You may have just achieved elite status for your 2025 eligibility year. Or, if you’re seeking status with a plan that doesn’t use a calendar year as its eligibility period, such as American Airlines AAdvantage, you may still have a few months to get the elite status you want.
As the year comes to an end, now is a good time to consider which elite status you plan to regain in 2026 and which elite status you give up. Reflecting on this now will provide you with direction as you plan your travels for the coming year.
Your plan for elite status may be very different than mine, since I travel full-time as a digital nomad. But to help you think about how to manage your elite status, here’s what I plan to achieve in 2026.
Related: So, what exactly is elite status in travel? How can I get it?
American Airlines AAdvantage: Requalified for AAdvantage Platinum Pro
American Airlines AAdvantage does not use a calendar year qualification period. Instead, the program counts the loyalty points you earn during the 12 months between the beginning of March and the end of February each year.
I first obtained AAdvantage Executive Platinum membership in 2016 and will requalify each year until the qualification year ends on February 29, 2024. Over the years, I’ve gotten a ton of value from American Airlines miles and premium AAdvantage Elite membership. However, since AAdvantage dilutes or eliminates many of the differentiating benefits of that status, earning Executive Platinum status is no longer a necessity for me.
Instead, I’m now focused on achieving AAdvantage Platinum Pro status. Platinum Pro status still provides me with the benefits I value most, including Oneworld Emerald status (which gives me access to first and business class lounges), extra seats in the main cabin when booked when flying on American Airlines, and checked baggage allowance when flying on Oneworld airlines (excluding British Airways fares that only allow carry-on baggage).
The AAdvantage program’s shift to loyalty points made me change the way I earn my membership. Instead of earning status primarily by charging my flights to AAdvantage, I now use AAdvantage eShopping, SimplyMiles, AAdvantage Hotels, and my American Airlines credit card to earn enough loyalty points to get the status I want.
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This shift toward loyalty points also encouraged my husband—who previously had Executive Platinum membership with me every year—to start getting a Oneworld membership through another airline. We can all qualify for AAdvantage Gold or Platinum through flights and by dividing non-flying activities between accounts, but we think it’s more advantageous to qualify for Oneworld through a different program.
RELATED: Last-minute strategies for achieving elite status at American Airlines
Asiana Club: Let status expire
Asiana Club gives you 24 months to become eligible and then lets you retain your qualification for 24 months after the qualification period ends.
In December 2017, my husband and I began the 24-month qualification period for Asiana Airlines membership. By the end of January 2018, we each received Asiana Club Diamond membership (which gave us Star Alliance Gold membership) until the end of 2021. We requalified during the extended three-year qualification period in 2022, maintaining our membership until 2024. At the end of 2024, we regained Asiana Diamond membership until 2026.
We enjoy the benefits of Star Alliance Gold membership. However, Korean Air’s acquisition of Asiana Airlines will eventually bring Asiana’s elite members into its loyalty program, which could lead to SkyTeam status rather than Star Alliance status. Fortunately, as you’ll see in the next section, we gained Star Alliance Gold status earlier this year through another airline, so we no longer count our flights toward Asiana Club.
Türkiye Miles and Smiles: Protecting Elite Status
I had never thought about achieving Turkish Miles&Smiles status until I decided to participate in the airline’s 1 Million Mile Six Continents Challenge. Before starting the challenge, I matched my American Airlines AAdvantage status with Turkish Airlines and achieved Turkish Miles&Smiles Elite status by July 4, 2026 by completing the required flights.
Now that I have Turkish Miles&Smiles status and only need to earn an additional 484 status miles to meet the status match requirement to extend my status until July 4, 2027 – it makes sense for me to continue using it as my primary Star Alliance status.
This is especially true since I now have over 1 million Turkish miles expiring at the end of 2028. However, as a resident of a country other than Turkey, I have two options to extend my elite membership for two years in the future: earn 25,000 miles in the first year, or earn 37,500 miles over the two-year membership period.
When flying on flights operated by Türkiye, you can earn Turkish miles and status miles based on flight distance and fare class, as shown in the table below:
However, you will receive different award rates when flying with partners. For example, here’s a chart for a United Airlines flight:
Considering I earned 9,082 status miles on a Q-class economy ticket from Istanbul to Melbourne, Australia, I don’t expect requalifying for status to be an issue if I prioritize it. Unfortunately, the award ticket won’t help me requalify because only paid tickets earn qualifying miles.
