Whether you’re a dedicated business traveler or a jet-setter, achieving United Million Miler status is a testament to your integrity. Although it requires multiple flights on premium tickets, Million Miler members enjoy United Premier status for life.
In fairness, only a small percentage of United MileagePlus members will qualify for lifetime status, but you can still aspire to earn United Million Miler status and lock in benefits for life. So, here’s what you need to know about the special lifetime status with United Airlines.
Miles for a lifetime combined
United awards Million Miler status based on the total distance traveled on paid United – and flights operated by United Express included in MileagePlus. So, while fliers must earn eligible Premier points (or a combination of eligible Premier points and eligible Premier flights) each year to earn United Premier status, lifetime miles on eligible flights are an issue if you’d like lifetime status.
Combined lifetime miles do not expire or reset. Most fares on flights operated by United and United Express, including United’s basic economy, count toward your United miles. Regardless of your cabin class, you earn lifetime mileage for the mileage you fly (based on the miles scheduled for your flights, not the actual distance flown).
While you can earn PQPs and PQFs on other award bookings, you won’t earn lifetime airline miles on award flights. Similarly, premium flights operated by partner airlines do not count toward your United lifetime miles.
When you log into your MileagePlus account, you will see your lifetime airline miles under the “Your Premier” section.
Related: Is it worth pursuing elite status for life?
Status of the United Million Miler
Here’s what it takes to earn United Million Miler status:
| Lifetime airline miles are eligible | Quality of life status |
|---|---|
| 1 million | Premier Gold |
| 2 million | Premier Platinum |
| 3 million | Prime Minister 1K |
| 4 million | Global Services |
United offers Premier Gold middle class members lifetime status when they reach one million lifetime airline miles. Premier Gold status includes many of the same benefits as United’s top-class status, including access to Economy Plus seats at the time of booking (granted, only to you and your colleagues in the Premier Gold category), Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Star . Status of Alliance Gold.
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Then, for the extra million miles you fly, you’ll improve your posture for life. You can even earn Global Services for life — an invitation-only status category for United’s top spenders — if you accumulate 4 million qualifying lifetime airline miles with United.
Millions of Milers earn PlusPoints for upgrades based on their lifetime fitness level. As such, Million Milers with Premier Platinum status should earn 40 PlusPoints each January, and those with Premier 1K status should earn 280 PlusPoints each January.
But perhaps the best part of the United Million Miler program is the ability to share your current status with a spouse, significant other or cohabitant. For example, if you are a Million Miler in Premier Platinum status but currently hold Premier 1K status, you can nominate one eligible friend to also hold Premier 1K status.
United members with 1 million lifetime airline miles or more can choose a friend or befriend another Million Miler. However, you can change or remove your United Million Miler friend (or decide to be chosen as another Million Miler friend) each year between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30.
Related: United’s elite status is becoming increasingly accessible – here’s what I’m doing as a result
How long does it take to get United Million Miler status?
Since United includes lifetime airline miles on charter flights operated by United or United Express, earning lifetime airline miles (not to mention 4 million) is not easy. If you earn 100,000 lifetime miles on United each year, it will take you ten years to earn 1 million lifetime miles.
If you qualify for lifetime United status on one-way flights from San Francisco to Newark, here’s what it takes to secure each Million Miler category:
- Lifetime Premier Gold: 390 flights (about 2,150 flying hours)
- Lifetime Premier Platinum: 780 flights (about 4,300 flying hours)
- Prime Lifetime 1K: 1,170 flights (approximately 6,450 flight hours)
- Lifetime Global Services: 1,560 flights (about 8,600 flight hours)
Of course, if you regularly fly on eligible long-haul flights, you’ll earn United Million Miler status on a few flights.
Related: The best credit cards for United Airlines
Bottom line
If you’re a dedicated United flyer, consider checking your Million Miler balance to see how close you are to reaching one of the lifetime levels.
While we’ve seen passengers run miles to earn lifetime airline miles, we generally don’t recommend doing so. That said, United Million Miler status is the only published way to lock in a lifetime Premier status and not worry about qualifying year after year.
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