United Airlines escalates the credit card perk wars

Hamza Shaban · Senior Reporter

Sat, February 21, 2026 at 8:00 PM GMT+9 3 min read

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United Airlines (UAL) is shaking up its rewards program in the latest move to win over credit card customers at the center of an escalating perks war.

But it’s going about it in a counterintuitive way, with both the carrot and the stick.

Rather than focusing on just adding perks for loyalty members and credit card holders, the overhaul also includes denying non-holders certain ways of accruing miles and saving money.

It’s a new type of gatekeeping as other premium travel credit cards up their steep annual fees.

Call it addition by subtraction. Or a company making full membership in its club more valuable by creating exclusions, which are sure to rankle at least some portion of an already air travel-stressed public.

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Companies reserving special perks for their highest-paying customers isn’t new. Think of Costco’s Executive Membership giving those honored guests an extra hour to shop their warehouses before the Gold Star common folk can enter.

But United’s shift is notable because it’s holding out some previously universal privileges exclusively for cardholders, like frequent flier miles.

MileagePlus members who don’t have a United card will earn fewer miles for United flights than members who have one, United said in an announcement earlier this week. Other perks for cardholders include a 10% discount on every United award flight booked.

Meanwhile, non-cardholders will no longer be able to earn any miles when they book basic economy, which loses even more status.

All this underscores the airline industry’s focus on bolstering credit card relationships with its flyers.

Getting into the credit card relationship with cardholders — and the potential upsells — is big business. Premium customers are where the money is.

Last month, Delta reported that the money it generated from premium seats would outpace revenue from the economy cabin, making explicit the industry’s pivot to luxury and luxury-adjacent.

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United’s program overhaul comes as the entire sector is pushing loyalty program memberships.

Redeemable miles, upgrades, airport lounge benefits, and other perks are helping drive more customers to buy flights using airlines’ co-branded credit cards, a substantial revenue stream for an industry that has struggled to profit from the actual business of selling affordable airfare.

American Express and Chase both recently revamped their high-end travel credit cards, showering their customers with a stream of goodies while upping the cards’ annual fees, which are approaching $1,000.

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A United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner departs Los Angeles International Airport en route to New York on January 27, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images) · Kevin Carter via Getty Images

The airline industry’s turn toward premiumization reflects broader economic trends and highlights the bifurcation of consumer habits defined by wealth (and the lack of it).

Even value-based retailers like Dollar Tree and Walmart are chasing more affluent consumers. In an economy where spending is concentrated among the highest earners, everyone is scrambling to win their business.

And keep it. As Andrew Nocella, United’s chief commercial officer, put it, “MileagePlus is designed to reward loyalty to United, and our best customers deserve the best benefits in the industry."

Hamza Shaban is a reporter for Yahoo Finance covering markets and the economy. Follow Hamza on X @hshaban.

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