United Airlines is among the major carriers in the United States that operate flights to various domestic and international destinations from 8 hubs located at different airports across the country.
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington–Dulles, Newark, Houston–Intercontinental, Guam, Denver, and Chicago–O’Hare are the primary hubs for United. United operates a diverse fleet of over 850 aircraft manufactured by Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, and Embraer.
Explore United Airlines Premier Gold Benefits
Frequent flyers, and Loyal Customers can earn MileagePlus Premier Status while flying on United Airlines. The Premier Status program which includes Premier 1K, Premium Platinum, Premier Gold, and Premier Silver is offered to enhance the travel experience.
Today, we will explore United Airlines Premier Gold Benefits along with requirements, and other important information.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
What is United Premier Gold Status? (MileagePlus Premier Status)
Premier Gold is the third-highest level of the United MileagePlus Premier Status loyalty program that offers amazing benefits such as complimentary upgrades, complimentary checked baggage, Star Alliance Gold status, and much more.
Passengers flying frequently on United Airlines flights can qualify for different levels of Premier Status by accumulating Premier Qualifying Points (PQP), and Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF).
Let’s find out the requirements to qualify for Premier Gold Status.
What are the requirements to qualify for United Premier Gold Status?
As we discussed above, passengers need to earn Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF), and Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) to qualify for MileageStatus Premier Status. There are different requirements for each status level.
United recently announced new reduced requirements for 2023 Premier Status based on the qualifying activity in 2022. With the new requirements, passengers need to collect 16 PQF, and 6,000 PQP or 7,000 PQP to qualify for Premier Gold Status.
The required PQF, and PQP must be achieved during the calendar year (January 1 through December 31).
PREMIER STATUS | PREVIOUS REQUIREMENT | NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR 2023 |
Premier Silver | 16 PQF + 6,000 PQP OR 7,000 PQP |
What are PQF, and PQP?
PQF, and PQP are the two qualification requirements set for the Premier Status levels.
PQF is calculated based on the number of flight segments flown with United Airlines, United Express, Star Alliance Partner Airlines, Connecting airlines, or other partner airlines mentioned below. 4 of the total Premier Qualifying Flights must be flown on United or United Express.
PQF, and PQP Eligible Airlines for Premier Silver Status
- United Airlines
- United Express
- Star Alliance Partner Airlines
- Connecting Airlines
- Air Dolomoti
- Azul Brazilian Airlines
- Edelweiss
- Eurowings
- Olympic Air
Likewise, PQP is estimated based on the fare, and a carrier-imposed surcharge of flight purchases along with seating purchases, and paid upgrades.
Passengers can earn PQP (1 PQP for every $1 spent) based on the following flights and purchases.
- Base fare + surcharge
- Economy Plus® seating or Economy Plus subscriptions
- Preferred seat purchases
- MileagePlus Upgrade Award co-pays
- Paid upgrades on flights operated by United and United Express
- Flights ticketed and operated by our Star Alliance™ partners
If you fly on Star Alliance Partners, other airlines (Air Dolomoti, Azul, Eurowings, Edelweiss, and Olympic) and select MileagePlus Partner airlines, you can earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs).
PQP Calculation on Partner Airlines
Star Alliance/Preferred Partner Airlines PQP = Award Miles divided by 5
Select MileagePlus Partner PQP = Award Miles divided by 6
For example, if you acquire 360 award miles for your flight with Star Alliance/Preferred Partner Airlines, you’ll earn 72 PQP. On the other hand, you’ll earn 60 PQP with 360 Award Miles while flying with a select MileagePlus partner.
The maximum Premium Qualifying Points that can be earned per flight on tickets issued and operated by partner airlines are calculated based on the class of service as mentioned in the table below.
CLASS OF SERVICE | STAR ALLIANCE PARTNERS | SELECT MileagePlus PARTNERS |
Economy or Premium Economy | 750 PQP | 500 PQP |
First or Business Class | 1,500 PQP | 1,000 PQP |
Customers can also earn Premier Qualifying Points by using their MileagePlus Credit cards for making purchases. The available credit cards are United Gateway Card, United Explorer Card, United Quest Card, and United Club Infinite Card.
Every $12,000 in Card Spend = 500 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP)
For instance, up to 4,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) can be earned with the United Club Infinite Card which will help passengers to qualify for the MileagePlus Premier Status.
UNITED Personal Credit Cards | PREMIER QUALIFYING POINTS (PQP) | BONUS MILES |
United Explorer Card | Up to 1,000 PQP | 50,000 Miles |
United Quest Card | Up to 3,000 PQP | 70,000 Miles |
United Club Infinite Card | Up to 4,000 PQP | 80,000 Miles |
We explored the qualification requirements for the United Premier Gold Status. For detailed information, you can visit the airline’s official website. With that, let’s dig into the benefits of United Premier Gold Status.
