Tag Archives for elite status.
Unsurprisingly with so little demand for air travel airlines are doing their best to get workers to take leaves and early retirements. United has a new offer that includes airline elite status and miles.
United has made a change to elite qualification, making status harder to earn, and they’re putting the change into effect in the middle of this year. Travel on partner airlines won’t count as much towards earning MileagePlus premier levels – the amount of qualifying dollars you can earn will be capped.
Frequent flyer programs have done an amazing job of turning marketing from an expense into a profit center. But without travel, members are less engaged in the programs. And that means less spend with credit card partners, too.
It takes creative effort to get members continuing to earn in the program when they aren’t likely to redeem right away. But that earning means cash now – and is even more valuable than ever both because of the premium on cash for struggling businesses and because the redemption expenses won’t come until later.
Southwest Airlines announced an extension of members’ elite status, Companion Pass benefits, and the validity of travel vouchers.
They’re also making it easier to earn elite status this year, as well as to earn a Companion Pass and extending the life of travel credits, in some cases giving up to an additional 2.5 years to use those credits.
Wyndham Rewards is extending all current elite member status through December 31, 2021. Many of us noted that Marriott was last to extend status, but that’s not true. Don’t forget Wyndham!
As part of American’s plan to extend elite status through January 31, 2022, the airline shared that they would be offering up to $400 credits with American Airlines Vacations.
This benefit will vary from $300 to $400 depending on level of elite status held on June 30. Here’s how it will work.
American Airlines is extending current elite status through January 31, 2022. They’re also making elite status easier to earn this year. They’re extending Admirals Club memberships, and they’re making Million Miler status easier to earn through the end of this year, too.
Many members were getting frustrated not hearing anything about American’s plans to extend their elite status. They earned the benefits through flying last year, and won’t have the full opportunity to use those benefits in 2020, and want to know what their travel with American will be like going forward. American has answered those concerns.
A reader who has lifetime Marriott Gold lost his Platinum status in 2020. He asked Marriott for Platinum status, and the simply gave it to him. Now current Platinums are having that status extended for all of 2021.
Elite status is one of the most powerful motivators for frequent customers to stick with a travel brand. When programs extend status outright during this crisis, they’re giving up a tool to encourage business when customers are able to come back. So they’re going to have to reach into a different bag of tricks.
Marriott is extending current elite status through February 2022. And while they had already paused expiration of points through August they have extended that out to February 2021.
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 »
