American Airlines previously offered excellent availability of their eVIPs or systemwide upgrades (SWUs) distributed to elite Executive Platinum flyers. Restricting access to premium space and halving the number of eVIPs given out should lead to more cash with fewer...
A Year As United 1K and American Executive Platinum
Following a status match last year from American Airlines Executive Platinum to United 1K, I flew both side-by-side. My personal experience was surprising and foretells where I will spend my time next year. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for...
American Airlines Gold Status? No Thanks.
I have not flown a single flight on American Airlines this year. Nevertheless, I received an offer this week to buy up to Gold status for 2019. You might recall that I earned nearly enough AA miles last year...
Elite Status Is About More Than Upgrades
As the year closes, some elite travelers book unnecessary trips or hotel nights to maintain or “level up” their status. Some argue that status is just priority boarding and upgrades that don’t clear, causing irrational expenditure. But elite status...
Mid-Year Status Update – Surprising Results
For the first time since I became a serious frequent flyer, I am carefully tracking all of my traveling metrics for elite status. Every flight and hotel stay is logged and I am sharing my results – my expectations didn’t...
My Mid-Year Status Progress Report (Hotel + Airline)
We’re halfway through the year and I’m happy to report I’m right on target for top-tier status on one airline and one hotel chain. How about you? This year, I’m focusing on 1K status on United and Globalist status...
Free Agent Is The Best Status to Hold
After years of chasing status (I still do), sometimes being a Free Agent when it comes to choosing your travel product is the most liberating of all. While I still hold elite status, on a recent trip my family...
Why Are Miles & Segments Still Required?
Over the last five years, airlines have changed the requirements for reaching elite status from a certain number of miles flown to that component plus revenue from tickets. The airlines have all made clear that they want to reward...
Status Lite Is Bad For Everyone
Hotels, car rental companies, airlines – loyalty programs of all kind offer status to their best customers to distinguish casual guests from true loyalists. Status involves greater benefits in exchange for an increase in business. In order to create new...
Buying Elite Status from US Airways and American Airlines
As February draws to a close, today is the last day to buy elite status from US Airways at a preferential rate–the rate and even ability to do so changes substantially tomorrow. Meanwhile, American Airlines is enticing current elites...
New Star Alliance Gold Commercial
Star Alliance’s marketing department is savvy and I don’t just say that because I know the folks in it… Take a look at the latest Star Alliance Gold advertisement– What I love about this commercial is that it simply...
United Airlines CFO Labels Certain MileagePlus Elites as "Entitled"
Many are up in arms over recent comments about certain MileagePlus elite members made by United Airlines CFO John Rainey at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Transportation Conference last Thursday. I am yawning. While not very savvy, his...
When it Pays to Have Frequent Flyer Status
I had a tight connection in Washington Dulles that involved a terminal change and actually missed my connecting flight yesterday. All flights to Philadelphia were zeroed out, but I was put on the standby waitlist for the next flight...
Why the 2011 United/Continental Elite Program Isn’t the End of the World
Reading some of the responses on Flyertalk today after United announced changes to the Mileage Plus program for 2011, you would think the world was coming to an end. Relax. I’m not happy about the changes either, but we may...
