Airline elite status is an often-misunderstood and polarizing topic within the frequent flyer community. If you want to earn more frequent flyer miles, get free (or discounted) airline tickets and upgrades, and otherwise get more out of your air travel experiences, you might think that having elite status would be a ticket to a rarefied world of comfort and ease.
The truth is more complicated. Many air travel experts are debating whether making extra effort to chase elite status is still worth it. Airlines have cut back on some elite status perks in recent years, and have changed the rules for elite status in ways that can be confusing and customer-unfriendly.
I personally do not have elite status with any airlines. So maybe I’m just jealous. But based on my research and my life experience as an airline customer, I’m not super impressed by the offerings of elite status programs.
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Let’s look at a few reasons why airline elite status might be overrated — and where you should spend your time, energy, and dollars instead.
1. The rules for elite airline status are confusing
Every airline has different rules, brand names, and specific terminology for how to get elite status. To its credit, Southwest Airlines has one of the most customer-friendly, easy-to-understand elite status programs: just take 10 round-trip flights, and you’ve got status!
But most other airlines bombard you with fine print and legalese. You have to rack up a certain number of qualifying flights, but not every flight qualifies. Or you can earn qualifying “points,” but these points are not the same as frequent flyer miles, and also not the same as credit card reward points.
Airline elite status programs also have multiple tiers, like, “Silver,” “Gold,” etc. — but the tiers are also confusing. You get certain benefits with each tier of status, and the perks get sweeter as you climb the status ladder. But the overall effect of reading about elite airline status on the airlines’ websites can often feel exhausting and discombobulating, rather than inspiring.
None of this makes me want to grab my credit card and start strategically spending and booking flights. It mostly makes me question whether the effort is worth it at all.
2. The perks have gotten less generous
You might think that having elite status with an airline would guarantee you a wide range of VIP perks, like airport lounge access. But airlines have been cutting back on lounge access, even for elite status members. If you want free lounge access, the easiest way might be to have the right (higher-fee) premium travel credit card, not just elite status.
And if getting access to in-demand perks like the airport lounge is only based on which airline credit card you have in your wallet, why bother chasing elite status at all? You don’t have to fly dozens of times per year. You might as well just focus on which travel perks you want, and choose travel credit cards that give you those perks.
3. Some perks are irrelevant to my interests
If you really sit down and read the list of perks and benefits offered by each tier of airline elite status program, they become less impressive. Yes, elite status gives you some nice benefits like eligibility for free upgrades and multipliers of your frequent flyer miles, so you can earn more miles more quickly.
But most of the rest of the perks feel pretty flimsy to me. I don’t need a free checked bag; I travel light. (And even if you want a free checked bag, the best airline credit cards can give you that perk — no elite status required.) Do you really care about priority boarding? Is it worth thousands of dollars for you to get to stand in a special little line and sit on the plane for an extra 30 minutes?
Are these mundane status signifiers supposed to make people feel like their lives are more valuable than the rest of us commoners who are sitting in basic economy? Whatever makes people happy, I guess. But I’d rather just get a cheaper plane ticket and choose my own perks, a la carte style!
Bottom line
If you already fly so frequently that your miles and your status-qualifying achievements are piling up without you even realizing it, elite airline status could be worth getting. But I don’t see the point of working too hard or making extra effort to pursue status with airlines. The rules are complicated, and most of the best benefits can be achieved in other ways. Instead of chasing elite status, just choose the right travel credit cards.
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