Is airline status worth it?
44% View from the Wing
26% Eye of the Flyer
30% Other
Airline status may still offer value, but its worth depends heavily on your travel habits and goals. With many carriers now selling premium upgrades at low prices, the traditional incentive to chase elite status has weakened.
Benefits of Status
- Priority boarding and seat selection, which can improve the travel experience on busy flights.
- Free or discounted upgrades, though these are increasingly rare and often sold directly to passengers.đ
- Lounge access and baggage allowances, which can be valuable on long-haul or international routes.đ
Drawbacks and Shifts
- Many airlines now sell first-class upgrades for as little as $26, reducing the value of status for securing premium cabins.
- Delta and American Airlines have significantly reduced the number of free upgrades available to elite members, shifting focus to paid upgrades and mileage redemption.
- For frequent flyers on other carriers, status may still be worth it if you fly regularly on a single network (e.g., SkyTeam, Oneworld).đ
When Status Might Still Be Worth It
- If you fly frequently on a single airline or alliance and can use status to secure better seats or lounge access.
- If youâre booking with points and want to avoid paying extra for upgrades or premium cabins.đ
- If youâre a corporate traveler with a budget that covers status â the cost may be justified by convenience and reliability.đ
When Itâs Not Worth It
- If you fly multiple carriers and donât consistently use one airlineâs network.
- If youâre only chasing status for perks like free checked bags or early boarding, which can often be bought separately.
- If youâre flying primarily in economy and donât need premium services â the cost of maintaining status may outweigh benefits.
Ultimately, status is less about exclusivity and more about convenience and cost efficiency â and for many, the math no longer adds up.
Eye of the Flyer 13%
Delta is Selling $27 Upgrades to First Class(!?)
Depending on where and when you shop, twenty-seven bucks may or may not get you some bang for your buck. But that was the price tag for a First Class upgrade on my Delta Air Lines flight â this week! I was scheduled to fly between Los Angeles (LAX) and Las Vegas (LAS) on Tuesday. Just a quick day trip for a special event. I used 20,000-ish SkyMiles to purchase the Main Cabin (coach) roundtrip airfare (and $11.60 for fees). I was fine with an exit row to and from Vegas. I requested a complimentary upgrade to
View from the Wing 27%
Airlines Keep Selling First Class For $26 â Killing The Reason To Chase Their Top Status
Delta Air Lines led the industry in eliminating first class upgrades. Twenty years ago 90% of first class seats went to upgrades and awards. Ten years ago it was about half. Now only around 12% of seats are left for SkyMiles elite members. And that means on many routes and flights there are no upgrades at all. Other airlines have copied Delta, monetizing their first class cabins for âtens of dollarsâ â they will sell once a year coach passengers an upgrade for $26 or $40 rather than giving it free to a $30,000 a year customer. At
Economy Class & Beyond 4%
Flying Blue Status match returns for UK Residents
So itâs been⌠just over 12 months since British Airways did the dirty on its Club members, even though there has been a little backtrack. And most of us have a view if we are on track to retain our frequent flyer status with British Airways. Or not in some cases. Well, a new lifeline has been launched, with a paid status match with Air France-KLMâs frequent flyer programme â Flying Blue. The link to start the match is at https://flyingblue.statusmatch.com/. For British Airways âThe Clubâ Members who are resident in the United Kingdom,
Live and Let's Fly 5%
I Tried Status-Free Airline, Hotel Free Agency And Hated It
After years of frustration with loyalty programs I proudly freed myself of the elite status grind. I hated it and came crawling back to both airline and hotel status. Every year the requirements get higher, the benefits are fewer â whatâs the point in being loyal to a brand when it wonât be loyal to its clients? I had been loyal to American Airlines for more than 20 years achieving status (often Executive Platinum) for more than half that period. But following an experience in which Qatar sold business class for 40% less than American flying to the
PointsMath 2%
Air France-KLM Flying Blue Status Match Offer
Air France-KLM is offering Flying Blue Status Match with other partner airlines. Last year, we also saw promotions for countries such as the UK and the USA. This promotion is available to residents of Canada, India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Flying Blueâs status match is available with 23 airlines worldwide. However, to status match, you will need to pay a status match fee. The good thing, however, is that you can even status match to the platinum tier. Here is how much you will pay if
Eye of the Flyer 13%
Is it Worth Going After Delta Air Lines 360 Diamond, Diamond, Platinum, Gold or Silver Medallion Status Anymore?
I have such fond memories of my very first ever mileage run to reach Delta Air Lines Silver Medallion status. I drove to Chicago and flew to Texas. I then, very quickly, boarded the exact same jet and flew back. The crew all just giggled and so enjoyed and maybe even respected the fact that I so loved and respected Delta that I would do this one day insanity to have amazing perks the next flying year. My gosh times have changed! Back in my day, really not that long ago, you earned your status on how far
View from the Wing 17%
American Airlines CEO Celebrates Taking Away Free First Class Upgrades â Says Customers Will Pay
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom enthusiastically cheered the end of first class upgrades. Speaking at the Bernstein 42nd Annual Strategic Decisions Conference on Wednesday, Isom was asked by the host about frequent flyer upgrades: > s you think about the technology and that in-app buy-up experience, thatâs something where I know just from my own experience, maybe a couple of years ago, it would seem like you guys were kind of far behind in terms of giving away the upgrades instead of asking to get paid for them. Do you feel like youâve closed that gap relative to the
Your Mileage May Vary 10%
What Southwest A-List Status Gets You Now
Southwest has changed a lot over the past year, and not all of those changes have been good for travelers. But after my wife Sharon matched her JetBlue Mosaic status to Southwest A-List, we had a chance to see what the new version of Southwest elite status actually gets you. The short version? It was more useful than I expected. We booked the cheapest Southwest tickets available using Rapid Rewards points. That meant we werenât buying up to a more expensive fare just to get extra flexibility or more benefits. It turns out, quite a bit.
One Mile at a Time 9%
I Earned AAdvantage Platinum Pro Status, And Thatâs Good Enough For Me!
I finally once again earned oneworld Emerald status, and Iâm really happy about that. Let me provide some background, and then Iâll share how Iâm thinking about status with American going forward. In this post: For 14 years, I had AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, which is Americanâs top (published) tier status. At the beginning of the current elite status year I lost that, and dropped all the way to AAdvantage Gold status, which I receive on account of my million miler status with American. Why did I give up on Executive Platinum status? It actually wasnât due