The new year presents a fresh start in all things, including your rewards strategy. Now is the time to start planning your travel for the year and figure out how elite status might benefit you. Do you think you’re going to fly quite a bit or just want to experience the perks that come with status? Here are a few things you should consider when deciding whether to aim for airline elite status this year.

Are you flying enough to earn (and make use of) status?

If you’re flying enough to earn or get use out of airline elite status benefits, then you should consider pursuing it. Having elite status can provide a more comfortable travel experience, not to mention increased earnings on award flights.

That said, earning airline elite status takes work, and you shouldn’t pursue it unless you have a use for it.

Can you credit your miles to a single rewards account?

If you can credit your miles to one rewards account, you should consider aiming for airline elite status. Notice that we didn’t say you must arrange travel on a single airline. That’s because you can earn elite status by flying with partner airlines. For example, if you want to earn Alaska Mileage Plan status, you can earn credit toward elite status by flying Alaska or one of its partners, including Finnair, Emirates or even American Airlines.

So think ahead and figure out whether you can arrange your travel on carriers that have partnerships with an airline you’re trying to earn elite status with.

Will you be able to complete revenue requirements?

Most airlines in the U.S. now have revenue requirements. This means that in addition to requiring you to fly a certain number of miles or segments, they also require you to spend a certain amount to earn status. Even if you’re able to complete the mileage requirements, the additional spending may make earning status less attainable.

Luckily, there are some airlines that will waive revenue requirements if you can manage to complete a certain amount of spending on your credit card within a calendar year. If you plan on going this route, it’s definitely worth it to evaluate your spending habits and consider charging everything to one of these cards in order to meet your goal:

American

American Airlines' recently revamped elite status scheme now requires travelers to earn Loyalty Points to get status. Loyalty Points which can be earned through flying American and its partners, co-branded credit card spending or select spending with certain AAdvantage partners.

40,000 Loyalty Points for AAdvantage Gold.

75,000 Loyalty Points for AAdvantage Platinum.

125,000 Loyalty Points for AAdvantage Platinum Pro.

200,000 Loyalty Points for AAdvantage Executive Platinum.

Delta

(Editor's note: Big changes are coming to Delta's SkyMiles program in 2024, including how members can earn elite status. The carrier will also be cutting back Sky Club lounge access. Read more on these upcoming changes here.)

Delta’s requirements for Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) range from $3,000 - $20,000.

Silver: $3,000 MQDs.

Gold: $8,000 MQDs.

Platinum: $12,000 MQDs.

Diamond: $20,000 MQDs.

Delta waives requirements for Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) for co-branded cardholders who complete certain spending requirements. The Silver, Gold and Platinum MQD requirement gets waived for those who complete $25,000 worth of spending requirements, while the Diamond MQD requirement is waived for those who spend $250,000 or more.

Can you complete some elite-qualifying requirements through credit card spending?

If you’re able to supplement elite qualifying miles earned from flying with those from airline credit cards, then aiming for airline status might make sense.

AAdvantage elite status

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® offers 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible mile earned from purchases. This card earns 4 AAdvantage miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 10 AAdvantage miles for every $1 spent on eligible car rentals and hotels booked through American Airlines.

Delta Medallion elite status

Some of the Delta-branded credit cards offer Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) as part of the card's perks:

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card allows you to earn up to 20,000 Medallion Qualification Miles with Status Boost per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year. Terms apply.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card can get you up to 60,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost per year. After you spend $30,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year, you can earn 15,000 MQMs up to four times per year.