While many airline credit cards offer elite-style perks like priority boarding and free checked bags, most only earn bonus miles that can be redeemed for award travel but do not count toward achieving elite status.
However, some airline credit cards actually allow cardholders to earn elite-qualifying miles or points and to meet spending threshold waivers all through everyday purchases. With just over three months left to qualify for elite status for next year, now is the time to start strategizing your purchases in case your credit card activity can help put you over the finish line with your frequent-flier program of choice.
Here are some of the top airline personal credit cards that help fliers earn elite status, and what you have to do in order to maximize their benefits.
American Airlines
American Airlines fields a number of co-branded credit cards through partnerships with both Citibank and Barclaycard. Without going into exhaustive detail, here are two of the most popular options that help fliers get a jump on elite-status requirements.
Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard
This card is the airline’s top-shelf product since it comes with Admirals Club membership as one of the benefits cardholders pay the $450 annual fee for. However, one of its other compelling perks is the fact that cardholders who spend $40,000 or more on eligible purchases in a calendar year are gifted with 10,000 elite-qualifying miles (EQMs). That’s almost halfway to the airline’s first tier of status, AAdvantage Gold, which requires earning 25,000 EQMs in a year. This card is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 50,000 AAdvantage (award) miles after spending $5,000 in the first three months.
AAdvantage Aviator Silver World Elite Mastercard
Though this card is not open to new applicants, those with the Aviator Red version can upgrade to it. In addition to benefits like earning three miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases, two on hotels and rental cars, and one on everything else, this card offers spending-based elite perks. Most cardholders (those that upgraded to it prior to January 1, 2018, and then all cardmembers starting in 2020) will be able to earn $3,000 elite-qualifying dollars (EQDs) after spending $50,000 on purchases in a calendar year. That’s enough to meet the spending threshold for AAdvantage Gold status.
Delta
Like American Airlines, Delta posts certain spending requirements for each threshold of elite status in its Medallion program, ranging from $3,000-$15,000 each year.
Unlike American, however, Delta credit cardholders with the exception of those who have the Blue Delta SkyMiles version can waive the airline’s elite-status spending requirements by purchasing $25,000 or more on their card for Silver, Gold and Platinum Medallion status, or a whopping $250,000 for Diamond status. In addition, the following two personal credit cards earn Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) as part of their sign-up bonuses and spending structures.
Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express
This card carries a $195 annual fee and its sign-up bonus can vary. At the moment, though, it is offering 35,000 bonus miles and 5,000 MQMs after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new card in the first three months, plus a $100 statement credit for a Delta purchase with your card in the same time period. Then, cardholders who spend $25,000 or more on eligible purchases in a calendar year can scoop up an another 10,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs. Spend $50,000 , and you will receive an additional 10,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs for a total potential haul of 20,000 bonus miles and 20,000 MQMs, nearly enough for Silver Medallion status. Among this card’s other outstanding benefits are an annual companion ticket good for one round-trip domestic itinerary within the continental U.S. in Main Cabin.
Delta Reserve Credit Card
This is Delta’s premium product and charges a $450 annual fee for benefits like Sky Club access when traveling and an annual companion certificate that can be used for one round-trip itinerary within the continental U.S. in Main Cabin, Comfort+, or first class. While its sign-up bonus also varies widely, it is currently pegged at 40,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card in the first three months. Cardholders can rake in 15,000 more bonus miles and 15,000 MQMs after spending $30,000 on purchases in a calendar year, and an additional 15,000 bonus miles and 15,000 MQMs for spending a total of $60,000 in a calendar year. If you’re able to hit all those metrics in a single year including the sign-up bonus, you could end up with 40,000 MQMs – almost enough for mid-tier Gold Medallion status.
JetBlue
Reaching JetBlue’s Mosaic status normally requires earning 15,000 base flight points (equivalent to spending $5,000 on airfare) or flying 30 segments and earning 12,000 base points per calendar year. The perks include waived change and cancellation fees, free checked bags, reduced redemption rates for Even More Space seats, and complimentary alcoholic beverages on board, among other benefits.
JetBlue Plus Card
Barclays’ $99-per-year JetBlue Plus Card offers a sign-up bonus of 40,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days and paying the annual fee. It also comes with an annual $100 statement credit toward the purchases of a JetBlue Vacations Package with your card. Cardholders earn six points per dollar on JetBlue purchases, two points at restaurants and grocery stores, and one on everything else, plus 5,000 bonus points on their account anniversary and a 50% savings on in-flight cocktail and food purchases. Those who spend $50,000 or more each calendar year, however, are also rewarded with automatic Mosaic status, which is reason enough to put your purchases on this card if you’re a frequent JetBlue flier but still find yourself coming up short of Mosaic based on your normal flight activity.
