You may have just finished earning elite status during the 2024 qualification year. Or, if you’re chasing status with a program that doesn’t use a calendar year as its qualification period, such as American Airlines AAdvantage, you may still have months to earn your desired elite status.

As the year comes to a close, it’s a good time to consider which elite statuses you plan to requalify for in 2025 and which you’ll let lapse. Thinking about this now will provide direction as you book trips for the coming year.

Your elite status plans may look very different from mine, as I travel full-time as a digital nomad and aim to visit at least 40 countries in 2025. But to help you think through how to manage your elite statuses, here’s a look at what statuses I plan to earn in 2025.

Related: So, what exactly is elite status in travel — and how can I get it?

American Airlines AAdvantage: Requalify for AAdvantage Platinum Pro

American AAdvantage doesn’t use a calendar year qualification period. Instead, the program counts the Loyalty Points you earn in the 12 months between the start of March and the end of February each year.

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

I first earned AAdvantage Executive Platinum status in 2016 and requalified for the status every year until the qualification year that ended Feb. 29, 2024. Over the years, I’ve gotten a ton of value from American Airlines miles and the perks of high-level AAdvantage elite status. However, as AAdvantage has watered down or removed many of the differentiating benefits of the status, earning Executive Platinum status is no longer a must for me.

Related: More passengers are paying for first-class seats. That’s hurting your upgrade chances

Instead, I now focus on earning AAdvantage Platinum Pro status. Platinum Pro status still gives me the benefits I value most, including Oneworld Emerald status (which gets me access to first- and business-class lounges), Main Cabin Extra seats at booking when flying American Airlines and a checked baggage allowance when flying on Oneworld airlines (excluding British Airways fares that only permit hand baggage).

American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER economy cabin. KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY

The AAdvantage program’s shift to Loyalty Points has made me change how I earn status. Instead of primarily earning status by crediting flights to AAdvantage, I now also use AAdvantage eShopping, SimplyMiles and my American Airlines credit cards to earn enough Loyalty Points for my desired status.

Daily Newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

This shift to Loyalty Points also encouraged my husband — who previously qualified for Executive Platinum status each year alongside me — to begin earning Oneworld elite status through British Airways Executive Club. We could both qualify for AAdvantage Gold or Platinum through flights and splitting nonflight activities between our accounts, but we’ve decided earning Oneworld status through different programs is more beneficial.

Related: Last-minute strategies for earning American AAdvantage elite status

Asiana Club: Uncertain

Asiana Club gives you 24 months to qualify for status and then lets you keep your status for 24 months once your qualification period ends. Best of all, while you initially need 40,000 tier miles to qualify for Diamond status, you only need 30,000 tier miles to requalify for it.

In December 2017, my husband and I started the 24-month qualification period to earn Asiana Airlines status. By the end of January 2018, we’d each earned Asiana Club Diamond status (which gets us Star Alliance Gold status) through the end of 2021. We requalified during an extended three-year qualification period in 2022 for status through 2024. And last month, we requalified once again for Asiana Diamond status through 2026.

When traveling domestically on United Airlines, I often use my Star Alliance Gold status to access United Club lounges. CAROLINE TANNER/THE POINTS GUY

We’ve enjoyed the perks of having Star Alliance Gold status with flying carriers like United Airlines, Lufthansa and All Nippon Airways. Not to mention, lucrative earning rates on partner premium cabin fares would make it feasible to earn the 30,000 tier miles we’d need to requalify for Diamond status by the end of 2026. However, Korean Air is acquiring Asiana Airlines, so it’s unclear how this will affect our elite status and requalification plans.

Related: Which mileage program is best for getting Star Alliance status quickly?

Marriott Bonvoy: Requalify for at least Platinum Elite

I earned Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite status for the first time in 2021 and have requalified each year since.

Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa in the Maldives. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

However, I only strive to qualify for Marriott Platinum Elite status each year. After all, the only tangible perks that Titanium Elite status provides over Platinum Elite status are increased earnings on paid stays, United Premier Silver status and a 75-night Annual Choice Benefit.

Of course, these perks are valuable. However, my husband and I want to earn at least Platinum Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy each year as we each progress toward higher tiers of lifetime Marriott Bonvoy status. We get significant value from Platinum Elite perks, including guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout at most properties, lounge access at most brands with lounges and the option to choose complimentary breakfast at many Marriott brands.

