The Best Credit Cards for Earning Airline Elite Status [2020]
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If you fly frequently, you know the value of having airline elite status. Free checked bags, priority boarding, assistance when things go wrong, and complimentary upgrades can really make travel more comfortable.
Qualifying for elite status year after year, however, has become more difficult. In addition to flying the required number of elite qualifying miles, some airlines have added levels of hefty spending requirements (elite qualifying dollars) in order to achieve any level of elite status.
Qualifying for elite status can be easier with the help of an airline-branded credit card. While none of the major domestic air carriers offers a credit card that offers complimentary airline elite status, there are credit cards that do offer a faster path to elite status.
Being a cardholder and spending on specific airline-branded cards can earn you miles that help you qualify for elite status. You may also earn elite qualifying dollars on certain airline-branded credit cards that count towards elite status revenue requirements or earn a waiver of those spending requirements.
Let’s take a look at the airline-branded cards that can expedite your path to airline elite status and explain how the process works for each card.
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Delta Air Lines
Medallion Elite Status Qualifications
In order to attain Medallion Elite status with Delta, you must fly a specified number of Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQM) or segments (MQS) each calendar year and meet the annual revenue (MQD) requirement.
| Elite Status Level | Medallion Qualifying Miles or Medallion Qualifying Segments Needed | Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQD) Required |
| Silver Medallion | 25,000 or 30 | $3,000 |
| Gold Medallion | 50,000 or 60 | $6,000 |
| Platinum Medallion | 75,000 or 100 | $9,000 |
| Diamond Medallion | 125,000 or 140 | $15,000 |
The revenue requirement (MQD) is met by purchasing paid (not award) tickets then flying on Delta and their Sky Team Alliance partners. The base fare plus a portion of taxes and fees count toward the MQD requirement.
Another avenue for earning some of the required MQMs is by spending on Delta branded credit cards. You can also earn a waiver of the MQD requirements for Silver, Gold, and Platinum Medallion level statuses by spending on your qualifying Delta branded credit cards.
Top level Medallion elite status comes with free system-wide upgrade certificates, Delta Sky Club lounge access, waived fees for changes or cancellations, complimentary upgrades and much more.
To learn about all the benefits of Delta Medallion elite status, you can access a complete overview here.
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card- use this card to get one free checked bag on Delta flights and up to 8 companions on your itinerary, which we see as a "must-have" if you fly Delta regularly. Earn 35,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Delta Gold card, click here. |
| Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card- Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn a $100 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months. Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights and a lot of other benefits and perks, such as fee credit for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck. The annual fee is $250. For rates and fees of the Delta Platinum card, click here. |
How Delta Air Lines Branded Cards Can Help You Qualify
Let’s take a look at each of the Delta branded credit cards that earn MQMs and/or offer the ability to waive the MQD requirement for certain Medallion elite levels.
| Delta Branded Credit Card | Earning Elite Qualifying Miles | Waiver of MQD Requirement for Silver, Gold, or Platinum Status |
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MQD requirements are only for those Medallion members who have a U.S. address.
In addition to earning MQM from spending on your Delta credit card, there may be an MQM earning offer included in a Delta credit card’s sign-up bonus. In addition to bonus miles, the new cardholder would earn MQM after meeting the minimum required spending in the first 3 months after card approval.
These offers vary but are typically around 5,000 to 10,000 MQM.
In 2021, the Delta Platinum card, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, Delta Reserve card, and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card are also eligible for a 25% MQM Status Boost bonus (see terms).
Hot Tip: You can earn Medallion Qualifying Miles on several different Delta credit cards and all of those MQMs count toward Medallion Elite status, even MQMs earned from sign-up bonuses. For example, you could earn 30,000 MQMs on the Delta Reserve® card and 20,000 MQMs on the Platinum SkyMiles® card and all 50,000 will count toward qualifying for status.
American Airlines
AAdvantage Elite Status Qualifications
Each calendar year, in order to qualify for AAdvantage Elite status, you must fly the required number of Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM) or Elite Qualifying Segments (EQS). You must also generate a specified level of Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQD) by purchasing American Airlines tickets.
