Whether you’re a dedicated business traveler or an avid jet-setter, reaching United Million Mileer status is proof of your loyalty. Although it requires multiple flights on a paid ticket, Million Miler members enjoy United Premier status for life.
To be fair, only a small percentage of United MileagePlus members will qualify for lifetime status, but you may still want to earn United Million Mileer status and reap the benefits for life. So, here’s what you need to know about lifetime elite status with United Airlines.
Combined lifetime miles
United Paid United — and United Express-operated flights award million miler status based on total distance accrued in MileagePlus. So, when the Flyers must earn What matters are lifetime miles on eligible flights if you’re interested in Premier qualifying points per year (or a combination of Premier qualifying points and Premier qualifying flights) to earn United Premier status.
United Lifetime miles do not expire or reset. Most cash fares on United and United Express-operated flights, including United Basic Economy, count toward your United Lifetime Miles. Regardless of your cabin class, you earn lifetime flight miles for every physical mile you fly (based on miles assigned to your flight, not actual flight distance).
Although you can earn PQPs and PQFs on some award bookings, you cannot earn lifetime flight miles on award flights. Similarly, paid 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 flight miles under the “Your Premier Progress” section.
Related: Is It Worth Pursuing Lifetime Elite Status?
United million miler status
Here’s what it takes to earn United Million Mileer status:
| Eligible lifetime flight miles | Lifetime status level |
|---|---|
| 1 million | Premier Gold |
| 2 million | Premier Platinum |
| 3 million | Premier 1K |
| 4 million | Global Services |
United offers mid-tier Premier Gold status for life when members reach 1 million lifetime flight miles. Premier Gold status includes many of the same benefits as top-tier United status, including access to Economy Plus seating at the time of booking (granted, only for you and a companion in the Premier Gold tier); Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and Star Alliance Gold status.
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Then, for every additional million miles you fly, you’ll boost your lifetime status. You can also earn Lifetime Global Services — an invitation-only status level for United’s highest spenders — if you earn 4 million eligible lifetime flight miles with United.
Million Milers earn PlusPoints for upgrades based on their lifetime Premier status level. For example, Million Milers with Premier Platinum status should earn 40 Plus points each January, while those with Premier 1K status should earn 280 Plus points 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 person living at your home address. For example, if you are a million miler with Lifetime Premier Platinum status but currently hold Premier 1K status, you may designate an eligible companion to also hold Premier 1K status.
United members with 1 million lifetime flight miles or more can either choose a companion or become a companion of another million miler. However, you may change or remove your United Million Mileer Companion (or decide to choose another Million Miler Companion) each year between September 1 and November 30.
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How long does it take to earn United Million Mileer status?
United only credits lifetime flight miles on paid flights operated by United or United Express, so earning 1 million lifetime flight miles (let alone 4 million) isn’t easy. If you earn 100,000 United Lifetime miles per year, it will take you a decade to earn 1 million lifetime flight miles.
If you qualify for full United Lifetime status on one-way flights from San Francisco to Newark, here’s what it takes to secure each level of Million Mileer status:
- Lifetime Premier Gold: 390 flights (about 2,150 flight hours)
- Lifetime Premier Platinum: 780 flights (about 4,300 flight hours)
- Lifetime Premiere 1K: 1,170 flights (about 6,450 flight hours)
- Lifetime global services: 1,560 flights (about 8,600 flight hours)
Of course, if you travel frequently on qualifying long-haul flights, you’ll earn United Million Mileer status with fewer flights.
Related: The best United Airlines credit cards
The bottom line
If you’re a dedicated United flyer, consider checking your Million Miler balance to see how close you are to reaching a lifetime level.
However we have seen passengers Mileage runs to earn more lifetime flight miles, we generally do not recommend doing so. That said, United Million Miler status is the only published way to lock in Premier status for life and not have to worry about qualifying year after year.