Skift Take
It just got 25 percent more expensive to earn top-tier elite status on United Airlines.
Among the updates to its loyalty program posted on Friday, United Airlines announced that that the criteria for earning top-tier elite status in its Mileage Plus program will be going up.
For the 2019 travel year, United's spend (or qualifying dollar) requirement for earning top-tier 1K elite status is moving from $12,000 to $15,000 annually, a 25 percent increase. Flown miles, the other requirement for earning 1K status, is remaining the same at 100,000 annually.
Passengers who earn elite status on any of the three big legacy air carriers are treated to a variety of perks including free upgrades, waived change fees, and complimentary checked bags.
In moving the spend threshold up by 25 percent, United Airlines is effectively matching the product that Delta A