The requirements for reaching elite status in 2020 have been reduced. The new requirements are:
| 2020 Qualifying Metric | Gold Oneworld Ruby | Platinum Oneworld Sapphire | Platinum Pro Oneworld Sapphire | Executive Platinum Oneworld Emerald |
| EQDs | $1,500 | $4,000 | $6,000 | $9,000 |
| EQMs | 15,000 | 30,000 | 45,000 | 60,000 |
| EQSs | 15 | 30 | 45 | 60 |
American Airlines has also reduced qualification thresholds for 2021 by 20% to 33% from the pre-pandemic requirements.
| 2021 Qualifying Metric | Gold Oneworld Ruby | Platinum Oneworld Sapphire | Platinum Pro Oneworld Sapphire | Executive Platinum Oneworld Emerald |
| EQDs | $2,000 | $4,500 | $7,000 | $12,000 |
| EQMs | 20,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 | 80,000 |
| EQSs | 20 | 45 | 70 | 95 |
Executive Platinum, the top elite status, comes with system-wide upgrade certificates, complimentary domestic and regional upgrades, cancellation or award fee waivers, and flight benefits.
You can learn all about the American Airlines AAdvantage Loyalty Program in our complete review.
How AAdvantage and Aviator Credit Cards Help You Qualify
Each calendar year you can earn EQMs and EQDs that count toward elite status by spending on your AAdvantage credit cards.
| Barclays or Citi AAdvantage Credit Card | Earn Elite Qualifying Miles | Earn Elite Qualifying Dollars |
| Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® |
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| Barclays Aviator® Silver |
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The Citi/AAdvantage® Executive World Elite MasterCard comes with premium travel benefits such as Admiral’s Club lounge access for the cardholder and authorized users, priority boarding, and a free checked bag.
Hot Tip: For more info on all these benefits, check out our article dedicated to the 25+ benefits of the Citi/AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard.
The Barclays Aviator Silver card is not open to new applicants but can be requested as a product change once you have a Barclays Aviator Red card.
Bottom Line: There are not many ways to earn a lot of EQM or EQD with AAdvantage credit cards, and there’s no way to earn a waiver for meeting the EQD requirements. EQD requirements apply to members who have a U.S. address.
United Airlines
United MileagePlus Elite Status Qualifications
Each calendar year, the MileagePlus frequent flyer member must complete the required levels of activity to qualify for United Premier Elite status. The first requirement is to meet the appropriate amount of Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) and/or Premier Qualifying Points (PQP).
Due to COVID-10, United has reduced requirements for status through the 2022 program year beginning on January 1, 2021:
| 2022 Status | Earn Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) | and Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) | …or Meet a Higher PQP Goal |
| Silver | 8 | 3,000 | 3,500 |
| Gold | 16 | 6,000 | 7,000 |
| Platinum | 24 | 9,000 | 10,000 |
| 1K | 36 | 13,500 | 15,000 |
Members holding United MileagePlus Premier status at the end of 2020 will receive a 25% bonus of the 2021 PQP requirement to help them achieve status for the following year.
Top-level United Premier 1K members receive complimentary domestic upgrades, system-wide upgrade certificates that can be used internationally, cancellation or award fee waivers, and more.
To learn about the benefits of each level of United MileagePlus elite status, you can access a complete summary here.
Additionally, Upgraded Points has two in-depth dedicated posts for what United MileagePlus Elite Status is worth — one in terms of perks prior to departure and at the airport and another for benefits related to seating and upgrades.
How United MileagePlus Credit Cards Help You Qualify
United credit cardholders can earn Premier qualifying points (PQP) through their annual credit card spend and for 2021 can apply this earned PQP toward Premier 1K status.
JetBlue
JetBlue Elite Status Qualifications
You can earn JetBlue Mosaic Elite status each calendar year by earning 15,000 flight points or earning 12,000 flight points and flying 30 segments.
Flight points are earned at the rate of 3 points for each dollar you spend on JetBlue flights.
JetBlue Mosaic status comes with free checked bags, waived cancellation or change fees, priority boarding, bonus points, and free alcoholic beverages on board. You also receive a dedicated customer service phone line.
How the JetBlue Credit Card Can Help You Qualify
You can earn JetBlue Mosaic status simply by spending $50,000 in a calendar year on the JetBlue Plus Card credit card.
