TLDR
- United Airlines (UAL) stock fell 5.88% to $110.05 on Thursday, underperforming the broader market.
- The drop was partly triggered by UAL’s announcement of a major overhaul of its MileagePlus rewards program.
- The revamp rewards co-branded credit card holders with more miles per dollar and lower redemption rates.
- UAL’s drop was steeper than rivals Southwest (-4.96%), Delta (-5.16%), and American Airlines (-5.32%).
- The MileagePlus changes mark the biggest overhaul of the program in over a decade, rolling out April 2.
United Airlines (UAL) had a rough Thursday, dropping 5.88% to close at $110.05.
United Airlines Holdings, Inc., UAL
The broader market was also in the red, with the S&P 500 down 0.28% to 6,861.89 and the Dow falling 0.54% to 49,395.16. But UAL’s drop stood out.
The sell-off snapped a two-day winning streak for the stock. UAL is now sitting 7.68% below its 52-week high of $119.21, reached on January 7th.
Trading volume came in at 5.0 million shares, just under its 50-day average of 5.1 million.
The catalyst? United announced a sweeping overhaul of its MileagePlus loyalty program — the largest in over a decade.
The changes focus on rewarding big spenders over frequent flyers. Cardholders using United’s co-branded JPMorgan Chase credit cards will earn more miles per dollar spent and benefit from lower redemption rates, including on long-haul business-class flights.
Investors didn’t like what they heard. UAL shares were down around 3% in the morning session alone after the news broke, and losses deepened through the close.
What’s Changing With MileagePlus
The last major shift to the MileagePlus program came in 2016, when United moved from a distance-based model to a spend-based one. Thursday’s announcement takes that philosophy further.
Co-branded cardholders will gain perks like no fees for checked bags, earlier boarding, and a 10% discount when redeeming miles for flights. The rollout is set for April 2.
The move follows a wider airline industry trend of leaning into premium, high-spend customers rather than casual frequent flyers. United’s cards are issued in partnership with JPMorgan Chase.
The concern from investors appears to be around the cost of these incentives and whether increased cardholder perks will offset potential revenue impacts.
UAL vs. The Competition
Thursday wasn’t kind to airline stocks across the board. Southwest fell 4.96% to $52.08, Delta dropped 5.16% to $67.44, and American Airlines slid 5.32% to $13.35.
UAL’s 5.88% drop was the smallest among its major rivals, though that’s cold comfort given the scale of the sell-off across the sector.
The broader airline sector weakness suggests macroeconomic pressure was already weighing on the group. UAL’s MileagePlus news added an extra layer of uncertainty on top.
Analysts said they’ll be watching adoption rates for the new card benefits and monitoring how the program changes affect revenue once the April 2 rollout kicks in.
UAL closed Thursday at $110.05, down from Wednesday’s close, with the stock now 7.68% off its 52-week high.
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