Starting April 2, United Airlines is updating its rewards structure so that cardholders earn more miles while non-cardholders earn fewer.
So, will your United status and credit card choices earn you more miles after the April 2 update?
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Earning
In the past, a general member without a card earned five miles per dollar spent, but that rate is dropping to three miles. In contrast, a member booking with a United Explorer card will now earn nine miles per dollar, effectively tripling the rewards for those who use their co-branded cards. These savings can help frequent flyers offset other travel costs, such as airport parking charges.
The gap in earnings widens significantly for elite status members and premium cardholders. For instance, those with 1K status using a United Club card can now reach an earning rate of 17 miles for every dollar spent.
Cardholders also benefit from exclusive Saver Award fares and a minimum 10% discount on all United award tickets. Notably, MileagePlus members remain the only travelers who earn miles when flying on Basic Economy tickets. Finding the best airport parking deals can further maximize the value of these discounted trips.
Andrew Nocella, United's chief commercial officer, stated on Feb. 19 that MileagePlus is built to reward loyalty, and having a co-branded card is the best way to maximize that value. He noted that members can now accumulate miles faster and that those miles will go further due to consistent award discounts and better access to Saver fares.
United claims this update offers some of the most competitive rewards in the industry for loyal travelers using their cards. The primary objective is to incentivize more people to sign up for and actively use a United credit or debit card, perhaps using the extra rewards to cover off-airport parking during their next getaway.
To calculate your potential earnings based on your specific status and card type, you can visit united.com/mpnews. These changes apply to all United tickets purchased on or after April 2.
