Elite Status Expiration ?
Apr 9, 2006 | 2:14 pm
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 42,579
You will keep the status for the remainder of the year in which you earn it, the following year, and depending on the airline, generally until the end of February in the following year. (i.e., earn UA Premier today, keep it until Feb 28, 2008.) Some airlines (i.e., AS) drop you like a hot potato on January 1 (well, that assumes the airline still has an oven and potatoes 
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Apr 9, 2006 | 5:23 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2004
Location: formerly Gold now Diamond, formerly MSY, now LAX, formerly NW, now DL
Programs: Hyatt Plat, Hilton Gold, SPG Gold, Delta Diamond/1MM
Posts: 4,729
Yes you have to continue to earn elite status each year...a few programs will have lifetime benefits if you have maintained a certain number of years (KLM/AF 10 years of continuous Plat gets lifetime) or some programs that you get to 1-4 million mile flown miles get you lifetime elite....
Apr 9, 2006 | 5:51 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Massachusetts, USA; AA 2.996MM & Plat Pro, DL 1MM, GM & Flying Colonel
Posts: 25,037
Some programs (e.g., AA) have a "soft landing" policy whereby you're only dropped one level per year. If you earn Executive Platinum one year, you'll be Platinum the next year and Gold the year after that, even if you never set foot on a plane. This policy is long-standing but unpublished, which means it can change at any time without notice or appeal.
Also, some programs have (or have had in the past; Canadian comes to mind) lower requirements to renew/retain a level than were needed to earn it the first time.
If you have a specific airline or a small number of specific airlines in mind, check their forums and/or Web sites. In general, though, the rule is as stated above: fly or lose it. Anyone who is close to having lifetime status in a program would normally be familiar enough with that program to know it.
Also, some programs have (or have had in the past; Canadian comes to mind) lower requirements to renew/retain a level than were needed to earn it the first time.
If you have a specific airline or a small number of specific airlines in mind, check their forums and/or Web sites. In general, though, the rule is as stated above: fly or lose it. Anyone who is close to having lifetime status in a program would normally be familiar enough with that program to know it.
Apr 11, 2006 | 10:37 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: IAD
Programs: UA-1K, AA-PLT 3MM
Posts: 114
Lifetime status:
On AA, after having earned 1 million miles on AAdvantage program regardless of the source, they will give you lifetime "gold" status. This is specially sweet if you can use a credit card for your business and accumulate a lot of miles that way.
On UA, you actually have to FLY 1 million miles, after which they will give you lifetime premiere Executive status. This will take M U C H longer!
On AA, after having earned 1 million miles on AAdvantage program regardless of the source, they will give you lifetime "gold" status. This is specially sweet if you can use a credit card for your business and accumulate a lot of miles that way.
On UA, you actually have to FLY 1 million miles, after which they will give you lifetime premiere Executive status. This will take M U C H longer!
Apr 12, 2006 | 5:56 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Massachusetts, USA; AA 2.996MM & Plat Pro, DL 1MM, GM & Flying Colonel
Posts: 25,037
Originally Posted by Xplorer
Lifetime status:
On AA, after having earned 1 million miles on AAdvantage program regardless of the source, they will give you lifetime "gold" status. This is specially sweet if you can use a credit card for your business and accumulate a lot of miles that way...
On AA, after having earned 1 million miles on AAdvantage program regardless of the source, they will give you lifetime "gold" status. This is specially sweet if you can use a credit card for your business and accumulate a lot of miles that way...
There are regular arguments in the AA forum about (a) whether lifetime status for people who don't fly much is good, and (b) whether AA will change this aspect of its program (much as Delta did in 1995). Consensus on (a) is that it doesn't much matter, because people who don't fly much don't use the benefits much either. As for (b), every year someone starts a rumor that they will, but so far the sky hasn't fallen.