United Airlines is sharpening its MileagePlus loyalty-program focus to funnel the most benefits and points to travelers holding either elite status or co-branded credit cards, starting April 2.
The new rules reward those already likely most loyal to United, and are also a recognition of how important revenue from co-branded cards is to the airlines. For example, in 2024, United had an 8.9% operating margin, but without loyalty revenue, would’ve been down by -1.9%.
Under the new rules, which other airlines may take United’s lead on, the number of miles per dollar awarded for tickets will drop for travelers who do not have a United credit card, but rise for those who do. The new earning rates with card are generally one point higher, while the non-card rate is two points lower.
Not only do the rates go up with different tiers of elite status, they are also weighted by which of the four cards the traveler holds; the higher the card’s annual fee, the more miles.
For travelers who book Basic Economy, the news is even worse: elite members who book the cheap fares will have earning reduced, and non-elite flyers with a United credit card will no longer earn any in Basic Economy.
