A traveler speaks to an agent on the United Airways desk at O’Hare Worldwide Airport in Chicago, Illinois, on November 25, 2025, forward of the upcoming Thanksgiving vacation.
Kamil Krzaczynski | Afp | Getty Photographs
United Airways is becoming a member of Delta Air Traces in holding regular its necessities to earn elite frequent flyer standing subsequent yr after it raised the bar in 2025.
Airways have spent years making it dearer to get high-tier standing, which comes with perks like early boarding, free first-class upgrades (once they’re accessible), waived baggage charges and even airport lounge entry.
However hordes of elite vacationers within the wake of the pandemic — when airways let many shoppers maintain onto their standing — have meant extra crowded early boarding teams. And an increase in premium credit score card-toting prospects has led to longer waits at some airport lounges than at TSA checkpoints.
Airline executives have additionally stated that extra prospects are prepared to pay money to take a seat in firstclass, making fewer seats accessible for complimentary upgrades which might be a draw for a lot of customers to chase standing.
For United, its program is extra in steadiness now, stated Luc Bondar, president of United’s MileagePlus loyalty program.
“When you may have advantages like upgrades, if everybody has standing, then … fewer and fewer prospects are going to get entry to upgrades,” he stated in an interview. “We really feel good that they are on the proper degree.”
United is making some modifications subsequent yr, when the standing flyers earn will apply to journey in 2027. The airline is altering how its so-called Plus Factors — a foreign money past common miles that may be earned by top-tier Platinum and 1K loyalty program elites — can be utilized.
The service at the moment has a mileage chart, the place prospects must earn set quantities for sure cabins, like its prime Polaris long-haul enterprise class. In 2027, it’s going to transfer as a substitute to dynamic pricing based mostly on demand. United subsequent yr can even enable elites with high-level 1K standing to earn Plus Factors by means of co-branded bank card spending.
The service additionally stated standing holders and United Chase bank card holders can even have “elevated entry” to Polaris Saver Award fares, which the airline stated will make it simpler to ebook within the prime cabin.
Airways’ profitable loyalty applications usher in billions in income, partly when the carriers promote miles to banks when prospects earn them by means of bank card spending.
Final yr, United raised the quantity prospects needed to spend to achieve frequent flyer standing in 2026. The thresholds to achieve elite standing within the airline’s MileagePlus program went up about 25% and embrace both spending on a co-branded card or a mixture of spending and flying.
Final week, Delta stated it will maintain its incomes necessities the identical subsequent yr for 2027 standing.
American Airways hasn’t introduced a change to its frequent flyer program elite thresholds this yr. The service trails Delta and United in income and is making an attempt to win over extra huge spenders with refreshed cabins and lounges, although its rivals’ resolution to carry elite-earning necessities regular might strain American to do the identical.
