Here’s Why More Travel Flexibility Beats Chasing Elite Status

As someone who travels often for work and with my family, elite status used to feel like a badge of honor. I chased upgrades, tracked progress toward status, and even planned trips to hit loyalty program milestones.

But at some point, the math — and the stress — just stopped making sense.

Over the past few years, I’ve completely shifted my travel strategy away from chasing airline elite status. Instead, I prioritize flexibility: choosing the best flight schedules, the most convenient routes, and the smartest redemption values, even if that means flying with different airlines on nearly every trip.

It’s not that I don’t value loyalty perks. I still love getting lounge access or early boarding. But for my lifestyle and the way I travel now, flexibility delivers more value than elite perks ever could.

Here’s why.

My Travel Plans Naturally Require Me To Fly a Mix of Airlines

When you travel for work and pleasure as often as I do, sticking to 1 airline or even 1 alliance just isn’t practical.

I live in South Florida and often find myself flying Avianca, American Airlines, JetBlue, and Delta —sometimes all in the same month. I’ve also flown on ultra-low-cost carriers, including Spirit, when the price and timing are right. When heading abroad, I’ve booked premium carriers such as Emirates and Qatar Airways without hesitation.

For me, the priority is matching my destination and schedule, not forcing a booking through a specific carrier to maintain loyalty.

If a Spirit flight gets me home in time to pick up my kids from school, that wins over sticking with a loyalty program that gives me a few extra inches of legroom. And if a flight on Emirates or Singapore Airlines lines up perfectly with a trip to the Middle East or Asia, I won’t force myself to fly another carrier just to earn miles that count toward elite status.

This kind of airline variety is the reality of my travel style, and it makes it nearly impossible to justify going all-in on a single airline’s loyalty program or funneling all my spending into 1 co-branded credit card to earn airline elite status.

I Favor Flight Schedules Over Status-Based Perks

I have 3 school-age kids, so our family trips revolve around school calendars, holidays, and late Sunday evening or early Monday morning return flights.

Because of that, choosing flights based on the most convenient timing and airport is non-negotiable. I won’t drag my entire family onto a 7 a.m. connection or stretch a layover to stay loyal to a single airline.

I previously had American Airlines Gold status, which gave me free seat selection and early boarding. Still, I never received upgrades to the upfront cabin, so it didn’t translate into meaningful benefits when I needed them. It wasn’t worth choosing a less convenient flight to sit a few rows closer to the front.

Now, regardless of carrier, I pick the best flight for my family’s schedule.

That might mean flying JetBlue to New York, Delta for a quick trip to Atlanta, or LATAM for a jaunt to South America. I’d much rather get a nonstop flight with a favorable departure time than force myself to fly American just because of leftover loyalty from the year before.

Being Loyal Doesn’t Always Pay

American Airlines would probably make the most sense if I were to go all-in on airline loyalty. I live close to Miami International Airport (MIA), a major American hub, and I fly on plenty of its Oneworld partners, including Iberia, British Airways, and Qatar Airways.

But even if I somehow managed to earn Executive Platinum status with American, there’s no guarantee I’d actually see any meaningful upgrades, especially out of a competitive hub like MIA. The upgrade list is long, and the reality is that most upgrades don’t clear unless you’re booking expensive fares or traveling during off-peak times.

At that point, what am I earning for the thousands of dollars spent? A few early boarding perks and some preferred seating options? That’s not enough to make me shift my entire strategy or justify putting all my spending on an American co-branded credit card to earn Loyalty Points for status.

Hotel Loyalty Works a Bit Differently (But Flexibility Still Wins)

Hotel loyalty is where I still hold onto a little more structure, but even then, I apply the same logic.

I have top-tier Diamond status with Hilton Honors with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, and Gold status (upon enrollment) with Marriott Bonvoy thanks to the Platinum Card^® from American Express. However, the only program I actively pursue elite status with is World of Hyatt, where I consistently try to keep top-tier Globalist status.

That’s because Globalist with Hyatt actually feels worth it. The perks — suite upgrades, club lounge access, waived resort fees, and even free parking on award stays — translate into tangible benefits, especially when traveling with my family.

Still, I don’t force every stay to be at a Hyatt. With 20+ trips a year, I constantly weigh factors like location, room size, family friendliness, and value, especially when booking award stays.

If a Marriott property has a great cash rate and is closer to where I need to be, I’ll book it. If a Hilton offers a better room setup for my family, that’s where I’m staying.

Loyalty is nice, but flexibility still leads the way.

Final Thoughts

There’s a certain comfort in being loyal to 1 airline or 1 hotel chain. You know what to expect, are familiar with the perks, and might even feel part of an exclusive club.

But for me, that loyalty started to feel limiting.

I’ve discovered that chasing elite status often means sacrificing convenience, schedule flexibility, and sometimes even money. I’d rather have the freedom to choose the best flight, room, or redemption for each trip than lock myself into a rigid travel strategy that only works some of the time.

Elite status can be nice, but flexibility works better for me.