Start here: MileagePlus

Steps 1–2: the programme and joining

Step 1: what MileagePlus is

MileagePlus is United's own loyalty programme, and the Rules published on united.com are described as the final authority, superseding any prior or conflicting versions. [4] Those Rules say United may terminate the programme in whole or in part, or change the Rules, benefits, conditions of participation, Premier and Million Miler qualification criteria or mileage levels at any time, with or without notice. [4] Miles, certificates, PlusPoints, Premier Qualifying Credits and status do not constitute property of the member and are not transferable except as the Rules set out. [4] United also states that accruing miles or holding status gives members no vested rights, and that members may not rely on the continued availability of an award or of a status benefit. [4] The programme may be prohibited or restricted by law in some countries outside the United States. [4]

Step 2: how to join

Membership is for individuals: each individual may hold only one account, and duplicate accounts are subject to cancellation. [4] MileagePlus may in certain circumstances permit members who are not individuals to participate, subject to its own rules and limitations. [4] Enrolling or participating in the programme indicates acceptance of the Rules and a commitment to abide by them. [4] Miles can be accrued only after the member's official enrolment date, and only into that member's account. [4] United points people to the MileagePlus Service Center or mileageplus.com for information [4], and the Premier pages carry a join prompt for readers who are not yet members. [6] One security point belongs here at the start: members are responsible for keeping their credentials confidential, and United says it will not redeposit miles for redemptions made using the member's password or security credentials. [4]

Step 3: how earning works

Miles are accrued only when a member uses a means of accrual recognised under the programme, and only from that member's own use of services, except where miles are earned through authorised debit or credit cards or as an offer expressly allows. [4] For air travel, miles and Premier Qualifying Credits are credited only to individual members and only for flights actually flown by that member, and flight cancellations earn neither. [4] United may allow members to credit flights flown on other airlines, and other airlines may allow their members to credit United flights; unless expressly provided, that mileage can be credited in only one frequent flyer programme. [4]

Not every ticket earns. United says certain fares and tickets may be excluded at its discretion, naming special promotional accommodations, rentals, industry discounts, consolidation tickets, group rates and PassPlus among the examples. [4] Award travel is also excluded from earning: award miles and Premier Qualifying Credits are not credited for award travel, including tickets purchased with a combination of miles and money. [4] Class-of-service bonus miles, if any, follow the fare paid rather than the cabin flown, and are not credited on an upgrade. [4]

Two practical habits follow from the Rules. First, the member is responsible for ensuring that mileage is properly credited, and claims with supporting proof must reach United within twelve months of the date the credit was claimed to be earned, although some partners use different periods. [4] Second, accrued mileage can be moved to another MileagePlus account through United's Transfer Miles Program, which has its own terms, while selling, bartering or otherwise transferring miles outside the authorised routes is prohibited. [4] Terms such as these are collected in the glossary.

Steps 4 and 6: using miles and planning a first award

Step 4: how miles are used

United establishes the amount, structure, availability, process and other criteria for awards, and all of that is subject to modification, cancellation or limitation at its discretion, with or without notice; it may withdraw an award, add blackout dates and limit award seats. [4]

Awards may be issued in the member's own name, or in the name and for the use of any other person, but only for non-commercial purposes and only after the member validates the account with a password or other security measure in place at the time. [4] Award tickets may be subject to taxes, fees and tariffs, and to the operating carrier's Contract of Carriage, ticket terms and re-accommodation policies; the person using the award is responsible for paying those charges. [4] After an award is issued, a service charge may be imposed for each change or cancellation the member requests, and when an award is cancelled or returned under the applicable rules the miles are redeposited subject to a service charge. [4] Some awards are not eligible for redeposit of miles and will state so. [4] Awards are valid only to destinations served both when the ticket is issued and when the flight departs, and neither United nor its partners are liable for schedule changes that cancel service. [4]

