Tag Archives for elite status.
Marriott is out with their first gambit: to make elite status-earning easier in 2022: double elite qualifying nights, and 1000 bonus points per night, February 8 – May 4, 2022.
“Choice benefits” in the past have included things like bonus miles or confirmed international upgrades though require crediting at least 30 flights to an AAdvantage account. These benefits are earned at the 125,000 point level and above:
American has announced what these choice benefits are for status levels earned in 2022.
Frontier Airlines re-launched their credit card and their elite program four years ago and did something that at the time was revolutionary: a dollar spent on the card earned an elite qualifying mile. But Frontier did something bigger in 2021 and somehow I missed it. All spend over 20,00 per calendar year counts double towards elite status now.
Hyatt and MGM have a partnership that dates back to 2013. They each offer members in the other program status matches – not one time matches, but rather status in one program ‘equals’ status in the other.
And the status year in each program ends at a different time. This creates an opportunity to still have status with one program, after your status has ended in the other, and to use that to ‘match back’ to regain status – in perpetuity, or as long as this tactic has continued to last (and it’s lasted for years).
If you earned Platinum (50 night) or Titanium (75 night) elite status with Marriott in 2021 you only have until January 7th to make your ‘choice benefit selections. If you miss the deadline, you miss out on benefits like suite upgrade priority and free nights.
A reader shares they have a missing stay from December 27 that would push them over the threshold to earn Titanium. And Marriott won’t take a missing stay submission for that until January 10.
A frequent flyer shared their amazement that the purchase of 127 bonsai trees could earn them Executive Platinum status. But it’s actually much easier – and cheaper – than that.
JetBlue used to seem a bit half-hearted about its loyalty program. It was always a bit of a me-too effort, from revenue-based accrual and redemption to a single-tier elite program that doesn’t even offer free extra legroom seats to its top customers.
Now that they’re (1) expanding internationally and (2) in an alliance with American Airlines, using American slots in New York to grow and taking traffic onto their flights from American’s long haul operation, they’re in a whole new ballgame. They’re even relevant to corporate business. And how you treat premium customers matters – more than just inflight in Mint (their business class cabin, which is quite good). So they’re beginning to get serious about an elite program.
American Airlines partner and oneworld member Finnair is offering up to a 100% bonus on purchased miles, and buying miles also earns elite status miles. Through December 27 you can buy miles for an award ticket and become a mid-tier or top tier elite without flying.
I made it to the airport around 45 minutes to departure. I was already checked in, have CLEAR and PreCheck, and didn’t need to check bags. So that’s plenty of time. I even was able to pick up a coffee, bottle of water, and breakfast taco prior to start of boarding.
It wasn’t until I got on the aircraft that I realized I didn’t have my rollaboard with me. It was when I looked up at the overhead bin and wondered why I didn’t have anything to put in it that I knew I’d done something wrong.
They’ll use the same reduced criteria for earning status in 2022 that they used for 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 »
