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Elite Status

Should You Be Content With The Airline Elite Status You Have Or Go For More?

June 16, 2013

TPG reader Lou is mapping out his airline elite status strategy for the rest of the year. He’s already achieved the top tier on United and is pondering whether or not to go for elite status on a second airline. He asks: “It’s June and I just qualified for Platinum status on United Airlines and [...]

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American Airlines Discontinuing Soft Landings for AAdvantage Members

May 22, 2013

Historically some airlines, like American, have given “soft landings” to elite members who didn’t quite re-qualify for their elite status. Instead of dropping these elites to the cold hard world of non-elites, they’d drop them down a level to hopefully keep them engaged and wanted to keep their business with the airline and earn back [...]

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My Virgin America Elevate Gold Status Ends – So What?

May 20, 2013

Back in December, Virgin America was offering status matches to the elite flyers of America and United, so I was able to match from my Executive Platinum status on American to Elevate’s highest (of two) status tier, Gold. My new status was good for four months, until April 30, 2013. In order to have extended [...]

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My SPG Platinum Requalification Gift Choice: Double Starpoints or 35% Award Discount

May 7, 2013

Starwood offers elites who requalify for their tier in 2013 a choice of elite gifts. Golds who requalify (10 stays/25 nights) get the choice of a 25% discount on one award stay or double points for a month, and Platinums (25 stays/50 nights) get the choice of a 35% discount on one award stay or [...]

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Maximize Monday: Avoiding Airline Fees

May 6, 2013

As airline fees continue to rise on everything from ticket changes/cancellations to carry-on bags, to lounge memberships to on-board snacks, now is the time to pay more attention than ever to how much you’ll be paying to fly and how you can get out of some of these fees so you can maximize your travel [...]

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My Frequent Traveler University Presentation on Delta – Status, Upgrades, Awards

May 1, 2013

In addition to my seminar on the best credit card deals, I gave a second talk at Frequent Traveler University this past weekend on why Delta is still an airline program of value entitled, “Making the Most of Delta – Status, Upgrades and Awards.” The whole point is that there are still plenty of ways [...]

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Targeted American Status Match and Challenge Promo – Gold, Platinum and Executive Platinum Offers

April 30, 2013

Loyalty Lobby reports on three targeted American Airlines promos that offer Gold, Platinum and Executive status matches and challenges to former elites looking to regain their status as well as packets of 500-mile upgrades. The offer is instant elite status through August 31, 2013, as well as the chance to extend that elite status through [...]

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Video SRQ: How Do You Maintain Status On So Many Different Airlines?

April 28, 2013

TPG reader Michael is wondering how you can maintain status on multiple airlines while still frequently booking travel using miles: “I have only discovered your blog in the last year (since gaining status for the first time). It seems like you take a lot of trips on miles, so I wanted to ask (maybe naively) [...]

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American Releases Lucrative 2013 Elite Rewards: Easier Qualification and More Choices

April 24, 2013

Elite Rewards is American Airlines’ incentive program for its elite flyers who go above and beyond their status qualification thresholds by offering them gifts such as high mileage bonuses, additional systemwide upgrades and the ability to gift elite status to friends and family among other benefits. In the past, you would just get your Elite [...]

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Targeted Offer: 50% United Elite Miles Bonus

April 17, 2013

United sent out a targeted offer to certain elite members for a 50% bonus on Premier Qualifying miles on United-operated flights from now through May 23, 2013. To qualify, register with the link provided specifically to you by United and purchase a roundtrip ticket in United Global First, United First, United BusinessFirst, United Business or [...]

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My Elite Status Conundrum: American vs. Delta

April 17, 2013

For some reason, I just can’t manage to stop flying Delta. For the past year I’ve been trying to shift my loyalty from Delta to American, which you would think would be easy with all of Delta’s negative changes – like an impending shift to a revenue-based elite program, hacked Same Day Confirmed Benefits, an [...]

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Hyatt Extends 1,000-Point Diamond Welcome Amenity To International Hotels

April 15, 2013

Hyatt Diamond elite status (25 stays or 50 nights in a calendar year) includes a bunch of valuable perks such as a 30% points bonus, room-available upgrades, Club lounge access, free breakfast, four annual suite upgrades, complimentary internet access, a 48-hour room availability guarantee, late check-out, a dedicated customer service line and a welcome amenity [...]

