The strategy behind the success: TPG team reveals their 2022 elite status achievements

In the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, travelers continue to face challenges in securing airline and hotel elite status. Personally, I had to navigate significant hurdles to attain Southwest A-List status in 2021, accomplishing it with less than a month left.

I accidentally achieved Hyatt Globalist status for 2022 due to an unexpected number of stays, coupled with the hotel chain reducing elite status requirements by 50% for the 2021 qualification year. This adjustment meant I only needed 30 tier-qualifying nights instead of 60 for Globalist.

Realizing I wasn’t alone in this journey, I reached out to my TPG colleagues to find out how they secured elite status for 2022. They shared some amazing tips and strategies.

Brian Kelly, CEO, Dinogo

Although I requalified for United Premier 1K, I allowed my American Airlines Executive Platinum status to lapse for the first time in ten years, despite the enticing promotions. I also secured JetBlue Mosaic status through credit card spending. In 2022, my focus is simply on flying the best airline with the best seats, rather than prioritizing status. Nevertheless, United remains my preferred choice since I live in Pennsylvania and Newark-Liberty International Airport (EWR) is the most convenient option for me.

Summer Hull, Editorial Director

Initially, achieving United Premier 1K status wasn't something I considered. It typically demands excessive spending based on my travel habits, but this year, I found myself surprisingly close with just a couple of months to spare. So, I decided to chase it down before the end of 2021.

With only 1.5 months left and a few flights pending, I found myself just seven flight segments and under 2,500 Premier qualifying points (PQPs) shy of reaching Premier 1K status. To reach that goal, I took several strategic steps.

I utilized my United Club Infinite Card to rack up 500 PQPs after spending $12,000 throughout the calendar year, noting that I could accumulate up to 3,000 PQPs in spending alone. Although I transferred most of my spending too late to max out at 3,000 PQPs, I realized I could still acquire 500 more PQPs before 2021 wrapped up without needing to board another flight.

I also generated PQPs by upgrading to domestic first class on my remaining flights planned for 2021. Furthermore, I was merely four segments away from meeting the Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs) requirement, so I decided to fly to Dallas and Austin, Texas, where I could catch up with friends over lunch and explore the areas myself.

These strategies were sufficient to secure my Premier 1K status, but I also had the option to purchase PQPs directly using the "Award Accelerator" feature if needed.

Now that I've achieved Premier 1K status, I can utilize the 280 PlusPoints for upgrades on both domestic and international flights for my family and me. Recently, I used 80 of those points to upgrade my family of four to Polaris lie-flat seats for a ski trip. I'm excited about the complimentary snacks and drinks on board, bonus miles, and the improved and faster service I'll enjoy this year with my new status.

Clint Henderson, senior editor for news

In 2021, I achieved several significant status milestones. The highlight was qualifying for Alaska's new elite tier, Gold MVP 100K. By utilizing my Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card for various purchases and taking advantage of the "fast track to status" promotion, I successfully reached my goal. Additionally, I will retain my Hyatt Globalist status until early 2023, thanks to promotions and a challenge from 2020.

Andrew Kunesh, editor specializing in points and miles

I achieved Delta Diamond Medallion status on a New Year's Eve flight from New York to London. This marks my first experience with top-tier elite status, and I'm thrilled to enjoy the benefits throughout the year. A strategically timed partner ticket with Aeromexico and last year's "Status Accelerator" promotion facilitated my upgrade from Platinum to Diamond.

Ben Smithson, senior writer at TPG UK

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. In my case, I transformed temporary offers into Executive Club Silver status with British Airways.

Earning British Airways status has become easier and more affordable, thanks to two generous promotions. To kick things off, British Airways has reduced the number of Tier Points required for elite status by 25% for a limited time. Additionally, they are offering double Tier Points for BA Holidays bookings that start in the U.K., last at least five nights, and include either hotel or car hire during the trip, provided it occurs by March 31, 2022.

You can find out more about how I achieved British Airways elite status in just one trip to Greece here.

Katie Genter, senior writer

In 2021, I successfully requalified for American Airlines Executive Platinum status, which was quite an achievement given my limited travel. I felt proud to requalify rather than simply extending my status, which I've maintained since 2016. A few special fares, premium-economy tickets, and a round-trip in Qatar Airways' business-class Qsuite to the Maldives were essential in helping me keep my status.

I also achieved Marriott Bonvoy Titanium and World of Hyatt Globalist status for the first time, thanks to credit cards, promotions, and carefully planned stays at budget-friendly hotels. I hadn’t planned on pursuing World of Hyatt Globalist status since the lower tiers didn’t offer many benefits, but 2021 presented the perfect chance, particularly with Hyatt's double elite nights promotion at the start of the year.

Tom Grahsler, director of video

In August 2021, United presented me with the "fly to the finish" promotion, which required accumulating 1,400 PQPs to qualify for United Premier Gold status. After completing a few flights, I believed I had met the PQP threshold, only to discover I was 77 PQPs short because I miscalculated the taxes for one of the flights. Opting for a higher fare class could have sufficed, but by then it was too late. I called United, admitted my shortfall, and pleaded with the representative for status. Here’s the offer they proposed:

I had the option to pay $2,815 to qualify for Premier Gold in 2022, but since I was only $77 short, I couldn’t bring myself to justify that expense, so I reluctantly settled for retaining my Premier Silver status.

Ashley Kosciolek, cruise writer

I traveled extensively in the latter half of last year to report on the cruise industry’s revival. I achieved United Premier Silver status in early December, marking my first experience earning status with a major U.S. airline, which made it a significant achievement for me. Since obtaining Silver status, I've flown five times and received two upgrades to first class—another milestone for me.

Stella Shon, writer focusing on credit cards

JetBlue was offering its JetBlue Plus cardholders the opportunity to earn Mosaic Qualifying points by spending $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 on the card during the last three months of 2021. I began charging most of my purchases to my JetBlue Plus card, ultimately reaching $10,000 in spending and just enough points to qualify for Mosaic status on January 19. I'm particularly excited about the complimentary same-day Even More Space seat upgrades and a dedicated customer service line.

Kyle Olsen, points and miles reporter

In November, I was on the verge of not requalifying for United Premier 1K status. Fortunately, I discovered that booking strategically with United's partners allowed me to earn more than 1 PQP. I found a heavily discounted premium-economy fare (about $750 round-trip) from London Heathrow (LHR) to LAX on Lufthansa (outbound) and Air Canada (return). This trip netted me around 2,000 PQPs, securing my United 1K status and, more importantly, allowing my family to join me in California for Thanksgiving.

Sophia Fen, director of paid marketing

I've held Delta Gold Medallion elite status for several years but qualified for Delta Platinum Medallion in September due to a few key factors. Delta's policy of rolling over Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) combined with multiple trips between San Diego, my current residence, and my hometown of Minneapolis set me on the path to Platinum Medallion status. Ultimately, what tipped the scales was my flight with Delta to Greece and Germany.

Revised as of January 18, 2023