Like many travelers, I’d given up on chasing elite status but as a result of travel and some backpedaling, I have a surprising 2024 end-of-year status review.
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Gave Up On Chasing Status
Like many of my compatriots, I gave up chasing status over the last couple of years. The ever-increasing requirements, reduction of benefits, the ability or more importantly inability, to use upgrade instruments – these all had me heading for free agency. Matthew, just this year did the same after United made it even more difficult with no additional benefits.
The days of pointless trips to earn pretend medals and benefits that are never really delivered are over at Live And Let’s Fly, right?
Well, Maybe Not
Due to a pair of course reversals, and some coincidence I now hold and intend to seek status on a couple of operators but not nearly to the extent before. In fact in one case, it was the result of being a free agent that led me to status. Let me explain.
I mentioned a trip that was booked for me by a supplier earlier this year in which I flew Air Canada to Rome in which I committed the unforgivable sin of not visiting the best lounge in North America. The return was on United and this put me about 75% to Silver Premier status with the carrier. Still, despite being a former 1K Premier status holder, I wasn’t interested in returning to United in a meaningful way. But then I had another trip that cropped up for work, one in which Star Alliance flights were the most logical choice, so I booked them without an intention to earn status, but rather just as a matter of having the best times and prices for my journey. I return to United’s elite ranks but, in essence, coincidentally.
I changed my mind about two statuses I have held before. American Airlines and Hyatt were my go-to combo for a decade. I held American Airlines Executive Platinum Status for about eight years in the last ten or eleven and World of Hyatt Globalist (or Diamond) for about the same.
Elite Statuses I Now Hold
Despite being a free agent, I now hold a few elite statuses and I am mixed on my approach. Here’s where I stand on both those status levels and what I will do with them going forward.
United Airlines
Holding Premier Silver status doesn’t do a lot. I am still a United credit card holder from my days as a Premier 1K, so getting a free checked bag doesn’t do a lot for me. I wish I had reached Silver before flying those segments as I booked tickets with checked luggage on both of the itineraries and both of those shorter trips were in coach. I also would have appreciated utilizing business class check-in for one of them as opposed to standing in a 40-minute line to drop the bag.
That said, for some work trips Star Alliance has been handy. Had I reached Gold status this year I would have been able to utilize lounges on coach flights within Europe and that would have held some value for me but not enough to chase. For now, I will leave this one where it stands.
American Airlines
I initially snagged American Airlines status on a challenge without the credit card and wish I could have reordered those events. I reversed my thinking on American Airlines new approach with Loyalty Points and sky-high requirements for status jumping from 100,000 miles flown a few years ago for Executive Platinum status to double that now, and Gold from 25,000 miles flown to 40,000 points earned. I also admitted I may have been wrong after seeing how easy it was to earn Loyalty Points for those focused on earning status.
It’s also worth mentioning that I feel like having a business where I can incur charges and earn Loyalty Points it feels a bit like cheating. I had achieved 72,000 points before adding the card but I am on pace for a photo finish to Executive Platinum status at the moment. My biggest gripe is that Citi was less than generous with my credit line and (81% smaller than American Express, 53% smaller than Chase) and that’s not necessarily a problem if they would reset my credit line when I make a payment (as the others do) but Citi doesn’t seem to operate that way. I have 63,000 more points to generate before March and I hope I can get there, but next year that’s a forgone conclusion.
However, it won’t take away my free agency as I will earn mostly from the business and when it’s convenient. My prior gripes about the ability to use eVIP Systemwide Upgrades are also less of a concern because American has improved the system (though perhaps not availability) and before I was using my own personal travel to achieve the status level on my own dime so any unused benefit felt expensive and wasteful.
Spirit Airlines
Non-stop flights are my very best friend and limited from Pittsburgh. For flights to Florida (Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Fort Myers) it’s hard to say “no” to the airline’s affordability and the time savings over connecting in Charlotte, Chicago or Newark, or even Atlanta. My experiences have been great with Spirit but the carrier is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the moment.
Hyatt Hotels
My travel agency is a rare Hyatt Privé-approved agency which provides similar benefits to AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts like the early check-in, late check-out, upgrade to the next available room type, breakfast for two in the restaurant, a welcome amenity, and a $100 onsite credit. Those mostly align with Globalist but just 300 Hyatts are approved for the program meaning that I don’t always have the option to secure a Hyatt Privé rate and Explorist just wasn’t cutting it.
