Are you a person who doesn’t fly often (or often enough) but you would still like to earn top elite status at your favorite airline? Even though it’s not easy, it’s possible to earn top tier elite status at least with some airlines via only credit card spend. In this post, we will discuss the three domestic airlines that allow it and how to achieve it (just be ready to swipe your card – a lot). 

American Airlines

Key pointers

Spend needed: You will need to spend a total of $200,000 to reach the highest status 

Credit card needed: You need at least one American Airlines credit card

The details

American Airlines introduced a new elite program last year and amongst many other changes, they made it possible to earn elite status via credit card spend. 

To reach elite status with American Airlines, you need to earn loyalty points (don’t confuse loyalty points with American Airlines AAdvantage miles, they’re not the same).

For each dollar you spend on an American Airlines credit card you will earn one loyalty point. Only actual spend on the card earns rewards, not signup bonuses or reward multipliers (for example, even if your card earns 3 American Airlines AAdvantage miles on gas you will still only earn 1 loyalty point per $1 towards elite status). 

AAdvantage Executive Platinum 

To reach Executive Platinum you need to earn 200,000 loyalty points which can be reached by spending $200k on any American Airlines card.

The benefits will include:

• Complimentary upgrades on American and Alaska Airlines, even on award tickets
• 100-hour upgrade window (better chance of getting an upgrade) 
• 120% status mileage bonus
• Complimentary preferred seats
• 3 free checked bags
• Loyalty Point Rewards through 200,000 level, including:
  • Avis President’s Club
  • Systemwide upgrade certificates
  • Admiral’s Club day passes

If you keep spending beyond the 200,000 loyalty points level, you can earn even more systemwide upgrade certificates, bonus miles, Admiral’s Club day passes and more.

AAdvantage Platinum Pro

To reach Platinum Pro you will need to earn 125,000 loyalty points which can be achieved by spending $125k on any American Airlines card. 

The benefits will include:

• Complimentary upgrades on American and Alaska Airlines
• 72-hour upgrade window (better chance of getting an upgrade) 
• 80% status mileage bonus
• Complimentary preferred seats
• 3 free checked bags
• Loyalty Point Rewards through 125,000 level, including:
  • Avis President’s Club
  • Preferred Seat Coupons

AAdvantage Platinum 

To reach Platinum you will need to earn 75,000 loyalty points which can be achieved by spending $75k on any American Airlines card. 

The benefits will include:

• Complimentary upgrades on American and Alaska Airlines
• 48-hour upgrade window (better chance of getting an upgrade) 
• 60% status mileage bonus
• Complimentary preferred seats
• 2 free checked bags
• Loyalty Point Rewards through 75,000 level, including:
  • Avis Preferred Plus
  • Preferred Seat Coupons

AAdvantage Gold

To reach Gold you will need to earn 40,000 loyalty points which can be achieved by spending $40k on any American Airlines card. 

The benefits will include:

• Complimentary upgrades on American and Alaska Airlines
• 24-hour upgrade window (better chance of getting an upgrade) 
• 40% status mileage bonus
• Complimentary preferred seats
• 1 free checked bag
• Loyalty Point Rewards through 75,000 level, including:
  • Preferred Seat Coupons

Other things to know

• Loyalty points earned via credit card spend do not count toward the Million Mile program (the Million Mile program grants you lifetime status if you earn 1M flight miles) 
• The American Airlines year is counted from March 1st to Feb 28 (or Feb 29 during a leap year)
• If you qualify for status you will keep the status for the remainder of the year, plus the full following year (for example, if you earn status in April 2023 you will keep the status until March 2025) 
• Citi AAdvantage Executive cards ($450) get 10,000 bonus loyalty points after spending $40k within a calendar year (can only be done once). So you need to spend $10,000 less on a Citi AAdvantage Executive card to reach a higher status. 
• Spend across all AA cards is combined, so you can spend some on a Barclays AA card to meet a sign-up bonus and more on a Citi AA card to meet a different sign-up bonus

Delta

Key pointers

Spend needed: $265,000 to reach the highest status 

Credit cards needed: Delta Reserve ($550), Delta Reserve Business ($550), Delta Platinum ($250) (or Delta Platinum Business ($250) 

The details

First let’s get to know the “M”s

Delta Elite status is earned by earning the following type of points:

Medallion Qualification Miles (MQM) – Can be earned via flying Delta or credit card spend (more details below)

Medallion Qualification Segments (MQS) – Earned based on segments flown 

Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) – Earned based on dollars spent on Delta flights or can be waived with credit card spend) 

In this post, we will focus only on MQMs and MQDs as these two can either be earned via credit card spend or waived via credit card spend.

You get 15,000 MQMs for each $30k you spend on either the Delta Reserve ($550) or Business ($550) credit cards but the max for each card is 60,000 MQMs. So in order to reach more than $60k MQMs you need both the personal card and the business card.

You get the MQD waived for Diamond status after spending $250k on a Delta Platinum or Reserve credit card.

You get the MQD waived for Delta Platinum status after spending $25k on Delta Platinum or Reserve credit cards.

In order to reach Delta status via only credit card spend you need to earn enough MQMs and get the MQD requirement waived, MQSs don’t matter for this method of earning status. 

Here is how to get it done.

Delta Diamond status 

You need 125,000 MQMs to reach Diamond status plus an MQD waiver. 

