Originally Posted by kiwifrequentflyer

The biggest difference for me is that:

1) Your upgraded have priority. This makes them far more likely to clear. 90% Of my upgrades clear if I am flying in off peak times.

2) You have unlimited upgrades. You don't just get your two gold upgrades. You can get unlimited APD upgrades and you can buy unlimited APD with a kiwibank card.

3) You can upgrade your family unlimited amounts of times.

4) Your upgrades can be cleared guaranteed if you book far enough in advance. I just had two PE to BP upgrades clear automatically to/from LAX later this year.

There are other upgrade benefits too, but I use them less (like the reduced partner airfare)

The real benefit lies in the unlimited, generous upgrades. If you don't make good use of them, then I would not say elite is worthwhile. But if you do, you will save extraordinary amounts of money. I save tens of thousands of dollars each year.
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