I too am forced to economize for the sake of my employer, but I (and my employer) still end up paying a great deal of money for my travel. All I am trying to point out is that if you do end up spending the kind of money that I listed, don't you deserve elite status, even if you fall below the required segments, miles, or nights?

As I travel throughout the country and have to choose the most economical flight, regardless of carrier, to meet my employers requirements for reimbursment, I often miss qualification for elite status simply because I did not fly a single carrier enough.

On the other hand, as many of my trips are at the last minute, the fares I pay are exorbinate. So I often generate the levels of revenue for the programs I have listed, and yet do not receive any kind of elite status.

I am not suggesting that companies or individuals spend more simply to attain elite status, merely that if you do generate this kind of revenue for an airline or hotel, you should be rewarded for it.