First-class and suite upgrades. Club-lounge entry. Access to priority services. The perks of elite status are harder and harder to come by as airlines and hotels continue to evolve their loyalty programs.
Many airlines have instituted both flight and spending requirements that can top 125,000 miles and $15,000 in airfare purchases each year. Likewise, several of the major hotel loyalty programs have implemented more stringent stay requirements to reach their highest strata of status, thinning the ranks of elites even further.
However, just because it seems more difficult, does not mean it actually is. In fact, it might be even easier than ever to achieve a lofty level of status thanks to unique partnerships among airlines, hotels, and credit cards—and the right strategies to use them to your advantage. Here’s how.
Tactic: Airline-Hotel Alliances
Frequent travelers can leverage elite status they already earn with a hotel or airline into elite status with its partner, all with little or no extra effort.
One of the newest of these affiliations is between American Airlines and Hyatt. Now, travelers who have elite status with either the airline or the hotel can earn both frequent-flier miles and hotel points on both flights and stays.
“As we talked to our elite members in particular, the ability to earn points when flying and miles when staying in addition to the respective program benefits was something that we heard loud and clear,” says World of Hyatt senior vice president Amy Weinberg. “The new partnership is a way to offer more rewards throughout the travel journey.”
Hyatt elites at the mid- and top-range Explorist and Globalist levels are also being offered 90-day grace periods of American Airlines AAdvantage elite status plus the chance to extend this status through January 2021 by completing “challenges.” These deals involve flying a certain number of miles or segments and spending a predetermined amount of money on airfare within 90 days, rather than having to complete the normal requirements over the course of a calendar year.
AAdvantage’s invitation-only ConciergeKey elites are being offered outright Globalist Hyatt status, which comes with benefits such as free breakfast during stays, club-lounge access, points bonuses, and dedicated customer service. AAdvantage elites at other levels have been extended trial periods of Hyatt status and offers to earn ongoing status based on stay activity within a 90-day period.
RewardsPlus is a similar link-up between Marriott Bonvoy and United MileagePlus. The hotel program’s Titanium and Ambassador elites receive automatic United Premier Silver status, the airline’s lowest level, which is usually achieved by flying 25,000 miles or 30 segments and spending $3,000 on airfare in a year; perks include free checked bags, seven miles per dollar earned on airfare instead of the normal five, priority service at the airport, and access to Economy Plus seating at check-in. United elites with Premier Gold status or higher, meanwhile, enjoy complimentary Marriot Gold elite status. That usually requires staying 25 nights in a year, and includes benefits like a decent shot at room upgrades, and check-in points bonuses.
Tactic: Automatic Status With a Hotel Credit Card
Most hotel credit cards these days grant at least a basic level of elite status by simply carrying a specific product in your wallet.