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canyonwalkerI wrote recently about falling out of the race with the elite status chase. I don't travel as much as I used to, making chasing elite status with airlines and hotels worth less than before; plus I've locked in a number of statuses via lifetime achievement and owning the right credit cards. So, with status with one airline and three hotel chains taken care of, what's left?
Southwest Airlines is the other company I'm a regular traveler with. They're the one airline/hotel I've cared about chasing status with the past few years. But with Coronavirus shutting down my travel for 14 months I feel like I've fallen out of the race.
Southwest did extend statuses last year and extended them further this year. That helps a lot with not feeling like I fell completely out of the game. But if I want status after this year I've got to be running the race now. And right now I've got nothing booked with Southwest.
Will I ramp back up into travel soon? I'm sure I will though I'm not so sure how soon or how fast. Hawk and I have a cross-country trip booked in June. But while I've got my Coronavirus vaccination, making it safer to travel than before, the US still isn't close to herd immunity. In fact in many states the infection rates have been going up for several weeks. There's a non-zero chance— small, but not zero— we'll opt to cancel the June trip. 😰
As for the rest of the year.... I've been thinking of taking a flying trip before June but I don't have anything booked yet. It all just feels kind of "wait and see" still. And as for travel later in the year.... We're debating taking an international trip over the winter holidays. The fact remains many countries are worse off than the US right now, so we're not sure where, or even if, we'd want to go.
Southwest Airlines is the other company I'm a regular traveler with. They're the one airline/hotel I've cared about chasing status with the past few years. But with Coronavirus shutting down my travel for 14 months I feel like I've fallen out of the race.
Southwest did extend statuses last year and extended them further this year. That helps a lot with not feeling like I fell completely out of the game. But if I want status after this year I've got to be running the race now. And right now I've got nothing booked with Southwest. Will I ramp back up into travel soon? I'm sure I will though I'm not so sure how soon or how fast. Hawk and I have a cross-country trip booked in June. But while I've got my Coronavirus vaccination, making it safer to travel than before, the US still isn't close to herd immunity. In fact in many states the infection rates have been going up for several weeks. There's a non-zero chance— small, but not zero— we'll opt to cancel the June trip. 😰
As for the rest of the year.... I've been thinking of taking a flying trip before June but I don't have anything booked yet. It all just feels kind of "wait and see" still. And as for travel later in the year.... We're debating taking an international trip over the winter holidays. The fact remains many countries are worse off than the US right now, so we're not sure where, or even if, we'd want to go.
