Easier elite frequent flyer status - Revision history

Editor: /* Earning low and mid-level status with American Airlines */

2021-10-28T02:14:00Z

‎Earning low and mid-level status with American Airlines

Editor: /* Earning low and mid-level status with American Airlines */

2021-10-28T02:13:37Z

‎Earning low and mid-level status with American Airlines

Editor: /* Earning high-level status on Delta with credit card spend */

2021-10-28T02:13:00Z

‎Earning high-level status on Delta with credit card spend

Editor: /* Lowering elite status requirements through credit card spending */

2021-10-28T01:59:02Z

‎Lowering elite status requirements through credit card spending

Editor: /* Earning high-level status on Delta with credit card spend */

2021-10-28T01:56:52Z

‎Earning high-level status on Delta with credit card spend

Editor: /* Earning high-level status on Delta with credit card spend */

2021-10-28T01:56:11Z

‎Earning high-level status on Delta with credit card spend

Editor: /* Lowering elite status requirements through credit card spending */

2021-10-28T01:50:04Z

‎Lowering elite status requirements through credit card spending

Editor at 01:47, 28 October 2021

2021-10-28T01:47:30Z

Editor: /* Lowering elite status requirements through credit card spending */

2021-10-28T01:36:28Z

‎Lowering elite status requirements through credit card spending

Editor: /* Specific status challenge and match opportunities */

2021-09-09T20:40:53Z

‎Specific status challenge and match opportunities

@@ Line 106: / Line 106: @@
 {{Box|American Status for Alaska Flyers}}
-If Alaska airlines is your primary airline, you might consider using American Airlines as your loyalty program. American Airlines elite flyers get many of the same benefits when flying Alaska as Alaska's own elites. This is especially true at the lower status levels.
+'''If Alaska airlines is your primary airline, you might consider using American Airlines as your loyalty program'''. American Airlines elite flyers get many of the same benefits when flying Alaska as Alaska's own elites. This is especially true at the lower status levels.
 By crediting your flights to American, you'll have the option to use credit card spending to close the gap to the next status level, something that isn't possible with Alaska's program. You'll also get benefits when flying JetBlue.

@@ Line 93: / Line 93: @@
 American Airlines requires flying at least 30 segments per year to qualify for many of the more valuable benefits of high-level status such as systemwide upgrade certificates, along with higher levels of credit card spending.
-'''But it doesn't take that much spending to qualify with low or mid-level status''':
+'''But it doesn't take that much credit card spending to qualify for low or mid-level status on American''':
 <ul class="bulletlist">
 <li>Even if you didn't earn any loyalty points from flying, you would "only" need to spend $30,000 to achieve low-lever status and $70,000 to achieve mid-level status. At an opportunity cost of 1.5 cents per point, this works out to $450 or $1,050.</li>
-<li>But if you spend $20-30,000 on most American Airlines credit cards, you'll also earn a valuable companion certificate''' (or some flight discounts), reducing the cost of the spend. {{Link|Companion certificates}}</li>
+<li>But if you spend $20-30,000 on most American Airlines credit cards, you'll also earn a valuable companion certificate (or some flight discounts), reducing the cost of the spend. {{Link|Companion certificates}}</li>
 <li>One strategy would be to spend money relatively early in the year to bump your status for almost two years.</li>

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:13, 28 October 2021
Line 88:		Line 88:

