Updated
United PQP Calculator: Premier Qualifying Points and Redeemable Miles per Flight
United counts your flights in two currencies
Every United flight earns two separate things. Redeemable miles (RDM) are what you spend on award tickets. Premier qualifying points (PQP) are what count toward MileagePlus Premier status. They're calculated differently, and since April 2, 2026, the redeemable side also depends on whether you hold a United credit card.
On a United ticket, PQP follow the price you paid. On a partner ticket, both PQP and miles follow distance and fare class. On an award ticket, PQP follow the miles you redeemed. Keeping track by hand gets messy fast.
The United PQP Calculator estimates both for every flight on your itinerary: United revenue tickets, United award tickets and flights on 41 partner airlines. It's free to use.
How to use the United PQP Calculator
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Set your Premier status. Choose General Member, Premier Silver, Gold, Platinum or 1K. Status changes how many redeemable miles you earn.
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Set "United Credit Card." Choose whether you hold a United co-branded card. Cardmembers earn more miles per dollar on United tickets.
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Enter each segment. Type the From and To airport codes, then pick the Airline:
- United Airlines, Revenue: pick the fare class and enter the Fare Amount. Use the base fare plus carrier-imposed surcharges, and leave out government taxes and fees.
- United Airlines, Award: enter the Miles Redeemed for that flight.
- A partner airline: pick the fare class from that airline's list. The calculator fills in the miles flown from your airports.
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Add more flights. Use Add Segment for connections and return flights, then click Calculate.
Each segment shows its miles, earn rate, RDM and PQP. Below that, Calculation Details shows the math for every flight, and the Summary totals your RDM and PQP.
2026 Premier status requirements
United didn't change Premier qualification for 2026. You qualify with PQP plus Premier qualifying flights (PQF), or with 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 |
You also need at least four flights operated by United or United Express in the year.
How PQP are earned
United tickets: 1 PQP per dollar of base fare and carrier-imposed surcharges. Government taxes and fees don't count. There's no cap per flight, so a $3,200 business class fare earns 3,200 PQP. Basic Economy tickets earn PQP but don't earn PQF.
Partner tickets: PQP are based on the redeemable miles the flight earns, not on the price:
| Partner type | PQP rate | Cap per flight (economy and premium economy) | Cap per flight (business and first) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preferred partner | 1 PQP per 5 miles | 750 | 1,500 |
| Other partner | 1 PQP per 6 miles | 500 | 1,000 |
Preferred partners include Air Canada, Air China, Air Dolomiti, Air New Zealand, ANA, Austrian, Avianca, Azul, Brussels Airlines, Copa, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss, Eurowings, Lufthansa, Lufthansa City Airlines, SWISS and Virgin Australia. A few non-alliance partners, including Emirates and JSX, earn redeemable miles but no PQP at all, and the calculator shows zero PQP for those flights.
Award tickets: 1 PQP per 100 miles redeemed, on flights operated by United or United Express only. Partner-operated flights on an award ticket don't earn PQP.
How redeemable miles are earned
United tickets: the April 2026 change
For tickets issued on or after April 2, 2026, the miles you earn per dollar depend on your status, whether you hold a United credit card and whether the fare is Basic Economy:
| Status | No United card | United cardmember | Basic Economy, no card | Basic Economy, cardmember |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Member | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| Premier Silver | 5 | 8 | 2 | 5 |
| Premier Gold | 6 | 9 | 3 | 6 |
| Premier Platinum | 7 | 10 | 4 | 7 |
| Premier 1K | 9 | 12 | 6 | 9 |
Before April 2, everyone earned 5 to 11 miles per dollar regardless of card. Now a General Member without a card earns 3, and earns nothing on Basic Economy. The cardmember rate applies to the primary cardmember. Holders of the United Gateway card or the MileagePlus debit card need to spend $10,000 a year on the card to unlock it.
In the calculator, fare class N counts as Basic Economy.
Partner tickets: distance times fare class
On a partner ticket, miles equal the flight distance multiplied by the fare class rate on United's chart for that airline. Premier members also get a status bonus on select joint venture partners, including Air Canada, ANA, Austrian, Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa. The calculator adds that bonus automatically.
Worked example: a $400 United ticket
You buy a one-way economy ticket for $400 (base fare plus surcharges). Every member earns 400 PQP. Redeemable miles vary widely:
| Status | No United card | United cardmember | If it's Basic Economy (no card) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Member | 1,200 | 2,400 | 0 |
| Premier Silver | 2,000 | 3,200 | 800 |
| Premier Gold | 2,400 | 3,600 | 1,200 |
| Premier Platinum | 2,800 | 4,000 | 1,600 |
| Premier 1K | 3,600 | 4,800 | 2,400 |
A General Member with a United card earns twice what one without a card earns on the same seat. On Basic Economy without a card, the miles drop to zero, but the PQP still count.
