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Earning UA MileagePlus Status in 2023 for 2024

Old Nov 8, 2022, 9:01 am
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Originally Posted by UA Insider
2023 Program changes communicated to MileagePlus members

As travel resumes to pre-pandemic levels, we are updating our qualification requirements to ensure that the Premier program is best situated to deliver for our most loyal customers. Our 2023 Premier program gives members even more opportunities to achieve and upgrade Premier status and is designed to provide valuable benefits for all Premier members. And remember the MileagePlus Premier program, unlike some other loyalty programs, has no distance requirement to reach status. You might not know how far youll fly in 2023, so rest easy knowing you can qualify for Premier status with just Premier qualifying points (PQP), or a combination of Premier qualifying flights (PQF) and PQP. Also, your eligible United℠ MileagePlus credit card can help get you there.

Here are some of the key changes were making for 2023:
  • Were changing our standard requirements for every Premier level back to January 2020 levels.
  • Were automatically depositing Premier qualifying points (PQP) based on the 2023 Premier status you hold at the end of 2022, giving eligible Premiers a head start towards hitting the PQP requirement for their status level.
  • We are providing a new path to earn towards Premier status by giving qualifying credit when you use MileagePlus miles for award flights operated by United or United Express.
  • The United MileagePlus Quest and Club Infinite cards are getting anincrease to the maximum PQP that may be earned in a calendar year, and the total PQP members can earn across their cobranded cards is also increasing.
  • Premier 1K members will earn incremental PlusPoints for every 3K PQP earned beyond 18K PQP once they meet the published requirements for 1K status.
  • All redeposit fees associated with cancelling award travel have been removed.
For more information on these changes, and to learn more about our MileagePlus program, visit www.united.com/mpnews.
Originally Posted by PTahCha
The email was just dropped. Here's the summary:
  • Increased PQP qualification levels

  • Jump start PQP based on status level - 500/1000/1500/2500 for Silver/Gold/Plat/1K
  • PQP for Award travel, at 1 PQP per 100 miles redeemed + PQF
  • Increased credit card PQP earning cap
  • Removal of award ticket redeposit fees
​​​​​​​
MileagePlus # XXXXX010
Updates to the 2023
MileagePlus Premier Program


For the past two years, we adjusted our MileagePlus Premier program requirements to reflect the frequency of travel during uncertain times. With travel now in full swing, our standard qualification requirements are returning. But we are giving you a boost and adding new qualifying activities to our 2023 MileagePlus Premier program to make achieving your status goals even easier.



Jumpstart your PQP balance: We're giving you a head start on your status goals to make retaining or upgrading status easier. In early 2023, we'll automatically deposit PQP into your MileagePlus account based on the 2023 Premier status you reached at the end of 2022. Eligible members will enjoy this head start toward status in 2024 as well.

Qualifying with award tickets: An exciting change we are making in 2023 is that when you use MileagePlus miles for award flights operated by United or United Express you will now earn Premier qualifying credits. Eligible award flights will help you achieve status with 1 PQP per 100 miles redeemed, as well as 1 PQF per United or United Express flight.

Increased credit card PQP caps: For 2023, the maximum PQP able to be earned will double for the United Quest card from 3,000 to 6,000 PQP and for the United Club Infinite card from 4,000 to 8,000 PQP. Eligible United MileagePlus Chase Cardmembers will continue to earn 500 PQP per $12,000 spent. The maximum number of PQP that can be earned on eligible card spend in a calendar year across multiple credit cards has increased from 5,000 PQP to 15,000 PQP, making it even easier to reach Premier status goals through card spend.*

Award ticket redeposit fee removal: All redeposit fees associated with canceling award travel have been removed so you have more choice and control over managing plans.

