Tag Archives for elite status.
American Airlines has brought back its annual offer to let flyers pay cash (or redeem miles) to keep—or even buy up to—elite status for another year. The prices can be steep, from a few hundred dollars for the lowest tier to $2,000+ at the top, and there are often cheaper ways to qualify before the end of the current status year.
American briefly published a 2026 AAdvantage changes page, then pulled it after travelers started circulating screenshots. The leaked update suggests elite status thresholds stay the same, but Loyalty Point Rewards get reshuffled — with the 30% bonus at 100,000 points eliminated and several higher-tier perks swapped for merch credits, AA Vacations offers, and subscriptions.
United won’t hike the elite thresholds again for 2026, but it is quietly clawing back value by moving PlusPoints to dynamic pricing and tightening access to business-class saver awards for anyone without status or the co-brand card.
Hilton has confirmed that a new invitation-only elite tier sits above its freshly launched Diamond Reserve level — an unpublished status called The Honors Society. The company isn’t sharing details yet, saying guidance will come in early Q1, but internal systems and prior leaks make clear this mirrors the secret super-elite tiers already offered by Hyatt, Marriott, and GHA. The Honors Society will be Hilton’s new top rung, available only by invitation.
American Airlines has introduced a new AAdvantage Pass bundle that packages 100,000 miles, Gold status, and 15,000 Loyalty Points — and then slaps a $5,000 price tag on it. The idea of selling bundled status and miles makes sense, but this execution doesn’t:
Delta isn’t raising SkyMiles status requirements for 2026, but it is reshuffling the Choice Benefits that Platinum and Diamond members can select. Three options improve, while the American Express statement credit quietly drops in value — a detail Delta doesn’t call out in its announcement.
Hilton is rolling out a major Honors overhaul in 2026, and I can confirm the key changes: a new Diamond Reserve tier with confirmed upgrades and guaranteed late checkout, lower requirements for Gold and Diamond, and the end of rollover nights.
Marriott has finally confirmed its long-unwritten rule: members who fall short of requalifying for elite status won’t lose it all. Instead, they’ll be dropped just one level — formalizing a “soft landing” policy the chain has quietly practiced for decades.
Hilton has confirmed a new Diamond Reserve top-tier status that will finally include confirmed upgrades — while reducing qualification requirements for lower elite levels by 30%. The new tier requires 80 nights and $18,000 in annual spend, positioning Hilton to compete more directly with Marriott and Hyatt’s highest-status travelers.
Hilton Honors’ internal systems show a new Diamond Reserve elite tier above Diamond, requiring 80 nights and $18,000 in annual spend. The leak also references a hidden “Honor Society” level, potentially reserved for invitation-only members — signaling Hilton may finally be preparing to match Marriott’s Ambassador and other ultra-premium elite tiers.
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 »