Worked example: Lufthansa from Newark to Frankfurt
Lufthansa is a preferred partner. Newark (EWR) to Frankfurt (FRA) is 3,859 miles in the calculator. Booked on a Lufthansa ticket and credited to MileagePlus with no status:
| Fare class | Earn rate | Redeemable miles | PQP |
|---|---|---|---|
| K (deep discount) | 25% | 965 | 193 |
| Y (full-fare economy) | 150% | 5,789 | 750 (capped from 1,158) |
| J (business) | 200% | 7,718 | 1,500 (capped from 1,544) |
Two things stand out. First, fare class matters enormously: business earns eight times the miles of a K fare. Second, the per-flight caps bite on long flights in higher fare classes, which is why a full-fare economy ticket and a business ticket earn closer PQP than you'd expect.
With Premier Gold, the same K fare earns 2,895 miles, because the status bonus adds 1,930 miles on top of the 965 base. PQP stay at 193, because the calculator bases partner PQP on the miles before the status bonus.
Worked example: an award ticket
You redeem 70,000 miles for a United-operated award flight. The calculator shows 700 PQP (70,000 divided by 100) and no redeemable miles, since award tickets don't earn miles. If part of the award trip is on a partner, only the United-operated flights earn PQP.
Planning toward Premier Silver
Say your typical United fare is $400 one-way. Fifteen flights earn 6,000 PQP and 15 PQF, which clears Premier Silver both ways: 6,000 PQP alone, or 5,000 PQP plus 15 PQF. If your fares are cheaper, PQF help: at $340 per flight, 15 flights earn 5,100 PQP and 15 PQF, enough for Silver through the PQP plus PQF path.
Run your planned trips through the calculator to see your PQP total, then compare it with the table above.
Tips for earning more with United
Check who issued the ticket. A ticket number starting with 016 is a United ticket and earns by price, even on a partner-operated flight. In the calculator, enter those flights as United Airlines with the fare amount. Tickets issued by the partner earn by distance and fare class.
Compare where to credit partner flights. On a cheap long-haul partner ticket, another Star Alliance program may earn more miles than MileagePlus. The Flight Creditor compares them.
Look at the card math. If you fly United a few times a year, the cardmember rate can double your miles. Use the Points Valuator to see what those extra miles are worth.
Track your progress. Log your balances in the Points Tracker.
What the United PQP Calculator doesn't do
- It doesn't count PQF. Track flight segments separately if you're using the PQP plus PQF path.
- No credit card PQP or starter PQP. PQP from United card spending and the head-start PQP returning Premier members receive aren't included.
- Partner exceptions vary. Partner fare class charts change, some partner Basic Economy fares don't earn, and some non-alliance partners don't earn PQP. Confirm on United's page for the airline you're flying.
- Distances are estimates. Partner miles use great-circle distance between airports, which can differ slightly from United's published mileage.
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.
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.
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 less, and nothing for General Members without a card.
Do partner flights earn PQP?
Most do. Preferred partners like Lufthansa, Air Canada and ANA earn 1 PQP per 5 miles, capped at 750 per flight in economy and 1,500 in business or first. Other partners earn 1 PQP per 6 miles, capped at 500 and 1,000. A few partners, such as Emirates and JSX, earn no PQP.
Do United award tickets earn PQP?
Yes, on flights operated by United or United Express: 1 PQP per 100 miles redeemed. A 70,000-mile award earns 700 PQP. Award tickets don't earn redeemable miles.
Does Basic Economy earn PQP?
Yes. Basic Economy tickets earn PQP based on the fare, but they don't earn PQF. Since April 2, 2026, General Members without a United card earn no redeemable miles on Basic Economy.
Do I earn more miles with a United credit card?
Yes. Since April 2, 2026, United cardmembers earn 3 extra miles per dollar at every status level, on both standard and Basic Economy fares. On a $400 fare, a General Member earns 2,400 miles with a card versus 1,200 without.
Is the United PQP Calculator free?
Yes. It's free to use with no account required.
The bottom line
PQP follow what you pay on United tickets, what you redeem on awards and how far you fly on partner tickets, and since April 2026 your miles depend on your card, too. Enter your trips in the United PQP Calculator to see exactly where you stand, then use the Award Flight Pricer to plan where those miles go.