Beat the clock: Tips to clinch United Premier status

Chicago-based United Airlines loyalists still have time in 2025 to nail down Premier status for 2026—here are traveler-friendly strategies to stock up on PQFs and PQPs before Dec. 31. CHICAGO — The clock is ticking for MileagePlus members hoping to lock in or level up their United Premier status for 2026, and Chicago travelers know better than most how quickly the year’s final boarding calls arrive. United sets its elite calendar strictly by Dec. 31, leaving fliers just a few weeks each autumn to decide whether to book another trip, swipe a cobranded credit card or pony up for purchased Premier qualifying points.

United Premier status: what you need to earn in 2025

United uses a dual-track system built around Premier qualifying flights (PQFs) and Premier qualifying points (PQPs). You can qualify with PQPs alone or with a mixture of PQFs and PQPs, but two hard rules apply to every tier:

• Fly at least four paid United or United Express segments in the calendar year.
• Hit the published PQP or PQF + PQP thresholds below.

Tier	PQPs only	PQFs + PQPs
Premier Silver	6,000	15 + 5,000
Premier Gold	12,000	30 + 10,000
Premier Platinum	18,000	45 + 15,000
Premier 1K	28,000	60 + 22,000

Quick refresher on how PQFs accrue

One PQF is awarded for every revenue or eligible award flight segment flown on United, United Express or a partner airline. A basic economy fare earns no PQF, nor do services to Venezuela and non-United flights to Cuba. Routing with stops can be a stealthy way to goose your total—Denver to Berlin via Newark, for instance, generates two PQFs instead of one.

How PQPs add up

• United-issued tickets (016 stock): 1 PQP per USD spent on base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges.
• Seat products and upgrades: Preferred seating, Economy Plus and onboard cabin upgrades earn 1 PQP per USD.
• Award redemptions: United-operated award flights grant 1 PQP per 100 miles redeemed.
• Credit-card spending: Most cobranded cards kick in 1 PQP per USD 15 or USD 20, subject to card-specific caps.

Taxes, bag fees, club memberships and most bulk or agency fares do not count.

Milk the partner sweet spots

Booking directly with partner carriers can supercharge PQPs, especially when you snag a discounted fare class. United splits partners into two buckets:

• Preferred partners: 1 PQP per 5 award miles earned (cap: 750 in economy or premium economy, 1,500 in business or first).
• MileagePlus partners: 1 PQP per 6 award miles earned (cap: 500 economy, 1,000 premium cabins).

Consider a one-way, USD 398 Los Angeles–Munich–Krakow itinerary ticketed on Lufthansa in “T” class. The distance pencils out to 3,244 award miles once the 50 percent accrual factor is applied. Because Lufthansa is a preferred partner, divide by 5 for a haul of 675 PQPs—nearly double the 344 PQPs you would have earned on the exact same routing ticketed by United. When every point counts, the ticket stock number on your receipt makes a world of difference.

Ground-based tactics to boost PQPs

Lean on cobranded credit cards

Three consumer cards currently bring PQPs to the table:

• United℠ Explorer Card: 60,000 bonus miles after USD 3,000 in first-quarter spending and 10,000 more miles for adding an authorized user—earns PQPs at 1 per USD 20.
• United Quest℠ Card: 70,000 miles plus 1,000 PQPs after USD 4,000 spend, plus an extra 10,000 miles for an authorized user—earns PQPs at 1 per USD 20.
• United Club℠ Infinite Card: 80,000 miles after USD 5,000 spend and 10,000 bonus miles for an authorized user—earns PQPs at 1 per USD 20.

Stacking is allowed, so a frequent traveler could combine one high-end personal card with a small-business version to bypass several thousand PQPs without ever stepping on a jet bridge.

Pay-to-play options

If you already hold a reservation, United’s “Award Accelerator” sometimes offers bundled miles and PQPs at checkout. A recent Denver–Philadelphia example priced out at roughly the cost of a fresh one-way ticket—hardly a bargain, but potentially life-saving for anyone sitting just shy of Premier 1K. United also pushes targeted buy-ups each January or February, though historically those promotions have carried eye-watering price tags.

Mileage runs: still alive—and maybe thriving

With partner loopholes in play, an old-fashioned mileage run can pay modern dividends. The recipe is simple:

1. Scout low fare buckets on preferred partners such as Lufthansa, Swiss, Air Canada or ANA.
2. Verify the award-mile accrual table on United’s partner page; multiply distance, fare factor and then divide by 5 or 6 to estimate PQPs.
3. Factor in the segment count. Two legs equal two PQFs, which may be just as valuable as the PQPs for Premier Gold and above.

“Qualifying is a math exercise: distances, fare codes and ticket stock all matter,” Kosciolek wrote for The Points Guy. — as Kosciolek told The Points Guy.

Tips for Travelers

• Audit now: Log in to “My United” to view your current PQF and PQP tallies before making a plan.
• Divide and conquer: If you need both PQFs and PQPs, choose routings with connections and pay close attention to fare class.
• Credit-card calendar: Charges must post by your December statement close to count for 2025.
• Partner detective work: Confirm mileage credit rates before purchasing; some fare classes earn zero miles, which means zero PQPs.
• Watch the four-segment rule: Even a couch-bound card hacker needs at least four paid United-metal legs on record.

FAQ

Do basic economy tickets help?

They earn PQPs and count toward the four-segment minimum, but they add no PQFs.

Can I earn PQFs on partner award flights?

No. Partner-operated award segments do not generate PQFs.

Is there a single best strategy?

Depends on your gap. Short on PQFs? Book multi-segment trips. Short on PQPs? Hunt partner bargains or channel holiday shopping through a cobranded card.

The bottom line

Whether you are gunning for your first taste of Premier Silver or protecting hard-won Premier 1K perks, 2025 is far from over. Map your current totals against United’s published thresholds, deploy partner fares for outsized PQPs, and let strategic card spend fill any remaining cracks. With a little arithmetic and a few well-timed bookings, you can ring in the New Year knowing your 2026 upgrades, seat assignments and baggage allowances are already in the bag.