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Asking for advice on airline elite status

1 week ago

I'll probably have 3-4 round trips between China and the US in the next year, so I'm thinking about getting an airline elite status.

Currently considering Qatar Airways, going through Accor's fast-track to Gold (oneworld Sapphire).

Kenya Airways SkyTeam Elite Plus, through a hotel status match ($299).

Alaska Airlines MVP Gold (8 short-haul LAX-SFO runs).

Qatar Gold: the upside is lounge access even on US domestic flights, especially the Cathay Pacific The Pier, but it seems there's no premium economy on AA and Alaska?

Alaska Airlines' advantage is that both AA and its own flights have premium economy, which seems like it could offset the cost of mileage runs.

As for Kenya Airways, EP itself is nothing special, but SkyTeam has more China-US routes.

So I'm asking for advice on how to choose.

Based in the Midwest, usually departing from LA or Seattle.

811

Comments (4)

chenmeng1 week ago

These options actually serve completely different use cases. Qatar Gold getting you into lounges on domestic U.S. flights is genuinely nice, but if you're mostly flying AA and Alaska, the lack of premium economy access really hurts—it basically means you're spreading the cost of mileage runs onto lounge access. Alaska Gold looks like it pays for itself, but you first need to figure out how many times a year you'll actually fly AA and Alaska. If it's just LAX-SEA round trips, then what happens after you hit the status? That question might be worth sorting out before you even decide which program to pick.

qaz1118881 week ago

For US-China routes via LAX and SEA, your SkyTeam options are actually fewer than you might think.

爱希食品1 week ago

Rather than picking one of three memberships, start by figuring out which carrier actually flies the routes you take most. On US–China routes, it looks like all three alliances have options, but when you get down to departures from Los Angeles and Seattle, a lot of the time you simply don't have a choice—so even the best membership match won't do you any good.

fgff1 week ago

I'd suggest you hold off on paying that $299 for Kenya Airways for now. Break down your travel plans for the coming year by airline and alliance, and see which one actually operates the most flights for you. If AA and Alaska make up the bulk of it, the premium economy benefits from Alaska Gold status are genuinely more practical—but only if you can really hit those 8 short-haul segments, and you've got a US-China leg to connect afterward. If Qatar Gold gets you into the Jade Lounge regularly and you often transit through Hong Kong, then the lounge value shouldn't be overlooked either.