Benefits of United Airlines Premier Gold Status
MileagePlus Premier Status programs offered by United Airlines are filled with lots of benefits including priority travel services, preferred seating, complimentary upgrades, waived fees, and more. All four levels of the Premier Status offer different amenities.
Here are the top United Premier Gold Status benefits.
Complimentary Checked Baggage
If you are always worried about baggage limits, and policies, you will benefit from Premier Gold Status membership as it offers 2 checked baggage for free with a weight limitation of 70 lbs (32 kg) on each bag. In addition, passengers flying on Premium Cabin fare classes can carry up to 3 complimentary checked baggage.
Complimentary Checked Baggage Allowance offered to Premier Gold passengers is applicable on flights with United Airlines, and United Express-operated flights. The complimentary baggage offer is determined at the time of check-in.
Expedited Check-in, Security Screening, and Boarding
Premier Gold Status members are offered Premier Access which includes priority check-in, priority security screening, and a priority boarding facility. Passengers can reach their aircraft quickly without any hassle.
Premier Silver passengers are allocated as Group 1 Priority Boarding. The Premier Access service is available for United Airlines, and United Express-operated flights departing from airports around the globe.
Complimentary Premier Upgrades as early as 48 hours
MileagePlus Premier Gold members get complimentary premier upgrades as early as 48 hours prior to the scheduled departure.
CLEAR Discounted Annual Membership
United Airlines passengers with Premier Gold Status receive a $109 discount for the CLEAR annual membership. CLEAR allows passengers to proceed faster through airport security in designated lanes at TSA checkpoints.
Other major benefits of United Premier Gold Status are listed below.
- Access to most sold-out flights (Y-Class ticket, available at least 24 hours before scheduled departure)
- Confirmed Flight Changes within 24 hours of departure (Free within same fare class)
- Complimentary Access to Economy Plus or Preferred seating at the time of booking.
- Complimentary Economy Plus for 1 Travel Companion
- Preferred seating for travel companions (8 companions)
- Instant upgrades to the Premium Cabin on Economy tickets (Y or B Class fares)
- 8 X Miles earned on every flight (Extra miles per dollar on United, United Express, and select partner airlines)
- Better Award Availability in Economy
- Priority Award Waitlisting
- Standby for international award flights
- Premier Priority Desk Phone Line
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status
- Complimentary Avis Elite Status
- Extra Benefits when booking a VIP Access property with United Hotels
- United Cruises Onboard Amenities Offer
- TPC Network Golf Course Benefits
- Complimentary Access to Timeshifter – The Jet Lag App
- Bonus miles on car rental with Avis (Upto 1,000 base miles per rental)
Conclusion on United Airlines Premier Gold Benefits
United Airlines MileagePlus Premier Status is a loyalty program offered to frequent flyers, and loyal customers.
Premier Gold is the third-highest level of the MileagePlus Premier Status program that requires at least 16 Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF), + 6,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) or 7,000 PQP alone.
PQP can be earned by flying on United Airlines, United Express, or any other partner airline. Besides, passengers can also acquire PQPs by using their MileagePlus credit cards to make purchases. 500 PQP can be earned for every $12,000 in card spending.
The top benefits offered by Premier Silver Status are:
- Complimentary Premier Upgrades
- 2 Complimentary Checked Baggage (70 lbs/32 kg each)
- 8x Miles Earned on Every Flight
- Priority Travel Services
- Complimentary Access to Economy Plus at booking + 1 Companion
- Star Alliance Gold Status
FAQs on United Airlines Premier Gold Benefits
What are the benefits of Gold Status United?
2 Free Checked Baggage, Complimentary Access to Economy Plus, 8X miles on every flight, Star Alliance Gold Status, Premier Access, and a complimentary upgrade are the major United Airlines Premier Gold benefits.
Do United Premier members get Lounge Access?
Passengers flying frequently on United Airlines, United Express, Star Alliance Partners, or select MileagePlus partner airlines can accumulate Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF), and Premier Qualifying Points (PQP). If they meet PQF, and PQP requirements, they are eligible for Premier Status on United.
How do you get Premier Status on United?
Passengers flying frequently on United Airlines, United Express, Star Alliance Partners, or select MileagePlus partner airlines can accumulate Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF), and Premier Qualifying Points (PQP). If they meet PQF, and PQP requirements, they are eligible for Premier Status on United.
How long does my United Premier Status last?
The Premier Status on United Airlines is valid front the date of qualification through the end of the following program year. For example, if you qualify for Premier Gold Status on November 2022, your status will be valid till January 32 2024.