Besides being tactical with stays, I also expended a great deal of points to ensure I was back on the island at Hyatt again this year. It will be good to be a Globalist again, though I will still book Privé rates for the added onsite credit.
Hilton/Marriott/National
By virtue of holding the American Express Platinum credit card I have Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, and National Executive. Prior to the pandemic I held Diamond, Titanium, and Executive Elite status respectively. However, as my stays became more focused on Boutique properties, I couldn’t hold Hilton and Marriott as I once did nor Executive Elite status with the Emerald Club and 85 paid rental days annually.
Plans For The Future
I remain a free agent with the exception of World of Hyatt. The others are all just bonus opportunities. For American Airlines I will likely achieve Executive Platinum status and retain it the following year as well, but again, not earning it the hard way so it holds less value for me and I treat it less preciously.
I am looking forward to reporting on the differences since I have been away and any unintended benefits as I use the others I hold as well.
Conclusion
I hadn’t expected to hold any status in 2025 but I am happy and surprised with what I earned without being a slave to the programs I once was. I enjoy the freedom of choosing flights, hotels, and car rental options as it suits my needs rather than bending to make an imperfect solution fit my needs.
What do you think? How did you do this year?
You can get many of the miles needed for ExP quickly and cheaply by signing up for the 4 major meal delivery services for a week. With the 30% bonus, for less than $200 you can get 25,000 miles at peak earning. Add USA Today and WSJ for another 2k for $2 and book some no show hotel rooms in Cambodia and you are there for under $500. Is it worth it? That’s up to you to decide. And sadly, it’s what ExP has become on American, high CC spenders and shopping portal users.
@Dave … No , it is not worth it .
Empty statuses = empty life .
Enjoyable and conversational friends = better life .
Chasing status is totally over for me. Will have Diamond with Delta for probably the last time in 2025 although I might end up spending the $ to get Diamond again but will fly way less miles than used to. I have AA lifetime Gold but haven’t been on a AA plane in probably 15 years. The only hotel status I will have are the ones that comes from credit cards as I now prefer to book hotels based on convenience and value vs status. I can pay for breakfast if I want although I almost new eat one.
@Santastio … You “almost new eat one” ?
Once I “almost new eat one” pancake , however I couldn’t stop at one ,
Too fast typing on my phone. I almost never eat breakfast at hotels.
Breakfast is nice with the family.
@Kyle: Breakfast is nice with the family when you are in a resort where there are no options close by but when in big cities I prefer to have breakfast outside a hotel. I will give you an example. I spent 5 nights in Rome with my family last summer. Why would I pay for an American breakfast buffet at the Intercontinental Rome and eat all the things I can have in the US for like €45 per person if I could walk a block and eat freshly baked local pastries with a barista made cappuccino and a fresh squeezed orange juice for maybe €5 per person?
Yawn.
So you declared “Chasing status” is totally over in early 2024, and now you are chasing status again.
Piss off.
@W Ho – I gave up all of my status chases including Hyatt but toward the end of the year, decided that one was worth pursuing after all. What’s wrong with changing your mind? It’s still a massive departure from mileage runs and taking connections over nonstops or making decisions to chase their requirements. .
@Kyle … +1 . Changing one’s mind is active evaluation .
For example , rather than go to Timbuktu for miles , you decided to go to Paris for wine and fun .
For example , rather than going skiing with ‘girl a’ , you flipped a coin and went skiing with ‘girl b’ .
Yeah, only AS has the fun now of planning mileage runs to chase status. Everyone else that matters is CC spend or bust, unfortunately. Too bad I can’t make AS work (well, technically I can, but I have to suffer AA)
@Jan – AS is probably worth it, even if it means flying American domestically.
I only occasionally fly AA, but get Plat (OW Emerald) mainly with my spending. That gives me AA miles which are good for getting saver award flights on BA and sometimes IB. Then I also get free seat selection on BA. Flying BA several times a year, that is a pretty good perk. And unlike UA 1K upgrades, for example, it is a real perk, not one that is never available.