To learn more about the benefits of JetBlue Mosaic Elite status, you can review this summary.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Rapid Rewards Elite Status Qualification
Here’s what it takes to qualify for Rapid Rewards elite status with Southwest Airlines.
| Rapid Rewards Elite Status Level | Calendar Year Qualification Requirements |
| A-List | 25 one-way qualifying flights OR 35,000 tier qualifying points |
| A-List Preferred | 50 one-way qualifying flights OR 70,000 tier points |
| Companion Pass | 100 one-way qualifying flights OR 125,000 qualifying points |
A-List Preferred members receive priority check-in, boarding, and security lane access. Free onboard Wi-Fi, 100% bonus points for flights, and the ability to stand by for other same-day flights are also valuable benefits of being A-List Preferred.
A Companion Pass allows a member to purchase a ticket and add a pre-selected companion for the cost of just taxes and fees. The pass can be used unlimited times during the valid time period for which the member has qualified.
| Southwest Card | Information |
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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card  Apply Now (at Chase's secure site) |
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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card  Apply Now (at Chase's secure site) |
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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card  Apply Now (at Chase's secure site) |
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Hot Tip: Are you a frequent flier with Southwest? If yes, see our complete guide to the best credit cards for Southwest flyers.
How Rapid Rewards Credit Cards Help You Qualify
Rapid Rewards branded credit cards earn qualifying tier points that count toward elite status and bonus points that count toward the Companion Pass. In addition, anniversary points granted when you renew your Rapids Rewards credit card count toward Companion Pass status.
The generous sign-up bonus you receive after meeting minimum spending requirements in the first 3 months you have the card, also counts toward Companion Pass requirements.
| Rapid Rewards Credit Card | Renewal Points —count toward companion pass | Elite status tier points (don’t count toward Companion Pass) |
| Rapid Rewards® Plus | 3,000 | Earn 1,500 elite tier points for each $10,000 spent on the card |
| Rapid Rewards® Premier | 6,000 | Earn 1,500 elite tier points for each $10,000 spent on the card |
| Rapid Rewards® Priority | 7,500 | Earn 1,500 elite tier points for each $10,000 spent on the card |
| Rapid Rewards® Business | 3,000 | Earn 1,500 elite tier points for each $10,000 spent on the card |
There are several ways to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points that count toward the companion pass and free flights. To review some creative ideas and learn more about the Rapid Rewards loyalty program, you’ll want to check out our guides.
Bottom Line: Southwest Airlines elite status offers several benefits, but the Southwest Companion Pass has become the holy grail of travel and is a sought after perk for those who frequently fly Southwest Airlines.
Final Thoughts
If you frequently travel on several airlines and elite status isn’t important to you, you may fare better with a premium travel rewards credit card. These cards offer benefits such as worldwide lounge access, accelerated earnings on all airlines, and travel statement credits.
The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® are two such alternatives to consider if an airline-branded card isn’t right for you.
But, if you frequently fly one particular airline, however, you can experience additional benefits by having that airline’s branded card. Earning frequent flyer miles quickly and companion tickets are two examples of these additional benefits.
Many airline-branded credit cards come with elite-type benefits such as free checked bags, priority boarding, waived fees, companion tickets, and more.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, click here.
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I am a graduate student and my program just announced that we can pay tuition with a credit card without any convenience fees. I will be traveling frequently next year around the United States and I’m looking for the best points card to get the most “free” flights. I will spend about $53,000 a year in tuition so cards with signup bonuses and “tiers” are in my sights. I have excellent credit and already have a Capital One Venture card, but looking for something that I can get more out of. Suggestions?
Hello T.Nielsen and congrats on establishing a fine credit history. The Capital One Venture card is going to earn you 2 miles per dollar spent so that card will work well for paying tuition. It also allows you to transfer points to airline partners for potentially greater value when redeeming for free award flights. However, it makes sense to utilize some of that spending towards securing a new card welcome bonus. It can also be beneficial to earn a variety of rewards currencies. You might want to check out our list of the best travel rewards cards and see which one fits your tolerance for paying an annual fee, has a generous welcome bonus, offers benefits you can use, and aligns with your spending. https://upgradedpoints.com/credit-cards/travel-rewards-credit-cards/ and this article on first-time rewards cards: https://upgradedpoints.com/best-first-credit-cards Thank you for reading.