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United PQP Calculator
Add your flights to see the PQP, PQF and miles each one earns, and which Premier tier you'll reach under 2026 rules or the new PQP-only 2027 rules.
Your 2026 totals
- Premier qualifying points (PQP)
- 0
- PQF
- 0
- Award miles
- 0
Add a flight to see where you stand
- Premier Silver0%
6,000 PQP, or 5,000 PQP + 15 PQF
- Premier Gold0%
12,000 PQP, or 10,000 PQP + 30 PQF
- Premier Platinum0%
18,000 PQP, or 15,000 PQP + 45 PQF
- Premier 1K0%
28,000 PQP, or 22,000 PQP + 60 PQF
0 of 4 United or United Express flights. Every tier needs at least 4.
Updated
United PQP Calculator: Premier Qualifying Points, PQF and Miles for 2026 and 2027
What the United PQP Calculator does
United Premier status is earned with Premier qualifying points (PQP). In 2026 you can also use Premier qualifying flights (PQF), but from January 1, 2027, PQP is the only measure. Separately, every flight earns award miles (redeemable miles) that you spend on award tickets.
The United PQP Calculator works out all three for every flight on your itinerary: United tickets, United award tickets and flights on 41 partner airlines. It also adds PQP from your United credit card, starter PQP and Card Bonus PQP, then shows which Premier tier you'd reach under 2026 rules or the new 2027 rules. It's free, needs no account and remembers your flights in your browser.
How to use the calculator
- Pick the year. The 2026 rules tab counts PQP plus PQF. The 2027 rules tab counts PQP only and uses the new 32,000 PQP threshold for Premier 1K. Your flights stay the same when you switch, so you can compare the two.
- Set your Premier status and United card. Status changes the miles you earn. Your card sets the cardmember miles rate, the PQP you earn on card spend, and whether you get starter and Card Bonus PQP.
- Add each flight. Type the airport codes or city names, then pick
the airline that operates the flight and how you paid:
- United, Paid: enter the fare (base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges, without taxes). Tick Basic Economy if it applies.
- United, Award: enter the miles redeemed for that flight.
- Partner ticket: pick the fare class letter. The distance fills in from the airports.
- United ticket: a partner flight on a ticket number starting with 016, bought from United. Enter the fare.
- Add the rest of the trip. Add flight copies the airline and ticket type. Add return reverses the last flight with the same fare.
- Add PQP from cards and other activity. Enter your card spend for the year, and any PQP, PQF or United flights you've already banked.
Each flight shows its PQP, PQF and miles as you type, with a How link that shows the math. The summary totals your year and shows how far you are from each Premier tier.
United Premier status requirements for 2026
In 2026 you qualify with PQP plus PQF, or with a higher amount of PQP alone:
| Premier tier | PQP + PQF | Or PQP only |
|---|---|---|
| Premier Silver | 5,000 PQP + 15 PQF | 6,000 PQP |
| Premier Gold | 10,000 PQP + 30 PQF | 12,000 PQP |
| Premier Platinum | 15,000 PQP + 45 PQF | 18,000 PQP |
| Premier 1K | 22,000 PQP + 60 PQF | 28,000 PQP |
Every tier also needs at least four flights operated by United or United Express in the year. Status you earn in 2026 lasts until January 31, 2028.
What changes for United Premier status in 2027
United announced on October 13, 2026 that it is removing PQF for the 2027 qualification year. From January 1, 2027:
| Premier tier | 2027 requirement |
|---|---|
| Premier Silver | 6,000 PQP |
| Premier Gold | 12,000 PQP |
| Premier Platinum | 18,000 PQP |
| Premier 1K | 32,000 PQP |
- PQF no longer count. The PQP plus PQF path is gone for every tier.
- Premier 1K rises from 28,000 to 32,000 PQP. Silver, Gold and Platinum keep their PQP-only thresholds.
- You still need four United or United Express flights.