Earn more PlusPoints: United is the only U.S. global airline that allows you to earn unlimited extra upgrade points after reaching the highest published status level. Eligible members will enjoy earning incremental PlusPoints with 20 additional PlusPoints for every 3,000 PQP earned beyond 18,000 PQP (starting at 21,000 PQP) once they have met the published Premier 1K requirements in 2023.
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Earning UA MileagePlus Status in 2023 for 2024

Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:23 am
  #46  
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA Plat, UA 1K>Plat>moving to Silver
Posts: 2,067
I suspect I will fall back to Plat (again) or even Gold, depending, just like before the pandemic. But it really doesn't make that much difference to me. I was never able to use most of my PPs. I fly a lot of domestic UA because of the routes and haven't flown any UA international since about a year before the pandemic. I buy discount international business class or do mileage upgrades on the other airlines that offer them at booking and have much better soft product. If I flew UA international, I would probably make 1K again, but it is not worth it to pay more for a worse experience.
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Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:24 am
  #47  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Aussie in ORD
Programs: Marriott Plat, Ua Gold, GE.. Sucker for punishment
Posts: 4,237
Originally Posted by kb1992
The real losers are hub flyers and international flyers who try to make 1K.

They likely can't do 54 segments so they need to spend $24,000 (minus starter bonus). Clearly UA values 1K so much.

Increased CC spend PQP isn't helping because maximum 15000 PQP doesn't count towards 1K.

Removing all deposit fees for awards is good.

Award tickets on UA receiving PQP is also good.
This.. Never going to make those QPF
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Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:26 am
  #48  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: None - previously UA
Posts: 4,842
Originally Posted by Lux Flyer
Guess we have the PQF runs on award tickets to replace the old mileage runs. Who can get the shortest flights for lowest cost, instead of longest flights for lowest cost?

LAX/SFO - LAS/RNO (for those needing those)
If you can find a way to put $$$ spend across 3 credit cards, then spend an additional $3k/10PQF on regular flights, all you need to do is get the 44 PQF award flight running. 😂 Actually with the 2.5K initial bonus and the PQP for the award flights, it's slightly easier on the spend side too.
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Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:28 am
  #49  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,213
I see some.comments on the CC spend but I think for 1K the CC spend counts for the PQF/PQP combo which has always been the case, or is there a change and the PQF/PQP combo does not include CC spend?

UA Insider thank you for posting.

Would you please confirm that the increased CC spend does count for 1K in the PQP spend in the PQF/PQP combo. This has always been the case but I am seeing some FTers stating there is a change.

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Nov 8, 2022 at 4:11 pm Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
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Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:32 am
  #50  
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Originally Posted by kb1992
Just got the email from United. My takeaways:

24K for 1K, but we might get PQP bonus to start the year. Maybe 3000 for 1K?

Continued bias against hub flyers and international flyers.

Award tickets count towards PQP. So 30000 miles award will get you 300 PQP.

Will mileage tickets count as life-time flight miles?

The maximum number of PQP that can be earned on eligible card spend in a calendar year across multiple credit cards has increased from 5,000 PQP to 15,000 PQP. I wonder how much you have to spend to get 15000 PQP. Does that count towards 1K qualification?

Overall a mixed bag.
I want to know as well! DL counts!
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Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:33 am
  #51  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: Former UA1K transitioning to WFBF mentality
Posts: 777
Originally Posted by cyclogenesis
This.. Never going to make those QPF
Agree. I'm both (mostly international, ex-hub IAH). Will not make 1K again. I rely on OPM and cannot justify UA J fares much of the time, when there are cheaper J tix on better carriers. I'll be WFBF from 2023 onwards, I guess. Better to have confirmed J seat etc., than having inflated expectations of upgrades (CPU or PP) from UA 1K 'paper' benefits, and not getting them in practice (which has been much of the last 2+ years).
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Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:35 am
  #52  
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Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,327
Originally Posted by Adelphos
The fact that award tickets earn PQP is positive for United flyers, but it is less of a benefit than award tickets counting for Delta status because there is no miles flown component to earning status... Miles flown tend to be more substantial than miles redeemed when it comes to redemptions
Now we are going to see people spending 680K miles for an one-way SFO-PVG flight in economy...lol
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Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:37 am
  #53  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Aussie in ORD
Programs: Marriott Plat, Ua Gold, GE.. Sucker for punishment
Posts: 4,237
I just don't understand the PQF requirements. Why is some one who spends $18K on a tonne of hops worth more to United than some one who does two $10K flights?
Do they make more money on the short hauls?
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Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:37 am
  #54  
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Bay Area
Programs: UA 1k now; AA (no status); HY Diamond; SPG Platinum
Posts: 696
24k for 1k is going to be hard. That means minimum 5 round trip in UA metal internationally.

