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United Airlines is rolling back a change to its recently announced MileagePlus earnings and softening the impact of new restrictions tied to Basic Economy fares. After initially outlining a plan that would have reduced mileage earnings even on tickets already booked, the airline has now clarified that the updated earning rules will apply only to tickets issued on or after April 2nd.
Last week, I wrote about broader MileagePlus adjustments designed to reward Premier members and co-branded credit cardholders more heavily. As part of that announcement, the airline indicated that reduced mileage earning for Basic Economy fares would apply across the board starting April 2nd (regardless of when the ticket was originally purchased). That raised concerns among travelers who had already booked Basic Economy tickets expecting to earn miles under the existing structure. United has now reversed that decision.
Under the updated policy, only tickets issued on or after April 2nd will fall under the new, less generous earning rules. Previously purchased tickets will continue to earn miles under the current structure.
Here is how MileagePlus earning will apply going forward:
- Basic Economy tickets booked before April 2nd will earn miles under the current rules.
- Basic Economy tickets issued on or after April 2nd will earn reduced mileage for Premier members and eligible United co-branded credit cardholders.
- General MileagePlus members without a qualifying United credit card will not earn miles on Basic Economy fares issued on or after that date.
- The same reduced earning structure will apply to JetBlue Blue Basic fares booked through United partnerships.
The most immediate takeaway is that United will not retroactively cut mileage earnings on tickets that have already been purchased. However, the long-term impact remains significant. Basic Economy fares will become far less rewarding starting in few months (particularly for travelers without Premier status or a United credit card). For some members, these tickets will no longer earn any miles at all.
Anthony’s Take: Travelers considering Basic Economy fares will need to pay close attention in the future as those tickets booked after April 2nd will take a serious hit in earnings.
(Image Credits: United Airlines.)
(H/T: Upgraded Points.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
