United Airlines is out with a new status match opportunity for 2024 whereby you can get status with another airline matched to United Mileage Plus status temporarily. Then, after meeting a set of reduced requirements within a 120-day period, you can extend your United status through the remainder of 2024.
The Deal
- United Mileage Plus is once again offering a status match challenge. If approved for the challenge, you’ll get instant temporary Mileage Plus status for 120 days with the chance to extend that status through the end of 2024 with the following activity:
- Premier Silver: Fly 4 PQF and earn 1,300 PQP on flights operated by United or United Express
- Premier Gold: Fly 8 PQF and earn 2,600 PQP on flights operated by United or United Express
- Premier Platinum: Fly 12 PQF and earn 4,000 PQP on flights operated by United or United Express
- Direct link to this deal (note that the landing page says to fill out the form here, but that link doesn’t appear to be working for me)
Key Terms
- Offer is not valid for members who have participated in the MileagePlus Status Match program or received a Premier status exception within the last 5 years.
- Members who hold elite status because of a trial or temporary elite status in the other airline program are not eligible for the MileagePlus Premier Status Match program.
- Premier membership materials will not be issued for the 120-day offer period. You may enjoy Premier benefits on United- or United Express-operated flights by providing your account number when making reservations or at check-in. During the 120-day offer period, you may not have access to all reciprocal Premier benefits with United’s partner airlines, including access to Star AllianceTM lounges.
- Through this offer, you will not be able to qualify for a higher Premier status level than the one you are matched to in MileagePlus. For example, if you are matched to Premier Silver, you will not be able to earn Premier Gold status through this offer, even if you will fly more than the 8 PQF and earn more than 2,600PQP on flights operated by United or United Express during the offer period. However, you will be able to qualify to a higher status level if you reach one of the published qualification thresholds for Premier status.
- Upon meeting the PQF and PQP requirements to qualify for Premier Platinum status through this offer, members will be awarded 20 PlusPoints, which will be credited to their account within 7-10 business days. PlusPoints will not otherwise be awarded based on matched status or status reached through the MileagePlus Premier Status Match challenge
- If you are unable to complete both the PQF and PQP requirements within the 120-day offer period, your matched MileagePlus Premier status will expire, and you may be returned to a lower earned Premier level, or general member status, at United’s sole discretion.
- Qualifying PQF and PQP must be posted to your MileagePlus account.
- Earned 2024 Premier status is valid through January 2025. The MileagePlus status is valid through January 2026 for customers who earn Premier status through this promotion on or after July 1, 2024
Quick Thoughts
United had a status challenge that was paused at the end of last year, but they’ve brought it back for 2024. According to the landing page, the new status challenge will be valid from January 5, 2024 through December 20, 2024, though your match period 120-day challeng will begin no later than 9/3/24 and end no later than 12/31/24 even if you match later in the fall. Unfortunately, you won’t be eligible if you’ve done a match in the past 5 years.
While United publishes the table above to indicate which statuses from other airlines correspond to the various United Mileage Plus status levels, mind the note at the top of the chart that says labels it as a “partial list”. In other words, if you have status with an unlisted airline, you aren’t necessarily out of luck.
The last bullet point under the key terms may be of interest for some: if you complete the match challenge before July 1st, your status will be set to expire at the end of January 2025. If you earn Premier status on or after July 1, 2024, your status will run through January 2026. I had thought in the past that you needed to initiate the match after July 1st for that to work, but my read of the terms suggests that as long as you earn Premier status through the promotion on or after July 1st (which I would think means you’ve completed the match requirements on or after July 1st?), you’ll keep status for the extra year. I could be wrong, but it sounds to me like if you time out the match to begin after March 3rd and then complete the earning requirements on or after July 1st (but within 120 days from when your match is granted), you’ll end up with status for potentially more than 18 months.
Of course more importantly, you would want to time out your match request for a time when you anticipate flying a number of United cash fares if you want to complete the challenge. Given the 5-year term, I would only recommend going after this challenge if you anticipate being able to make good use of the benefits.
Speaking of benefits, keep in mind that Star Alliance Gold earned through United (as in United Gold or better) will not get you United club lounge access on domestic flights. You would need Star Alliance Gold from some other foreign carrier in order to use your status to access domestic lounges. However, you would be able to access other Star Alliance lounges when flying Star Alliance the same day.
I imagine that most folks interested in this match will be looking for benefits like the baggage allowance and seat selection when flying United as well as priority check-in, boarding, and security where available.
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Does anyone know if this works the same way as the Delta status match where if I match to United Platinum, but only meet the requirements for Silver, I still keep United Silver until 2026?
Any hotel to airline status matches?
I sent my DM delta status but was refused the challenge said did not meet criteria???
This was a most timely post! I earned Delta Gold in 2023 and matched to United Gold last night–just in time for my round trip from Venice to Las Vegas. Currently sitting in a Lufthansa Senator Lounge in Frankfurt, and had priority boarding and check-in thanks to the United Gold status! Thanks FM team!
awesome! How long did it take United to get back to you?
I submitted the request around 10pm and by the time I got to the airport around 6am it had gone through! So about 8 hours. I didn’t get a notification of my approval, though. I just opened my United app and it suddenly said Gold status
very nice. I just did mine with AA, was approved instantly
I’ve sent in everything they need for my GOLD status with American but they won’t recognize it…do you have any suggestions on what to send
Same issue here.
Sorry, I’m not sure. I completed at a match challenge last year, so I’m not eligible.
Jim and I are asking for tips, your response is not beneficial for any of the readers
I have Platinum Pro with American. But no matter what I submit, United won’t accept it. They respond with “Sorry, you are not eligible for a Premier Status Match. At this time we can’t complete your request because the other airline frequent flyer program documentation you provided differs from the formatting guidelines we have for this airline.”
That’s e
Xactly what they tell me!
there is something odd about this and there should be a complaint line
I actually think I found the problem. The United status match terms say, under “Required information,” that the documentation needs to show “current elite status expiration date or validity period, which must be valid through the duration of the current calendar year.” My Platinum Pro status with American expires on 1/24/24.
I’ve been having the same exact problem but with Delta Platinum. They don’t provide an expiration date on ANY of the credentials and they won’t provide anything that will show that. Have called United, sent emails, opened help desk incidents, but nothing helps.
i noticed the desktop site wouldn’t take my image. Had to use mobile.
For those who are matching using Southwest status, what are you providing for the documentation / card ?
I initiated a match last March and met it in July, and I have the status for all of 2024.
Great Data point, thank you!