A traveler speaks with an agent at a United Airlines desk at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, Nov. 25, 2025, ahead of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
Kamil Krzaczynski | AFP | Getty Images
united airlines I am participating delta airlines After raising the bar in 2025, it stuck to the requirements to earn elite mileage status next year.
For years, airlines have made it more expensive to obtain higher status, which comes with perks like early boarding, free upgrades to first class (if seats are available), waived baggage fees, and even access to airport lounges.
But the hordes of elite travelers meant more crowded early boarding groups as airlines let many customers hold on to their status due to the pandemic. Additionally, the increase in customers carrying premium credit cards has resulted in longer wait times at some airport lounges than at TSA checkpoints.
Airline executives also said more customers are paying cash to sit in first class, making fewer seats available for free upgrades and appealing to many status-seeking consumers.
Luc Bondard, president of United’s MileagePlus loyalty program, said United’s program is now more balanced.
“If we had perks like upgrades and everyone had status, fewer and fewer customers would have access to upgrades,” he said in an interview. “I’m glad they’re at the right level.”
United Airlines plans to make some changes next year, with the status the airline has earned expected to apply to travel in 2027. The company is changing the way it uses so-called PlusPoints, a currency beyond regular miles earned by elites in its top-tier Platinum and 1K loyalty programs.
The airline currently has a mileage table, which requires customers to earn a set amount on a specific cabin, such as the top-of-the-line Polaris long-haul business class. In 2027, we plan to move to dynamic pricing based on demand. Next year at United, elites with high-level 1K status will be able to earn Plus Points through co-branded credit card usage.
The airline also said status holders and United Chase credit card holders will also have “increased access” to Polaris Saver Award fares, which the airline said will make it easier to book top-floor cabins.
Airlines’ lucrative loyalty programs generate billions of dollars in profits when airlines sell miles to banks when customers earn them on credit card purchases.
United Airlines last year increased the amount customers must pay to reach frequent flyer status in 2026. The threshold for reaching elite status in the airline’s MileagePlus program has been raised by about 25%, which includes either spending on an affiliated card or combining spending with a ticket.
Delta Air Lines announced last week that it would maintain its revenue requirements next year toward 2027 status.
american airlines has not announced any changes to its frequent flyer program’s elite threshold this year. Competitors’ decisions to stick to elite income requirements could put similar pressure on American Airlines, which has lagged behind Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in profits and is updating its cabins and lounges to attract more high-spending consumers.