- Starter PQP goes to cardmembers only. Premier members on February 1, 2027 whose eligible United card is open by December 31, 2026 get 5% of their tier: 300 PQP for Silver, 600 for Gold, 900 for Platinum and 1,600 for 1K.
- The United Club cards earn up to 32,000 PQP a year, up from 28,000, so card spend alone can cover 1K.
- Flights earn PQP the same way. The per-flight numbers in the calculator apply to both years.
Status you're earning now, in 2026, is still judged under the 2026 rules. Challenge offers that started in 2026 and require PQF keep that requirement.
How PQP are earned
United flights
You earn 1 PQP per dollar of base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges on flights operated by United or United Express. Taxes and government fees don't count, and there's no cap per flight, so a $3,200 business class fare earns 3,200 PQP. Basic Economy fares earn PQP too. Economy Plus, preferred seats and Economy Plus subscriptions earn 1 PQP per dollar as well.
Partner flights
On a ticket issued by the partner or a travel agency, PQP come from the award miles the flight earns, not the price:
| Partner type | PQP rate | Cap per flight: economy, premium economy | Cap per flight: business, first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preferred partner | 1 PQP per 5 miles | 750 | 1,500 |
| Other partner | 1 PQP per 6 miles | 500 | 1,000 |
Preferred partners: Air Canada, Air China, Air Dolomiti, Air New Zealand, ANA, Austrian, Avianca, Azul, Brussels Airlines, Copa, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss, Eurowings, ITA Airways, Lufthansa, Lufthansa City Airlines, SWISS and Virgin Australia.
Other partners: Aegean, Air India, Asiana, Croatia Airlines, EgyptAir, Ethiopian, EVA Air, Juneyao Air, LOT, Olympic Air, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, TAP Air Portugal, Thai Airways and Turkish Airlines.
No PQP: Aer Lingus, Airlink, Cape Air, Emirates, flydubai, Hawaiian Airlines and JSX earn miles but no Premier credit at all.
The cap depends on the cabin the fare class belongs to on that airline's chart, and premium economy counts as economy. The miles you divide are the fare class miles only: the Premier bonus doesn't earn PQP.
Partner flights on a United ticket
If your ticket number starts with 016, United issued it, and even a partner-operated flight earns 1 PQP per dollar of fare, like a United flight. In the calculator, choose the partner airline and United ticket. These flights don't count toward the four United flights you need, because a partner operates them.
Award tickets
Award flights operated by United or United Express earn 1 PQP per 100 miles redeemed: a 70,000-mile award earns 700 PQP. Partner flights on an award ticket earn nothing. The PQP go to the traveler, not the member who redeemed the miles.
United credit cards
Primary cardmembers earn PQP on purchases, up to a yearly cap per card:
| Card | PQP earned | 2026 cap | 2027 cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Club | 1 PQP per $15 | 28,000 | 32,000 |
| United Club Business | 1 PQP per $15 | 28,000 | 32,000 |
| United Quest | 1 PQP per $20 | 18,000 | 18,000 |
| United Business | 1 PQP per $20 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| United Explorer | 1 PQP per $20 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
Closed cards still earn PQP: Presidential Plus and Presidential Plus Business (10,000), MileagePlus Select (3,000) and MileagePlus Awards (1,000). First Hawaiian Bank United cards earn up to 2,000 and the Bam MileagePlus Visa Infinite up to 1,500. Gateway card spend doesn't earn PQP.
The United Quest Card adds 1,000 Card Bonus PQP and the United Club Card 1,500 each year, if the card was open on December 31 of the year before.
How PQF are earned in 2026
You earn 1 PQF for each flight on United, United Express or a partner, including award flights operated by United. You don't earn PQF on:
- Basic Economy tickets on United.
- International Basic and Light fares on Air Canada, Air Dolomiti, ANA, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss, Lufthansa, Lufthansa City Airlines and SWISS.
- Partner-operated flights on an award ticket.
- Flights on the partners that earn no PQP.
