An airline’s most frequent customers – top level elites – contribute an inordinate amount to the carrier’s bottom line. As a result, airlines compete fiercely for their loyalty with benefits and services that make the travel experience easier – and even more fun.
At the lowest levels, which are often attained with 25,000 miles of flying in a year, airlines will let members have those extra legroom seats without an extra charge (at check-in, if available) and free checked bags. They might even get the occasional domestic upgrade, although it’s probably going to be on a noon flight on a Wednesday, or on a Saturday when there’s little competition for the seat.
But go beyond the 25,000, 50,000, and even 75,000 mile elite levels and the benefits start getting really good. These are the five best perks that elite travelers can get in 2015.
Tight connection? Never enter the terminal. American, United and Delta all offer their best customers tarmac transfers in a Cadillac, a Mercedes or a Porsche.
American has their ‘Concierge Key’ program. United has ‘Global Services’. Delta has ‘360’. These are programs that reward either the highest revenue elite frequent fliers, or those who influence substantial travel spend at their companies.
For them, the airlines will roll out all the stops. The airline monitors a passenger’s connections, and on especially tight ones at major hubs, they’ll often meet the elite member on the jetway as they deplane one aircraft, and divert them down the stairs and into a waiting car to take them directly to their next flight, bypassing the terminal entirely. Not only does the customer feel like a super VIP, but they make their flight when an ordinary customer very well might not.
A minimum of eight confirmed upgrades anywhere American Airlines flies. Flying economy? Not if you’re a top level elite with American AAdvantage. Not only do American’s 100,000 mile fliers get unlimited complimentary domestic upgrades if available (they’re at the front of the queue, so upgrades usually are available, in my experience) but they can also confirm international upgrades at the time of booking, even when buying the cheapest economy fares. These fliers can upgrade up to eight times per year, as long as upgrade inventory is available.
“Overachieving” Executive Platinum members who earn 125,000 or more qualifying points can even call up AAdvantage Customer Service and ask for more confirmed upgrades! (They can call again after earning 150,000 points and after each subsequent 25,000 point milestone as well.)
Booking economy on an American Airlines Boeing 787? Fly business class instead.
American Airlines Business Class Seat, Boeing 787
American’s top elites get to use their partner airlines’ first class lounges even when traveling economy.
Whether it’s the first class section of Cathay Pacific’s “The Wing” lounge in Hong Kong or the Qantas first class lounge in Sydney, American Airlines AAdvantage members who fly 100,000 miles (or 125 segments, or earn 100,000 qualifying points) in a year have the doors of the most exclusive lounges in the oneworld alliance open to them when flying any oneworld airline the same day.
Qantas First Class Lounge, Sydney
Spa inside the Qantas First Class Lounge
Lufthansa’s top elite “HON Circle” members get to use the airline’s separate First Class terminal in Frankfurt even when flying domestic economy.
They don’t have to even mix with the business class riff-raff, since they’re in an entirely separate terminal of the airport from everyone else. It features a fantastic sit down restaurant, extensive high end beverages, and shower rooms with tubs – they’ll even give you a rubber ducky for the bath.
And how, you might ask, does one get to the plane from a separate terminal? Once you’re escorted through private passport control, your driver will take you across the tarmac to your aircraft in a Porsche or a Mercedes.
Emirates “Invitation Only” elite members are given a membership card with a private phone number unique to them, which connects to an Emirates staff member that greets the customer by name.
What’s more, the customized travel experience extends to the flight itself. Before boarding begins, the purser checks the member’s seat to make sure everything is working properly and learns the member’s favorite drink. If flying economy, they’re moved up to an empty seat in a premium cabin prior to landing.