3 Habits of Successful Frequent Flyers: How They Achieve Elite Status

Achieving elite status on an airline can be very rewarding. In addition to chances for free first-class upgrades, elite travelers often get free checked bags, priority boarding, and a range of other perks.

One common misconception among newer and not-too-frequent travelers is that the only way to earn elite status on airlines is to fly often. While this can certainly propel you into the elite ranks, it's usually not the only way to do it. Here are some of the common ways that airlines allow customers to earn elite status and what it could mean for your personal finances.

1. Credit card spending

This is one way to earn status that has really ramped up in recent years. It used to be common for top-tier travel credit cards to give some sort of elite qualifying bonus after meeting a high spending threshold, but with the recent revamp of several loyalty programs, it's easier.

For example, American Airlines transitioned its elite qualification system to Loyalty Points, and as part of this, any spending on AAdvantage cobranded credit cards earns loyalty points. This is true for the high-end Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®. And it's also the case for the much more affordable Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, as well as any other cobranded American Airlines credit cards. In fact, I'm an AAdvantage Executive Platinum member and Loyalty Points from credit card spending are a big reason why.

2. Shopping or dining with partners

Many airlines have shopping and dining portals that allow members to earn frequent flyer miles and status qualification by spending money with their partners. As one example, American Airlines offers its AAdvantage eShopping platform that partners with retailers. Members simply navigate to the retailer's website through the platform and earn miles and Loyalty Points towards status. In fact, the AAdvantage eShopping platform allowed me to earn thousands of Loyalty Points in 2023 for items I would have bought anyway.

It's also worth noting that these can stack on top of credit card spending. For example, if you can earn 3 miles per $1 by shopping at your favorite retailer through an airline shopping portal and also earn 1 mile per $1 from your credit card, it can add up quickly.

You can also earn airline miles (and status qualifying points in many cases) through hotels and rental car agencies. As an example, Marriott gives customers of its Bonvoy loyalty program the option to earn Marriott Bonvoy points or to earn points on a partner airline. The list is rather extensive and includes American Airlines, British Airways, Delta, Iberia, Southwest, Virgin Atlantic, and United, just to name a few.

3. Flying on partner airlines

Regardless of the other ways to earn status, it's important to point out that the most efficient way to earn elite status is generally by flying. For example, American Airlines customers earn between 5 and 11 Loyalty Points for every $1 spent on flights (depending on their status level), but just 1 Loyalty Point per $1 spent on credit cards.

However, the flying doesn't necessarily have to be done on that particular airline. Many of the major carriers have partners, and you may be able to earn status qualification on them as well. For example, United Airlines has about 35 partner airlines, and one of the best ways to earn United Premier status is to fly long international flights on its partners.

Gaining status is very airline-dependent

One important point to mention is that this is not an exhaustive list. There are many airlines with different status programs, and some might have ways to earn elite status that haven't been mentioned here. Check your preferred airline's website for their specific details. Plus, some airlines have many ways to earn status while others have very few.

The bottom line is that elite status can be easier to earn than you think. And the benefits of even a lower status tier can be quite valuable -- for example, if you take four round-trip flights per year, free checked bags can save you more than $200 all by itself. So, if you fly regularly (but not enough to earn status just by flying), and you can earn status with your everyday spending, it could be a smart idea.