Before leading United Airlines’ MileagePlus program, Jarad Fisher was the kind of traveler who opted for elite status.
He read TPG, collected miles, and occasionally embarked on ambitious end-of-year “status races.”
“My wife thought I was crazy,” he joked, recalling an epic round trip to Hawaii 12 years ago – where he never even left the airport – to qualify.
Today, Fisher is in charge of United’s loyalty program, as it undergoes one of the biggest transformations in recent memory.
Ironically, one of his first tasks was eliminate flight segments as a status measure.
From 2027, “Premier Qualification Flights” will be available. This means United loyalists will no longer be “graded” based on the number of actual flights they rack up.
Instead, the carrier rely exclusively on PQPswhich are based on a combination of members’ spending, both on flights and on their United credit cards.
United presented the change as a way to make obtaining status simpler – although it could make it more difficult for some United pilots.
It will also end the need for eleventh-hour “segment races” that once required frequent flyers (like Fisher) to crisscross the country in December to accumulate enough elite qualifying flights.
“It was an old relic,” he said, speaking about United’s recent changes in an exclusive interview with TPG.
“You’re taking seats away from people who actually want to go to a certain destination. It’s not good for the environment. It’s not a good use of time,” he said. “We thought it made more sense for them to have a single, consistent measure. »
That’s not the only change United has made to MileagePlus in 2026.
Changes to United’s 2026 MileagePlus
Earlier this year, the carrier shook up several of its loyalty policies, gearing its program heavily toward members with one of its credit cards.
Together, these measures are among the most aggressive ever taken by a U.S. airline to encourage travelers to use its co-branded credit cards.
It’s part of a larger strategy that Fisher often sums up with this mantra:
“It’s good to fly United, it’s good to be a MileagePlus member,” he said. “But the best way to engage with us is to be a MileagePlus member and have one of our cards.”
Expect more changes along these lines.
United’s loyalty shakeup isn’t over
Speaking publicly this year, United’s chief commercial officer, Andrew Nocella, suggested that United’s loyalty shakeup was not complete.
It appears some changes may have to wait until the airline can renegotiate its credit card deal with banking partner Chase.
“As we continue to work under a long-term co-branded agreement,” Nocella said on an April conference call, “we are making changes to what we can control today.”
United’s current Chase deal is expected to last until 2029, according to previous TPG reports.
For now, the operator has significantly increased incentives for customers to carry one of its cards in the first place: Over the past year, United’s co-branded credit cardholders have clearly gained the upper hand in its program.
Fisher said the airline plans to continue to adapt the program in a way “that will be more consistent” with that philosophy in the years to come.
“And so I think based on that, we look at not only the core loyalty program, but also our partnerships,” he said. “And we’re trying to make sure that we continue to be – not only the best airline loyalty program – but we really aspire to be the best loyalty program in the world.”
What could be next for MileagePlus?
What future changes might MileagePlus members see when they redeem miles, earn on their Lyft rides, or join a United Club?
All this remains to be seen.
And Fisher will play a big role in those decisions, having taken over at MileagePlus this year with an intriguing pedigree.
Seven years ago, he actively participated in the launch of the Apple Card.
Before that, he spent time at main rival Delta Air Lines, helping to boost its partnership with American Express. – which is now the most lucrative merger in the sector, expected to bring Delta $9 billion this year.
That CV has Fisher thinking beyond win rates and status credentials as he looks to build on the changes that have given United’s flyers plenty to digest in 2026.
“We’re really trying to think about what will really help us stand out from the crowd,” he said of the carrier’s future plans.
Of course, this is easier said than done in the world of airline travel.
Flight delays are inevitable. Loyal travelers may be frustrated when they want to book a redemption and shocked at how many miles they’ll need.
Not to mention, free upgrades aren’t available as often as they used to be, as first-class seats are increasingly occupied by customers who actually paid for their tickets. By the way, balancing paid first-class seats with those long upgrade lines is a dilemma that Fisher said the airline is “constantly studying.”
“More and more people are paying for premium seats, which of course puts pressure on the system,” he acknowledged.
But for an airline that’s made a lot of waves in recent years — from its onboard internet to its international routes — it’s safe to say that United won’t hesitate to try new things when it comes to loyalty, either.
And it’s a safe bet that customers who have these credit cards will benefit the most.
“If you think about the time people spend with us and on our planes, we want them to feel known. We want them to feel recognized,” he said. “You will continue to see us become even more focused and thoughtful about this approach.”
Related reading:
Gn bussni
