--- title: "Airline elite status now follows your spending: what United, Southwest, Delta and American require" description: "Status thresholds now come with dollar figures, and the card you carry can count as much as the flights you take." url: https://travel.skoop.news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it-064932/ published: 2026-11-02T08:12:51.385390-05:00 modified: 2026-11-02T08:12:51.385415-05:00 section: "Travel" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["TQPs", "Companion Pass", "Delta Diamond Medallion", "Rapid Rewards", "Citi AAdvantage Executive World Legend Mastercard", "Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card", "American AAdvantage Executive Platinum", "TQP", "MileagePlus", "U.S"] hashtags: ["#CompanionPass", "#DeltaDiamondMedallion", "#RapidRewards", "#Airline", "#travel"] image: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/LA-Ontario_International_Airport_terminal_2.jpg/1280px-LA-Ontario_International_Airport_terminal_2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail --- # Airline elite status now follows your spending: what United, Southwest, Delta and American require > Status thresholds now come with dollar figures, and the card you carry can count as much as the flights you take. Published 2026-11-02 · Updated 2026-11-02 · Travel, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - Top-tier status at Delta Diamond Medallion can be reached with $255,000 in spending on one credit card, and that is the direction major U.S. airlines are heading, which affects every frequent flyer chasing elite status [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). - Starting in 2027, United's top elite members will be the customers who spend the most money, either on flights or on United's cobranded credit cards [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). - Silver status requires 35,000 TQPs or 25 qualifying one-way flights, which is 5 more flights than A-List previously required [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/article/southwest-just-updated-rapid-rewards-what-to-know-about-the-new-elite-status-tiers-200529218.html). ## Spending is the new qualifier Top-tier status at Delta Diamond Medallion can be reached with $255,000 in spending on one credit card, and that is the direction major U.S. airlines are heading, which affects every frequent flyer chasing elite status [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). Airlines are shifting elite status qualification from flight frequency to total spending, including spending at merchants via cobranded cards [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). Two of the four largest U.S. carriers overhauled their loyalty programs in the period this article covers [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). This piece walks through what each program now asks of you. ## What United and Southwest changed Starting in 2027, United's top elite members will be the customers who spend the most money, either on flights or on United's cobranded credit cards [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). Taking the most United flights will not necessarily translate to the highest MileagePlus status [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). United still requires a minimum of four United-operated flights for members to be Premier-eligible [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). Jarad Fisher, United's president of MileagePlus, said the program aims to keep United top of mind for members every day, whether or not they are on board its aircraft [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). At Southwest, every dollar members charge to their Rapid Rewards cards will count toward status beginning in 2027 [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). Every dollar spent on a Rapid Rewards credit card will earn one TQP [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/article/southwest-just-updated-rapid-rewards-what-to-know-about-the-new-elite-status-tiers-200529218.html). ## Southwest's new tiers Silver status requires 35,000 TQPs or 25 qualifying one-way flights, which is 5 more flights than A-List previously required [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/article/southwest-just-updated-rapid-rewards-what-to-know-about-the-new-elite-status-tiers-200529218.html). Gold requires 65,000 TQPs or 50 qualifying one-way flights, which is 5,000 fewer TQPs but 10 more flights than A-List Preferred previously required [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/article/southwest-just-updated-rapid-rewards-what-to-know-about-the-new-elite-status-tiers-200529218.html). Platinum requires 140,000 TQPs in a calendar year or 100 qualifying one-way flights, and its most valuable perk is unlimited Companion Pass trips [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/article/southwest-just-updated-rapid-rewards-what-to-know-about-the-new-elite-status-tiers-200529218.html). Cardholders earn a one-time 10,000 TQP boost upon hitting 130,000 TQPs in 2027 [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). The first milestone is 20,000 TQPs or 15 qualifying one-way flights, and after qualifying members can choose 20,000 points or two Preferred Seat Certificates [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/article/southwest-just-updated-rapid-rewards-what-to-know-about-the-new-elite-status-tiers-200529218.html). The second is 95,000 TQPs or 75 qualifying one-way flights, and it comes with three Companion Pass trips [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/article/southwest-just-updated-rapid-rewards-what-to-know-about-the-new-elite-status-tiers-200529218.html). ## The Companion Pass shortcut is gone Southwest eliminated Companion Pass qualifying points [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/article/southwest-just-updated-rapid-rewards-what-to-know-about-the-new-elite-status-tiers-200529218.html). Previously, a Companion Pass could be earned with 135,000 qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/article/southwest-just-updated-rapid-rewards-what-to-know-about-the-new-elite-status-tiers-200529218.html). Members must now spend their way to the top status tier or take 100 flights in a year to get the pass [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). ## How spending compares across airlines For years, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have awarded status based purely on the money their frequent flyers spend [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). Delta Diamond Medallion requires 28,000 Medallion Qualification Dollars, or $255,000 in spending with the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card, which carries a $650 annual fee [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). United Premier 1K requires 32,000 Premier qualifying points, or $457,500 in spending with the United Club Card, which carries a $695 annual fee [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). American AAdvantage Executive Platinum is 200,000 Loyalty Points, or $170,000 in spending with the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Legend Mastercard [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). Southwest Platinum requires 140,000 TQPs, or $130,000 in spending on any cobranded credit card [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). ## Why cards matter to airlines Delta said it is on track to pull in a record $9 billion through its banking partnership with American Express [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). American expects to make $8 billion this year through its tie-up with Citibank [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). United and Delta cardholders get access to better mileage redemptions than members who do not carry a card [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). Free first-class upgrades have become harder to score and status benchmarks keep getting pricier to earn [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). ## What it means for you If you fly United, taking the most flights will not necessarily give you the highest status from 2027 [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). Keep in mind the four-flight minimum for Premier eligibility [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). If you fly Southwest, your card spending earns one TQP per dollar from 2027, and you can still reach Platinum with 100 qualifying one-way flights [[2]](https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/article/southwest-just-updated-rapid-rewards-what-to-know-about-the-new-elite-status-tiers-200529218.html). If you fly American, watch for its 2027 thresholds, which it has not announced [[1]](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/). ## Sources 1. [Is airline elite status still worth it?](https://thepointsguy.com/news/is-airline-elite-status-still-worth-it/) — The Points Guy 2. [Southwest just updated Rapid Rewards: What to know about the new elite status tiers](https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/article/southwest-just-updated-rapid-rewards-what-to-know-about-the-new-elite-status-tiers-200529218.html) — Yahoo Finance Image: Photo (illustrative): Sdkb / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LA-Ontario_International_Airport_terminal_2.jpg) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/