Tag Archives for elite status.
Alaska Airlines, facing a significant operational disruption and financial loss due to the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 9, is enticing customers with double and triple elite qualifying miles in February to regain loyalty and mitigate the impact of passengers booking away to competitors like Delta.
While United Airlines doesn’t have a formal, published program to support status extensions there are plenty of customer reports that a call or an email has gotten status extended for customers that didn’t re-earn it during 2023. They’re about to see their status drop February 1. If you’re in that boat, you might reach out to MileagePlus, too.
At the end of last year I shared the hotel observations of a reader who racked up 249 elite nights on the road, mostly with Marriott, Hyatt, and IHG hotels.
He expected his travel to slow down to no more than 150 nights. That didn’t happen. And he reports back after a year on the road, sleeping around a bit across different chains.
United Airlines has announced modest changes to elite status for 2024. In a nutshell, co-brand card spend can contribute somewhat more towards status and they’re again giving current elites a jumpstart towards requalifying for status.
Frontier Airlines is doubling down on elite status benefits for 2024. Those who have matched status already, and those who do it now, are getting an even better deal than we thought.
A Choice Privileges Diamond member filmed himself being kicked out of a Sleep Inn hotel. The front desk clerk tells the man, “You called me a b—- and you’re an absolute nobody. A piece of.. You’re scum. You’re nothing. You can leave.”
The man says he’s leaving, turns his phone around to point it at himself, and declares “This is how they treat their Diamond members.” Why yes, when you call the front desk clerk vulgarities it very much is. The amazing thing is that the man shared the video to TikTok (though since removed it) as though the exchange made him look good?
The current status program was itself a big improvement, and it appears that the 2024 changes are generally improvements as well.
Marriott Bonvoy Titanium and Ambassador members, and United Gold elites and higher, can earn extra points when flying or staying with the other partner through December 9.
Recently-announced Delta SkyMiles changes to elite status have underscored for me that stretching to earn top status just no longer makes sense for most people. If you are hub captive, and flying one airline enough anyway to earn status-fine. But what does top tier get you? The real sweet spot is mid-tier status anyway.
The membership card has been dropped, luggage tags reduced by half, and employee recognition certificates ended as part of these kits. They’re just a cheaper self-mailer with less personalization and at lower cost.
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 »
