Would love everyone's take on the value of airline elite status these days. I've been Star Alliance Gold for over two decades and am debating whether it's worthwhile to try to maintain that (via United). United is making it increasingly difficult. I like the fast-track and lounge access I get with *Gold at many airports (Swiss and LH in particular for Senator lounges), and also wonder whether maintaining United Gold helps with United's lower redemption costs (or whether a credit card is sufficient for that). Curious where the community stands on this?
CXP, thank you for asking this. It's actually a great running question, especially for this community, because we're based all-over and have plenty of collective experience on the topic. Not to mention, things are often changing in this 'hobby' so it is good to share ideas, regularly.
I suspect the answer is going to be 'it depends,' because it's a mostly subjective qualitative valuation (what you need/want, where/how you travel, personal/business, OPM, etc.) as opposed to an objective, quantitative, 'put a literal dollar figure on this' situation, in my opinion.
Because you mentioned Swiss and Lufthansa, I presume you're based in Europe? If so, not sure how the US co-branded credit card angle would work for you; but for US-based flyers, pairing a card with status unlocks solid award discounts. For instance, cardmembers get at least 10% off award flights, and if you hold Premier status plus the card, that bumps to 15%. (Earlier this year, there was a sweet deal on Polaris transcon, usually ~120K, down to a base of ~27K—or ~25.5K with the status discount—one-way, which I happily took advantage of).
I'm based in NYC, where we have most of the US carriers and heavy foreign carrier competition between our three major airports. Currently, I'm oneworld Emerald via American Platinum Pro (have been EXP before), SkyTeam Elite Plus via Delta Platinum (have been a Diamond before), and Star Alliance Gold via United Premier Platinum (have been a 1K before). Previously, I've status matched to jetBlue Mosaic 3 as well.
These days, I feel like the only things that really matter are complimentary seat selection, increased baggage allowance, priority perks (check-in, security, boarding, faster call center response), and lounge access when/where applicable. Otherwise, I no longer expect complimentary upgrades in the US, because they're notoriously unreliable—I've given up on United PlusPoints and American Systemwide Upgrades because I often die on the waitlist even when they were properly applied. By contrast, I've found that Delta's RUCs/GUCs and jetBlue's Move to Mint are a bit better since they tend to actually confirm at booking (when available). Some of the highest tiers (Diamond, 1K) also have some nice perks like Delta's $500 statement credit, or United's 1K complimentary snack/drink, but you'll usually be enjoying those from the Exit Row after your PlusPoints fail to clear. *cough*
I can go on and on about details, nuance, and personal experience, but hope this is at least a good start. Final thought: Don't chase status. Do what you would do regardless, and let status happen if it happens. Enjoy the upside while you can. Safe travels!
@1990_ Thanks for the reply - really appreciate the perspective. Very impressed with your elite lineup - nice!
I am actually West Coast based but over in Europe and East Asia a few times a year mostly via United hubs. I rarely fly domestically anymore - only short hops like SFO-LAX - and really try to avoid domestic long-haul (unless lie-flat). I was Global Services for a few years and miss pushing 30 or 35k Asia or Europe economy awards into Polaris with Plus Points. Having been able to do this sort of thing for years makes it harder to let go. I have a good amount of miles left on United, so have an interest in preserving good redemption options there.
'It depends' is the right answer, as I agree everyone's situation is slightly different and it really depends how much you'd use the benefits. I am right on the line to where it makes sense or doesn't. The things that you said matter for you are the ones I value as well. I try not to check bags ever unless I am forced to, and I think Star Gold helps with that as well. I have also been upgraded a few times recently on intra-Europe Austrian and Brussels Airways flights - I suspect this had to do with status but who knows.
Thanks for the perspective!
@cxp Congrats on earning Global Services back then! (I presume GS helps the PPs actually clear in-time.) Yeah, nothing lasts forever; I'll be honest, I'm probably gonna scale back on a few of these heading into 2027 (like, I'm just not gonna re-qualify, or try to, which is fine, too.) If that happens, I just need to re-calibrate expectations, pay for what I really want/need, and see where things go in the industry.
