Is airline elite status still worth it?

Quick summary

Major U.S. airlines are shifting elite status qualification from flight frequency to total spending, including spending at merchants via cobranded cards.
Top-tier status now often requires significant financial outlay, whether through flights or eligible card spending, with some airlines allowing status qualification almost entirely through non-flight purchases.
Recent changes have made perks like free upgrades harder to obtain, while everyday spending can now contribute more directly to elite status.
Travelers must weigh if the benefits of elite status justify the increased cost and whether prioritizing airline-specific spending is worthwhile.

What to consider

Some airlines require a minimum number of flights in addition to spending for elite status eligibility.
Spending at airlines typically earns more elite credit than spending at merchants, reducing the amount needed via cards if you fly frequently.
Status matches are available but often come with ambitious requirements to retain benefits beyond the initial period.

What you'll miss from the article

A detailed breakdown of how much spending is needed for both entry-level and top-tier airline status, plus practical advice on maximizing value from elite programs.

Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.

Is airline elite status worth it anymore? It’s an age-old question that’s back on plenty of travelers’ minds — especially after two of the four largest U.S. carriers overhauled their loyalty programs this month.

And one theme is becoming clear: To get the best rewards, members are going to have to spend ... a lot.

Starting in 2027, taking the most United Airlines flights won’t necessarily translate to the highest United MileagePlus status.

Instead, the airline's top elite members will be the customers who spend the most money — either on flights or the airline’s cobranded credit cards.

Top-tier 1K status will also be harder to earn.

Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines took its biggest step yet toward nudging flyers toward its lineup of credit cards.

Beginning next year, every dollar its members charge to their Southwest Rapid Rewards cards will count toward status.

Southwest Airlines and United Airlines planes taxi at Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). AL DRAGO/GETTY IMAGES

Southwest also closed a key shortcut to its most alluring perk: the Companion Pass. Going forward, members hoping to score the "buy-one, get-one" flight pass will have to spend their way to the airline’s top status tier (or take 100 flights in a year).

These changes weren’t entirely surprising.

Airlines lean heavily into credit cards

Over the past decade, airline status has become less about the time you spend in the sky and more about the cash you’re willing to spend.

For years, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have awarded status based purely on the money their frequent flyers spend.

And across the industry, carriers have become more agnostic about whether those dollars come in the form of a flight booking or card swipe at the grocery store.

On some airlines, you can now technically swipe your way to status without ever setting foot on a plane.

How much does top-tier status cost?

Here’s how much you’d need to pay for top-tier airline status in 2027 — if you went exclusively by credit card spending.

Airline status tier	Threshold to earn	Spending required — and the most efficient credit card to earn it
American AAdvantage Executive Platinum	200,000 Loyalty Points* *Note: American has not announced what its status thresholds will be in 2027.	$170,000 with the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Legend Mastercard® (see rates and fees) Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99
Delta Diamond Medallion	28,000 Medallion Qualification Dollars	$255,000 with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Annual fee: $650 (see rates and fees)
United Premier 1K	32,000 Premier qualifying points Note: United requires a minimum of four United-operated flights for members to be Premier-eligible.	$457,500 with the United Club℠ Card (see rates and fees) Annual fee: $695
Southwest Rapid Rewards Platinum (unlocks Companion Pass)	140,000 tier qualifying points Note: Cardholders earn a one-time 10,000 TQP boost upon hitting 130,000 TQPs in 2027.	$130,000 with any cobranded credit card, including the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see ) Annual fee: $99

Note: Elite credit earned by flying or other eligible spending reduces the card spending needed to qualify for elite status. Southwest still also offers elite qualification via flight segments.

Credit cards play a bigger role in airline loyalty programs

It’s not just the eye-popping dollar amounts travelers must now spend to reach status.

Airlines have also made carrying a credit card a more important part of the overall loyalty experience.

United and Delta cardholders now get access to better mileage redemptions than members who don’t carry a card.

A United Airlines regional jet on descent to Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) in California. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

JetBlue will soon offer exclusive elite perks to JetBlue TrueBlue loyalty members who carry its top-tier card.

And even more airlines offer cardholders shortcuts to elite status.

It’s no secret why.

The dollars behind the loyalty boom

Delta this month said it’s on track to pull in a record $9 billion through its banking partnership with American Express.

