When you book a flight using a combination of money and miles, you earn 1 PQP for every 100 miles redeemed, in addition to the PQP earned from the cash portion of the fare. Important Constraints
Buying regular "Personal Miles" through the MileagePlus Buy Miles portal only gives you award miles for redemptions; these do not count toward Premier status or PQP requirements.
United has maintained the following PQP thresholds for the 2026 program year: Premier Level PQP + PQF Requirement PQP Only Requirement 4,000 PQP + 12 PQF Gold 8,000 PQP + 24 PQF 10,000 PQP Platinum 12,000 PQP + 36 PQF 15,000 PQP Premier 1K 18,000 PQP + 54 PQF 24,000 PQP united buy miles for status
Regardless of how many PQPs you buy, you must still fly at least four paid flights operated by United or United Express in a calendar year to qualify for status.
Customers traveling on Basic Economy tickets are ineligible to purchase Premier Accelerator. Elite Status Requirements (2026) When you book a flight using a combination
united.com/en/us/fly/mileageplus/whats-new.html">United credit cards to help reach these goals? Mileage Products - United Airlines
This is the most common way to buy status. When you have an existing flight reservation, you can purchase "Award Accelerator" miles and then receive an add-on offer for Premier Accelerator . These PQP count directly toward your status for the current calendar year. Customers traveling on Basic Economy tickets are ineligible
PQP and miles purchased through accelerators are non-refundable.