Airlines will frequently give you elite status if you have status with a competitor in order to make it easier to move your business.

Alaska Airlines in particular is quite aggressive, they will even match to their top tier MVP Gold 75K level when you email elite.flyer@alaskaair.com with proof of your existing status. And they’re fairly quick on the response, too. Wait until October 1 if you want status to be valid for the entire coming year and not just through the end of the current elite year.

They also have a new offer out that does not require you to be a current elite flyer, just someone that has plans to fly cross country a few times.

• Earn MVP status after 2 round trips on transcon flights or
  
• MVP Gold status after 4 round trips on transcon flights
  
• Trips must occur March 6 — May 31, 2019

Registration required and open to residents of California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, or District of Columbia. In other words, folks most likely to fly cross country.

Qualifying flights:

• Los Angeles (LAX) to/from Baltimore (BWI), Boston (BOS), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Philadelphia (PHL), Washington-Dulles (IAD), or Washington-Reagan (DCA)
  
• San Diego (SAN) to/from Baltimore (BWI), Boston (BOS), Newark (EWR), or Orlando (MCO)
  
• San Francisco (SFO) to/from Baltimore (BWI), Boston (BOS), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Orlando (MCO), Philadelphia (PHL), Raleigh (RDU), Washington-Dulles (IAD), or Washington-Reagan (DCA)
  
• San Jose (SJC) to/from New York (JFK) or Newark (EWR)

Terms and conditions:

Only Mileage Plan™ members in New York, California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, North Carolina, and Florida, as indicated by the address attached to their Mileage Plan account are eligible for this offer.

Eligible members who register for this promotion before their first qualifying flight will receive 2019 MVP® status after flying 4 qualifying flights and 2019 MVP® Gold status after flying 8 qualifying flights within the promotional period. Qualifying flights must take place between March 6 and May 31, 2019. Qualifying flights must be marketed and operated by Alaska Airlines and nonstop between Los Angeles (LAX) and Baltimore (BWI), Boston (BOS), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Philadelphia (PHL), Washington-Dulles (IAD), or Washington-Reagan (DCA); Between San Diego (SAN) and Baltimore (BWI), Boston (BOS), Newark (EWR), or Orlando (MCO); Between San Francisco (SFO) and Baltimore (BWI), Boston (BOS), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Orlando (MCO), Philadelphia (PHL), Raleigh (RDU), Washington-Dulles (IAD), or Washington-Reagan (DCA); Between San Jose (SJC) and New York (JFK) or Newark (EWR). Mileage for qualifying flights must be credited to the member’s Mileage Plan account. Not valid on free or award travel. 2019 elite status will be awarded within four to six weeks of qualifying activity posting to a member’s account, and will be valid through December 31, 2019. All terms and conditions of the Mileage Plan program apply. Offer subject to change without notice.

(HT: Joe Brancatelli)