A traveler speaks to an agent on the United Airlines desk at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, on November 25, 2025, ahead of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
Kamil Krzaczynski | Afp | Getty Images
United Airlines is joining Delta Air Lines in holding regular its requirements to earn elite frequent flyer status next yr after it raised the bar in 2025.
Airlines have spent years making it costlier to get high-tier status, which comes with perks like early boarding, free first-class upgrades (once they’re available), waived baggage fees and even airport lounge access.
But hordes of elite travelers within the wake of the pandemic — when airlines let many shoppers hold onto their status — have meant more crowded early boarding groups. And an increase in premium credit card-toting customers has led to longer waits at some airport lounges than at TSA checkpoints.
Airline executives have also said that more customers are willing to pay money to sit down in top quality, making fewer seats available for complimentary upgrades which might be a draw for a lot of consumers to chase status.
For United, its program is more in balance now, said Luc Bondar, president of United’s MileagePlus loyalty program.
“When you’ve advantages like upgrades, if everyone has status, then … fewer and fewer customers are going to get access to upgrades,” he said in an interview. “We feel good that they are at the proper level.”
United is making some changes next yr, when the status flyers earn will apply to travel in 2027. The airline is changing how its so-called Plus Points — a currency beyond regular miles that could be earned by top-tier Platinum and 1K loyalty program elites — could be used.
The carrier currently has a mileage chart, where customers have to earn set amounts for certain cabins, like its top Polaris long-haul business class. In 2027, it would move as a substitute to dynamic pricing based on demand. United next yr can even allow elites with high-level 1K status to earn Plus Points through co-branded bank card spending.
The carrier also said status holders and United Chase bank card holders can even have “increased access” to Polaris Saver Award fares, which the airline said will make it easier to book in the highest cabin.
Airlines’ lucrative loyalty programs herald billions in profits, partially when the carriers sell miles to banks when customers earn them through bank card spending.
Last yr, United raised the quantity customers needed to spend to achieve frequent flyer status in 2026. The thresholds to achieve elite status within the airline’s MileagePlus program went up about 25% and include either spending on a co-branded card or a mixture of spending and flying.
Last week, Delta said it might keep its earning requirements the identical next yr for 2027 status.
American Airlines hasn’t announced a change to its frequent flyer program elite thresholds this yr. The carrier trails Delta and United in profits and is attempting to win over more big spenders with refreshed cabins and lounges, though its rivals’ decision to carry elite-earning requirements regular could pressure American to do the identical.
