Delta SkyMiles vs United MileagePlus: Programme Rules Compared

Earning miles

Delta. The SkyMiles overview names flying, spending on a Delta SkyMiles American Express Card and partner activity such as Hertz and Starbucks as earning routes. [1] On flights, it states that Main Basic tickets do not earn miles, and that the ticket price eligible to earn miles includes base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges but excludes government-imposed taxes and fees. [1] The page puts member earning at up to 5 miles per dollar on qualifying flights, and card earning at up to 8 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases, with Platinum or Reserve cardholders earning an additional 3 miles per dollar on Delta purchases; it also lists no cap on miles earned on the card. [1]

United. The MileagePlus Rules work mainly by exclusion rather than through a fare-by-fare accrual table: no mileage credit is awarded for flight cancellations, no award miles or Premier qualifying credits are earned on award travel (including tickets bought with a miles-and-money combination), and promotional, industry-discount, consolidation, group and similar fares may be excluded. [4] Class-of-service bonus miles follow the fare paid rather than the cabin flown, and are not credited on an upgrade. [4] Miles accrue only from the member's official enrolment date, and only for flights the member actually flies. [4] Missing-mileage claims must reach United within 12 months of the date the credit was claimed to have been earned, although some partners set different retro-credit windows. [4]

Expiry and forfeiture

The two programmes describe the durability of a balance in different terms. Delta's overview states plainly that miles do not expire. [1] United's rules state that mileage is maintained in the account until it is redeemed for an award or otherwise forfeited, and then list the forfeiture grounds: the programme rules, Contract of Carriage or fare rules, prohibited conduct, applicable law, a member-requested account closure, the member's death, or a failure to respond to repeated communications about the account's status. [4] Neither set of pages states a time-based expiry period for award miles. [1] [4]

The practical difference for a reader is the paperwork: United's rules describe explicit forfeiture triggers and audit powers, including suspension of redemptions while an account is investigated, and state that a terminated member cannot re-enrol without United's express consent. [4] The SkyMiles overview checked does not set out forfeiture grounds, so its "miles don't expire" line should not be read as a statement about account closure or misconduct. [1]

Status qualification

United. Premier status requires a combination of Premier qualifying flights (PQF) and Premier qualifying points (PQP), or a higher PQP total alone, plus at least 4 flights operated by United or United Express. [6] Members have the full calendar year from 1 January to 31 December to earn the requirement, and status runs from the day it is earned to the end of the following programme year; a member who reaches Premier in 2026 keeps it until 31 January 2028. [6] The published levels are Premier Silver at 15 PQF and 5,000 PQP or 6,000 PQP alone, Premier Gold at 30 PQF and 10,000 PQP or 12,000 PQP, Premier Platinum at 45 PQF and 15,000 PQP or 18,000 PQP, and Premier 1K at 60 PQF and 22,000 PQP or 28,000 PQP, with lifetime tiers at 1, 2 and 3 million miles. [6] On United and United Express flights, PQP accrue at 1 PQP per US dollar of base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges, while taxes and other fees earn nothing; award redemptions on those flights earn 1 PQP per 100 miles redeemed. [6] PQF accrue one per flight on United, United Express and partner airlines, but not on Basic Economy tickets. [6]

Delta. No side-by-side status comparison is therefore possible from these pages; the Delta SkyMiles elite status guide covers the Medallion side separately. [1]

Fees and redemption conditions

United. The rules state that United sets the amount, structure, availability and other criteria for award redemption, and that the mileage needed may be substantially increased or decreased, an award may be withdrawn, and restrictions may be imposed at any time. [4] After an award ticket is issued, a service charge may be imposed for each change or cancellation the member requests, and miles are redeposited on cancellation subject to a service charge, with some awards excluded from redeposit. [4] The traveller using an award ticket is responsible for departure taxes, federal inspection fees, passenger facility charges and other applicable charges. [4] Award travel is valid only to destinations served both when the ticket is issued and at departure. [4] Awards may be issued in another person's name for non-commercial use, after the member validates the account. [4]

Delta. The overview describes redeeming miles for flights to more than 1,000 destinations, Delta Vacations packages, seat upgrades and checked bags, and for Miles + Cash, which combines miles and dollars on one purchase. [1] It also states that SkyMiles Reserve, Platinum and Gold American Express cardholders save 15% when booking Award Travel with miles on Delta-operated flights, and that this does not apply to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees. [1] The page checked publishes no change, cancellation, redeposit or close-in fee, so a fee comparison with MileagePlus cannot be drawn from these sources; the Delta SkyMiles fees guide and the MileagePlus fees guide take each programme's charges in turn. [1]

Exceptions and limits

• United's four-flight rule applies to every Premier path, including qualification through credit card spend, which otherwise earns 1 PQP per $15 on the United Club Infinite and United Club Business cards or per $20 on other eligible cards, within a cap set per card. [6]
• Basic Economy tickets earn PQP on United but no PQF, and flights to Venezuela, plus Cuba flights not operated by United, are excluded from PQF earning. [6]
• Bonus award miles and miles from non-flight activity do not count toward Premier status unless United states otherwise. [6]
• MileagePlus membership is limited to individuals with one account each; duplicate accounts may be cancelled, and miles and benefits are not transferable except through United's Transfer Miles Program, which carries its own terms. [4]
• Where a member dies or divorces, United may credit all or part of the accrued mileage to authorised persons on satisfactory documentation and payment of applicable fees. [4]
• United reserves the right to change the rules, benefits, qualification criteria and mileage levels at any time with or without notice, even where a change affects miles already accumulated. [4]
• Delta's flight earning excludes Main Basic tickets and government-imposed taxes and fees from the eligible ticket price, and its 15% award-travel saving excludes partner-operated flights, taxes and fees. [1]

Related pages

Programmes: Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus. Guides: Delta SkyMiles elite status, MileagePlus elite status, Delta SkyMiles fees, MileagePlus fees. Background: frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Other programmes, including American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Mileage Plan, Southwest Rapid Rewards, the British Airways Club, Flying Blue, Aeroplan and the major hotel schemes, are not covered here.

1. Delta SkyMiles loyalty programme overview, checked 18 October 2026
2. Rules for the MileagePlus Program, checked 18 October 2026
3. United MileagePlus: how to earn Premier status, checked 18 October 2026