Your chariot awaits.
It’s no secret that status matters, particularly when flying legacy carriers like American, United and Delta — but there are upper tier privileges so exclusive, most passengers boarding your typical flight won’t even know they’re available.
Porsche ride to your plane? Check. Bottomless champagne? These things — and more — can be yours, provided the airline decides you’ve been loyal enough.
No more duking it out with your flight mates for room in the overhead locker — you’ll be first on the plane, naturally. All your flights will be upgraded, any delays or cancellations will be no sweat to work around, thanks to a dedicated phone number where real, life humans are at your beck and call 24 hours a day.
Forget what you’ve heard about the typical airline reward programs — these ultra-elite perks, more associated with celebrities and the extremely wealthy, are invitation-only, but there’s good news: that invitation can be earned by traveling. Lots and lots of traveling.
American Airline’s Concierge Key, United’s Global Services and Delta’s shadowy Delta 360 are the most coveted programs — they’re all relatively secretive about what it takes to get in, and how many people are in the pograms, though it’s estimated that there are just 10,000 members worldwide between them, the Daily Mail reported.
What is American Airlines Concierge Key?
Believed to be reserved for those who’ve spent $50,000 with the carrier, Concierge Key doesn’t publicize criteria, but influencers and travel planners who all but live on planes are likely candidates.
And you’ve got to keep impressing the airline to stay in the club, with membership up for review each year.
Benefits include universal lounge access no questions asked, the maximum upgrade available to any ticket before other frequent fliers get access, the earliest boarding slot and 24/7 live support just a phone call away.
Tight connections? Someone might very well whisk you across the tarmac in a branded car.
Scott Chandler, a rep for American, suggested that to make the grade, customers basically breathe, eat and sleep the airline, spending a ton of money on travel, but also using the airline’s shopping portals and branded credit card.
“They’re basically interacting with American on a daily basis, not just when they’re flying,” Chandler said.
What is United Airlines’ Global Services?
You’ll still need an invite, but anyone can qualify for one — provided they’ve flown at least 4 million miles with the carrier.
That can take decades, however — many Global Services members reportedly earn their stripes in other ways, though the specifics aren’t clear, with a very few United employees even understanding the program fully, though it’s also believed that spending $50,000 a year helps out a lot.
One thing’s for certain — if you want to hear people talking positively about a major carrier like United, drop in on an online discussion about Global Services.
The perks could make any traveler green with envy — exclusive check-in areas away from the madding crowds at United hubs like Newark and San Francisco, a reserved Mercedes for cross-tarmac transfers, and a at-beck-and-call, 24/7 phone number and email to help navigate around any issues.
Best of all, say members, is the get-them-home policy that will put Global Services passengers on any flight if necessary, United or no — an experience one lucky elite described to WSJ.com as “magical, elusive, absolutely incredible.”
What is Delta Airlines’ Delta 360?
While Delta advertises this program as an “annual, invitation-only membership for our most loyal SkyMiles Members,” don’t go looking for more details. Customers are merely told to look forward to the carrier’s “most premium suite of benefits and services, exclusive to our top SkyMiles members.”
Reportedly, developing a habit of booking lots of pricey, full fare tickets in any class flags you as a potential invitee, as does your position — how much business can you drive to the airline, for example, in a role in a field like corporate travel.
Others have said that spending $100,000 a year on flights alone is necessary to get noticed.
Dedicated customer service, unfettered access to Sky Clubs for you and your family, and a Porsche SUV for tarmac transfers are the norm, once you’re in — though one of the biggest perks is said to be the specially designed 360 club bag tag, known to show up on eBay and sell for hundreds of dollars.