RELATED: Türkiye Miles & Smiles devalues award prices to Hawaii by 150%, increases other domestic award prices by 50%
Marriott Bonvoy: Regain at least Platinum Elite status
I first qualified for Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite status in 2021 and have requalified every year since.
However, I only work toward Marriott Platinum Elite status each year. After all, the only tangible benefits offered by Titanium Elite status compared to Platinum Elite status are increased paid night earnings, United Premier Silver status and 75 nights of annual select benefits.
Of course, these benefits are valuable. However, my husband and I would like to earn at least Platinum Elite status in Marriott Bonvoy every year as we each move toward higher levels of lifetime Marriott Bonvoy membership. We all get great value from the Platinum Elite perks, which include 4pm late checkout at most hotels, lounge access at most brands with lounges, and free breakfast options at many Marriott brands.
Therefore, we make sure that each calendar year we get the 50 elite nights required for Platinum Elite status (which is easy since we each earn 30 elite night points through the Marriott Bonvoy card). We then credited the next 25 nights to his account for Titanium Elite status since he doesn’t have a United credit card that offers the added bonus (whereas United Premier Silver does). Then, if we have days left before the end of the year, we will credit my account for the next 25 nights toward Titanium Elite status.
You may be wondering why we don’t deposit all stays into one of our accounts to earn Marriott Bonvoy Elite Ambassador status. Since we used Marriott Bonvoy points to redeem a free fifth night on many of our stays, we couldn’t even meet the spending requirements for Ambassador Elite. Plus, we occasionally travel separately, and we each value working toward our own status in life.
RELATED: Last-Minute Strategies for Earning Elite Status with Marriott Bonvoy
World of Hyatt: Reclaiming Globalist Status
Until 2021, I ignored World of Hyatt. Discoverer and Explorer status didn’t offer enough benefits to justify staying at the Hyatt instead of the program where we had mid- to upper-tier elite status. So I never wanted to get Hyatt Globalist status by staying at Hyatt hotels for 60 nights with the minimum benefits.
However, due to promotions and reduced elite requirements during the coronavirus pandemic, I qualified as a Hyatt Globalist in 2021. I initially thought I would not continue to qualify as a globalist for the next few years. After all, 60 nights is a sizable number, especially considering the Hyatt’s limited footprint and lack of affordable Hyatt options in some markets.
But I ended up falling in love with World of Hyatt. World of Hyatt now has a spot on my hotel elite strategic plan, in part because it retains the award rankings (except for Mr. and Mrs. Smith, whose rates are dynamic). However, I also appreciate the value I get at many Category 1 Hyatt hotels, and I get great value from the World of Hyatt Globalist benefits. As a Globalist member, I especially love that award nights include free parking, free resort fees, free breakfast and 4pm late checkout at most hotels.
I earn five qualifying stay points from my hotel each year World of Hyatt Credit Card (See Rates and Fees). This card also gives me two qualifying stay points per year for every $5,000 I spend. Therefore, my goal is to spend $15,000 per year on my Hyatt card to earn an additional free night and 6 additional qualifying stay points at any Category 1 to 4 Hyatt hotel or resort. After factoring in the qualifying stay points I earn with the card, I only need to stay at Hyatt hotels 49 nights per year to maintain Globalist status.
RELATED: Last-Minute Strategies for Getting a World of Hyatt Membership
Other levels of status I will receive
Finally, I plan to obtain or maintain several other hotel elite statuses through partnerships and credit card offers, including:
Wyndham Rewards business card earning information is independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If I regain my Marriott Bonvoy Titanium elite status in 2026, I will also retain my United MileagePlus Silver membership through the RewardsPlus partnership between Marriott and United.
bottom line
I prioritize re-earning my Hyatt Globalist membership and AAdvantage Platinum Pro membership every year. But I’m also trying to get at least Platinum Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy. My husband also books enough IHG stays each year to regain his IHG Diamond Elite status so I can take advantage of those benefits when we travel together.
However, it’s worth considering why you want each status, whether the benefits are worth the cost of getting that status, and whether another status might be better. I have enjoyed Asiana Diamond membership for years, but switching to Turkish Airlines this year was the right move. Likewise, if one of my favorite hotel loyalty programs significantly reduced its benefits, I’d consider whether it was still worth prioritizing.
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