You're an excellent son

I thought that SPG only offerred Gold and Platinum levels (other than invite only levels)?

Is this a targeted promotion? Is there a sign up page for this?

After qualifying for top tier status on AA, all kinds of extra offers are showing up. Gold status on both Hilton and Starwoods, for one.

That's real convenient since I won't stay enough at the same hotel chains [always try for the cheapest decent hotel] to get status. This way I pick up a few extra points and some benefits on the <10 stays at each chain.

It seems easier than signing up for credit cards.

Yes, elite status can be bought.

At an FT get together, I was regaled with a story from another FTer about how his Black Am Ex got him top tier with every FF club out there - and it only cost him $150,000 a year of spending on other stuff.

Amex's Platinum card comes with a complimentary SPG Gold level enrollment; the Centurion comes with SPG Platinum.

For a $1000 annual Centurian card you "buy"

US Air Gold
CO Gold
TWA Elite (no longer)
Delta Gold
Hyatt Diamond
Hilton Gold
Starwood Plat

If you travel, well worth it!

I mean- SPG Platinum..

Moremiles, the offer is a targeted promotion to thank him for flying CO and since he wasn't able to achieve Silver status, they offered Silver status for $200. He was going to buy it, considering the benefit of elite check in which is great when you look at the check in line for flights to Ecuador at EWR and to US in GYE. It's horrible, that is when I used to fly CO.

I actually think the idea of "buying" top status is quite a good idea. I did a LOT of flying two - three years ago and I spend a LOT of money on my Credit Cards (over $5 million a year). As a result I have so many FF points I ALMOST dont know what to do with them.

Now I would class myself a regular flyer who travels maybe once a week maybe on a 50/50 mix of International and Domestic (within Australia and all in F - to burn up more points ). This pattern would be enough to earn me top status on any airline but I am stuck with "no status" as my flying is on all Non-Rev FF fares.

Some people will say that I dont actually give the airlines any money but in my view I give them (through Amex / Diners / Visa) 5,000,000 points a year @ $0.008 per point (approx what the cards companies pay the airlines) = $40,000, which is more than most top tier people here would contribute to an airlines revenue (I see no distinction between Amex paying for points on my behalf and an employer paying for my revenue flights).

I can understand no points on award flights, but why not status credits or at least allow me to buy my status (with points maybe )?

You should have bought an airplane.

Even from the mid-tier levels on a couple of airlines (US, AA, and UA in the past three years), you got LOTS of offers for hotel status. AA Plat includes a standing offer for HH Gold, Starwood Gold, and similar offers that I can't recall for Fairmont, Holiday Inn, etc. Hotel status tiers don't mean much until you get way up there (HH Diamond, MR Plat, etc.).

I can't believe CO is charging THAT much money to *existing* elites that failed to requal in 2001. That's dirty pool. It would be one thing if CO asked ME for $200 for their lowest level (I've never flown them), but to ask somebody who flew, say, 80% of the required miles is just plain nasty.

"At an FT get together, I was regaled with a story from another FTer about how his Black Am Ex got him top tier with every FF club out there - and it only cost him $150,000 a year of spending on other stuff."

Let's cut the hyperbole. As great as it may be, the Amex Black does not get you top tier on every FF program out there. As noted below, it is only a handful of US carriers, and often just to the mid-tier level.

As for paying for Priority Club, I agree Gold is of little or no value, so $50 is really a waste. And the Six Continents Club offer for Platinum status will cost a non-member $150, since that is the new sign-up cost for that program. The PC Plat is a new offering and may not be included in the basic membership tier after this year.

Interestingly, PC requires one of the higher accumulation of nights before granting its top tier found among hotel programs. Starwood now seems to be the easiest program in which to get top tier Platinum status.

I was a few hundered miles short for elite of UA. I would pay that amount rather than do mileage run. Actually I don't have buying options for UA and I didn't fly on them only for mile.

OZ - If you're flying all on F tickets, what is it that status would get you that you don't already have? Besides maybe a better phone number to call?

not so new this news:
* I bought Sheraton Gold level in 1989 and renew it paying $25 (or is it $30 now?) every year (now as Starwood Gold)
* I bought InterConti SCCS in late 80ies and renew it too every year (I think I pay $35/year which instantly pays back with a free weekend night voucher)
* LH's Senator program allows to renew (not for becoming first time Senators) for another year after expiry paying a high fee (something above EURO 2'000)
* and what about all those comping offers (I am right now getting from KLM's Flying Dutchman program all miles of my UA account comped = 431'000 points/miles and a total of 18 months top/tier Royal Wing member for just one 'grey-market' transatlantic trip)