Your plan of action:

1. Spend $120k on the Delta Reserve Personal Card ($550) and collect 60k MQMs
2. Spend $120k on the Delta Reserve Business Card ($550) and collect another 60k MQMs 
3. Get another 5k MQMs after spending another $25k on a Delta Platinum card.  Plus you got the MQD requirement waived (as you spent a total of over $250k on your Delta cards) 

Benefits included:

• Diamond choice benefits, which include
  • Regional or Global upgrade certificates
  • SkyClub Membership
  • Gifted Gold status
  • Bonus Miles
  • Delta Gift Cards
• First class upgrades up to 120 hours in advance
• Comfort+ upgrades immediately after booking
• Waived same day change fees
• 11 miles per dollar earned on flights
• 3 free checked bags for the medallion member and up to 8 companions

Delta Platinum Status 

You need 75,000 MQMs to reach Platinum status plus a MQD waiver. 

Your plan of action:

1. Spend $120k on the Delta Reserve Personal Card ($550) and collect 60k MQMs plus you get the MQD requirement waived
2. Spend $30k on the Delta Reserve Personal Card ($550) and and collect another 15k MQMs

Benefits include:

• Platinum Choice Benefits, which include
  • Regional upgrade certificates
  • Gifted Silver status
  • Bonus Miles
  • Delta Gift Cards
• First class upgrades up to 120 hours in advance
• Comfort+ upgrades immediately after booking
• Waived same day change fees
• 9 miles per dollar earned on flights
• 3 free checked bags for the medallion member and up to 8 companions

Gold Status

You need 50,000 MQMs to reach Platinum status plus a MQD waiver. 

Your plan of action:

1. Spend $120k on the Delta Reserve ($550) or Business ($550) card and collect 60k MQms plus you get the MQD requirement waived.

Benefits include:

• First class upgrades up to 48 hours in advance
• Comfort+ upgrades up to 72 hours in advance
• Waived same day change fees
• 8 miles per dollar earned on flights
• 2 free checked bags for the medallion member and up to 8 companions

Silver status

You need 25,000 MQMs to reach Silver status plus a MQD waiver. 

Your plan of action:

1. Spend $60k on the Delta Reserve ($550) or Business ($550) card and collect 30k MQMs plus you get the MQD requirement waived.

Benefits include:

• First class upgrades up to 24 hours in advance
• Comfort+ upgrades up to 24 hours in advance
• 7 miles per dollar earned on flights
• 2 free checked bags for the medallion member and up to 8 companions

Other things to know

• If you qualify for status you will keep the status for the remainder of the year plus the full following year until after January (for example, if you earn status in April 2023 you will keep the status until January 31 2025) 
• If you have Delta status, any excess MQMs are rolled over to the following status year, so if you’re a Diamond with 300,000 MQMs in 2023, you’ll roll over the 50,000 excess MQMs to 2024 status automatically
• You can spend on multiple cards to waive the MQD requirement, so you could spend $13,000 on one Delta credit card and $12,000 on another Delta card and still meet the $25,000 MQD waiver requirement for Platinum or below
• You can downgrade or upgrade between the Delta Platinum and Reserve cards mid-year and collect the bonuses for each through a single card account, as long as you meet the spend thresholds for each separately

Southwest Airlines

Key pointers

Spend needed: $500,000 to reach the highest status 

Credit card needed: At least one of the following cards: Southwest Priority ($149), Southwest Premier ($99), Southwest Business Premier ($99), Southwest Performance ($199).

The details

You receive 1,500 TQPs for every $10,000 in purchases you make on one of the following cards:

• Southwest Priority ($149)
• Southwest Premier ($99)
• Southwest Business Premier ($99)
• Southwest Performance ($199)

A-list Preferred

Reaching A- list Preferred (70,000 TQPs) will require spending $500,000 on Southwest cards. 

The benefits will include:

• Priority boarding 
• Free inflight WiFi
• Dedicated A-List Preferred member phone line
• Express check-in counter
• Change your flight for free same day to any other flight that flies the same day as long as there is an available seat 
• 100% earning bonus

A-List

Reaching A-List (25,000 TQPs) will require spending $170,000 on Southwest cards.

The benefits will include:

• Priority boarding 
• Dedicated A-List member phone line
• Express check-in counter
• Change your flight for free same day to any other flight that flies the same day as long as there is an available seat 
• 25% earning bonus

Companion Pass

Earning a Companion Pass allows you to designate a companion that can fly with you on any flight you’re booked for only the cost of airfare taxes, which are $5.60 each way for domestic US flights. To earn the Companion Pass, you need to earn 135,000 miles (not TQPs) in a status year. For the Companion Pass only, credit card sign-up bonuses count too, so this one is pretty easy to attain relative to others.

The benefits include:

• Bring a designated companion on along on any flight you take for only the cost of their airfare tax, which is $5.60 each way for US domestic flights

Other things to know

• If you qualify for status you will keep the status for the remainder of the year plus the full following year (for example, if you earn status in April 2023 you will keep the status until January  2025) 
• You can hold one business and one personal Southwest card at the same time, which can help you earn multiple sign-up bonuses while spending to attain status
• Shopping portal miles will help you earn a Companion Pass too

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Thanks to the great Matthew Wood from Miles Earn And Burn for working with us to put together this post.