In recent years, we've become used to devaluations, and the 'unbundling' of fares (even in business class). I think that's mostly because demand has been so high following the pandemic rebound. However, if demand drops more broadly, these programs will need to adapt to regain loyal customers. That could mean more perks for those of us who like to play that game. Time will tell.
It is good to hear on your recent upgrades in Europe; they are much more secretive overseas on their 'upgrade' procedures. It's not like they have a transparent 'upgrade list' on their apps or anything. I'd imagine it was status, but who knows, maybe they just liked your smile. Bah!
Star alliance has been degrading for a while.
if you value lounge access - OW emerald is the best.
it all depends on your specific routes and where you need to go.
im SFO based that is in Sweden a lot. So AS is my go to for BA flights (first wing access$ and add SK for more direct service. Eurobonus is the easiest to get ST elite plus status.
@isaacc I like your style! Although I'm based in NYC, huge fan of the Bay Area and really enjoy my visit to Stockholm (...in early summer.)
Agreed on oneworld Emerald standing out for its extra lounge access privileges. OW is set apart in that they have 3 distinct tiers (Ruby no lounges, Sapphire lounges, Emerald better lounges), rather than the typical two at Star Alliance or SkyTeam (Silver and Elite no lounges, Gold and Elite Plus some lounges).
Still, which lounges you get access into depends on the alliance. Like, Star Alliance Gold might get you into a random UnitedClub, but it won't include Polaris on a mere international Economy ticket. Also, SkyTeam Elite Plus may get you into a random SkyClub before an international flight in Economy, but it won't get you into DeltaOne. By contrast, OWE can get you into Flagship lounges (and Soho as OWE at JFK T8) on more occasions (the only drawback is that American and Alaska elites won't get lounges on domestic US... *boo hiss*)
Where it really pays off is mostly overseas. When I was at HKG earlier this year, it was nice to access CX First lounge at The Pier, which, technically, with OWE, could go even with just an Economy ticket. Another example, last year at HND, JAL First lounge, again, with OWE, could go even on an Economy ticket.
However, some OW lounges are using the 'Premium Customer' loophole to exclude OWE. See AA/BA's Chelsea First lounge at JFK; or, Qatar Airways at DOH has been shifting elites to an elite-focused lounge (QR Platinum and Gold lounges), as opposed to the better Business (Al Mourjan) or First (Al Safwa) lounges. Even at HKG, the newly-renovated The Wing, First lounge excludes OWE (you'd need to book actual First, but it can be regional routes on their 773, which may not be as pricy as the long-haul routes.)
@1990_ very true. I do think there needs to be exclusive premium lounges. You get a lot of riffraff with blanket access (BA galleries lounge for example) and don’t get me started about the club at SFO crazy.
I’m pretty easy to please when it comes to food and drink. I don’t need the super high end food. It’s nice to have an expensive glass of champagne on occasion. But frankly. I limit myself to not showing up too early to flights anymore. I just want to board and go. Ironically. You have great food on board. Why stuff yourself in the lounge.
I actually value lounge access for two simple things. Seating/quiet and access to coffee. I make use of lounges most when I’m traveling on a work trip. I use the lounge more say from LAX to SFO. Than say from SFO to ARN via CPH and LHR. Although the showers are clutch too when long haul.
I guess as I get older. I’m having the been there. Done that attitude when it comes to lounges. Or even j class products. I just value the quiet and individual space most. Not necessarily the booze and food. I like BA first not cuz it’s dining or champagne. Rather the quiet and relaxed atmosphere. Especially on 380. When you get your own jet bridge for 14 people.
these days. I find PE is the sweet spot for me in terms of value and quietness to get what “I need”.
@isaacc I'm with you on most of that. Agreed, especially on lounges having caffeine and decent showers; before or after long-haul, that's an essential 'reset' for me. Have only gotten to experience EK in F on a380 once (thanks to a last-minute points upgrade from J), and I must say, the on-board shower was pretty cool, but I'd never pay full-price out-of-pocket for that (usually, it's horrendous value). Most J (or PE) is just fine; if it's the only, Y will do, too. That said, I do still prefer lie-flat for medium-to-long-haul redeyes (if the price is right.)
