Originally Posted by
mapleg
Really? I would never, ever pay $1000 to get P25K status. For the travel I do, it is valueless. I would just stay with a typical $120 a year credit card and keep the $880 difference.
I think the idea of a credit card giving you mid to top tier status is a red herring. Name one premium travel credit card that does this for any airline in the world that belongs to one of the big three alliances. I doubt you'll find a single one! Looking specifically at the AE USA and UK websites one seems the following top-tier airline branded credit card on offer:
- BA Premium Plus Credit Card (UK)
- 195 quid annual fee
- 25,000 Avios sign up bonus
- 2 for 1 travel voucher after spending 10,000 quid each year
- 1.5 Avios per quid spent everywhere or 3 Avios per quid spent on BA
- Delta Reserve Credit Card (USA)
- $450 annual fee
- 75,000 sign up bonus
- Earn 2 miles per dollar spent at DL, 1 mile everywhere else
- MQM (Status) Acceleration
- Earn 5,000 MQM sign up bonus
- Earn 15,000 MQM after spending $30,000 in a year
- Earn another 15,000 MQM after spending $60,000 in a year
- Annual Companion Travel Certificate
- Delta Sky Club Access
- Main Cabin 1 Boarding
Airlines are smart enough to realize that if they give mid to top tier elite status to every Tom, Dick and Harry then no one would want to be loyal to their airline. What's the purpose of chasing status every year if a bunch of kettles with free AE credit cards get the same benefits as me?
Safe Travels,
James