If you want to earn elite status with your favorite airline this year or reach a higher tier of status than you’ve had in the past, it’s smart to plan ahead. After all, the best shortcuts to elite airline status all require some travel you’ll need to book early in the year, and some strategies require specific amounts of spending with airlines, their partners or a co-branded credit card.
How can you get airline elite status in 2025 that applies in the next elite status year? The following tips can help you qualify for the best airline status program faster, potentially even with better results.
Sign up for a co-branded airline credit card
One of the best and fastest ways to fast track airline status is with a co-branded credit card from your favorite air carrier. While none of the best credit cards to earn airline elite status offer this benefit automatically, most give cardholders a “leg up” toward status requirements based on how they spend.
As an example, all American airlines credit cards earn miles for travel and Loyalty Points for spending that count toward elite status requirements with the American AAdvantage program. This means cardholders can earn points toward elite status just for using their airline credit card to pay for regular expenses and bills.
The same is true for most (but not all) credit cards from United MileagePlus. If you get the right airline credit card from United, you can earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) toward elite airline status based on your spending.
The Delta SkyMiles program works similarly by letting cardholders with select co-branded credit cards earn Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) toward airline elite status with Delta. Specific cards that earn MQDs with Delta include the card_name discontinued_disclaimer or card_name discontinued_disclaimer and the card_name discontinued_disclaimer. As an added bonus, these cards also offer an annual boost of MQDs just for being a cardholder. American Express is a CardRatings advertiser.
➤ SEE MORE:How to earn elite status with a credit card
Book other travel through your favorite airline
Most major airlines also offer the chance to work toward elite status with other types of travel bookings and eligible purchases outside of flights. With the American AAdvantage program, for example, members can earn Loyalty Points toward elite airline status by shopping through the AAdvantage eShopping portal, dining out through the AAdvantage dining program and booking other travel through various airline, hotel and car rental partners. American AAdvantage members also earn Loyalty Points when they book cruises and vacation packages through the airline.
Delta SkyMiles also offers the chance to earn Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) through means other than paid flights and credit card spending. The best option is through Delta Vacations, where consumers can earn MQDs on vacation packages that include airfare and a hotel stay (and potentially even a rental car) in the package price.
Also note that you can fast track elite status even more if you use one of the best credit cards to earn airline elite status to pay for these expenses.
Book all your travel with a single airline or airline alliance
If you’re wondering how to get to airline status but you keep flying with different airlines, you should know you’re not doing yourself any favors. With elite status requirements focusing more on spending with specific airlines right now than in the past, your best bet to get to elite status quickly is only flying with the one (or potentially two) airlines you want to have status with. Of course, this part can be tricky if you’re someone who likes to shop for flight deals and go with the lowest cost carrier each time you fly.
Also remember that you can earn the best airline elite status with your favorite carrier by flying with airlines in its airline alliance. If you want to earn Delta Medallion status, for example, you can earn MQDs on most partner flights with SkyTeam members like Air France (Flying Blue), KLM or Virgin Atlantic. If you want to earn American Airlines elite status, on the other hand, you can get there with paid flights through Oneworld partners like British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Iberia, to name a few.
➤ SEE MORE:Which credit cards offer elite status?
Book premium cabins
Also be aware that, in recent years, frequent flyer programs have updated their requirements so they’re focused more on revenue than distance flown. This means that spending more with the airline gets you to elite status faster regardless of the number of flights you take or how far you tend to travel.
With that in mind, you can fast track to elite status by spending more with the airline every time you fly. This essentially means booking premium cabins when you can, whether you have the means to fly in a premium economy cabin or in first or business class.
Participate in a status match
If you’re wondering how to get airline status without flying and thinking of switching programs, you should check to see if any status match programs are available. However, you’ll need status with an existing airline to qualify.
While airline status match programs vary, most give you automatic elite status with a new carrier for a few months right off the bat. To maintain the new status tier beyond that timeline, you need to meet a flight requirement specified by the airline.
Take the current status match offer available through American Airlines as an example. The current offer requires you to show proof of your existing status through Delta SkyMiles, Southwest Rapid Rewards, United MileagePlus or JetBlue TrueBlue. Once you prove your status, you get a corresponding status tier in the American AAdvantage program for four months.
To maintain this status, you have to meet a specific “Loyalty Point goal” through qualifying activity every four months. This goal depends on the tier of status you were matched to, and there are additional goals to meet that can help you maintain the new status tier for the remainder of the year.
The bottom line
If you’re wondering how to get elite status on American Airlines, Delta Air Lines or another airline altogether this year, you should know that several strategies can help you get there faster and more efficiently. Not only can you sign up for one of the many credit cards that earn airline miles and points toward elite status, but you can see which other activities help you earn elite status points with your favorite program.
Other strategies like paying more for premium cabin experiences and participating in a status match can also help you reach your goals. Just remember that all frequent flyer programs work differently, so you’ll want to read over the terms, conditions and requirements for elite status with your favorite airline before you make any big moves.
Frequently asked questions
Do credit card miles count towards elite status?
Whether credit card miles count toward elite status depends on the program and its treatment of credit card purchases. All credit card spending with American Airlines earns Loyalty Points toward elite status, but this isn’t the case with every program.
What are the best credit cards for airline miles?
The best credit card to earn airline miles varies from person to person and depends on the airline they fly with the most. For example, some individuals would be better off with a Delta credit card, whereas others might be better with a co-branded credit card from United or Southwest. If you want some flexibility, you can also consider travel credit cards that let you transfer points to multiple airline programs. Examples include cards that earn points in programs like American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards or Citi ThankYou.