I am based out of PHX (AA and WN hubs). I never bothered chasing airline status until last year, as I'm a leisure flier pretty much all my adult life (very limited business trips, and none worth even mentioning in the last 10 years) and I considered CC spending on an airline card wasteful compared to earning transferrable points. After the Atmos Summit was announced with its actually useful 3x spending categories and spend incentives (i.e. the 100K companion cert), I decided to shift spend over to get status, with my goal being getting OW Sapphire (but actually being on the precipice of OW Emerald as of today).
I'm using the status mainly for extra legroom seats on AS and AA (the partnership is what made it worth the effort IMO) and First Class lounge access. Priority boarding is nice on AS and AA (almost always carry-on only when flying domestic). Extra luggage will almost always be useless to me, as I have never wanted to check more than 1 bag.
I've probably saved a bunch on not paying for extra legroom seats (I'd regularly use airline fee credits to cover those upgrades) with my status, and have also saved money being able to select seats on BA flights I have coming up this winter. I don't expect Domestic First upgrades to clear for me very often, so I'll usually just buy up when the price is right. I'm currently scheduled to try multiple First Class lounges for the first time (QF First LAX, CX First LHR, BA Galleries First LHR and LGW), and after experiencing the Al Safwa DOH and The Wing First HKG, I am excited about those prospects.
I would say with absolute certainty I would not be bothering if I didn't get the 3x points on dining and foreign transactions (+ the Bilt relationship) with the Atmos Summit, and I would also not bother if the partnership between AS and AA (with the reciprocal upgrade benefits) didn't exist, since long term I'll be flying AA much more often over AS. But overall, I would say it's been worth the effort, not only for the status benefits, but with the points earnings, as I've used Atmos points to book multiple flights over the past year (all earning status points too).
@samar You're doing it right, sir! The 2-week points-marathon you just completed in Asia is a testament to that. (Seriously, if anyone else here hasn't read your initial reviews and seen your photos yet, they should check it out: https://onemileatatime.com/community/samar-2-week-asia/)
I'm with you on the outsized value proposition that the new BofA/Alaska Atmos Summit card has presented us with, both that 3x on foreign spend, and the 3x on rent up to $50K if you use it via BILT (and are ok with the fees); it enabled me to earn that 100K Global certificate as well (now just have to figure out what to use it on, and to keep holding onto at least 100K points to go with it.) For next cycle, I may need to refocus my OW status with AS instead of AA, actually.
As for your upcoming First Class lounges, I'm excited for you! Beware that the CX First at LHR T3 is often 'full,' so you may need to go to the CX J lounge next-door, and wait-it-out (they have great food, so it's not too bad). As for LAX, I have plans later this year with Qantas, too, so I'm hoping they'll have the QF First lounge reopened by then (it is currently under renovations). Their newly renovated J lounge supposedly reopened. Haven't made it into Al Safwa yet (ugh, need to book one of those regional 'First' short-hauls like DOH-DXB.)
@1990_ I'm still not 100% sure I'll get to try the CX First, because BA has been known to move the nonstop LHR-PHX flight from T3 to T5 in the winter schedule (right now it's showing up as T3 in their app). After trying the CX Business lounge last year, I'm hoping to sit in the First lounge. I'm also hoping QF First is open by Jan, but if not, I'll try Flagship Dining instead.
@samar For LHR, that CX F (and J) lounge at T3 is really the only thing that makes that 'ancient' terminal tolerable, in my opinion. Even the two-level QF J lounge is sorta 'meh.' The Flagship AA lounge is just sad. And, for whatever reason, the gate I've been getting with AA is usually at the very, very end (gate 22, toilets all the way back at 17). Oof.
I probably severely undervalue free seat selection. I’m annoyingly particular about where I sit depending on the aircraft, case of travel, time of day, and length of the flight, so avoiding a charge every time I fly probably adds up to quite a bit over a year. When booking a non-basic fare with no status, the free seats are generally in the middle towards the back. No thank you.