	'''Unless you are earning MQMs as part of the signup bonus or have already made a lot of progress towards a status level, it is less worthwhile to shoot for Delta's lower-level status'''. In a normal year, without any points from flying, you'd need to spend $50,000 on the Delta Platinum card to get most of the way (20,000 MQMs) to entry-level status, $100,000 across the personal and business versions of the Platinum Card to earn 40,000 MQMs, or $90,000 on the expensive Delta Reserve card to earn 45,000 MQMs.		'''Unless you are earning MQMs as part of the signup bonus or have already made a lot of progress towards a status level, it is less worthwhile to shoot for Delta's lower-level status'''. In a normal year, without any points from flying, you'd need to spend $50,000 on the Delta Platinum card to get most of the way (20,000 MQMs) to entry-level status, $100,000 across the personal and business versions of the Platinum Card to earn 40,000 MQMs, or $90,000 on the expensive Delta Reserve card to earn 45,000 MQMs.
		+
		+	==== Earning low and mid-level status with American Airlines ====
		+
		+	American Airlines requires flying at least 30 segments per year to qualify for many of the more valuable benefits of high-level status such as systemwide upgrade certificates, along with higher levels of credit card spending.
		+
		+	'''But it doesn't take that much spending to qualify with low or mid-level status''':
		+
		+	<ul class="bulletlist">
		+	<li>Even if you didn't earn any loyalty points from flying, you would "only" need to spend $30,000 to achieve low-lever status and $70,000 to achieve mid-level status. At an opportunity cost of 1.5 cents per point, this works out to $450 or $1,050.</li>
		+
		+	<li>But if you spend $20-30,000 on most American Airlines credit cards, you'll also earn a valuable companion certificate''' (or some flight discounts), reducing the cost of the spend. {{Link\|Companion certificates}}</li>
		+
		+	<li>One strategy would be to spend money relatively early in the year to bump your status for almost two years.</li>
		+
		+	<li>But the more likely strategy is to use credit card spending towards the end of each year to simply top off the miles you've already earned from flying.</li>
		+	</ul>
		+
		+	{{Box\|American Status for Alaska Flyers}}
		+	If Alaska airlines is your primary airline, you might consider using American Airlines as your loyalty program. American Airlines elite flyers get many of the same benefits when flying Alaska as Alaska's own elites. This is especially true at the lower status levels.
		+
		+	By crediting your flights to American, you'll have the option to use credit card spending to close the gap to the next status level, something that isn't possible with Alaska's program. You'll also get benefits when flying JetBlue.
		+	{{/Box}}

	=== Status matches and challenges ===		=== Status matches and challenges ===

@@ Line 57: / Line 57: @@
 === <span id="Credit Card Air Status">Lowering elite status requirements through credit card spending </span> ===
-Unlike hotel status, you CAN’T get airline elite status simply from having the right credit card. But SPENDING money on certain airline credit cards can help. These cards earn qualifying miles that count towards status and/or reduce the amount of qualifying dollars that you need to spend on airline tickets each year. With a few airlines like Delta, American, JetBlue, Spirit, and Emirates, it is possible to achieve elite status from credit card spending alone, without taking a single flight.
+Unlike hotel status, you CAN’T get airline elite status simply from having the right credit card. But SPENDING money on certain airline credit cards can help. These cards earn qualifying miles that count towards status and/or reduce the amount of qualifying dollars that you need to spend on airline tickets each year.
 ==== All credit cards that make it easier to achieve airline status ====

@@ Line 81: / Line 81: @@
 </ul>
-Of course, the more efficient way to use the extra MQMs is to provide a boost to the qualifying miles you earn by flying, rather than trying to do it all with credit card spend.
+'''Of course, the more efficient way to use the extra MQMs is to provide a boost to the qualifying miles you earn by flying, rather than trying to do it all with credit card spend'''.
-Unless you are earning MQMs as part of the signup bonus or have already made a lot of progress towards a status level, it is less worthwhile to shoot for Delta's lower-level status. In a normal year, without any points from flying, you'd need to spend $50,000 on the Delta Platinum card to get most of the way (20,000 MQMs) to entry-level status, $100,000 across the personal and business versions of the Platinum Card to earn 40,000 MQMs, or $90,000 on the expensive Delta Reserve card to earn 45,000 MQMs.
+'''Unless you are earning MQMs as part of the signup bonus or have already made a lot of progress towards a status level, it is less worthwhile to shoot for Delta's lower-level status'''. In a normal year, without any points from flying, you'd need to spend $50,000 on the Delta Platinum card to get most of the way (20,000 MQMs) to entry-level status, $100,000 across the personal and business versions of the Platinum Card to earn 40,000 MQMs, or $90,000 on the expensive Delta Reserve card to earn 45,000 MQMs.
 === Status matches and challenges ===

