United Airlines has allowed MileagePlus members to earn Premier qualifying points through credit card spending for a couple of years. Generally, you can earn 500 PQPs for every $12,000 in cobranded credit card spending, up to a maximum number of PQPs.
United has added PQP bonuses to the welcome offers on two of its Chase cobranded credit cards, the United Quest Card and the United Club Infinite Card, available through Aug. 9. If you plan to earn United Premier status this year, here’s how these two credit card offers can help you qualify.
How to qualify for United status in 2023
Before we look at the current welcome offers on the Quest and Club Infinite cards, this is what it takes to qualify for Premier status this year:
| Premier Silver | Premier Gold | Premier Platinum | Premier 1K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifications | 4,000 PQPs + 12 Premier qualifying flights or 5,000 PQPs | 8,000 PQPs + 24 PQFs or 10,000 PQPs | 12,000 PQPs + 36 PQFs or 15,000 PQPs | 18,000 PQPs + 54 PQFs or 24,000 PQPs |
Two important notes:
- At least four of your PQFs must be operated by United or United Express to earn any level of United Premier status.
- Premier 1K only: Unless you’re earning PQPs with the United Presidential Plus Card or United Presidential Plus Business Card, you’ll need to earn the 54 segments to use your credit card PQPs to qualify for Premier 1K status.
Related: What is United Airlines elite status worth in 2023?
The information for the United Presidential Plus and United Presidential Plus Business cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Using United credit card welcome offers to qualify for status
Through Aug. 9, the United Quest and United Club Infinite cards are offering both PQPs and bonus miles. Here’s a look at the current offers:
- United Quest: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 PQPs after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.
- United Club Infinite: Earn 80,000 bonus miles and 1,000 PQPs after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.
Both cards earn 500 PQPs for every $12,000 in spending in addition to the welcome bonus.
Maximizing these offers for high spenders
We realize most MileagePlus members don’t spend six figures per year on their cobranded credit cards. But for the ultimate status seekers, here’s how you can max out your PQP earnings on both cards:
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- United Quest: You can earn up to 6,000 PQPs per year in addition to the 500 welcome bonus PQPs. So, by spending $144,000 on the card, you could earn up to 6,500 PQPs.
- United Club Infinite: You can earn up to 8,000 PQP per year in addition to the 1,000 welcome bonus PQPs. So, by spending $192,000 on the card, you could earn up to 9,000 PQPs.
By opening both credit cards and reaching the PQP maximums on both cards, you could earn 15,500 PQPs. That leaves you with just 2,500 PQPs and the 54 segments to qualify for Premier 1K (again, you must earn Premier 1K status with the PQP-and-PQF combination if you plan to use the Quest and Club Infinite cards to help you qualify for 1K status).
If you have multiple MileagePlus credit cards, you can earn up to 15,000 PQPs (apart from welcome bonus PQPs) on eligible card spending in a calendar year per MileagePlus account.
Is United status worth it?
We value Silver, Gold, Platinum and 1K status at $475, $1,520, $2,700 and $7,455, respectively. United status has many cost-saving perks, including complimentary checked luggage, Premier Access and upgrades. Unfortunately, United recently increased award rates by over 100%, making the miles United loyalists earn far less valuable.
If you’re interested in opening the Quest and/or Club Infinite card, we’d recommend satisfying the spending requirement for the welcome miles and PQPs. However, if you plan to spend a lot on your credit cards, consider earning transferable points instead.
Transferable points allow you to redeem your rewards for what best suits your travel. Instead of being tied to a specific airline or hotel loyalty program, transferable points can be converted into various airline and hotel currencies, allowing you to take advantage of the best redemption opportunities.
Some of our favorite credit cards earning flexible points and miles include:
Bottom line
United Airlines has recently introduced one-time PQP deposits as part of the welcome offers for its Quest and Club Infinite credit cards. By applying for either of these cards before Aug. 3, you can earn bonus PQPs, which can help you achieve United Premier status more quickly.
Application link: United Club Infinite Card
Application link: United Club Quest Card
Related: The ultimate guide to earning elite status with United cards
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