Originally Posted by
llary
...status seems much easier to achieve than with CX? For example CX requires 30,000 miles in one year to reach Silver then another 60,000 miles to reach Gold, then another 120,000 to reach Diamond. Status only lasts for 12 months. Asiana only requires 40,000 miles in 24 months(?) to reach Diamond...
Be careful when you compare airlines. The precious metal or gemstone associated with each level are not standardized. "Diamond" is top-tier on CX but mid-tier on OZ. Top-tier on OZ is Diamond Plus.
Alliance-wide status levels are also not standardized. *A has no third tier that corresponds to OW Emerald. Its top tier, Gold, compares to OW Sapphire in terms of both benefits and difficulty of obtaining it. (Both come with mid-tier elite status on most member airlines that have three levels, though there are exceptions in both alliances. On bmi, which has relatively low requirements to move up each step, you have to be top-tier to get *A Gold.)
A given status level is still easier to reach with Asiana, especially since last October when they cut the first-time qualification requirements, but not as much easier as it might seem at first glance.