@seat1a when it comes to domestic flights (pre-status), I historically didn't care too much about having a free seat in the middle of the plane, but I would buy up to extra legroom using CC credits (AMEX Platinum, Hilton Aspire, or Ritz-Carlton credits specifically). Paying for a better seat in those cases didn't matter too much to me (though maybe my opinion has changed now that I do have free access with AS and AA).
For long-haul flights though, I definitely want to be able to have my seat settled well before the flight, to the point that I accelerated some spending on my Bilt Palladium to get Platinum status (and conveyed that to Flying Blue Gold) to avoid a seat fee on a J flight in January (and admittedly also snag one of the J+ seats for free). Between that and not paying for seats on 5 BA flights (2 long-haul) this winter, that is some real cost savings and (more importantly) piece of mind for me.
I still got Star Alliance Gold through Asiana. Being based in Germany, I always found it convenient.
Got it for quite a few years through 2-3 yearly privately paid business class trips on Air China (pre-pandemic) or EVA Air (post-pandemic) to Taiwan, then used lounge access for domestic economy flights (mostly business trips).
For quite a while I was thinking whether I should try a status match (Turkish Airlines would probably be easy to maintain), but nowadays I usually take the train for domestic travel, and get lounge access anyways for the long haul trips. Not really worth getting out of my way for the occasional intra-European weekend trip.
Now I'm stuck with quite a few Asiana miles, mostly worthless due to lacking award availability, which I can soon convert to Korean Air Skypass miles to enjoy equally lacking award availability there... 😉
Lounge access was always the only benefit I cared about with the status. Premium credit cards in Germany are not really exciting (usually overpriced and lacking benefits compared to US cards), so airline status here is still the best way.
I think status has become less valuable as a source of special treatment, but more valuable as a way of avoiding all the little annoyances airlines have monetized. Free seats, bags, priority boarding and the occasional lounge visit aren’t terribly exciting individually, but collectively they make travel noticeably easier. The irony is that we’re increasingly chasing status to get back things that used to come with the ticket.
I've become acutely aware of this calculation. My situation is a little unusual. I've qualified for QF status every year for quite some time and on VA for the last few (platinum for a couple then graceful degradation to silver now). QF is useful everywhere, VA pretty much only in Australia. I've stopped deluding myself that I can realistically earn or maintain status in more than one programme. I've just qualified for QF lifetime gold, so now my decision is whether to push for platinum in any given year or for status in another programme. OW sapphire is certainly not nothing, but emerald is a laudable aim.
I've settled on taking the flight I want, leaning towards OW, but letting the chips fall where they will. I have SQ and AF/KLM as my picks for the other two alliances, and will use them and a couple of other OW programmes for awards with points/miles from wherever. I'll still probably aim for QF platinum but won't stress about it, and will consider where I can use points/miles as well as where I can earn status. If in the process I earn status anywhere else, I'll treat that as a bonus.
I agree with some of you in thinking OW is the best value status, and more so when I'm flying US domestic. The other alliances seem to have reasonable reciprocal perks outside the US but less so domestically there, America's Best Airline™ particularly so. The difference between the alliances, while real, is small enough that where you are and which one you're pushed towards can be a significant factor. For me, that's Qantas.
As to whether the whole effort is worth it, you can pay for many of the things that status brings, and that makes status less significant on international travel, and the hollowing out of many benefits from US programmes reduces the incentive to earn status on them. As has been noted, much of the value is in smoothing the process and removing, or reducing the small inconveniences. There can also be significant value if you have to deal with IROPS, and for that it might be the airline rather than the alliance that matters.
I've firmly decided that status is worth pursuing. Domestic perks are worth it (lounge access is one of those here) and the international benefits, not insignificantly US domestic lounge access, add to the value proposition. But there is no right of wrong answer. And 'worth pursuing' doesn't always mean pulling out all stops. But paying cash for one ticket to get you over the line when it could have been an award ticket probably is.
@mike-c OW Sapphire/Emerald for QF is huge, because of Qantas Club/Business lounge access, even on domestic AU flights (far superior to the way we get treated in the US). Was at SYD T1/T3 and ADL last year, and was quite impressed with the renovations to the ADL QF lounges (SYD T3 needs a renovation, especially their showers, which are quite necessary after a long-haul before a connection.)
