Using Credit Card to Gain ELITE status?
 

Hi All,

First post, so be kind..

Are there any credit cards out there that I could use to gain a Elite/Platinum/Gold/Diamond type status with the airlines or hotels through the actual accrual of points or some other way?

Thanks

Welcome to FT!

Air France KLM American Express Silver and Gold. Only for French residents.

http://www.airfrance.fr/FR/fr/common...rican_gold.htm

I went from AA lifetime Gold to lifetime Platinum by using the Citibank credit card. I have flown less than 200,000 miles on AA since joining their FF program.

Thanks Nomad! Je parle fracais [a little], mais je n'habite pas en France. Just Missouah hah.

Welcome to FT!

If you qualify for AmEx Centurion and don't mind the four-figure annual fee, it comes with elite status in a few airlines and hotel chains. See the AmEx forums here and/or its Web site for details.

Ditto for the Merrill Lynch MERRILL+ Visa card once you reach a certain level (I forget exactly, it's in five figures) of annual use. Again, see the appropriate forum here or the firm's Web site.

There's a Hilton card that will give you Silver or Gold, and also I think you can get status with Starwood.

United has a card that will give you some EQMs - not enough, but it would get you started.

And a Marriott CC that will give u immediate Silver status + free night, points, etc.

Amex Plat only has a three figure annual fee and it gives you Gold *wood status; Priority Club status can be achieved through any deposit of points in your PC account, even transfers.

Delta Skymiles Plat ($150 annual fee) gives 5,000 Delta points upon sign-up plus 20,000 EQMs if you spend $50k in a calendar year. That's enough for status on Delta.

Welcome to FT! The Starwood Amex gives you Preferred Plus status automatically and upgrades you to Gold status if you have at least $30K of net spending in a calendar year (January - December).

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8703e/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/104)

The Hilton HHonors Amex will get you HHonors Gold VIP status with $20,000 in annual spend charged to the card. Card holders also qualify for the special AXON award: four nights at the top category Hilton properties for 125,000 HHonors points.

Southwest Airlines will give you a Companion Pass if you accrue 100 credits within a 12-month period. Many people use credit card bonuses and spending to put them over the top.

Does the Hilton HHonors Citi Visa also grant you Gold status for 20k in spending?

Both the MC and Visa for US Airways get you 10,000 toward preferred status (not actual miles...just credited toward preferred) when you spend over 25,000 in a calendar year. So for spending 75,000 in a year you get Silver which is pretty much worthless unless you just like boarding early.

Citi Chairman - Hilton Gold
Continental President's Card - Hyatt midtier + spending is eligible to count as EQMs