The craziest things I've done for airline elite status this year
Christian Kramer is Vice President of TPG UK.
For me, 2019 has been a fun travel year, and I've managed to tick a few places off that I've always wanted to visit including New Orleans, Iceland, Bali and actually Bath Spa.
Not only has it been fun, but I've traveled a lot. I've topped my previous record of number of flights from 2017 in terms of number of sectors flown. From a British Airways Executive Club status point of view, I've earned 6,160 Tier Points with BA in 2019 to renew and maintain my Gold Guest List and Concorde Room Card status. Though I've flown more long-haul flights with work since joining TPG in late 2018 than before, the majority of those Tier Points were earned on personal trips.
Just to be clear, at TPG, we offset all of our flights, and I take seriously my personal responsibility to travel as environmentally friendly as possible. Though the British Airways Executive Club is structured in a way that means taking more flights is more rewarding from a Tier Point — and sometimes Avios — point of view, airlines are looking at numerous ways to improve their carbon emissions output, including with more modern aircraft.
Most of my personal trips tend to be holidays or trips to see friends that I route in a Tier Point-maximizing way. Even when there's a great fare that might trigger me to book a trip I wasn't otherwise planning on doing, I tend to use that as stimulation to visit a new place or build a trip around it.
Related reading: The most comfortable way to earn British Airways Silver status
My runner-up for craziest things I've done for status in 2019 was probably a trip that saw me spending 23 hours in Amman, Jordan, followed by 32 hours in Tel Aviv. Both are interesting places to visit, but the fare rules did not allow for a stopover of longer than 23 hours and 59 minutes in Amman. In order to make the trip work for myself and my travel companion, we couldn't spend longer than 32 hours in Tel Aviv.
The trigger for doing this trip was a mispriced fare that saw us earning 1 Tier Point per £1 spent, which is pretty good! The low fare required flying from a European city via London to Amman and onward to Tel Aviv.
The craziest thing I've done for status in 2019 was a trip to Mexico City with a friend that saw us on the ground for 40 minutes, running through immigration, customs, security and back to the gate to connect on a flight back to Los Angeles — the same city and plane from which we arrived. It was fun in hindsight, but as we were running and worrying that we'd miss our flight, I did question my sanity and why I thought this was a good idea.
So why did I do it? BA had one of its relatively regular "2 flights in Club World for £2,019" sales in the summer. It had previously done those around Christmas and the travel window is usually quite restrictive. Using ITA Matrix, ExpertFlyer and various other tools, my friend had found the best possible routing — maximizing Tier Points, fun routing and at lowest cost. We ended up flying: Jersey (JER) to London (LGW) to Madrid (MAD) to New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) before Mexico City (MEX) — and the same routing on the way back. Interestingly, the fare allowed a stopover in Madrid that was longer than 24 hours, though the travel window was still very restrictive.
We booked to fly to Jersey on a Wednesday, fly back to London Gatwick straight away on the same plane to start our ticket and connect onward to Madrid arriving at midnight on Wednesday evening. We then decided to spend two nights in Madrid before flying to New York (JFK) on Friday morning and connecting onward to Los Angeles (LAX), arriving late on Friday evening. After a night in an airport hotel, Saturday saw us flying from LAX to Mexico City and back to LAX. Following a few hours of eating, working and grabbing a shower in the excellent Qantas First Class lounge at LAX, we flew onward to JFK, landing Sunday morning at 9 a.m.
That evening, we flew from JFK back to Madrid overnight and connected to a flight with BA to LHR. Tempting as it was to head home after two overnight flights on that Monday morning, we hopped on a National Express bus to Gatwick to finish the ticket by flying LGW to JER.
Starting in Jersey meant that we saved some taxes, and the total ticket cost £960 ($1,248) each (excluding the positioning flights to Jersey and any hotel or other costs). Given that the ticket earned us 800 Tier Points each, as well as just under 40,000 Avios, which TPG U.K. values at £440 ($572), it was almost a no-brainer for someone who loves traveling and flying.
So whilst that particular Mexico City run was triggered by a great fare, we did manage to build out the trip to include a nice few days in Madrid, a day in NYC with a bucket-list helicopter ride back to JFK — as well as a lot of time on planes. Given the number of flights and our sprinting to make our flight back to LA in Mexico City, it was definitely the craziest I've done in 2019 for status.
Watch out for the team's travel plans and resolutions over the coming days and, of course, share your own success or mistake stories, which could include crazy trips working out well — or going wrong.
ExpertFlyer is owned by TPG’s parent company Red Ventures.
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Rewards
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.