United Quietly Unveils 2026 Loyalty Program Changes—and Flyers Say Upgrades May Get Even Harder

Meghann Foye

Tue, December 9, 2025 at 12:10 PM UTC

If you’ve never followed an airline loyalty program before, here’s the basic idea: the more you fly with an airline and the more you spend via its credit cards, the more perks you typically get. United ’sMileagePlus program sorts those perks into tiers—Silver, Gold, Platinum and 1K—each unlocking things like early boarding, free checked bags, better seats, and, sometimes, an upgrade to first or business class.

But in recent years, those perks have been harder for travelers to actually experience. During the pandemic, airlines allowed huge numbers of travelers to keep their elite status, even when they weren’t flying much. That created crowded early boarding groups and much more competition for upgrades. Meanwhile, airline-partner credit cards have surged in popularity, giving many more travelers lounge access, leading to overcrowding there too.

At the same time, airlines have been offering more first-class seats for sale, including discounted upgrade offers that once went to loyal flyers for free. That means fewer empty seats left for complimentary upgrades—one of the core reasons travelers pursue status to begin with.

Why So Many Travelers Feel the System Has Changed

It’s all left loyalty program members feeling that PlusPoints, the currency elite status holders use to get these perks and upgrades, have become devalued. As one Reddit user put it, “PP are useless anyway. I’m finishing this year with over 300 because they never clear.” Another joked that Platinum members are “toast with our 40 PlusPoints having to bid against 1Ks with seven times that amount.”

Across the industry, airlines have also increasingly shifted perks toward high-spending credit-card customers, and some frequent flyers say they’re feeling left behind. One 1K member on Reddit summed up the sentiment: “What’s in it for us now?”

Against this backdrop, United just published its 2026 updates , and on the surface, it appears the airline is working to help right this system—at least a bit—with the new changes.

United’s 2026 Status Changes, Explained

For starters, like Delta, United is not raising the requirements to earn elite status next year as it did in 2025, and everyone who already has status will again receive a small “starter” deposit of qualifying points in early 2026.

“For United, its program is more in balance now,” said Luc Bondar, president of MileagePlus, according to MSNBC .“When you have benefits like upgrades, if everyone has status, then … fewer and fewer customers are going to get access to upgrades. We feel good that they’re at the right level.”

United is expanding the ways members can try for upgrades, but frequent flyers say these moves may end up making upgrades even harder to secure. Starting February 1, 2026, PlusPoints and Complimentary Premier Upgrades will both apply to award tickets. And top-tier members will now be able to earn unlimited PlusPoints through eligible United credit-card spending—a change that some flyers fear will give high-spending cardholders an even bigger advantage in upgrade queues.

And in 2027, United will make a larger shift that is giving people the most pause. The 99-year-old carrier announced that it will replace its fixed upgrade chart with dynamic pricing, meaning the number of PlusPoints needed for an upgrade will vary by demand, route and cabin. Many travelers are worried about that shift. One Redditor reacted bluntly : “Dynamic PlusPoints pricing… That doesn’t sound good.”

Frequent Flyers See Clear Winners and Losers

Taken together, the changes look favorable for travelers who spend heavily on United-branded credit cards. Because PlusPoints earning will no longer be capped, these customers may have a stronger ability to score upgrades than travelers who primarily earn status through flying. The updates also help travelers who book award tickets, which can now be upgraded for the first time through both PlusPoints and complimentary upgrades.

But for many longtime flyers—especially those who earned their status through dozens of actual flights a year—things feel less optimistic. Several Reddit users said they already struggle to use their PlusPoints, and fear dynamic pricing will make upgrades even harder. As one flyer wrote, reacting to the upcoming change, “RIP plus points.”

And with airlines selling more first-class seats than ever, elites who rely on complimentary upgrades may face even more competition for fewer remaining seats.

This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.