Is United Premier 1K Worth It? And How To Get It
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Written by
Joseph Hostetler
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Edited by
Emily Gadd, CCC™
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Reviewed by
Jasmin Baron, CCC™
If you’ve never had airline elite status, your perception of it may be free-flowing alcohol and first-class upgrades. The truth is, VIP service is reserved for those at the very top of the elite status ladder. Oftentimes, entry-level status provides very little value that you couldn’t get from, say, any of the best airline credit cards.
United’s top-tier status is a big deal. Its perks can revolutionize your travel. And depending on your situation, it can actually be quite accessible to achieve. But is United Premier 1K status worth it for you? Here’s how to tell — and the steps required to achieve it.
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What Is United Premier 1K Status?
United Premier 1K is United’s highest publicly available elite status (its “Global Services” status is technically the summit, but it’s invite-only). With Premier 1K, you’ll receive benefits such as:
- Three free checked bags in economy
- Free access to Economy Plus at booking for you and up to eight companions
- Priority pre-boarding
- Eligible for free upgrades 96 hours before flight
- 11 miles per dollar earned on every flight
- 280 PlusPoints
- A free drink and snack in economy
- Star Alliance Gold status
The stars of the Premier 1K show relate to seat upgrades. With the ability to be upgraded on flights up to four days before takeoff, you’ll be first in line (along with all the other 1K status holders) to snag a better seat for free.
You’ll also receive a mess of “PlusPoints,” which can be used for bonus United miles, TravelBank credit and seat upgrades. For example, you can exchange those points to jump from a cramped economy flight to a lie-flat business class seat on an international flight (when available). Even some partners, like Japan’s ANA and Germany’s Lufthansa, accept PlusPoints upgrades. And both have notoriously fancy premium cabins.
If you’re based in the U.S., United offers one of the best airline loyalty programs to match your needs.
How Do You Earn Premier 1K Status With United?
There are two ways to earn United Premier 1K status. In a calendar year, you must:
- Earn 60 Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs) and 22,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs)
OR - Earn 28,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP)
Note: No matter how you choose to earn United status, you must take at least four United flights per year to qualify.
Here are the primary ways you can earn the PQFs and PQPs you need to reach Premier 1K status.
Fly With United
Flying with United is perhaps the most straightforward way to earn United status. You’ll earn PQFs when you complete a flight on United (both paid and award flights count). Just note that basic economy flights are ineligible.
You’ll also earn PQPs when flying United: 1 PQP per dollar spent, and 1 PQP per 100 miles redeemed on United flights and seat upgrades.
Fly With United Partner Airlines
You’ll also earn PQFs when flying on eligible United partners — excluding basic economy. You’ll also earn 1 PQP for every 5 or 6 award miles earned on a United partner, depending on the specific airline.
Swipe United Credit Cards
If you’re a big spender, you can earn all the PQPs you need for Premier 1K without ever flying (though remember, you’ll need to take at least four United flights per year to qualify for any status). That’s because most United Airlines credit cards earn 1 PQP for every $15 to $20 spent, depending on the card.
Each United Airlines credit card has a unique annual PQP cap. Here’s what you can expect:
- United℠ Explorer Card: 1,000 PQPs
- United Quest℠ Card: 18,000 PQPs
- United Club℠ Card: 28,000 PQPs
- United Club℠ Business Card: 28,000 PQPs
- United℠ Business Card: 4,000 PQPs
In short, you’ll need to spend at least $420,000 on either the United Club Card or United Club Business Card to earn the PQPs necessary to achieve Premier 1K. That’s likely not the path to status for most United members. Instead, think of these travel credit cards as a way to fast-track your progress.
Whichever route you use to reach United elite status, anyone who flies United even a handful of times per year should look into a United credit card. Having held United elite status in the past, I now only fly United perhaps four times each year — and I still enthusiastically pay to hold my United Explorer Card year after year. It saves me considerably more than it costs me.
Redeem PlusPoints
United PlusPoints first appear once you reach Premier Platinum status. After you achieve it, you’ll receive 40 PlusPoints. Instead of using them for things like seat upgrades and bonus miles, you can use them to boost your PQPs at a rate of 100 per 10 PlusPoints. For example:
- 10 PlusPoints = 100 PQPs
- 20 PlusPoints = 200 PQPs
- 40 PlusPoints = 400 PQPs
You’re capped at redeeming 160 PlusPoints per year toward PQPs.
How Much Are United Miles Worth?
When redeeming United Airlines miles, you should expect to receive a value of at least 1.1 cents per mile. That said, United Airlines miles don’t have a fixed value. The return you get from them can vary dramatically based on how you use them.
For example, an economy flight from Chicago (ORD) to London (LHR) may cost around 32,000 miles and $5.60. The cash price for that seat is often around $450, giving you a value of 1.38 cents per mile. But the same route, flying in fancy business class, would cost 80,000 miles and $5.60. The cash price for this flight is $4,200+, making your United miles worth 5.25 cents each.
With some strategy, you can receive mind-blowing value from United miles. Read our United MileagePlus guide to better understand how to leverage United miles.
Who Should Go After United Premier 1K Status?
You should go after United Premier 1K status if you:
- Already fly United regularly and earn a slew of PQFs or PQPs from your travels
- Have a United Airlines credit card
- Frequently fly United’s partner airlines
- Value benefits like seat upgrades and priority luggage service
- Routinely check more than two bags yourself
Who Shouldn’t Go After United Premier 1K Status?
Unless you have the capacity to effortlessly spend your way to top-tier elite status with the best United credit cards, earning Premier 1K is a trial. And that’s not a bad thing; easy-to-achieve status waters down the benefits for everyone.
It’s great that United credit cards allow you the opportunity to spend your way to top-tier status. But if your strategy for earning Premier 1K is to funnel all your purchases through a United credit card, it’s probably not worth the effort.
Top-tier status is only beneficial if you fly regularly to enjoy those benefits. Restructuring your entire credit card spending strategy to earn a fabulously valuable status that you’ll only use a few times per year is almost certainly not worth it.
The information related to the United℠ Explorer Card, United Quest℠ Card, United Club℠ Card, United℠ Business Card and United Club℠ Business Card was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.
Frequently Asked Questions About United Premier Status
Is buying United 1K worth it?
You cannot “buy” United 1K elite status, but you can effectively spend your way to it with the right United Airlines credit card. Just note that those who take this approach may not fly enough to make the status worthwhile. United status is only handy when you’re actually flying United or its partners.
Does Premier 1K get you lounge access?
United Premier 1K doesn’t get you carte blanche access to any airport lounge — but you’ll receive entry to specific lounges depending on your route. For example, you’ll receive access to Star Alliance lounges (including United Club lounges) when holding a same-day international Star Alliance ticket.
How can I get into United Lounges for free?
The best way to get into United lounges for “free” is to use the perks that come with a United Airlines credit card. For example, the United Club Card comes with a United Club membership. Just note that this access isn’t exactly free, as it’s baked into the annual fees you’ll pay for your card.