How award miles are earned
United tickets
For tickets issued on or after April 2, 2026, the miles you earn per dollar depend on your status and whether you hold a United card:
| Status | No United card | United cardmember |
|---|---|---|
| General Member | 3 | 6 |
| Premier Silver | 5 | 8 |
| Premier Gold | 6 | 9 |
| Premier Platinum | 7 | 10 |
| Premier 1K | 9 | 12 |
Basic Economy earns 3 miles per dollar less at every level, so General Members without a card earn nothing on it. A single ticket earns at most 75,000 miles. The Gateway card unlocks the cardmember rate only after $10,000 of spend in the year.
Partner tickets
Miles equal the flight distance times the fare class rate on United's chart for that airline. Air Canada's deep discount fares (S, T, L, K, G) earn 25% on flights within Canada instead of 50%, and Avianca's W and S fares earn 25% within Colombia. The calculator applies both from your airports.
Premier members also get a Premier bonus of 25% (Silver), 50% (Gold), 75% (Platinum) or 100% (1K) on Air Canada, ANA, Austrian, Azul, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines, Lufthansa and Lufthansa City Airlines when the ticket isn't issued by United.
Worked example: a $400 United ticket
A one-way economy fare of $400 earns 400 PQP and 1 PQF for everyone. Miles depend on your status and card:
| Status | No United card | United cardmember |
|---|---|---|
| General Member | 1,200 | 2,400 |
| Premier Silver | 2,000 | 3,200 |
| Premier Gold | 2,400 | 3,600 |
| Premier Platinum | 2,800 | 4,000 |
| Premier 1K | 3,600 | 4,800 |
As Basic Economy, the same fare still earns 400 PQP, but no PQF, and no miles for a General Member without a card.
Worked example: Lufthansa from Newark to Frankfurt
Newark (EWR) to Frankfurt (FRA) is 3,859 miles in the calculator. On a Lufthansa ticket with no status:
| Fare class | Miles | PQP |
|---|---|---|
| K, deepest discount (25%) | 965 | 193 |
| Y, full-fare economy (150%) | 5,789 | 750 (capped from 1,158) |
| Z, discount business (150%) | 5,789 | 1,158 |
| J, business (200%) | 7,718 | 1,500 (capped from 1,544) |
Y and Z earn the same miles, but Z is a business fare, so it gets the higher 1,500 cap and keeps all 1,158 PQP. With Premier Gold, the K fare earns 2,895 miles because of the 50% Premier bonus, but still 193 PQP.
Worked example: the same year under 2026 and 2027 rules
Fifteen $340 flights earn 5,100 PQP and 15 PQF. Under 2026 rules that's Premier Silver (5,000 PQP plus 15 PQF). Under 2027 rules it isn't: Silver needs 6,000 PQP, so you'd need about three more flights at that price.
Sixty flights with 22,000 PQP reach Premier 1K in 2026. In 2027 the same flying is Platinum, and 1K needs another 10,000 PQP.
Worked example: Premier 1K in 2027 with a United Club Card
A 1K member with the United Club Card starts 2027 with 1,600 starter PQP and 1,500 Card Bonus PQP. The other 28,900 PQP can come from spending $433,500 on the card at 1 PQP per $15, plus the four United flights every tier needs. Every dollar of fare on those flights lowers the spend you need.
Tips
Check who issued the ticket. A partner flight on a 016 ticket earns by fare. The same flight bought from the partner earns by distance and fare class, up to the cap. The partner ticket wins when a cheap fare books into a class that earns well: a $500 Lufthansa M fare from Newark to Frankfurt earns 750 PQP on a Lufthansa ticket but 500 on a United one. Deep discount fares and expensive premium cabins usually do better on a 016 ticket: the K fare on that route earns only 193 PQP from Lufthansa.
Watch the cabin caps. On long partner flights in full-fare economy, the 750 or 500 cap often kicks in. A discount business fare can earn far more PQP for a similar price.
