Taking a United flight is more than just traveling from one location to another. Every journey is an opportunity to get closer to elite benefits, upgrades, and priority privileges for status-seekers and loyalty enthusiasts. For frequent travelers who want to extend the value of their reservations, knowing how to earn PQP on United has become a strategic endeavor.
The formula is very straightforward: for every dollar spent on base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges, one Premier Qualifying Point is awarded on any United or United Express flight. Regretfully, your PQP haul does not include taxes and government fees, which are much higher on international itineraries. Only roughly $1,100 of the $1,500 you might spend on a ticket from San Francisco to London usually earns PQP. But for first-class passengers, the PQP total quickly mounts up. In a single journey, a $6,000 Polaris ticket could earn over 5,000 PQPs, which is remarkably comparable to what some passengers make on 20 coach flights.
Key Information on How to Earn PQP on United
| Method | PQP Earning Rate | Limits & Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| United/United Express Flights | 1 PQP per $1 (base fare + surcharges) | Excludes taxes and fees; minimum 4 United flights/year required for Premier status |
| Award Flight Redemption | 1 PQP per 100 miles redeemed | Applies only to United/United Express flights and upgrades |
| Preferred Partner Airlines | 1 PQP per 5 miles earned | Max: 750 PQP (Economy), 1,500 PQP (First/Business) per flight |
| Nonpreferred Partner Airlines | 1 PQP per 6 miles earned | Max: 500 PQP (Economy), 1,000 PQP (First/Business) per flight |
| Credit Card Spend (Explorer) | 1 PQP per $20 spent | Max 1,000 PQP/year |
| Credit Card Spend (Club) | 1 PQP per $15 spent | Max 28,000 PQP/year |
| Premier Accelerator Purchase | Price varies (approx. $0.93 per PQP) | Offered during award flight bookings only |
| Economy Plus & Seat Upgrades | 1 PQP per $1 spent (excluding taxes/fees) | PQPs awarded post-travel |
| MileagePlus Upgrade Awards (MUA) | 1 PQP per 100 miles + cash co-pay PQP | Only on United-operated flights |
| Subscription Products (Economy+) | 1 PQP per $1 spent | Applies to recipient, not purchaser |
United has subtly increased the value of award redemptions in recent months by enabling MileagePlus members to accrue PQPs for miles accrued. You receive one PQP for each hundred miles used to reserve a flight or an upgrade on United or United Express. For loyalty members who have accumulated hundreds of thousands of miles, this is revolutionary. Redeeming 50,000 miles to take a round-trip flight from New York to Los Angeles, for instance, now earns 500 PQPs, making it a remarkably efficient way to elevate your status without breaking the bank.
Travelers can access more PQP-earning routes by flying on United’s partner airlines. One PQP is given for every five miles earned by preferred partners like Lufthansa or Air Canada, while one PQP is given for every six miles by nonpreferred partners like Singapore Airlines. This detail is important. You could receive 600 PQPs for completing 3,000 miles in economy class on Lufthansa. Only 500 could be made on the same trip with a partner that is not preferred. These distinctions have been brought to light by travel influencers in the past year, particularly when planning long-distance itineraries that stop in major cities like Frankfurt or Zurich.
Additionally, there are hard limits on how many PQPs you can earn in a single flight. Up to 1,500 PQPs can be earned on preferred partners and 1,000 on nonpreferred partners for first and business class tickets. The maximums for economy and premium economy are 750 and 500, respectively. Because of these limitations, even high-end tourists may think about segmenting lengthy flights to get more value—a strategy that has been prominently employed by both digital nomads and business-class vloggers.
Surprisingly, the PQP race now heavily relies on credit card spending. Travelers can earn PQPs without ever boarding an aircraft by using United’s cobranded cards. Up to 1,000 PQPs can be earned annually with the Explorer card, which offers one PQP for every $20 spent. The Club card, on the other hand, provides a quicker route with 1 PQP for every $15 and a maximum of 28,000 PQPs per year. These cards offer a practical way to make up the difference, even though the spend needed for full status tiers is still high—Premier 1K still requires either 24,000 PQPs or 18,000 with 54 qualifying flights. The return is especially generous for elite members who charge business expenses on a regular basis.
However, relying only on credit card spending is a gradual process. Unless you include flights, you would need to charge about $240,000 a year to reach Premier Gold with card spend alone. This tactic works best for most people when they are 500 or 1,000 PQPs short of the next elite tier. For instance, according to a Forbes interview, a marketing executive obtained Premier Platinum by combining two overseas trips with $45,000 in company card spending, resulting in an upgraded year of travel at a low personal expense.
Premier Accelerator provides an additional path that should not be disregarded. United offers passengers the choice to purchase PQPs directly when they purchase an Award Accelerator (provided during award ticket booking). Rates typically hover around $0.93 per PQP, though prices can vary. Although it isn’t the most economical choice, this is a last-minute solution that is especially helpful in December when status deadlines are approaching. This approach is incredibly flexible and has been subtly recommended by travel managers who manage large clientele and sometimes need to ensure Premier access for last-minute reservations.
Subscriptions to Economy Plus and paid upgrades are further options. Each dollar spent, excluding taxes and fees, equates to one PQP, whether you’re hopping to the front of the cabin or adding extra legroom. For elite hopefuls who travel frequently on tight schedules but have money for comfort, these extras—which are frequently disregarded—are much quicker than conventional methods.
This multi-layered approach to flying and spending reflects a larger change in airline loyalty programs across the industry. Status is now more about generating income, maximizing partnerships, and having flexibility in how value is created than it was about flying miles. Subtly, airlines are rewarding high spenders more effectively than those who track miles. In actuality, elite status is evolving into a combination of wealth and loyalty, where astute strategy frequently triumphs over sheer distance.
