Business travelers experienced changes last year to their loyalty programs, as a number of airlines transitioned from mileage-based awards to dollar amount requirements to qualify for elite status.
But United Airlines recently updated their qualification requirements again. Their program is now in line with Delta’s elite qualification requirements, which were announced last month.
United will require 20% additional spending in 2015 to qualify for Premier Status in 2016:
- Silver – Increase from $2,500 to $3,000
- Gold – Increases from $5,000 to $6,000
- Platinum – Increases from $7,500 to $9,000
- 1K – Increases from $10,000 to $12,000
It is interesting to note that two of the three largest U.S. carriers–Delta (#2) and United (#3)–have changed from a mileage-based to a revenue-based award program. American Airlines, now the largest U.S. carrier after its recent merger with U.S. Airways, has not announced any changes to their current mileage-based award program.
But the question now becomes: How will these changes impact available seat upgrades?
