Status Qualifying: Does Close = Cigar?
 

If an airline requires, say, 60 flight segments to make an elite level, will they take pity on you if you fall one short?

My airline is HP.

For segment qualification, I highly doubt it. For miles, some airlines have done it historically, but it's never a guarantee until they actually do or don't do it, IMO.

Since this is ultimately HP-specific, though, perhaps it should be moved to America West (if it hasn't been posted there already).

Mike

THIS is the kicker. Seeing as I would hate to be one segment short and not get the status, I would do a run to get it.

I might also try contacting HP, stating your desire for status yet being one seg short. Get a conf back in writing if they say yes you will get status.

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Probably not.

It won't hurt to call the airline in January to ask. Just coincidentally, I called a major hotel chain earlier today because I will be a few nights short of qualifying for the next elite level by year end, even with 10 nights in December. Note that I have never been a member of the next level. The CSR said to call in January and I would be given the next elite level even though I will be 5 nights short. She also explained I could keep that level by obtaining the full number of nights for the following year. It sounded like a canned response, not something on her own initiative, so I think this hotel chain has made it part of their elite upgrade policy...so I would say call all programs in January that you may be short of qualifying. You never know unless you ask.

It can't hurt to disclose the name of said hotel chain.

Hilton just extended the deadline for an individual to 2/10/04.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum57/HTML/009366.html

I know if I was that close to getting status, I would find a way to get it on my own. I would not want to chance the forgiveness of a hotel chain or airline to get my status. What if they say no?

But then again, I am not a risk taker... I would rather have the guarantee of status.

William

Marriott has offered me a 5 night leeway for both Gold and Platinum in the past, and has done the same for other (I've never actually needed it). This was done in response to inquiries, so I don't know if it would automatically happen.

AA did round me up a few years back when I was at 49,5xxx

I think CPRich has said it all.