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canyonwalkerJanuary 1 every year is a date when frequent flyers feel a moment of panic. It's the day that, for most airline and hotel programs, elite status counters reset to zero. All that flying, staying, etc. that we persevered through with select partners to gain or retain status in 2024 is now last year's news. 2025 has started, and all the numbers are zero again. Back to the travel treadmill!
Chasing elite status is peculiarly a middle class/upper-middle thing. If you don't have enough money to fly or stay in hotels more that a few times a year you're not on track to earn status. And if you're wealthy you probably don't care much about elite status perks such as occasional upgrades because you can afford to buy premium class tickets (or private jets or at least JSX) and luxurious rooms/suites/rental houses when you travel. It's those of us in the middle, those of us who can afford to travel regularly but can't splash the cash to fly like ballers, who value what elite status brings.
For me the annual status chase has simplified down to just one target, Southwest Airlines. That's because with all the other companies I regularly travel with, I either have lifetime status (United, Marriott) or gain status through owning a credit card (Hilton, IHG).
Indeed all my elite status counters on Southwest reset to zero on January 1. But not to worry... er, not to worry too much; I have a plan. I track my Southwest earnings on a spreadsheet. I also forecast future earnings there. A few weeks ago I updated that 2024 spreadsheet with a new tab containing my first 2025 forecasts.
Obviously I can't forecast all my flying for 2025. I don't know how much I'll fly Southwest in the coming 12 months. But having this spreadsheet and having a plan— actually, multiple plans for different ways to reach the goals— gives me confidence I can renew status.
How did my planning work out last year?
In 2024 my actual revenue flights on Southwest came in below plan (on Plan A) up through July/August so I activated Plan B. Plan B was I applied for a credit card that would juice my numbers to get me over the line for status. It then turned out Plan B was unnecessary. Southwest offered bonuses later in the year, and a bit of business travel popped up; together these were enough to have made it on Plan A. But those facts weren't available when my deadline to activate Plan B arrived. So in that sense it was still the right decision. Plus, the credit card I applied for as part of Plan B pays a whopping 120,000 total bonus points— waaay more than any current credit card offer pays. Snagging that limited-time offer was also the right decision.
Chasing elite status is peculiarly a middle class/upper-middle thing. If you don't have enough money to fly or stay in hotels more that a few times a year you're not on track to earn status. And if you're wealthy you probably don't care much about elite status perks such as occasional upgrades because you can afford to buy premium class tickets (or private jets or at least JSX) and luxurious rooms/suites/rental houses when you travel. It's those of us in the middle, those of us who can afford to travel regularly but can't splash the cash to fly like ballers, who value what elite status brings.
For me the annual status chase has simplified down to just one target, Southwest Airlines. That's because with all the other companies I regularly travel with, I either have lifetime status (United, Marriott) or gain status through owning a credit card (Hilton, IHG).
Indeed all my elite status counters on Southwest reset to zero on January 1. But not to worry... er, not to worry too much; I have a plan. I track my Southwest earnings on a spreadsheet. I also forecast future earnings there. A few weeks ago I updated that 2024 spreadsheet with a new tab containing my first 2025 forecasts.
Obviously I can't forecast all my flying for 2025. I don't know how much I'll fly Southwest in the coming 12 months. But having this spreadsheet and having a plan— actually, multiple plans for different ways to reach the goals— gives me confidence I can renew status.
How did my planning work out last year?
In 2024 my actual revenue flights on Southwest came in below plan (on Plan A) up through July/August so I activated Plan B. Plan B was I applied for a credit card that would juice my numbers to get me over the line for status. It then turned out Plan B was unnecessary. Southwest offered bonuses later in the year, and a bit of business travel popped up; together these were enough to have made it on Plan A. But those facts weren't available when my deadline to activate Plan B arrived. So in that sense it was still the right decision. Plus, the credit card I applied for as part of Plan B pays a whopping 120,000 total bonus points— waaay more than any current credit card offer pays. Snagging that limited-time offer was also the right decision.
