Tag Archives for elite status.
United has two new ways to earn elite status for next year. One lets existing elites keep their status for modest spending, while the other gives those who don’t currently have status or have already re-qualified a boost in reaching a higher elite tier.
It’s not quite ‘giving up’ on 2021, but it does make earning status much easier, and still requires more spending than other airlines.
Last year American Airlines stopped sending out physical elite membership cards and luggage tags to members promoting their “fully digital experience.” It was a cost-cutting move, taking something of emotional value away from top customers.
However elite kits are again being sent out to Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members. But if you’ve already qualified for next year’s status, you’ll need to call in to request yours.
Delta already bonused all travel towards elite status and made award trips count too. Now they’re throwing in the towel, more or less, and calling 2021 another wash as they don’t want to risk losing elite members who may again be valuable customers.
They’ve also figured out how to continue incentivizing elites to travel this year – at the expense of those who do not.
Everyone knew that 2021 would be an odd year. It might not be a total loss, like 2020, where American like most everyone else just extended status. However business travel hadn’t returned in the first half of the year in a meaningful way, and much of long haul international travel remained out of reach. Customers who normally made their status on international business class tickets just weren’t doing so, yet no one wanted to lose these customers when their business returned.
With how easy they’ve made it to keep status, the airline now needs to encourage people to actually fly the airline.
American Airlines has introduced two new ways to keep your status that you held at the start of 2021. These make it really easy for existing elites to keep status, especially upper tier elites or those who do a lot of credit card spend.
They are in addition to the recently-announced three promotions for earning or keeping status, and in addition to reduced status qualification requirements.
Many American AAdvantage members who do not have any status at all are being gifted an elite level, upgrades, and a quick path to even earn the Executive Platinum level – with less flying and spending than the airline requires from current elites.
The Emirates credit card in the U.S. has a limited time bonus to earn up to 60,000 miles, and the Emirates cards let you spend towards elite status through end of year.
Carnvial Cruises has an elite status match program. They will match against casino loyalty programs, because they want big gamblers on their ships. And the offer even includes free cruises.
American Airlines has 3 new promotions to accelerate earning status for existing AAdvantage elite members, and it helps put me back on track to where status can be reached this year.
Registration is required, log into your account and click on your ‘promotions’ tab and you’ll see a promotion to register for. There are actually three separate promotions and you need to accept each one separately.
In the fall top American Airlines executives – including President Robert Isom – started cold-calling their best customers “to find out who it is that’s traveling and still earning elite status throughout the pandemic.”
Recently several top American Airlines AAdvantage elite members have reported getting calls scheduled with Rick Elieson, the head of the AAdvantage program. In one of these calls he leaked some great information!
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
