I’m a lead writer at TPG: Here are my 2026 elite status plans

You may have just finished earning elite status during the 2025 qualification year. Alternatively, if you’re pursuing status with a program that doesn’t use a calendar year as its qualification period, such as American Airlines AAdvantage, you may still have months to earn your desired elite status.

As the year comes to a close, it’s a good time to consider which elite statuses you plan to requalify for in 2026 and which you’ll let lapse. Reflecting on this now will provide direction as you plan trips for the coming year.

Your elite status plans may look very different from mine, as I travel full-time as a digital nomad. But to help you think through how to manage your elite statuses, here’s a look at what statuses I plan to earn in 2026.

Related: So, what exactly is elite status in travel — and how can I get it?

American Airlines AAdvantage: Requalify for AAdvantage Platinum Pro

American Airlines AAdvantage doesn’t use a calendar year qualification period. Instead, the program counts the Loyalty Points you earn in the 12 months between the start of March and the end of February each year.

I first earned AAdvantage Executive Platinum status in 2016 and requalified for the status every year until the qualification year that ended Feb. 29, 2024. Over the years, I’ve received a significant amount of value from American Airlines miles and the perks of high-level AAdvantage elite status. However, as AAdvantage has watered down or removed many of the differentiating benefits of the status, earning Executive Platinum status is no longer a must for me.

Instead, I now focus on earning AAdvantage Platinum Pro status. Platinum Pro status still gives me the benefits I value most, including Oneworld Emerald status (which gets me access to first- and business-class lounges), Main Cabin Extra seats at booking when flying American Airlines and a checked baggage allowance when flying on Oneworld airlines (excluding British Airways fares that only permit hand baggage).

The AAdvantage program’s shift to Loyalty Points made me change how I earn status. Instead of primarily earning status by crediting flights to AAdvantage, I now also use AAdvantage eShopping, SimplyMiles, AAdvantage Hotels and my American Airlines credit cards to earn enough Loyalty Points for my desired status.

This shift to Loyalty Points also encouraged my husband — who previously qualified for Executive Platinum status each year alongside me — to begin earning Oneworld status via another airline. We could both qualify for AAdvantage Gold or Platinum through flights and splitting nonflight activities between our accounts, but we’ve decided that earning Oneworld status through different programs is more beneficial.

Related: Last-minute strategies for earning American Airlines elite status

Asiana Club: Let status lapse

Asiana Club gives you 24 months to qualify for status and then lets you keep your status for 24 months once your qualification period ends.

In December 2017, my husband and I started the 24-month qualification period to earn Asiana Airlines status. By the end of January 2018, we’d each earned Asiana Club Diamond status (which gets us Star Alliance Gold status) through the end of 2021. We requalified during an extended three-year qualification period in 2022, maintaining our status through 2024. In late 2024, we requalified for Asiana Diamond status through 2026.

We’ve enjoyed the perks of having Star Alliance Gold status. However, Korean Air’s acquisition of Asiana Airlines will eventually merge Asiana’s elite members into its loyalty program, likely resulting in SkyTeam status instead of Star Alliance status. Luckily, as you’ll see in the next section, we acquired Star Alliance Gold status through another airline earlier this year, so we’re no longer crediting flights to Asiana Club.

Turkish Miles&Smiles: Protect Elite status

I didn’t expect to earn Turkish Miles&Smiles status until after I decided to do the airline’s six continents challenge for 1 million miles. I matched my American Airlines AAdvantage status to Turkish before starting the challenge and secured Turkish Miles&Smiles Elite status through July 4, 2026, by completing the required flights for the challenge.

Now that I have Turkish Miles&Smiles status — and will meet the status match requirements to extend my status through July 4, 2027, by earning just 484 more status miles — it makes sense for me to continue using it as my primary Star Alliance status.

This is especially true since I now have over 1 million Turkish miles that expire at the end of 2028. However, as a resident of a country other than Turkey, I’ll have two options for extending my Elite status by two years in the future: earning 25,000 status miles in the first year or 37,500 status miles over the two-year membership period.

When flying on Turkish-operated flights, you earn Turkish miles and status miles based on your flight distance and fare class, as indicated in this table:

However, you’ll earn at different rates when flying on partner flights. For example, here’s the chart for United Airlines flights:

Considering I earned 9,082 status miles on a Q-class economy fare from Istanbul to Melbourne, Australia, I expect requalifying for status won’t be an issue if I prioritize doing so. Unfortunately, award tickets won’t help me requalify, though, as only paid tickets earn status miles.