Breakfast at Le Meridien Maldives Resort & Spa in the Maldives. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

So, we ensure we both get the 50 elite nights required for Platinum Elite status each calendar year (which is easy since we each earn 30 elite night credits from our Marriott Bonvoy cards). Then, we put the next 25 nights toward his account to earn Titanium Elite status since he doesn’t have a United credit card that provides extra award availability (and United Premier Silver status provides this benefit). Then, we put the other 25 nights toward my account to earn Titanium Elite status if we have remaining nights before the end of the year.

You may wonder why we don’t just put all our stays toward one of our accounts to earn Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite status. Since we redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for many of our stays to get a fifth night free, we wouldn’t even come close to reaching the spending requirements for Ambassador Elite.

Related: Last-minute strategies to earn Marriott Bonvoy elite status

World of Hyatt: Requalify for Globalist

Until 2021, I’d ignored World of Hyatt. Discoverist and Explorist status didn’t provide enough perks to justify staying with Hyatt over programs where we had mid-to-high levels of elite status. So, I never wanted to get minimal perks while staying with Hyatt for 60 nights to earn Hyatt Globalist status.

Hyatt Place Melbourne / Palm Bay / I-95 in Florida. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

However, thanks to promotions and decreased elite requirements amid the coronavirus pandemic, I qualified for Hyatt Globalist status in 2021. I initially figured I would not continue to qualify for Globalist status in subsequent years. After all, 60 nights is a lot, especially considering Hyatt’s small footprint and the absence of budget-friendly Hyatt options in many markets.

World of Hyatt now has a solid place in my hotel elite strategy plan, partly because it has maintained award charts (except for Mr & Mrs Smith hotels, which it prices dynamically). But I also appreciate the value I can get at many Category 1 Hyatt properties, and I’ve gotten great value from World of Hyatt Globalist perks. As a Globalist member, I especially love getting waived parking fees on award nights, waived resort fees, complimentary breakfast and 4 p.m. late checkout at most properties.

Overwater villa at the Alila Kothaifaru Maldives. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

I get five qualifying night credits each year from my World of Hyatt Credit Card. This card also offers two qualifying night credits for every $5,000 I spend each calendar year. So, I aim to spend $15,000 on my Hyatt card each year to earn an extra free night at any Category 1 through 4 Hyatt hotel or resort and six extra qualifying night credits. After accounting for the qualifying night credits I earn with my card, I only need to spend 49 nights with Hyatt each year to maintain Globalist status.

Related: Last-minute strategies for earning World of Hyatt status

IHG One Rewards: Drop to Platinum Elite

IHG’s top-tier Diamond Elite status requires 70 qualified nights or 120,000 qualified points in a calendar year. I currently have Diamond Elite status, but I will drop to Platinum Elite — which I get as a perk of my IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card — in 2025 since my husband and I put almost all of our IHG stays in 2024 toward his account.

Holiday Inn Johannesburg Airport in South Africa. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

The good news is that my husband requalified for Diamond Elite status in 2024. We love this IHG elite status due to its perks, the value we can get when redeeming IHG points and the IHG Milestone Rewards we earn while staying the 70 nights required for Diamond Elite status. In particular, I love the annual lounge membership you can choose as a milestone reward after you stay 40 or 70 nights within a calendar year.

Executive Lounge at the Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium in Singapore. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

We usually stay together and can transfer IHG points between our accounts without a fee, so — especially since I have Hyatt Globalist status — we decided we’d focus on getting him IHG Diamond Elite status again.

Related: Last-minute strategies for earning IHG One Rewards elite status

Other status levels I’ll earn

Finally, there are several other hotel elite statuses that I plan to earn or maintain through partnerships and card benefits, including:

The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and Wyndham Rewards Earner® Business Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Beach villa at the Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa in the Maldives. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

If I requalify for Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite status in 2025, I’ll also keep United MileagePlus Premier Silver status through the RewardsPlus partnership between Marriott and United.

Related: The best credit cards to reach elite status

Bottom line

It’s not easy to make elite status requalification plans before your requalification period even starts. After all, a program could completely change its elite requirements or tweak earning rates for the partner airline you’re flying or the hotel brand you’re staying at. Or, one of your go-to hotels could exit the program, as happened with the former Marriott hotel I enjoyed staying at in South Africa.

But one of the best ways to travel for less is to book refundable flights and hotels far in advance and periodically check for price drops. So, you may want to make a loose plan of what you want to qualify for in 2025 and book accordingly. If your bookings are freely refundable, you can change your plans if a program increases its requirements or devalues its rewards.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *