Airline programs that still offer permanent status without BIS miles?
 

Hi,

I got on the AA wagon too late to earn million milers status and permanent gold status etc. I do not fly enough to achieve this with Butt in seat miles but, with AA i earn around 30,000 miles per month with bankdirect and other programs they have.

I would like to find out if there are still any AIRLINE programs that are still offering permanent statuses (that get perks such as free lounges, etc etc.) to miles that are earned through other programs they run, not just BIS miles.

I like the AA program and it works for me because I'm based in central Texas so they fly from all the airports around me (and I like the fact that they are one world alliance as I fly BA to LON about once a year.) But as they changed the program at the end of last year, and because I do not fly enough, I can never achieve a permanent status.

Anyone know any programs I should be looking at?

Thanks!

No program that I know of for lifetime status purposes. Some opportunities to buy or earn EQMs for annual status other than BIS (e.g., Delta Amex, US Buy-up to Preferred, etc) but that's it AFAIK.

Why Bank Direct?
 

Why is OP using bank Direct? AFAIK, they have very ugly economics behind the mileage program, you can ear better cash values in other finance institution for the safe principle?

I think AA was one of the last to recognize non-BIS miles towards lifetime status. You may be out of luck in finding another program that will allow you to earn towards life time status with credit card and non-flight miles.

You seem to be confused about status levels. Gold Status at AA (and equivalent lowest level at other airlines) doesn't give you any lounge status. And Platinum Status (which requires 2 million miles for lifetime at AA) gets you lounge status only on days you're traveling internationally (on an AA ticket).

All lifetime Gold status would have gotten you was access to preferred seating at booking (but will that go away after 2013? we're not sure), priority boarding, free checked bag, etc. Most of those things (except the preferred seats) are available with the "right" credit card at some other airlines, though not (yet?) at AA.

Anyway, as already explained by others, AA was the last airline to offer permanent status with non-BIS miles. So now that it stopped offering it, no one else does.

Some credit cards do give you lounge access through a program called Priority Pass, but usually they're cards with high annual fees. (You can also buy Priority Pass membership on its own, but you would want to verify that it has lounge access in the specific airport terminals you tend to be in. A lounge in, for example, JFK terminal 3 does you no good if you're flying through terminal 8!)

Yes, with the changes in the AA miles program rules, no other airline gives status for non-BIS miles.

I changed credit cards to ones that earn cash back and no longer seek AA miles at every opportunity. Does AA miss the loss of income?

I have also cut back on AA eshopping due to a lack of interest in AA miles and a desire to use coupons and other means of discounts.

actually AA plt giver could fly any OW carrier and use any one OW lounge *with few exception applies (ie dosmestic flight in US)

As long as your AA FF # (since that's where you have your status) is what's on the ticket, and your status is recognized as a result of that. So what I meant by "AA ticket" is that this is easest if you book OW flights through AA. (It's possible when booking otherwise, but not alwyas as simple, especially since you giving another OW airline your AA FF # does not make them instantly see your status, does it?)

AFAIK, the EQM earned through the Delta credit card do count toward lifetime status, but you may want to check with the DL gurus.

Mike

I'm all ears. Let's hear about the finance institutions that offer a better after-tax rate for $200k that don't require additional work on the part of the customer.

ExitRowAisle
A Dissatisfied 2nd Class Starwood Platinum Member

Actually the citi world elite card gives you lounge access (admirals club membership) with AA. Along with priority boarding, checked bags and 10k eqms fir each 40k charged. You can search for all the bennies but it is basically gold without the mileage bonus.

This is true. But the difficult thing is that you only earn a certain amount of EQM (in DL terms, MQM) based on meeting spending thresholds - usually 25k in spend for 10k MQM, or 30k spend for 15k MQM. You don't earn MQMs (only redeemable miles) for every $1 in regular spend, which makes it more difficult than AA.

In theory, you could have multiple cards for personal and business, and earn a good chunk of MQMs every year. (Plenty of people do this.) But the spend requirements are high if you're going to accrue anything serious.

Also, if you cruise over to the DL boards, you will hear a lot of complaints about how DL's Million Miler program is weak compared to other US airlines.

Note quite for every 40k:
From http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/citiexecutive.jsp

Yes, but it will take a while -- at 15K MQM per year, getting to one million can be done in only 67 years! :D

Between the different cards (Plat and Reserve, consumer & business) big spenders can pull in 50k MQM in a year.

Then that's something to consider. It took me a bit over 20 years to rack up the million BIS miles on United (then called the "Flat Butt Club").

Since we're going this route, there are a number of credit cards that offer MQMs for big spend. T&C indicate that you can have more than one card and earn a mileage boost from each. Of course, we're talking well over 100K in spend per year.

This is true and by being Gold every year you will get some upgrades and 100% miles bonus too(this doesn't count for MQM's). But it comes with alot of spending which many of us can't do. I've been Plat and Gold the last 5 years by bis. One of the best things is the carry over on extra MQM's over one thresh hold but not enough for the next higher level. This year I'm going to try to get some MQM's with Amex. I'm giving in. lol :)

The T&C you quoted state you can only earn a mileage boost from one card of each type. $50k spend on a DL Plat AmEx earns 20k MQM, $60k spend on a Reserve card earns 30k MQM, for a total of 50k MQM annually with $110k spend. I know this sum is doable. I'm not sure if they treat business cards separately (i.e. you could have 4 AmEx cards, Plat + Reserve for each individual and business, and earn 100k).

One thing not yet mentioned: Many of the benefits associated with status are also available when booking First or Business class tickets, and perhaps in some cases some of them also when booking "anytime" (not "saver") award tickets. So by getting enough miles through spend to book those classes (instead of just "saver" Coach), it lessens the need for elite status if most of your travel can be on award tickets. That's obviously not a practical solution for those who travel a lot of paid flights and want status on those, but it may be something to consider for those who only travel occasionally and yet would like elite perks.