so you'd want to ticket this hypothetical routing on 016 stock at this price point because you'd likely earn around 1600 PQP buying the ticket from United rather than Air Canada.