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:56, 28 October 2021
Line 82:		Line 82:

	Of course, the more efficient way to use the extra MQMs is to provide a boost to the qualifying miles you earn by flying, rather than trying to do it all with credit card spend.		Of course, the more efficient way to use the extra MQMs is to provide a boost to the qualifying miles you earn by flying, rather than trying to do it all with credit card spend.
		+
		+	Unless you are earning MQMs as part of the signup bonus or have already made a lot of progress towards a status level, it is less worthwhile to shoot for Delta's lower-level status. In a normal year, without any points from flying, you'd need to spend $50,000 on the Delta Platinum card to get most of the way (20,000 MQMs) to entry-level status, $100,000 across the personal and business versions of the Platinum Card to earn 40,000 MQMs, or $90,000 on the expensive Delta Reserve card to earn 45,000 MQMs.

	=== Status matches and challenges ===		=== Status matches and challenges ===

@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 Unlike hotel status, you CAN’T get airline elite status simply from having the right credit card. But SPENDING money on certain airline credit cards can help. These cards earn qualifying miles that count towards status and/or reduce the amount of qualifying dollars that you need to spend on airline tickets each year. With a few airlines like Delta, American, JetBlue, Spirit, and Emirates, it is possible to achieve elite status from credit card spending alone, without taking a single flight.
 {{Status qualifying miles}}
-{{Box|Spending your way to Delta status}}
+==== Earning high-level status on Delta with credit card spend ====
 It is possible to achieve high-level status on Delta just by spending a LOT of money with their credit cards.
@@ Line 77: / Line 81: @@
 </ul>
 Of course, the more efficient way to use the extra MQMs is to provide a boost to the qualifying miles you earn by flying, rather than trying to do it all with credit card spend.
 === Status matches and challenges ===

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 <li>'''If you are planning a burst of travel activity or a particularly long international itinerary, make sure to consider a status challenge or crediting your miles to a frequent flyer program with lower-than-normal qualification requirements.'''</li>
-<li>'''If you are coming up a little short of reaching a higher status level, investigate your options for getting a boost from credit card spending.'''</li>
+<li>'''If you are coming up a little short of reaching a higher status level, investigate your options for getting a boost from credit card spending, especially with American Airlines and Delta.'''</li>
 </ul>

@@ Line 150: / Line 150: @@
 Southwest offers a combination status match-challenge. They will match your elite status with another domestic airline for 90 days. To keep your status for another 12 months, you need to fly 6 one-way segments during the 90-day period. [//www.southwest.com/html/rapidrewards/promotions/swa_status_match.html Southwest Status Match webpage].
-{{Label|TAP Air Portugal (Star Alliance}}
+{{Label|TAP Air Portugal (Star Alliance)}}
-Blha
+You can match status with most airlines (except other Star Alliance partners). You can only match to Gold status, but that is enough for lounge access when flying United and other Star Alliance partners. The only catch is that you'll need to purchase 4,000 TAP miles or subscribe to their "Miles & Go" membership. The cheapest option is to sign up for the membership at a cost of 99 Euros (a bit over $100) per year. Not only will this complete the qualification for the status match, you'll also receive 2,000 bonus miles when you first sign up, plus 1,000 miles and 50 status miles each month and a 15% bonus miles. This is a great way to get mid-tier status for a year (but you'll need to take some TAP flights if you want to keep it after the first 12 months). [//www.flytap.com/en-pt/miles-and-go/promotions/status-match-campaign Official Webpage].
 {{Label|Turkish Airlines}}