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SRQ: Which American Express Cards Give Starwood Gold Status

April 7, 2013

TPG follower Andy tweeted a question about Starwood Gold status: “‪@thepointsguy which Amex plat gives SPG gold status? Biz, Personal or Benz?” Although it isn’t marketed well, all three American Express Platinum Cards: Personal, Mercedes-Benz Personal and Business give instant Gold status with Starwood Hotels (as well as the invite-only Centurion card). Simply call the number [...]

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Starwood’s YOUR24 Platinum Elite Benefit Is More Like 50/50

April 4, 2013

When Starwood Preferred Guest enhanced its elite benefits last year, one of the perks was the benefit awarded to Platinum members who reach 75 nights or more called YOUR24. YOUR 24 is the ability to check in any time you want and check out 24 hours later (or at the same time on your check-out date). [...]

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Last Minute Reminder: Use Your Upgrades and Free Nights Before They Expire!

February 28, 2013

Many upgrade instruments expire tomorrow, so it is best to use them today before you lose them. I have a couple Hyatt suite upgrades to burn that I will use on future bookings (and hope I don’t have to cancel them). I also realized that my two free nights in a suite for getting the [...]

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Will You Be Affected By The Airline Elite Status Cliff on March 1st?

February 26, 2013

Forget sequestration and fiscal crises – March 1 marks the first official day of 2013 elite status, so if you didn’t bank enough elite qualifying miles/points/segments in 2012, you’ve only got a few days left until March 1 to enjoy the benefits of your status- or do you? Thinning The Herd Although March 1 is [...]

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SRQ: Which Delta Medallion Choice Benefit Should I Choose?

February 24, 2013

TPG reader Jim just became a Delta Platinum Medallion and now has to choose which Choice Benefit he wants. Here’s his question: “I just became a Delta Platinum Medallion. I am wondering which Choice Benefit to take. The upgrade certificate seem like a joke since they require very expensive flights. I have family and friends [...]

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American Airlines: Qualifying for Status With Elite Qualifying Points

February 19, 2013

Most airlines award either Elite Qualfying Miles (based on how far you fly and in what class of service, which generally benefits long-haul flyers) or Elite Qualifying Segments (number of individual flights you take, which is better for short-haul flyers). Most will give a 50% EQM bonus on first class or refundable economy fares (sadly [...]

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How Will The US Airways American Merger Affect Million Miler Lifetime Status?

February 15, 2013

One of the major questions that has come up with the official announcement of the US Airways American Airlines merger has been speculation as to what will happen to flyers who have achieved lifetime elite status through the two airlines’ Million Miler programs. The outcome could be a huge boon for US lifetime members who [...]

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Travel Tuesday Top 10: Ways That Elite Status Is Evolving

February 12, 2013

With both past and impending airline mergers, ongoing economic uncertainty and the ever-changing airline industry, elite flyers have found their programs changing a lot within the past couple of years. “Sure bet” complimentary first class upgrades are becoming harder and harder to come by as airlines strike a balance between giving away the house and monetizing [...]

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Buy Elite Miles Promos: A Cautionary Tale

February 6, 2013

TPG reader Ed wrote in the other day about a situation that provides a good cautionary tale as a reminder to us all that you need to read the terms and conditions of any bonus or promotion you plan to take advantage of, or you could be out a lot of money. Ed wrote up [...]

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Airline Status Match and Challenge Information For 2013

January 30, 2013

At the end of February, many of you who did not accrue enough elite miles/points in 2012 will be dropped from your current elite status level. However, you can still use your existing status to challenge to another airline, which can be good until the end of February 2014. Just note that if you did [...]

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A Week Later: My Thoughts on Delta’s SkyMiles Changes and Those Still to Come

January 23, 2013

Last Wednesday, Delta accidentally posted their future Medallion program requirements and we first learned the new term Medallion Qualifying Dollars. While they quickly pulled down the site, they ended up re-publishing it the next day and releasing an official press release confirming the changes. The biggest piece of news was that you no longer qualified [...]

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Maximizing Club Carlson Series: Elite Status

January 14, 2013

This is part of my Maximizing Club Carlson Series. Other posts include Base Level Earning and Redemptions. Like the other major hotel chains, Club Carlson offers elite status at various levels and has been very proactive in the past year about matching members’ status from other programs in an effort to recruit more high-level loyalty [...]

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