American expects to make $8 billion this year through its tie-up with Citibank.

Those are eye-popping numbers, of course.

Beyond the raw cash flow, though, airlines also see turning flyers into cardholders as one of the best ways to become part of customers’ day-to-day lives, even when they’re not on a trip.

Delta plane — SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

“It really is about making sure that we are top of mind for our members every single day, whether or not they’re able to be on board our aircraft," Jarad Fisher, United’s president of MileagePlus, said in a recent interview.

Is airline elite status worth it?

That brings us to the key question.

Is status worth it?

On one hand, airline status still offers a host of ways to save money, get better seats and travel with more flexible policies.

And, in some ways, qualify has become more realistic for travelers who aren’t true “road warriors," since everyday spending counts toward status.

At the same time, free first-class upgrades have gotten harder to score and status benchmarks keep getting pricier to earn.

It's created a real dilemma for travelers who fly a lot — but only have so much money they're willing to put toward earning status: Is it worth dumping tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars onto your favorite airline’s credit card to reach your status goal?

Here are a few things to consider.

Weigh what you're getting out of status

Think about what you’re getting out of status, and whether it’s worth the investment.

Are you actually getting first-class upgrades? For a lot of travelers, those have become few and far between.
If not, are you regularly getting free access to your airline's extra-legroom section? (Personally, this perk is one of the biggest reasons I stick with status.)
Do you take real advantage of other elite benefits, like free same-day changes or lounge access?

If not, you could be a candidate to hop off the status "hamster wheel" and be an airline "free agent."

But if you've crunched the numbers and decided status is still worth it, you may need to double down on your favorite airline.

And that might mean prioritizing credit card spending on that carrier's card. Because in 2026, that is almost as important as flying when it comes to unlocking the best perks.

The most efficient path to status

Here’s how much you’d need to pay for entry-tier airline status in 2027 if you went exclusively by credit card spending.

Airline	Threshold to earn	Spending required, and the most efficient credit card to earn
American Airlines	40,000 Loyalty Points* *Note: American has not announced what its status thresholds will be in 2027.	AAdvantage Gold $25,000 with the Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® (see rates and fees) Assumes 12 flight segments on American to fully unlock the card’s “Flight Streak” benefit. Annual fee: $350
Delta Air Lines	5,000 MQDs	Silver Medallion $25,000 with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Annual fee: $650
United Airlines	6,000 PQPs Note: United requires a minimum of four United-operated flights for members to be Premier-eligible.	Premier Silver $67,500 with the United Club℠ Card Annual fee: $695
Southwest Airlines	35,000 TQPs	Rapid Rewards Silver $35,000 with any cobranded credit card, including the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Annual fee: $99

Keep in mind that any spending you do with the airline on travel would reduce how much you'd have to charge to your card to earn status.

Spending on flights does typically earn you more elite credit (and points) than you'd get with typical credit card spending.

Just think carefully about what you’re sacrificing

While airline credit cards can offer strong value with that carrier, other cards may offer a stronger return for your spending.

For instance, there's basically no airline card that truly competes with the American Express® Gold Card on rewards for dining worldwide and grocery purchases.

And some Capital One credit cards offer 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase.

Most of us only have so many dollars to dole out, and sometimes the best rewards to earn are the flexible points you can transfer to a wide range of partners.

Plus, as a frequent traveler, I also carry hotel cards that are key to unlocking perks once I arrive at my destination.

The W Edinburgh, Scotland. SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

What about status matches?

If you're rethinking your loyalty with a particular airline, there are status matches you can take advantage of to effectively “change airlines.”

Just remember: Most U.S. carriers are now playing the “spending to status” game in some form. So, you may encounter similar sticker shock with your new carrier of choice.

Plus, even after matching, you’ll likely have to hit an ambitious challenge goal to keep your status for the entire year.

Delta stays the course

While United and Southwest announced major overhauls to their loyalty and status programs, Delta opted to stay the course for next year.

Its Medallion qualification requirements will not change in 2027.

Delta’s last major shake-up to its Delta SkyMiles program came in 2023, which led to significant backlash among its SkyMiles members.

What about American?

American likely won’t update its AAdvantage members for a few months since its loyalty year technically doesn’t begin until March 1.

So, it remains to be seen whether the status game will continue getting harder for more flyers in the new year.

Related reading:

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card click here