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United’s Big Loyalty Changes
They really want you to get a credit card
This week, United announced sweeping changes to MileagePlus — and the message is clear: get a credit card. United is trying to boost non-flying revenue, and while other airlines have long offered incentives like free checked bags or award discounts to tempt people into signing up for their credit cards, United is going a step further by slashing earning rates for members who don’t have a premium United Card and limiting the best rewards to those who swipe with United.
Starting in April:
Non-cardholders earn fewer miles — zero in basic economy
Cardholders earn slightly more (but still less in basic economy)
Cardholders get expanded saver award access
Cardholders get 10%+ off award tickets (15%+ with elite status)
These changes obviously create incentives to get a credit card and chase status, while making it much less rewarding to just fly United occasionally as a free agent.
Rough news for lazy travelers on a budget
As a lazy, very occasional United customer, I find it very hard to justify engaging with United after these changes. Why?
The credit cards are complicated. I did a quick review of United’s credit card refresh last year, but I had forgotten how much work these cards require. If you just want to get a card to earn more when flying United and save more when redeeming, you’ll either have to eat some of the cost of the annual fee for the privilege or keep up with a collection of little credits to slowly earn it back over the course of the year.
The cards barely earn miles. Outside of status chasing, there’s little reason to put everyday spending on a United card. Even among cards that can earn United miles, Bilt and Chase cards can earn more rewards in almost every scenario.
Economy redemptions are weak. I have some United miles and Chase points, so I’ve been scouring Roame and United.com for a deal for months and coming up empty. The best one-way pricing I’ve seen from my home airport was ~30k miles to Europe and ~50k to Japan. Even with a 10% discount, that’s quite a bit more than what I’d typically redeem through Alaska, Delta, or American. On United’s deals page I found some flights to Korea for around 33k miles one-way, so there may be the odd use case, but nothing that gets me excited about engaging with MileagePlus.
Status is hard to earn. Alaska and Delta offer paths to unlock elite status without card spending, while spending $40,000 on American’s entry-level credit card will result in elite status. The cost to do that with United? $100,000+ in spending, and there’s still a flight requirement.
Good news for big spenders and aspirational travelers
That said, not everyone loses here. United has one of the better programs for business class travel, with decent availability and flights as low as 72,000 miles one-way with a co-branded credit card. With Bilt and Chase cards offering a path to a lot of United miles through sign-up bonuses and solid rewards on everyday spending, a United credit card could make aspirational travel more accessible. And if you are a very frequent traveler, you can also get United elite status by reaching Marriott Titanium status rather than trying to qualify through United.
Lazy Take 🦥
For now, I’m reluctant to get a United card and juggle all those credits just to earn a few more miles on the one or two United flights I take each year. These punitive changes for regular members are just going to push more of my business to other airlines when I have other options. But if you enjoy engaging with United and are willing to manage another credit card, this could be a great opportunity for more value – especially for premium travel.
This week on the blog 📝
The latest loyalty program Lazy Guide is out: this time, Alaska Airlines’ Atmos Rewards, my go-to for reliable availability, high value, and status with a low barrier to entry.
Quick Points of the Week ⚡
Special offers ✨
Global Getaways: Atmos award sale. If you have Bilt or Alaska points, Atmos has some pretty good deals available now, including Hokkaido, Japan for 20,000 points each way. (LazyPoints)
New products 🆕
Second-generation AirTags are here. Features include longer range, louder beeps, and “precision finding.” (CNET)
Spirit launches a debit card. But the rewards are underwhelming and there’s a monthly fee. (Frequent Miler)
More value 📈
Redeem Virgin points for WestJet flights. The rewards chart looks promising, but you might need to pick up a phone to book. (OMAAT)
Sign up bonus of the week 🎯
Links marked with an * are affiliate or referral links, meaning we may earn if you apply via our link.
No major new credit card offers caught my eye this week. If you want to take advantage of United’s new cardholder benefits, their credit cards currently have offers that are at least above average, historically. Check your email and the United app for even better offers.
Other great sign-up bonuses this week
50,000 points + $300 Bilt Cash + Bilt Gold status on the Bilt Palladium (our take: 🔥🔥🔥🔥)
100,000 points + 25k-pt companion discount on the Atmos Summit (our take: 🔥🔥🔥🔥)
70-125k points on Delta co-branded cards (our take: 🔥🔥🔥 for the Gold) ends April 1
175k points in the IHG Premier (our take: 🔥🔥🔥)
125k points on the Chase Sapphire Reserve* (our take: 🔥🔥🔥)
80k miles on the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select (our take: 🔥🔥)
20-40k + companion pass on Southwest cards (our take: 🔥🔥)
5 free nights + airline credits on the Marriott Boundless (our take: 🔥🔥)
75k points on the Chase Sapphire Preferred* (our take: 🔥)
75k points + $250 travel credit on the Capital One Venture Rewards (our take: 🔥)
60k points on the no-fee Choice Privileges Mastercard (our take: 🔥)
70k points on the JetBlue Plus (our take: 🔥)
Enjoy the weekend! 🦥
I couldn’t book that trip to Hokkaido, but I hope someone enjoys some ramen for me!
Sometimes we include referral or affiliate links (we’ll mark them clearly). If you use them, we may earn a commission—never at extra cost to you. We do our best to share great offers, but always double-check for the best deal available. Thanks for supporting LazyPoints 🦥