Looking for a shortcut to Star Alliance Gold status without applying for the HSBC Star Alliance credit card? One option could be to apply for the United Airlines MileagePlus Premier Status Match Challenge.
This challenge gives you 120 days of complimentary Star Alliance status and a shortcut to keeping your status for an even longer period. United is a Star Alliance member, so you’ll get to enjoy the benefits of MileagePlus status across the Star Alliance network.
The current 2025 offer is running until 30 June 2025. Unfortunately, United has made it a bit harder to take advantage of this offer in 2025 compared to previous years…
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Who is eligible for a United Airlines status match?
United’s MileagePlus Premier Status Match Challenge is available to frequent flyers who already hold an equivalent elite status tier with another competing airline. This status must be valid during the current calendar year and cannot be a trial status. Status with other airlines that you’ve earned by flying, completing another promotion or through lifetime status is eligible.
The United Airlines website contains a partial list of carriers whose elite status is accepted for the purposes of a United MileagePlus status match in 2025. This list includes other US carriers like American Airlines, Delta, Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines. United also accepts status with many other international airlines including Qantas.
United accepted Virgin Australia Velocity status in the past, but not now that United partners with Virgin Australia. United also does not match the status of its Star Alliance partners.
Matches are available to United Premier Silver, Gold and Platinum status. You’ll be offered a level that is equivalent to your existing status with another airline. For example, Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold status will match to United Premier Gold, which is equivalent to Star Alliance Gold.
Prior to COVID-19, United MileagePlus members only had 90 days to enjoy their trial status and complete the required amount of flights to retain their matched United status. But since 2021, United has extended this period to 120 days (four months).
In general, you may only request a United status match challenge a maximum of once every five years.
How to request a United status match
It takes just a few minutes to request a MileagePlus Status Match Challenge on the United Airlines website. After reading through the requirements, you can submit your application by completing a Status Match Challenge Form.
You’ll need to include either a copy of your current membership card with the frequent flyer program you’re matching from, or your most recent activity statement. Your name, current status level and expiry date must be clearly shown.
Obviously, you’ll also need to have an active United MileagePlus account number and email address.
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you’ll receive an email 1-2 weeks after applying to advise that your status challenge request has been approved. But there’s one more step you need to take before the trial period starts…
Complete an Activating Flight to start your challenge
In 2025, United has added a new “Activating Flight” requirement that you need to complete before starting a challenge.
After you’ve been approved, you need to take a flight on United or United Express within 90 days to start the challenge period. You can also choose to have a United flight you’ve taken in the past 30 days counted as your “Activating Flight” if you opt for this when applying for the challenge.
This is how the United website describes the new Activating Flight requirement:
An “Activating Flight” is a flight operated by United or United Express® that is completed within 90 days after the documentation that you submit for this offer is approved and the flight is posted to your MileagePlus account. Members who successfully submit their request and complete an eligible flight on the same calendar date will have that flight considered as their Activating Flight unless they elect to look back at the prior 30 days for an earlier eligible flight. A member can make this election by selecting this option in the application at the time of document submission.
Individuals who do not complete an Activating Flight in the required time period will no longer be eligible for the Premier Status Match offer and are not eligible to again submit for a Premier Status Match in the same calendar year.
After completing this Activating Flight, United will upgrade your account within 5-7 business days and your 120-day trial period will officially begin.
How to complete the United status challenge
Once you complete the Activating Flight and United upgrades your account, you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of United and Star Alliance status for 120 days.
To renew your status beyond the 120-day trial period, you’ll need to earn a minimum amount of Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) and Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) on flights operated by United Airlines and/or United Express.
The requirements depend on the status level you’ve been matched to:
- Premier Silver status – renew by earning 5 PQF & 1,700 PQP in 120 days
- Premier Gold status – renew by earning 10 PQF & 3,400 PQP in 120 days
- Premier Platinum status – renew by earning 15 PQF & 5,000 PQP in 120 days
One PQF is earned for every United flight taken, regardless of the class of travel – except for Basic Economy tickets which don’t earn PQFs.
For travel on United Airlines, you’ll earn one PQP for every US Dollar spent, excluding taxes.
Therefore, to complete a Premier Gold status challenge, you would need to take at least eight United-operated flights and spend at least USD3,400 before taxes (~AU$5,200 at today’s exchange rate) with United Airlines. This could be possible, for example, if you booked a return trip from Australia to the United States in Business or Premium Plus (United’s version of Premium Economy) and also took eight additional internal flights while in the USA.
The best time to request a United status match challenge
If you complete a United Status Match Challenge any time between January and June 2025, your status will be renewed until the end of January 2026. But if you completed your challenge after 1 July 2025, you’d get to keep your status until January 2027. Therefore, July is the best time to complete your status challenge. You’ll receive the benefits of your status for the longest time!
This is based on the time when you complete a challenge, not when you start it. Therefore, you could still start a challenge any time from March 2025 until June 2025 and enjoy the benefits of your status until January 2027. This is provided you complete the PQF and PQP requirements after 1 July 2025.
Benefits during the 120-day challenge period
You’ll receive most of the usual United MileagePlus status tier benefits during your trial period when you travel on United Airlines. These include:
- Lounge access for international flights
- Waitlisting for complimentary upgrades on domestic flights
- Free Economy Plus (extra legroom) seat selection
- Two complimentary checked bags
- Priority check-in, baggage & boarding
The offer terms and conditions state that some benefits of your status may not be available on other Star Alliance partner airlines during the challenge period. In our experience, this is not necessarily the case.
Although it’s not guaranteed, you should still be able to enjoy status benefits across the Star Alliance network during the trial period. You’ll just need to add your United MileagePlus number to your reservation. You may also be able to enjoy benefits on other United partners, including Virgin Australia.
However, you won’t be issued with a physical membership card or pack until you’ve completed your challenge. (In the meantime, you’ll have access to a digital membership card which is marked as being a “trial” status.)
If you’re planning a trip to the United States, you could use the United MileagePlus status match challenge as a shortcut to Star Alliance status. This is useful when flying on any Star Alliance carrier including Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways or Air Canada.
Keep in mind that United also has various fifth-freedom flights within Asia that you could use for the Activating Flight, or to complete the challenge without visiting the USA.
Even if you don’t plan to complete the challenge, it’s an easy four months of free Star Alliance Silver or Gold status if you can take the Activating Flight.
Alternatives to the United status match challenge
Admittedly, United has made its challenge substantially more complicated in 2025, compared to previous years, with the need to take an Activating Flight and increased PQF/PQP requirements to complete a challenge.
As an alternative, consider the status match from fellow Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines. You get four months of Turkish Airlines status right off the bat, and you only have to take one international Turkish Airlines flight to keep this status for a whole year.
Or, an even easier way to get Star Alliance Gold status is with the HSBC Star Alliance credit card. You can get at least a year of status by simply applying for the card and spending at least $4,000 within the first three months. Plus, this card has no annual fee in the first year.
Get Star Alliance Gold status without flying…
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