Related: Turkish Miles&Smiles devalues award prices to Hawaii by 150%, bumps other domestic awards up by 50%

Marriott Bonvoy: Requalify for at least Platinum Elite

I earned Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite status for the first time in 2021 and have requalified each year since.

However, I only strive to qualify for Marriott Platinum Elite status each year. After all, the only tangible perks that Titanium Elite status provides over Platinum Elite status are increased earnings on paid stays, United Premier Silver status and a 75-night Annual Choice Benefit.

Of course, these perks are valuable. However, my husband and I each want to earn at least Platinum Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy each year as we each progress toward higher tiers of lifetime Marriott Bonvoy status. We both get significant value from Platinum Elite perks, including 4 p.m. late checkout at most properties, lounge access at most brands with lounges and the option to choose complimentary breakfast at many Marriott brands.

So, we ensure we both get the 50 elite nights required for Platinum Elite status each calendar year (which is easy since we each earn 30 elite night credits from our Marriott Bonvoy cards). Then, we put the next 25 nights toward his account to earn Titanium Elite status since he doesn’t have a United credit card that provides extra award availability (and United Premier Silver status provides this benefit). Then, if we have remaining nights before the end of the year, we put the next 25 nights toward my account to earn Titanium Elite status.

You may wonder why we don’t just put all our stays toward one of our accounts to earn Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite status. Since we redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for many of our stays to get a fifth night free, we wouldn’t even come close to reaching the spending requirements for Ambassador Elite. Plus, we occasionally travel separately, and we each value working toward our own lifetime status.

Related: Last-minute strategies to earn Marriott Bonvoy elite status

World of Hyatt: Requalify for Globalist

Until 2021, I’d ignored World of Hyatt. Discoverist and Explorist status didn’t provide enough perks to justify staying with Hyatt over programs where we had mid-to-high levels of elite status. So, I never wanted to get minimal perks while staying with Hyatt for 60 nights to earn Hyatt Globalist status.

However, thanks to promotions and decreased elite requirements amid the coronavirus pandemic, I qualified for Hyatt Globalist status in 2021. I initially figured I would not continue to qualify for Globalist status in subsequent years. After all, 60 nights is a considerable amount, especially considering Hyatt’s limited footprint and the absence of budget-friendly Hyatt options in some markets.

But I ended up loving World of Hyatt. Now, World of Hyatt has a solid place in my hotel elite strategy plan, partly because it has maintained award charts (except for Mr & Mrs Smith hotels, which it prices dynamically). However, I also appreciate the value I can obtain at many Category 1 Hyatt properties, and I’ve received great value from World of Hyatt Globalist perks. As a Globalist member, I especially love getting waived parking fees on award nights, waived resort fees, complimentary breakfast and 4 p.m. late checkout at most properties.

I get five qualifying night credits each year from my World of Hyatt Credit Card (see rates and fees). This card also offers two qualifying night credits for every $5,000 I spend each calendar year. So, I aim to spend $15,000 on my Hyatt card each year to earn an extra free night at any Category 1 through 4 Hyatt hotel or resort and six extra qualifying night credits. After accounting for the qualifying night credits I earn with my card, I only need to spend 49 nights with Hyatt each year to maintain Globalist status.

Related: Last-minute strategies for earning World of Hyatt status

Other status levels I’ll earn

Finally, there are several other hotel elite statuses that I plan to earn or maintain through partnerships and card benefits, including:

The information for the Wyndham Rewards Earner Business Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

If I requalify for Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite status in 2026, I’ll also keep United MileagePlus Premier Silver status through the RewardsPlus partnership between Marriott and United.

Bottom line

I prioritize requalifying for Hyatt Globalist status and AAdvantage Platinum Pro status each year. But I also work to earn at least Platinum Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy. My husband also books enough IHG stays to requalify for IHG Diamond Elite status each year, so I enjoy these perks when we travel together.

But, it’s worth considering why you’re earning each status, whether the perks are worth the cost of earning that status and whether another status might be better. I’ve enjoyed having Asiana Diamond status for many years, but it was the right move to switch to Turkish Airlines this year. Likewise, if one of my favorite hotel loyalty programs significantly reduces its perks, I’ll consider whether it’s still worth prioritizing.

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