Plan for 2027 now. If you've relied on PQF, switch to the 2027 tab to see how many more PQP you'll need next year.
Compare where to credit partner flights. The Flight Creditor shows whether another Star Alliance program earns more for the same flight, and the Points Valuator shows what the miles are worth.
What the calculator can't know
- Your account balance. Enter PQP, PQF and United flights you've already earned in the "other activity" panel. If you copy the PQP total from your United account, turn off starter and Card Bonus PQP, since that total already includes them.
- The status bonus base. United publishes the Premier bonus percentages but not what they apply to. The calculator applies them to the flight distance, so treat Premier members' partner miles as an estimate. PQP aren't affected.
- Air Canada branded fares. Tickets bought from Air Canada earn by fare brand (Standard, Flex, Comfort, Basic) as well as fare class. The calculator uses the fare class chart for tickets from other sellers.
- Distances. Partner miles use the great-circle distance between the airports, which can differ slightly from United's published mileage. You can type United's figure in the distance field instead.
- The four-flight minimum. United's terms say four flights operated by United or United Express. The calculator counts United award flights toward it, but some guides say only paid flights count.
Frequently asked questions
How many PQP do I need for United Premier status in 2026?
Premier Silver needs 5,000 PQP and 15 PQF, or 6,000 PQP. Gold needs 10,000 and 30, or 12,000. Platinum needs 15,000 and 45, or 18,000. 1K needs 22,000 and 60, or 28,000. You also need four United-operated flights.
What changes for United Premier status in 2027?
From January 1, 2027, PQF no longer count and you qualify with PQP alone: 6,000 for Silver, 12,000 for Gold, 18,000 for Platinum and 32,000 for 1K, up from 28,000. You still need four United or United Express flights, and starter PQP only goes to members with an eligible United card.
How are PQP calculated on a United ticket?
You earn 1 PQP per dollar of base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges. Government taxes and fees don't count, and there's no per-flight cap. Partner flights on a ticket starting with 016 earn the same way.
Do partner flights earn PQP?
Most do. Preferred partners like Lufthansa, Air Canada and ANA earn 1 PQP per 5 award miles, capped at 750 per flight in economy and premium economy and 1,500 in business or first. Other partners earn 1 PQP per 6 miles, capped at 500 and 1,000. Aer Lingus, Airlink, Cape Air, Emirates, flydubai, Hawaiian and JSX earn no PQP.
Do United award tickets earn PQP and PQF?
Yes, on flights operated by United or United Express: 1 PQP per 100 miles redeemed, and 1 PQF per flight in 2026. A 70,000-mile award earns 700 PQP. Partner flights on an award ticket earn neither, and award tickets don't earn miles.
Does Basic Economy earn PQP?
Yes. Basic Economy earns PQP based on the fare, but no PQF. Since April 2, 2026, it also earns 3 fewer miles per dollar, and nothing for General Members without a United card.
How much PQP can I earn from a United credit card?
The United Club and United Club Business cards earn 1 PQP per $15, up to 28,000 PQP in 2026 and 32,000 in 2027. The Quest earns 1 per $20 up to 18,000, the Business card up to 4,000 and the Explorer up to 1,000. Quest and Club cardmembers also get 1,000 and 1,500 Card Bonus PQP a year.
How many miles do I earn per dollar on United in 2026?
For tickets issued on or after April 2, 2026: without a United card, 3 miles per dollar for General Members up to 9 for 1K. United cardmembers earn 6 up to 12. Basic Economy earns 3 less at every level.
Is the United PQP Calculator free?
Yes. It's free with no account, and it saves your flights in your browser so you can come back to them.
The bottom line
PQP follow the fare on United tickets, the miles you redeem on awards and the distance and fare class on partner tickets. In 2026, PQF give frequent flyers on cheap fares a shortcut. From 2027, only PQP count and 1K costs 32,000. Enter your trips in the United PQP Calculator and switch between the two years to see where you stand, then use the Award Flight Pricer to plan where those miles go.