Step 6: planning a first award booking

• Check what United is asking in miles for the trip and what the traveller will pay in taxes and fees, since the person using the award is responsible for those charges. [4]
• Decide how much flexibility you need before you book: changes and cancellations can carry a service charge, and whether miles come back depends on the award. [4]
• Confirm the destination is served both at the time the award ticket is issued and at the time of departure. [4]
• If the trip is for someone else, remember that awards may be issued in another person's name only for non-commercial use, and only after account validation. [4]
• Award travel earns no award miles [4], but miles redeemed on United and United Express flights and seat upgrades earn 1 PQP per 100 miles redeemed for the member who travels, and those points can count towards Premier status or extra PlusPoints. [6]
• Follow the published award rules: a member who does not may, at United's discretion, be accommodated on a different flight, seated in a lower class of service, or denied ticketing or boarding, without compensation. [4]

Step 5: how Premier status works

Since 1 January 2020, Premier status is earned through Premier qualifying points (PQP) and Premier qualifying flights (PQF); members no longer qualify on Premier qualifying miles, segments or dollars. [4] Every level needs a combination of PQF and PQP, or a higher PQP-only total, plus at least four paid flight segments operated by United or United Express during the calendar year, and the earning window runs from 1 January to 31 December. [6] Status is valid from the day you qualify to the end of the next programme year, and United states that members who reach Premier in 2026 keep it until 31 January 2028. [6]

• Premier Silver: 15 PQF and 5,000 PQP, or 6,000 PQP. [6]
• Premier Gold: 30 PQF and 10,000 PQP, or 12,000 PQP. [6]
• Premier Platinum: 45 PQF and 15,000 PQP, or 18,000 PQP. [6]
• Premier 1K: 60 PQF and 22,000 PQP, or 28,000 PQP. [6]

On United and United Express flights, PQP are earned at 1 PQP per US dollar on base airfare and carrier-imposed surcharges, while taxes and other fees earn nothing. [6] Preferred partner airlines earn 1 PQP per five award miles, capped at 750 PQP in Economy and Premium Economy and 1,500 PQP in First and Business Class, and MileagePlus partner flights earn 1 PQP per six award miles, capped at 500 and 1,000 PQP per flight in the same cabin groups. [6] PQF are earned at one per flight on United, United Express and partner airlines; Basic Economy tickets earn PQP but no PQF, and flights to Venezuela, plus flights to Cuba not operated by United, are not eligible for PQF. [6] PQP and PQF go to the traveller, not to the person who buys the ticket. [6]

Miles earned through non-flight activity, including bonus award miles, do not count towards Premier status unless expressly stated. [6] Lifetime thresholds sit above the annual ones: Premier Gold for life after 1 million miles flown with United, Premier Platinum after 2 million and Premier 1K after 3 million. [6] Members can also buy extra PQP through Premier Accelerator when booking a United flight. [6] As a one-off, United gave extra PQP in 2026 to everyone who had earned Premier status as of 1 February 2026 except Trial status holders: 300 for Silver, 600 for Gold, 900 for Platinum and 1,400 for Premier 1K. [6]

Exceptions and limits

• United's discretion comes first. United may withdraw, limit, modify or cancel any award, increase the miles or cash required, add blackout dates and limit award seats, and members may not rely on continued availability. [4]
• Prohibited conduct. Abuse of the programme, fraud, misrepresentation, breach of the Rules or partner terms can lead to termination of membership and status, removal of accrued mileage and qualifying credits, confiscation of award tickets, denied boarding, or travel completed only on payment of a revenue fare. [4]
• Expiry. The Rules checked do not set a fixed expiry period for miles; miles stay in the account until redeemed or forfeited under the Rules, the 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. [4]
• Earning exclusions for Premier. Free travel, unpublished charter flights, industry free or reduced-rate tickets, promotional certificates and unpublished or opaque fares, including fares booked through priceline.com and Hotwire, do not earn qualifying credits, and on codeshare flights the operating airline decides how many miles are earned. [6]

Related pages

Programme profile: United MileagePlus. Continue the beginner series with Start here: airline miles and Start here: status and lounges, or look up definitions in the frequent flyer glossary.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. It covers United MileagePlus only; other airlines' programmes, Star Alliance partner terms and co-brand credit card terms are not covered here.

1. United MileagePlus Rules, checked 18 October 2026
2. How to earn Premier status (United MileagePlus), checked 18 October 2026