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Airline Elite Status
During Coronavirus

Updated 10/25/2020

It’s been another fun Friday, as I’ve gotten to spend the day reading about airline elite status and watching Buffy on Hulu (and not necessarily in that order). The latter is a subject for another day, but I’d like to write a bit about the former, airline elite status during coronavirus.

The airlines have finally gotten around to matching the hotels and discussing plans for how they will handle your elite status for 2020. Not all of them have made announcements, but we’ve heard from a few of them, including the big three international carriers. Here’s what we know.

Delta Airlines Medallion Status

Over the past several years, Delta Airlines has been a leader in the industry, and they appear to have stepped up again with their elite status extension plan.

  • Your elite status is good for another year. If you have status for 2020, it will automatically renew for all of 2021. You do not need to do any travel or earn any Medallion Qualifying Miles (or MQMs, which are flown miles that count toward elite status) in 2020.
  • Any MQMs that you do earn in 2020 will roll over to 2021. Normally, they will only roll over the amount in excess of the highest status level that you earned (e.g., if you earned 55,000 miles, you’ll reach gold status at 50,000 and roll over the remaining 5,000). Miles rolled over from 2019 will also roll over. This year is different from all other years. They’ll roll over everything.
  • You earn Delta elite status through a combination of MQMs and dollars spent (Medallion Qualifying Dollars, or MQDs). Sadly, the MQDs are not rolling over.
  • Platinum and Diamond members will get Choice Benefits in 2021. If you take advantage of the status extension, you will get your benefits on February 1, 2021.

United Airlines: Going Halfsies

Airline Elite Status During Coronavirus

United Airlines is also being quite generous.

  • If you have status, they are extending it through 2021, as well.
  • If you don’t have status or want a higher tier for 2021, United has cut the qualifications in half. Note that United’s qualifications are based on flights you take (Premier Qualifying Flights, or PQF) and dollars spent (One dollar equals one Premier Qualifying Point, or PQP). You no longer earn elite status at United based on miles flown.
  • Got a United credit card that offers PQPs? You’ll get either double or quadruple PQPs for your spending, depending on the type of card you have.
  • Plus Points expiring January 31 will be extended 180 days.

American Airlines: Status Renewals And A 40% 2020 “Discount”

Airline Elite Status During Coronavirus

American Airlines is also letting you renew or improve your AAdvantage elite status, although it’s not quite as generous as United.

  • First, the easy stuff: They’re extending your elite status through next year. That’s simple enough.
  • American is also letting you start your progress to 2021 by carrying over any fourth quarter activity, counting it toward 2021, as well.
  • Don’t have elite status or want to upgrade? It’s a bit more complicated. Where United gave you 50% off for 2020, American is only giving 40% (There are a couple of exceptions above, but not big ones.). Status is based on a combination of elite qualifying dollars (EQD) and either miles (EQM) or segments (EQS). You can see the chart above for the temporary requirements and how they compare to the standard ones.
  • American will also allow you to earn lifetime status through its Million Miler program. At one million miles, you’ll earn lifetime gold status (the lowest level) and at two million, lifetime platinum (the second of four). Normally, only miles that you fly count toward your lifetime status but, for from May 1 until December 31, American will count miles earned through eligible American Airlines credit cards, as well. Note that those miles only count toward lifetime status. They don’t count toward this year or next.

Alaska Airlines: Extending Status Through 2021

We’re three for three, as Alaska Air also agrees to extend status through 2021. If you get a free status extension without having earned it this year, you won’t be entitled to the 50,000 bonus miles at the top tier.

Any elite qualifying activity from January 1 until April 30 will carry over to 2021. No update yet on whether activity after that will count.

Southwest Airlines Extends Elite Status

Two decades ago (Okay, it was only two weeks, but it feels like two decades.), we wrote about the benefits of flying Southwest and why COVID-19 had only a minimal effect regarding ticket changes.

They did announce, however, a change to their elite status expirations, one which is mostly in line with their competitors. Here are the details:

  • If you have a Southwest Companion Pass that expires this year, your expiration has been extended to June 30, 2021. The fastest way to the Pass is still one of the Southwest Airlines credit cards.
  • A-List and A-List preferred is extended through December 31, 2021, as long as you earned it yourself. You’ll also keep it until then if you earned it in a status match and have completed the requirements.
  • If you’re still working through your status match, you now have until October 30 to complete the requirements.
  • Working on earning a new or improved status? Southwest is throwing in a boost for your points and flight segments.
  • If you have travel funds (credits) set to expire before September 7, 2022, you can convert them to points at the same rate at which you could use them to buy a ticket (about 1.5-1.7 cents per point).

JetBlue Extends Status And Throws In A Bonus

JetBlue has announced an extension of its Mosaic elite status and is throwing in a bonus for you to pass along to a friend. Here are the details:

  • If you currently have Mosaic status, You’re extended through the end of 2021. No muss, no fuss. You will not, however, receive the usual 15,000 bonus points that you get for qualifying.
  • If you don’t have elite status but want it, JetBlue is cutting the traditional qualifications in half. You only need to earn 7,500 Mosaic qualifying points (MQP) or 6,000 plus 15 flown segments. Note: If you typically earn status through credit card spend, you still have to spend $50,000 in a calendar year. No discount.

British Airways Executive Club — They Don’t Hate You (Much)

British Airways tier status operates on a complex system of points that can only be figured out by using one of those decoder rings that you find in a cereal box. One other complicating factor is that, unlike other airlines, your renewal year is not based on the calendar, but rather, on your membership year (i.e., the anniversary month of when you joined). Oh, good.

BA is also winning the award for “stingiest tier renewal policy during COVID-19.”

  • BA is adding 12 months to your Executive Club membership.
  • If your membership/qualification year ends in April, May or June, they’re knocking 25% off your tier point requirements and waiving the flight requirements.
  • That’s it for now. If your year ends in July or later, you’ll have to hope for the best. But it’s BA, so I’d also prepare for the worst.