I see your point, but I respectfully disagree.

Yes, lifetime status could be a good option to recognise long-term loyalty, but the idea that adding another tier will stop people from splitting their loyalty doesn’t quite reflect the reality for frequent flyers.

For those of us who travel often across different regions of the world, splitting loyalty is not a matter of choice. it’s a practical necessity. Air New Zealand has a limited international network, and once you’ve reached Elite and banked your year, it makes sense to maximise benefits with other programs where Air NZ doesn’t operate or partner effectively.

Also, let’s not forget: Star Alliance Gold (NZ*G) is the highest practical recognition across the alliance, and its benefits are fairly standard, not exceptional. So even if Air NZ introduced an "Elite Plus" or higher-tier level, what would that match to within Star Alliance? There’s no alliance-wide status above Gold, so any added perks would be limited to Air NZ flights only, making it much less appealing for global travellers.

Instead of creating another tier, I believe the focus should be on delivering consistent value at the current Elite level, and ensuring those benefits are actually usable across the full network not just out of Auckland.