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Airline elite status programs can be confusing, expensive, and, dare we say…overrated. See how to maximize your air travel without elite status. [[{“value”:”
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I am a future part-time digital nomad and I love travel rewards credit cards, but I’m not super-impressed by the rarefied realm of airline elite status. Every airline has a frequent flyer program, and elite status is like a special VIP room within that larger airline fan club. If you get elite status with an airline, you can qualify for some special perks.
Some airline elite status benefits are valid and valuable, like free upgrades to business class or an automatic multiplier to help you earn more frequent flyer miles on every flight. But some of the other airline elite status perks are underwhelming, especially when you consider how hard and expensive it is to earn elite status in the first place.
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Some airlines’ elite status programs (like Southwest Airlines) are more customer-friendly than others. But in general, most require you to take sometimes dozens of flights or spend thousands of dollars on airline credit cards. You have to follow hard-to-understand and ever-changing rules. You have to painstakingly amass enough elite status-qualifying points which are (usually) different from frequent flyer miles and also (usually) different from credit card reward points. Feeling confused yet?
And for all that effort, you get…a free checked bag? Sorry, but I’m not impressed, airlines!
Here are a few elite status benefits that I feel are overrated — and how you can have a better travel experience without the elite trappings.
1. Free checked bag(s)
One of the first benefits that airline elite status programs advertise on their websites is a free checked bag. It’s true that many airlines have recently raised their fees for checked bags, and not having to worry about this fee can save you some money.
But also, I don’t check bags. I’m passionate about traveling light. Even for a month-long international trip, I always manage to pack everything into one single carry-on bag. I don’t need a free checked bag. And I definitely don’t need two or three checked bags that you get for higher levels of elite status.
You know what elite status perk would actually make me happy? Free automatic gate-checked bags! Just let me check my bag at the gate and pick it up on the jet bridge immediately after landing when I get off the plane! I’m happy to save room in the overhead compartment, and I don’t have to worry about my bag getting lost or waiting in line at the baggage claim! Please, airlines! Give the people (me) what we really want!
2. Priority boarding
Airline elite status programs also make a big deal about priority check-in and priority boarding. Not to be disrespectful, but yawn. I don’t care about being the first one on the plane. Do people actually care about this? Do you enjoy being ushered into some special little check-in line? Does it make you feel like a big shot? Oh well.
I don’t want to be first on the plane, even if I’m sitting in business class. I don’t want to spend any extra time with minimal leg room, breathing jet exhaust, while dozens of people trudge through the aisle, nearly bonking me in the face with their huge carry-on bags (that should’ve been gate-checked).
And if you have a free checked bag (see No. 1 above), why do you even care about being first on the plane? You don’t need to scurry onboard to grab space in the overhead compartment! Just spend a few extra minutes sitting in the ample leg room of the airport terminal, where there is no jet fuel exhaust.
To me, true VIP status is when you’re the last person on the plane. Being the last person to get on the plane, even if I’m sitting in the undesirable seats at the rear, next to the lavatory, feels like being the President of the United States boarding Air Force One. (I may have issues.)
3. Drink vouchers
Some airline elite status programs offer free drink vouchers. But only once you reach a higher level of elite status — not even the lowest tier. (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the tiers — most airlines have several confusing tiers of elite status membership, like Silver and Gold and Platinum.)
Doesn’t this start to feel kind of ridiculous after a while? You spend thousands of dollars and fly hundreds of thousands of miles, and maybe, if you’re lucky, if you’re a “Gold” elite status customer, the airline gives you a free in-flight drink? At this point, I’d rather buy my own drinks.
What to do instead of chasing elite airline status
Most of the best airline elite status perks can also be obtained in a more personalized, do-it-yourself, a-la-carte manner. Just use travel rewards credit cards and airline credit cards:
Want a free checked bag? Airline credit cards can give you this perk.Want free or low-price upgrades? Pay for them with credit card points.Want a free drink? Some airline cards offer discounts on in-flight purchases like food and beverage — it’s not free, but you can earn miles with every snack or beverage you buy.
Bottom line
I love air travel and I’m excited to earn more points and miles with travel rewards credit cards. But I’m not super inspired by the benefits offered by airline elite status programs. If you truly are a frequent flyer and you can rack up enough flights or credit card spending with your favorite airline, then elite status might be worth having. But I don’t intend to make any special effort to chase after these humdrum perks…unless they start offering free gate-checked bags…
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