How do the new United MileagePlus rules compare to the changes Delta made to SkyMiles last year?
29% Live and Let's Fly
15% Your Mileage May Vary
56% Other
United’s new MileagePlus rules are a clear push to make credit‑card ownership the main driver of loyalty value, a strategy that mirrors what Delta has already been doing with SkyMiles.
Similarities
- Credit‑card centric loyalty – United is now rewarding members primarily for holding a co‑branded card, just as Delta’s SkyMiles program has long been built around its own credit‑card portfolio and the revenue it generates Live and Let’s Fly FrequentMiler .
- Higher earnings for cardholders – Both airlines give members who carry the airline’s card better mileage‑earning rates and extra perks, while non‑cardholders see reduced benefits Live and Let’s Fly FrequentMiler .
Differences (based on what we know)
- Earn‑rate structure – United explicitly cuts the base earn rate for non‑cardholders (e.g., 5 → 3 miles per dollar) and raises it for cardholders (e.g., 5 → 6 miles per dollar) across all elite tiers Miles to Memories . Delta’s recent changes have not been detailed in the sources, so the exact numeric adjustments are unknown.
- Award‑ticket discounts – United adds automatic 10‑15 % award‑ticket discounts for cardholders, a benefit that is highlighted as new in the United rollout One Mile at a Time Live and Let’s Fly . The sources do not specify whether Delta introduced comparable discount mechanisms last year.
In short, United’s overhaul follows the same “card‑first” philosophy that Delta has already employed, but the specific earn‑rate cuts and new award‑ticket discounts are unique to United’s 2026 changes.
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