Airline, hotel elite status: Harder to get (or keep) in 2023
For the past couple of years, hotel and airline loyalty programs have extended elite status in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But in 2023, that’s coming to an end. A tsunami of downgrades will wipe out some travelers’ elite status because pandemic-era offers are expiring and loyalty programs are upping the qualification requirements.
On Jan. 1, 2023, United Airlines raised requirements for Premier status tiers. Come March 2023, it’ll be tougher to earn American Airlines Gold elite status. Major hotels, including Marriott and IHG, promised to extend elite status through February 2023, meaning automatic extensions are at their end.
“The cliff is coming,” says Phil Gunter, the co-founder of Status Match, an online service that helps people apply to match their existing elite status with status in other travel loyalty programs. “This is a major, unavoidable industry event.”
Status Match data predicts that approximately 1 million Americans will lose airline status in 2023. That’s an estimated 30% to 50% of all people with airline status.
But it’s not all bad news. In fact, this year could bring more bonus point promotions and avenues to earn elite status than ever before.
WHY ARE LOYALTY PROGRAMS CUTTING OFF ELITE STATUS IN 2023?
Most of 2019’s elites had their status extended over the past few years. Meanwhile, a natural flow of new elite status earners continuously has entered the pipeline. That combination has generated an unsustainably high number of elites.
“Where traditionally, a percentage of people would naturally be downgraded every year, that hasn’t happened,” says Mark Ross-Smith, CEO of Status Match. “Some earned status and others retained it, creating today’s inflated database.”
That has led to issues for airlines, hotels and travelers. Airlines and...