Good emphasis on IROPS (the airline does matter); however, realistically, in the US and AU, we really need better air passenger rights legislation, like UK and EU (and Canada, sorta).
"America's Best Airline™" LOL, presuming that was throwing a little shade at Delta... *cough*
@1990_ What you described on Qantas lounges is one of the main reasons status with them (or another OW airline) is worthwhile here (VA lounges aren't always as good, but reason enough to aim for status if they're your domestic airline choice). QF sell Qantas Club access, as US airlines do for their clubs, and unlike in the US, Business lounge access is included in J tickets so status isn't the only way to get in. Credit cards here don't come with access, usually only something like an annual two single-entry lounge passes.
SYD T3 business lounge is fine, perhaps a little tired, but it's huge and often very crowded (never been turned away though, and I haven't heard of it happening). We've all read what Ben thinks about QF First lounge in T1, and I share his assessment. In Canberra, the QF Club rather than the Biz lounge has the tarmac views, but hey, I can deal with that.
Still, this is a US-based forum, and the status perks there are what they are. What I get from my status, at home, travelling internationally and travelling in the US is different from what's offered by US programmes. What works for me doesn't necessarily work for others, either here or in the US.
@mike-c Agreed with your overall assessment. (I'll add, at least from my US-based perspective, the coffee at the Qantas Clubs is exceptional; I'll attach a photo I took from SYD T3 Business, during my visit last year. Epic the views from that lounge, too.)
@1990_ That tarmac view is good! It looks like the business lounge, the QF Club, if I recall, is at the end of the building and has a view of the northern end of the main runway. VA is, if anything, better with a view south along the length of the runway so from a window seat you can see an A380 take to the air.
One thing that I hadn't mentioned is that platinum gives you free access to the newly deployed QF economy plus seating (similar to AA MCE), and gold gives you free access in the last 24 hours. It doesn't give you free booze, that and snacks are included in standard economy (from afternoons on). I don't know if that's a OW benefit or only QF. I think AA limits free MCE to TATL joint venture partners, although I got is on a AA Y flight booked as an award seat through QF, so maybe not.
@mike-c Thank you! Have another trip planned later this year; going to try VA, so will see how T2 compares. (Also, scheduled on one of QF's a220, which I'm looking forward to as well). Good to know about QF's Y+.
Completely agree on the coffee. Give me somewhere quiet to sit and a properly made flat white and I’m happier than I am with an elaborate buffet. It’s remarkable how many otherwise excellent lounges still treat decent coffee as an afterthought (looking at you, delta).
@mike-c The IROPS point is probably the best status benefit, and probably one of the hardest to put a value on. Seat selection and bags are easy to give an actual dollar value to the benefit, but having a shorter phone queue or an agent willing and able to find a solution when everything has gone sideways can suddenly be worth more than all of them combined. It’s a benefit you hope you never get your money’s worth from.
When I first began flying a lot for work, I valued status for the upgrades. It was a tiebreaker that led me to fly UA to get 1K (and GPUs, then PlusPoints), other things being equal, for that. Since those evaporated, I do not chase status, but will use CCs strategically to help me get some. The main advantage is free seat selection. For numerous international flights with multiple connections, that can be worth thousands. As noted, OW Emerald is good for certain lounges, and I value it for the BA F lounge at LHR T5, where I often have long layovers. I value it even more as the Galleries lounges have become so crowded. Using the LH Senator lounges as a *G is also nice. Priority boarding and more checked bags is nice, but as I am usually flying in F or business, status doesn't really add that much anymore. And I haven't really noticed a huge difference in treatment in IRROPS between status and being in F or business (though a few times on UA I saw colleagues without status on the same flights getting a little less compensation and lesser hotels).
@CXP; how far are you from being a Million Miler? that should give you lifetime *G with UA. I have *G with UA and really like the earlier boarding, more luggage, better seats and lounge access on international flights. I buy my own upgrades when I feel like spending more. I expect zero upgrades from UA today.