You could be loyal to United, however the airline actually desires you to point out your loyalty by carrying round a United MileagePlus bank card or debit card.
Chicago-based United Airways introduced a serious overhaul to its frequent-flier program on Thursday, with higher advantages arriving quickly for its cardholders. Whereas the airline cheerily billed the modifications as giving vacationers “new causes” to have one in every of its credit score or debit playing cards, the modifications imply that non-cardholders will quickly accrue fewer rewards than they presently do.
The most important change is that beginning on April 2, United MileagePlus cardholders can earn as much as 4 instances extra miles on journey booked with the airline than non-cardholders—even when the flight wasn’t booked with that card. That provision ensures that cardholders, which United deems its “most loyal members,” nonetheless reap extra rewards for journey, even when they need to e-book with a distinct bank card.
Because the airline lays out in detail, the modifications imply that totally different tiers of membership standing and totally different cardholders will accrue totally different rewards for journey. However different modifications are additionally designed to profit cardholders, together with a reduction of 10% or 15% on airfare and entry to a profit as soon as reserved to the highest-status members: “Saver Award” seats for fewer miles in United Polaris enterprise class.
The modifications are designed to showcase the worth of being a cardholder and to reward these MileagePlus members, Jill Doyle, managing director of the MileagePlus program, tells Quick Firm. “It’s only a strategy to double down on the members which can be keen to go just a little deeper with us.”
“STRAIGHT-UP INSULT”
United claims the forthcoming modifications to its frequent-flier program will provide cardholders “a number of the richest rewards amongst airline or journey bank card packages.” However United frequent fliers who don’t have a card will doubtless view the modifications as a substantial downgrade—as a result of they’ll quickly earn fewer miles on a ticket than they do at the moment.
A typical MileagePlus member with out standing or a bank card presently earns 5 miles per greenback on journey, which might be minimize to three miles per greenback beginning April 2. Cardholders, in the meantime, will earn 6 miles per greenback. One other important blow to non-cardholders who don’t have elite standing is that they’ll now not earn miles by reserving the airline’s fundamental economic system fares.
Not solely is the scaling again of advantages irritating to some United fliers, but in addition disappointing is how a lot the airline is pushing its line of co-branded bank cards with JPMorgan Chase.
A number of Redditors on the r/unitedairlines subreddit lamented that the modifications will harm United frequent fliers who aren’t U.S. residents and might’t—or don’t need to—get a bank card, with one calling it a “straight-up insult.” A number of folks additionally famous that the modifications appear to point that United cares extra about its banking relationship with Chase than about flying, with one particular person saying the airline has “basically” turn into a subsidiary of the financial institution.
Lastly, one Redditor who mentioned they’ve achieved each “gold” and “platinum” standing ranges with the airline purely based mostly on “butt-in-seat miles” and flights, declared: “There goes the final of my United loyalty.”
UNITED RESPONDS
Doyle says she will “completely perceive” a number of the sentiment expressed by folks crucial of modifications in this system, however reiterates that individuals who see the worth in this system will profit.
United is rising its worldwide bank card card base, and the rewards might be accessible to all cardholders in eligible markets. Canada, the UK, and Brazil will quickly be added to its worldwide markets. What’s extra, Doyle says that United desires to make certain company vacationers who should e-book enterprise journey on a non-United card get rewarded for having one in every of its playing cards of their wallets.
Lastly, she says that United sees its bank card enterprise as a part of its general worth proposition—which additionally contains onboard merchandise “which can be a number of the greatest within the enterprise,” together with investments in customer support, gear, and the in-flight expertise.
“We definitely need to be sure to see the worth in flying United,” Doyle says.
CHANGES TO AIRLINE PROGRAMS
The journey rewards area has turn into massive enterprise in recent times as credit card firms and airlines—individually and collectively—attempt to up the ante to lure prospects. However these firms should steadiness the perks they provide in pursuit of the largest spenders versus these they dole out to the hoi polloi.
Since airways began teaming up with banks to supply co-branded bank cards, they’ve reserved their greatest rewards for cardholders. United’s newest transfer goes past the modifications that different airways have made to their frequent-flier packages in current months—and will check the bounds on loyalty.
United follows rivals Delta Air Lines and American Airlines in stripping the reward advantages for fundamental economic system journey, after these airways introduced the identical change in December. Delta additionally introduced elevated rewards for individuals who have one in every of its bank cards which can be co-branded with American Express.
Final yr, United raised the spending necessities to attain its premier frequent-flier standing. There’s been a broader evolution within the journey rewards area, Doyle notes, as airways moved away from rewarding frequent fliers based mostly on the miles they flew. The newest modifications to the MileagePlus program have been within the works for about 18 months and are in response to a altering panorama for journey bank cards, United’s chief industrial officer Andrew Nocella informed CNBC.
“Within the bank card area basically, so much’s modified over the past 5 to 10 years by way of the variety of journey bank cards which can be on the market,” Nocella mentioned. “What I’m fascinated by, as we make these modifications for United, is to ensure that if you happen to maintain the bank card, you place it prime of pockets. After which if you happen to don’t maintain the bank card, there’s a cause to get the bank card that appears extremely compelling if you happen to’d wish to fly United Airways and if you happen to’d wish to have that . . . journey to Tahiti or to Rome or wherever we might be able to take you.”
WILL TRAVELERS BE ON BOARD FOR CHANGES?
The rewards area has been a bonanza for savvy prospects in current many years, however these freebies include an increasing number of strings hooked up. Whereas many firms have opted for the subscription mannequin, resulting in subscription fatigue, United could discover that there’s some pushback in so aggressively tying its sense of loyalty to what bank cards that fliers carry of their wallets.
It’s additionally occurring at a time when Individuals are more and more stretched skinny financially.
Individuals had $1.28 trillion excellent in bank card balances within the fourth quarter of 2025, up 5.5% from the identical interval in 2024, in keeping with figures from the Federal Reserve Financial institution of New York. In the meantime, 29% of Individuals have extra bank card debt than emergency financial savings, and fewer than half (47%) of Individuals have ample liquidity to cowl a $1,000 emergency expense, in keeping with an annual survey performed by Bankrate.
And the modifications to the MileagePlus program weren’t embraced by traders within the inventory market. As of late Thursday, United shares fell almost 6%.
