I want to get a gold or plat. card from an airline and I was wondering if anyone knows of one that once you get status it does not go away over time, or an airline that has a longer period of it (ie 2 yrs. instead of 1) Any help is much appreached!! Thanks!

The only way I'm aware of to get status and not have it go away over time is to fly over a million miles on some airlines like DL, UA, and AA. They'll then give you their lowest teir of status "for life."

These programs differ - UA and DL are actual butt-in-seat miles while AA counts all miles earned via any source.

The only program I know of that has a status period longer than one year is LH - where the Miles and More program gives status for two year periods. There may be others, however.

I believe UA gives its MM Premier Exec status, *Gold,, for life. Not sure about the others.

I believe that flying 1,000,000 bottom-in-the-seat miles on UA nets lifetime PremEx (mid-level) status. As I understand it, you can also get mid-level status on AA by hitting the 2,000,000 mile mark, any way you can get them--credit cards, telephone, ar gambling at the MGM Grand. I could be wrong.

Anybody know of a way to get any lifetime hotel status?

I believe LH's top level (Senator/Star Gold) is valid for two years.

Any airline? I'd be curious to know why you wouldn't be looking for a particular carrier. You could always do a plat challenge on AA; the next year you would only be downgraded to Gold, I believe.

BTW, welcome to FT!

From the SPG forum:

Here are how you can get lifetime status in other programs (this is excluding the use of charge cards like AmEx Centurion):

Name of Brand (Levels of Elite Status)


Marriott (Silver, Gold, Platinum)

Lifetime Silver Requires:
-1.5 million earned MR points
-600 nights
-12 years as an MR member
-Earned MR silver at least once

Lifetime Gold Requires:
-2 million earned MR points
-800 nights
-12 years as an MR member
-Earned MR gold at least once

Lifetime Platinum Requires:
-3 million earned MR points
-1,000 nights
-12 years as an MR member
-Earned MR platinum at least once


Hyatt (Platinum, Diamond)

Lifetime Diamond Requires:
-1 million points
-Earned GP diamond at least 10 times (10 years)


Hilton (Silver, Gold, Diamond)

Lifetime Diamond Requires:
-Purchase a $35,000 timeshare in NYC for Hilton


Starwood (Gold, Platinum)

Lifetime Gold Status Requires:
-Purchase a Starwood timeshare property (as reported above)

IIRC, if you make elite in Airtran's program then you are elite for life.

I stand corrected! I thought you only got Premier status w/1 MM on UA. Thanks!

Regarding AA million-miler: 1MM is Lifetime Gold, 2MM is Lifetime Plat. AFAIK, there is no Lifetime Ex-Plat for reaching a higher number. As others have pointed out, AA's program is MUCH different from the others in that they count bonus and partner miles. I do maybe 1 butt-in-seat mile for every 5 I earn total. I would never in twenty years reach 1MM flight miles, but I will get to AA 1MM rather quickly.

Regarding squeezing 2 years of status out of 1 set of mileage runs (or one set of frequent-flying), your best bet is probably the AA Platinum Challenge, done in July (I think) or later in the year. Say you decide to go for AA Plat status by flying discount coach: you could fly 20,000 Q-miles (equalling 10,000 Q-points) in July/August, thereby earning Plat status through the February ~18 months later. Assuming you didn't requalify, AA would bump you down to Gold for another 12 months. Then you'd cycle out of the status.

In other words, roughly two normal R/T's from North America to either Europe or Asia could get you about 30 months of elite treatment if done within the parameters of the AA Plat Challenge. If you browse the AA board (search on "challenge") or the Mileage Run board, you might find threads about the cheapest way to accomplish this or about 20,000-mile single trips.

If you are rarin' to go right now, you could probably find CHEAP int'l tickets and still get yourself 2+ solid years of elite status. Again, read about it from the AA experts here before going out and doing it...

Because AA status earned in a calendar year takes effect when you earn it and stays through the next program year (March 1 of the following calendar year through Feb. 28/29 of the one after that), if you qualify for a level during January and February of one year, the status is good for two years or a bit more.

Doesn't apply to Challenges, though. You have to qualify "for real."

I believe that US only drops you one level each year if you fail to requalify for your current status level, but I have not seen that in writing.


Jay

I believe most major US-based airlines and hotel chains have this policy. It happened to me with Delta (a few years back) and Hilton (this year). AA told me last week that they expect to adhere to it next year, keeping me at PLT whereas my flight miles would barely be enough for Gold. (The issue is almost moot for me, since I'll have lifetime PLT with fewer than 13,000 more miles, but not quite.)

You can get two years of *G status on Thai Airways - 50k flight miles on any star alliance carrier credited to a TG account:
---------------------------------------

Gold status can be attained during 3 evaluation periods:
From the date of enrollment up to December 31 of the same year.
50,000 Qualifying miles

During the first complete calendar year (January 1 - December 31) after enrolment.
50,000 Qualifying miles

From the date of enrollment up to December 31 of the next complete calendar year.
80,000 Qualifying miles

Completing 40 international sectors on THAI within any one calendar year.
Gold status is valid for a full 2 years from the month it is attained.

[This message has been edited by J-H (edited 11-02-2003).]

Don't know about others, but Delta's new system is based on MQM (Medallion Qualifying Miles). The number of miles differs on different SkyTeam partners in different classes of service. For example, DL/AF/AZ business class is double MQMs.

In the Delta program, 1 million MQMs gets you Silver Medallion for life; 2 million MQMs gets you Gold Medallion for life; 4 million MQMs gets you Platinum (highest status) for life.

The question is whether Silver or Gold has any specific advantages over being a non-elite ... and that is debated vociferously in the DL group. Platinum has one benefit that is real nice - free membership in the Crown Room Club. However, other parts of the SkyMiles program is undergoing change. You might look in the DL group for specific discussions.