Work out your PQP, and what PQF adds
Last verified 18 September 2026
United Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) depend on who issued your ticket. A ticket whose number starts with 016 was issued by United, and its eligible flights earn 1 PQP per US dollar of base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges, partner-operated flights included, while taxes and other fees earn none. On a ticket issued by another airline, each eligible partner flight earns PQP from its award miles instead, up to a maximum United publishes by partner group and cabin. For the partner airlines listed with a chart under Rules at a glance, this calculator shows those miles and does not yet publish a partner PQP figure. Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) count eligible flights and let you reach a tier on a lower PQP total, and every tier also needs at least four paid flights operated by United or United Express. Choose Ticket issued by United (016) below for an eligible 016 ticket, even when a partner airline operates the flight, and Ticket issued by another airline for an eligible partner-operated flight on another airline's ticket. This calculator does not price a flight operated by United on a ticket another airline issued.
Worked example: 1,000 USD of spend earns 1,000 PQP.
1 PQP per 1 unit of spend
Status tiers
| Tier | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Premier Silver | 6,000 PQP |
| Premier Gold | 12,000 PQP |
| Premier Platinum | 18,000 PQP |
| Premier 1K | 28,000 PQP |
Rules at a glance
Effective from 8 August 2026, last verified 18 September 2026.
Ticket issued by United (016)
- Base rate
- 1 PQP per USD of eligible spend
- Status tier
- Does not change this rate. Every tier earns the same PQP per USD.
Ticket issued by another airline
- Earns
- PQP
- Chart keyed on
- the airline that operates the flight
- Distance basis
- great-circle distance between the two airports
- Partner airlines with a chart
- LH. Those charts publish redeemable miles only, so this calculator reports the miles a flight operated by one of them earns and does not work out a PQP figure from them yet.
- Published PQP rule
- On these tickets, eligible flights on United's preferred partners earn 1 PQP per 5 award miles, up to a published maximum of 750 PQP in Economy and Premium Economy and 1,500 in Business and First. Eligible flights on other MileagePlus partners earn 1 PQP per 6 award miles, up to 500 and 1,000.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between PQP and PQF?
- PQP are qualifying points: eligible fares on United-issued tickets earn them by the dollar, and eligible partner flights on other airlines' tickets earn them from award miles. PQF counts eligible flights, although Basic Economy tickets earn PQP without any PQF. Each Premier tier has two paths in the calendar year. Premier Silver takes 15 PQF and 5,000 PQP, or 6,000 PQP alone. Premier Gold takes 30 PQF and 10,000 PQP, or 12,000 PQP alone. Premier Platinum takes 45 PQF and 15,000 PQP, or 18,000 PQP alone. Premier 1K takes 60 PQF and 22,000 PQP, or 28,000 PQP alone. The table above lists the PQP-only figures, and both paths also need at least four paid flights operated by United or United Express.
- Can I earn PQP without flying United?
- Yes, but PQP alone will not get you Premier status: every tier also needs at least four paid flights operated by United or United Express. On a ticket issued by United, whose number starts with 016, eligible partner flights earn 1 PQP per US dollar of base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges. On another airline's ticket they earn 1 PQP per 5 award miles on preferred partners, up to United's published maximum of 750 PQP in Economy and Premium Economy and 1,500 in Business and First, or 1 PQP per 6 award miles on other MileagePlus partners, up to 500 PQP in Economy and Premium Economy and 1,000 in Business and First. Flights on Aer Lingus, Airlink, Cape Air, Emirates, Flydubai, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue, JSX and Silver Airways earn no Premier credit. Primary cardmembers on eligible United Chase cards also earn PQP from card spend. For a ticket issued by another airline, this calculator shows the award miles for partner airlines it has a chart for, but does not yet turn them into PQP.
- What award miles do United tickets earn from April 2026?
- For eligible flights on United-issued tickets issued or operated on or after 2 April 2026, United lists 3 award miles per US dollar for a general member, 5 for Premier Silver, 6 for Gold, 7 for Platinum and 9 for 1K, or 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12 for eligible United cardmembers. These are total rates by tier, not bonuses added to a base. Basic Economy fares earn less, and nothing at all for a general member without an eligible United card.