Last year was unique. I switched jobs and temporarily decided to switch airline loyalty. Like the rest of American AAdvantage members, I was fed up with all of the “enhancements” to the AAdvantage program. I also realized my travel pattern changed with my new job. My travel became much more Midwest focused. So, I decided to switch to Delta. Sadly, I soon found myself crawling back to American because I’m a glutton for punishment. Because of all of this, I only qualified for AAdvantage Gold status for 2017. My Platinum status is expiring on February 28th 2017. Before my elite status benefits expire I am making sure to book as many planned trips as possible. This way I can use my Platinum elite benefits even after my status expires.
American Airlines Elite Status Benefits Expire February 28, 2017
American AAdvantage Platinum status and above gives members the ability to select Main Cabin Extra (MCE) seats for free at the time of booking. These MCE seats often cost over $100 per person per flight on international itineraries and approximately $35 for regional flights. Reservations are tied to the level of status at the time of booking. You can save MCE seats even on trips after your status expires.
This benefit could further be maximized if booking Premium Economy (PE) seats for international travels. Currently, AA does not have a separate fare code for PE seats and therefore is selling them as MCE. Since elites are able to select MCE seats at the time of booking, elites can currently select PE seats on international flights for free. I recently booked a trip from Dallas (DFW) to Paris (CDG) on a 787-900 and saved PE seats for free.
Status earned in 2015 expires on Feb 28, 2017 so it is important to book flights prior to that date if your Platinum or above status is expiring this year. I am curious to see if the watermarked status on my boarding pass will read for future travels. If later international flights still show OneWorld Sapphire status I should retain access to international OneWorld lounges.
United Airlines Elite Status Benefits Expire January 28, 2017
United Airlines offers Economy Plus seats at the time of booking to elite passengers with United Premier Gold status and above. I am less familiar with the United MileagePlus program, but MommyPoints recently wrote a post outlining 4 things to do before your United Elite Status Expires. Again, if you know your travel schedule months in advance, it would be wise to book before your status expires. This could again save several hundreds of dollars for seats on future bookings.
Interestingly, United Airlines offers an annual subscription to Economy Plus seats for $499/year here. So if your status expires altogether, but you will have a lot of future travel, it could make sense to pay the $500 upfront.
Delta Air Lines Elite Status Benefits Expire January 28, 2017
Delta Air Lines handles Economy Plus seats slightly different than the other two legacy carriers. Delta offers Medallion members unlimited upgrades to Economy + seats (including the middle seat). Medallion Platinum and Diamond members can select Economy + seats at the time of booking. Medallion Silver and Gold elites receive upgrades to Economy + within 72 and 24 hours from booking, respectively. Delta also has a much more complex method of “upgrading” passengers to Economy + or First Class seats. Given the complexity of Delta’s system, I am not entirely sure if upgrades are based on elite status when booked or at the time of departure.
Final Thoughts
If you did not qualify for an equal or higher level of status for the 2017 calendar year, it may be beneficial to book travel prior to your 2016 elite status benefits expires in the coming weeks. Sure, the face value of future travel may cost more today, but the elite benefits may save you money in the long run.
I personally have three weddings which I must travel to this year and because I already know the dates in advance decided to book today. This way I get my Platinum benefits attached to the reservation. Not to mention it helped me use all of my 2017 airline travel credits very early in the year. More on that to come.
