United Airlines' MileagePlus loyalty program is in the middle of a major shift toward cobranded credit cards, and its new leader says more changes are coming. Jarad Fisher, who took over MileagePlus this year, said in an exclusive interview with TPG that the airline plans to keep adapting the program. Before running it, Fisher was an "all-in" elite-status traveler who read TPG, collected miles and sometimes took end-of-year "status runs." He recalled a Hawaii out-and-back trip 12 years ago in which he never left the airport; his wife thought he was nuts.
One of his first moves was to eliminate flight segments as a status metric. Starting in 2027, Premier Qualifying Flights will be removed, meaning members will no longer be graded on how many flights they take. United will rely exclusively on PQPs, which are based on spending on flights and United credit cards. United says the change makes qualifying simpler, though it could be harder for some flyers. It also ends the need for last-minute segment runs. Fisher called the old metric "an old relic" and said such runs take seats from people trying to reach destinations, are not good for the environment and are not a good use of time. He said one consistent metric made more sense.
The change is part of a broader 2026 overhaul that tilted MileagePlus toward cardholders. United's card-carrying flyers now earn more miles on flights, while non-cardholders earn fewer. Cardholders also have access to the lowest award redemptions and avoid some of the tightest restrictions when booking basic economy fares. The moves were among the most aggressive by a U.S. airline to push flyers toward cobranded cards. Fisher's mantra is that it is good to fly United and great to be a MileagePlus member, but "the best way to engage with us is to be a MileagePlus member and actually have one of our cards."
More changes are expected. Chief commercial officer Andrew Nocella has hinted the loyalty shake-up is not finished. Some changes may wait until United can renegotiate its credit card deal with Chase. Nocella said on an April earnings call that while the airline continues under a long-term cobrand contract, "we're making changes to what we can control today." The current Chase deal runs through 2029, according to past TPG reporting. Fisher said United plans to continue adapting the program in ways "more consistent" with its credit-card-focused approach and is looking at the core loyalty program and partnerships. He said United aspires to be "the best loyalty program in the world," not just the best airline loyalty program.
Future changes could affect how members redeem miles, earn on Lyft rides or enter a United Club, but no specifics were given. Fisher took the helm of MileagePlus this year with a background that includes involvement in the launch of Apple Card seven years ago and time at Delta Air Lines, where he helped strengthen its partnership with American Express. That tie-up is described as the industry's most lucrative and is set to bring Delta $9 billion this year. Fisher said United is thinking about what will help it "break away from the pack," beyond earn rates and status benchmarks.
The airline faces challenges. Flight delays are inevitable, and loyal flyers can be frustrated by redemption prices. Complimentary status upgrades also do not clear as often as they once did, as first-class seats are increasingly filled by customers who paid for them. Fisher said United is "consistently looking at" how to balance paid premium seats with long upgrade queues, acknowledging that more people paying for premium seats puts pressure on the system. Still, United is expected to keep trying new things on loyalty, with cardholders likely to benefit most. Fisher said the airline wants customers to feel known and recognized, and will become more focused and deliberate about that approach.
Sources: The Points Guy.