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Royal Jordanian Royal Club Makes Status Easier To Earn — Why U.S. Flyers Should Care

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Ryan Smith
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Ryan Smith

News Managing Editor

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Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and now plans to let his wife choose their destinations. Over the years, he’s written about award travel for publicat...
Edited by: Keri Stooksbury
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Keri Stooksbury

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With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now editor-in-chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...
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If you’re looking for elite status with a Oneworld airline, Royal Jordanian just made some interesting changes. Previously, you had to fly a minimum number of flights on Royal Jordanian itself to earn status in its Royal Club program, but that’s now gone.

Royal Club now deserves your attention as a way to earn Oneworld elite status easier and cheaper than what you might find with U.S.-based airlines, and this status will also give you access to lounges on flights within the U.S..

Here’s a closer look.

How To Earn Royal Jordanian Royal Club Elite Status

Previously, earning elite status in Royal Club required flying a minimum number of flights with Royal Jordanian itself. However, that requirement is now gone. The airline’s customer service representatives have confirmed that you can earn all the way up to Platinum Hawk (the top tier) by crediting partner flights to your Royal Club account.

To earn Royal Club elite status, you need to earn either miles or segments over the qualification period, and then you need to meet the requirements to maintain your status, as shown below:

SCROLL FOR MORE

Tier

Miles

Segments

Period

Silver Jay

15,000 to qualify

12,000 to maintain

14 to qualify

12 to maintain

12 months to qualify

12 months to maintain

Gold Sparrow

40,000 to qualify

30,000 to maintain

30 to qualify

26 to maintain

12 months to qualify

12 months to maintain

Platinum Hawk

65,000 to qualify

110,000 to maintain

46 to qualify

80 to maintain

12 months to qualify

24 months to maintain

As you’ll notice, you get 24 months to meet the requirements for maintaining top-tier Platinum Hawk status. All tiers can be earned or maintained through either miles (distance) or segments (number of flights) credited to your account.

In terms of Oneworld elite status, Silver Jay equates to Oneworld Ruby, Gold Sparrow provides Oneworld Sapphire, and Platinum Hawk yields Oneworld Emerald.

Is It Worth It?

Should you chase elite status with an airline you rarely, if ever, fly? It depends. Does that airline’s elite status program give you the perks you want through an easier path than the airline you typically fly?

Consider earning AAdvantage elite status with American Airlines. You’ll get complimentary upgrades when available, elite boarding and check-in benefits, and complimentary checked luggage.

However, you won’t get complimentary access to Admirals Club lounges on domestic flights within the U.S. AAdvantage members only get access to these lounges on international flights or if they have an Admirals Club membership.

Interestingly, you would get Admirals Club lounge access on short flights in the U.S. if you have Emerald or Sapphire status in Oneworld from a foreign airline, such as Royal Jordanian. That could change your opinion.

You can sometimes find short flights on Alaska Airlines or American Airlines for under $50. Would you want to take a bunch of those to pad your number of segments, helping you earn Royal Club status? Different people will have different opinions on this.

SNA SFO Alaska Airlines 46 fare
Image Credit: Google Flights

Once you qualify for Platinum Hawk, you have 24 months (2 years) to requalify for status, meaning you could enjoy its benefits for 24 months while working to earn the status again.

Bottom Line:

Royal Jordanian has removed the requirement to fly on its own planes to earn status in its Royal Club program. Earning this status could provide you with lounge access on domestic flights in the U.S., which is something American and Alaska Airlines don’t offer their elites.

Final Thoughts

Royal Jordanian made a small adjustment to its Royal Club elite status, eliminating the requirement to fly a certain number of segments on Royal Jordanian-operated flights. If you want access to AA or Alaska lounges when flying in the U.S., this could be an interesting path.

Ryan Smith's image

About Ryan Smith

Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and now plans to let his wife choose their destinations. Over the years, he’s written about award travel for publications including AwardWallet, The Points Guy, USA Today Blueprint, CNBC Select, Tripadvisor, and Forbes Advisor.

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