While they may claim money can't buy happiness (Sure, Jan), it can buy you a much nicer flying experience -- and that certainly makes me happy. Perks can include top-priority free upgrades, dedicated customer service, and myriad fee waivers.
Most airlines require you to buy flights to earn status, but several major players offer ways to purchase your way up the ladder. This is typically through travel rewards credit cards, though one airline lets you simply buy status outright. Take a look.
Delta Medallion: $25,000 to $50,000 in card purchases
It takes at least $5,000 in Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQD) to reach the first tier of Delta elite status. The only way to buy Delta Medallion status is through spending on a cobranded Delta credit card.
The Platinum Delta cards (personal and business) earn $1 MQD per $20 in card spend, with a $2,500 MQD Headstart each year. To get entry-tier elite status, you would need to spend at least $50,000 on your card.
If you have the luxury Reserve personal or business Delta cards, then you'll earn $1 MQD per $10 spent, with the same $2,500 MQD Headstart. You'll only need $25,000 in card spend to reach the first elite status level.
American Airlines AAdvantage: $40,000 in card purchases
You'll need at least 40,000 Loyalty Points to reach basic AAdvantage Gold status. Other than flying, the only way to buy your way to status is through an American Airlines cobranded card.
Cardholders earn one Loyalty Point per $1 spent (eligible net purchases) on any AA cobranded card (yes, even the one with no annual fee). You'll need at least $40,000 in card spend to qualify for elite status.
If you're trying for a higher level of status, consider upgrading your AA card. The top-tier (read: most expensive) card option offers bonus Loyalty Points when you reach two major Loyalty Point milestones.
Jetblue Mosaic: $6,811 cash, or $50,000 in card purchases
JetBlue Mosaic status starts with Mosaic 1, which requires you earn 50 "tiles." You can get these tiles by buying flights, per ushe, or you could:
- Buy tiles directly from JetBlue for cold hard cash (well, use your travel rewards card!)
- Use a JetBlue cobranded card to earn tiles when you make regular purchases
For the first option, you'll have to fork over $6,811 for the 50 tiles you need to reach Mosaic 1 status. (You can buy your way directly to top-level Mosaic 4 status for $11,433.)
If you use the airline card method, you can earn 1 Mosaic tile for every $1,000 in qualifying (net) purchases. That would mean spending $50,000 on your card to earn 50 tiles.
United Airlines Premier: $100,000 in card purchases
To get United status without flying, you need at least 5,000 PQP (Premier qualifying points). The only way to buy your way to status is to earn PQP through a United credit card.
Most United cards (minus the no annual fee option) earn 25 PQP per $500 in eligible net purchases. However, each card has a different cap on how many PQP you can earn this way. All of the lower-tier and business cards are capped at 1,000 PQP per year.
Only the top two tiers of United personal cards can earn enough PQP to get to Premier status through spending. Assuming you have one of those two cards, you'll be looking at $100,000 in card spend to earn 5,000 PQP.
Is it worth it?
To decide if elite status is worth buying, consider these questions:
- Do you fly enough to benefit from having status?
- Can you earn status through flying alone?
- Do you already (organically) spend that much money on your credit cards (and pay in full every month)?
- What rewards are you missing out on by concentrating your purchases on an airline card?
Personally, I find the last question -- the opportunity cost -- to be the most compelling. For example, I'd lose out on a lot of rewards by moving my grocery purchases to an airline card that doesn't even offer bonus miles for those purchases.
Only you can decide how to prioritize and value the earning potential of your spending. For most people, I think the best method for getting status will be a combination of flying and credit card purchases.
Alert: our top-rated cash back card now has 0% intro APR until 2025
This credit card is not just good – it’s so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a lengthy 0% intro APR period, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee! Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.