Southwest Airlines
Though not as sophisticated as the legacy carriers’ elite-status programs, Southwest’s A-List and A-List Preferred tiers do offer interesting benefits like earning bonuses, priority check-in and security, priority boarding, and free in-flight Wi-Fi at the upper level. Luckily, some of Southwest’s co-branded cards help fliers achieve status even faster.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
This card, which has an annual fee of $99, is currently offering an attractive bonus of up to 60,000 points – 40,000 after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months plus an additional 20,000 after you spend $12,000 in the first 12 months of account opening. It gifts cardholders with 6,000 bonus points every year on their account anniversary, among other benefits. However, cardholders also earn 1,500 tier-qualifying points (TQPs) for each $10,000 in purchases up to $100,000 in purchases annually for a total potential of 15,000 TQPs. That’s nearly halfway to A-List status.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Prioirty Credit Card
This relative newcomer is also currently offering up to 60,000 bonus points for new applications – 40,000 after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months plus an additional 20,000 after you spend $12,000 in the first 12 months of account opening. It has a higher annual fee of $149, but cardholders receive a $75 Southwest annual travel credit each year, four upgraded boardings when available per year, and 7,500 anniversary bonus points, among other perks. Like the Premier version, cardholders can earn 1,500 TQPs for each $10,000 in purchases up to $100,000 in purchases annually for a total potential of 15,000 TQPs.
United
Although none of United’s personal credit cards open to new applicants earn Premier Qualifying Miles (PQMs), members can use them to hit spending thresholds that will waive the normal Premier Qualifying Dollar (PQD) requirements for some tiers of status with the program.
United Explorer Card
This card currently fields a sign-up bonus of 40,000 miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months. However, its bonus is sometimes as high as 60,000 miles, so you might want to wait for one of those offers to come back around. In the meantime, it earns two miles per dollar on United purchase, at restaurants and hotels, and one mile per dollar everywhere else. Cardholders can receive a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee statement credit once every four years, worth up to $100. Some of its other benefits include priority boarding and free checked bags. Cardholders can also waive the PQD requirements for Premier Silver, Gold and Platinum status (not top-tier 1K) by making $25,000 or more in purchases on the card every calendar year.
United Club Card
For $450 per year, cardholders receive United Club membership for airport lounge access when traveling and earn 1.5 miles per dollar on all purchases, except those with United, which earn two miles per dollar. Cardholders also receive priority boarding and free checked bags among other perks. Its sign-up bonus is currently 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months. Like the Explorer Card, this one gets cardholders who spend $25,000 or more on net purchases in a calendar year out of the normal PQD requirements for Premier status up to the Platinum tier.
Here are two international airlines offering cards in the U.S. that also present the possibility of earning elite status through spending.
Air France-KLM World Elite Mastercard
Air France-KLM launched a new U.S. credit card back in October 2018, which might be compelling for fliers looking to take advantage of the carrier’s extensive SkyTeam route network.
The card offers a sign-up bonus of 25,000 miles after you make $1,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening. It also rewards new members with 60 Experience Points (XP) – over half the 100 you need to hit the Flying Blue mileage program’s Silver status level. Cardholders who spend at least $50 in purchases within their membership year earn 5,000 bonus miles and 20 XP on each account anniversary plus the opportunity to earn an additional 40 XP after spending at least $15,000 on purchases within the card anniversary year. Essentially, you can earn 60 XP each year just through purchases. Apart from that, the card earns three miles per dollar spent on Air France, KLM and other SkyTeam member airlines, and 1.5 miles per dollar on everything else. Its annual fee is $89.
Virgin Atlantic World Elite Mastercard
Thanks to this airline’s partnership with Delta, you might want to consider its credit card and the opportunities it affords members to spend toward elite status. It is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 60,000 Flying Club miles after spending $2,000 within the first 90 days, and 5,000 bonus miles for adding two authorized users. Spend $15,000 during your account year and you’ll earn an additional 7,500 miles, or spend $25,000 for a total of 15,000 bonus miles. Cardholders can also earn 25 Tier Points per $2,500 in purchases up to a maximum of 50 Tier Points per month. Flying Club’s lowest level of elite status is Silver and requires earning 400 Tier Points per year.
The card earns three miles per dollar on Virgin purchases, and 1.5 miles per dollar on everything else. It also comes with a companion reward ticket for members who spend $25,000 or more on purchases annually, though this comes with several restrictions.
Is Elite Status Through Spending Worth It?
Several airline credit cards let members rack up elite-qualifying miles through spending, but the thresholds for doing so are rather high. That said, if you use your airline credit card for most of your purchases throughout the year, you are probably coming close to hitting many of these numbers anyway.
Being strategic about your credit-card activity can help you either achieve elite status outright, or give you the boost you need to qualify for that next tier which might be just beyond your reach via normal flight activity. With just over three months left in in 2019, now is the perfect time to look over your spending from the year so far and see if any of your credit cards can help you cross the finish line for airline elite status before the end of the year.