That is pure suffering.
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Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:37 am
  #55  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 2,267
Originally Posted by escapefromphl
If you can find a way to put $$$ spend across 3 credit cards, then spend an additional $3k/10PQF on regular flights, all you need to do is get the 44 PQF award flight running. 😂 Actually with the 2.5K initial bonus and the PQP for the award flights, it's slightly easier on the spend side too.
CC doesn't count for the pure spend option, so if you're going that route you're committed to the PQFs.

But to get 15k PQPs thats 360k in spend on the rcards. Assuming none of that is on UA, you're earning at minimum 360k miles which is another 3600 PQPs when redeemed, so your 18k PQPs is done due to CC spend alone. Then the question is can you find 54 award runs segments for ~6.67k or less each. If you can (on average), you could theoretically reach 1K without spending a single dollar directly with UA (besides taxes and card annual fees).
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Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:38 am
  #56  
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Originally Posted by cyclogenesis
This.. Never going to make those QPF
It will mean adding nonsensical connections for sure. This year, I'll be at 47 PQF and feel like I was on planes way more than necessary (it helped I took several EAS routes with a stop where I didn't even deplane--8 of those 47 were through such trips). Next year, it will mean turning that west coast nonstop into an IAD-ORD-LAX or IAD-DEN-SFO, etc., and all the increased hassle that connections introduce, particularly irrops.
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Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:39 am
  #57  
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Originally Posted by Repooc17
Now we are going to see people spending 680K miles for an one-way SFO-PVG flight in economy...lol
Or 900K miles for SFO-PVG in biz class.

Wooo. That's a nice 9,000 PQP!

Few more such tickets you get 1K!
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Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:39 am
  #58  
 
Join Date: Aug 2021
Programs: UA 1MM
Posts: 342
Looks like 2022 was a great year to lock in lifetime gold
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Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:42 am
  #59  
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Originally Posted by exerda
It will mean adding nonsensical connections for sure. This year, I'll be at 47 PQF and feel like I was on planes way more than necessary (it helped I took several EAS routes with a stop where I didn't even deplane--8 of those 47 were through such trips). Next year, it will mean turning that west coast nonstop into an IAD-ORD-LAX or IAD-DEN-SFO, etc., and all the increased hassle that connections introduce, particularly irrops.
I just logged into my account and I'm at 46 PQF so far. I'm definitely not a fan of unnecessary connections, but it is what it is. Is Kirby listening to FTers?
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Old Nov 8, 2022, 8:43 am
  #60  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Washington, D.C.
Posts: 529
Originally Posted by lsquare
I want to know as well! DL counts!
They wont. From the T&Cs:

Originally Posted by UNITED
Premier qualification on award tickets terms and conditions
  1. Premier qualifying points (PQP) and Premier qualifying flights (PQF) for award travel may be accrued only on flight segments operated by United or United Express.
  2. Only award tickets issued as a result of redeeming MileagePlus miles from a MileagePlus account are eligible to earn PQP and PQF.
  3. Only award travel flown on or after January 1, 2023 is eligible to earn PQP and PQF.
  4. Members will earn 1 PQF per United or United Express award segment flown.
  5. Members will earn 1 PQP per 100 miles redeemed for a United or United Express award ticket.
  6. PQP accrual will be recorded in members MileagePlus accounts on a segment-by-segment basis.
  7. Where an award itinerary includes both United and non-United operated segments, the number of PQPs will be calculated based upon the distance flown for the United-operated segments only.
  8. PQP and PQF accrual on award tickets will be determined based upon the accrual structure in effect at the time of travel, not at the time that air travel is purchased, booked or reserved, or the time that retro-credit is requested.
  9. Only the ticketed passenger(s) will receive PQP and PQF once travel is completed, regardless of the MileagePlus account the miles have been redeemed from.
  10. The traveler must provide their MileagePlus number and have the flights posted to their account to earn PQP and PQF.
  11. PQP and PQF earned from qualifying award flights count toward earning all Premier status levels.
  12. PQP earned from award flights will count towards earning incremental PlusPoints for eligible members.
  13. Members cannot earn Lifetime flight miles on MileagePlus award tickets.
  14. All calculations with respect to PQP and PQF earned for award travel will be determined by MileagePlus in its sole discretion, and such determinations shall be final.
Source: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...oints-pqp.html

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Last edited by Robert; Nov 8, 2022 at 8:49 am
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