Being an elite flier used to not only mean that you knew the ins and outs how to secure cheap fares, whether cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, or cheap vacation packages, but also that you were treated significantly better by the airlines.
Elite fliers used to commonly receive free upgrades to Business or First Class, be directed to short check in lines at airport desks, and be given free access to airline lounges that were often relatively empty.
Elite airline status historically was exclusive and reserved for customers who flew the most, usually between 25,000 to 125,000 miles a year, depending on the airline and the level of elite status.
Today the perks of being an elite flier are harder to fully appreciate. Upgrades are more difficult to secure. Airline lounges tend to be more crowded and priority check in lines longer.
Three factors have contributed to the declining value of being an elite flier:
First, airline mergers and contraction of the number of flights being flown have resulted in fewer seats on many routes leading to scarcer upgrades for top tier fliers.
Second, there are more elite fliers than ever since airline customers can earn airline miles by using airline or airline affiliated credit cards when making purchases.
Third, non elite fliers today can purchase perks that used to be reserved for elite fliers. Passengers can pay for entry to express lines at security, pay for day passes to airport lounges, and pay for upgrades when available.
Airlines contend that even though they offer frequent flier perks for sale that elite fliers remain their priority. Elite frequent fliers usually are allowed to board before others who pay for early boarding privileges. Most airlines only sell upgrades after they have first been offered to top tier elite members.
Although airlines decline to reveal the number of fliers who have qualified for elite status, industry experts estimate that 10 years ago between 2 to 3 percent of active program members qualified as elite whereas currently it is around 6 percent.
There remain some elite perks worth striving for including faster security lines, free checked bags, access to overhead bin space before the masses board, rebooking priority when a flight is oversold, and often better access to award seats.
Even though airport lounges are more crowded than ever, they still provide free snacks and private bathrooms. Even lower ranking elites sometimes are able to be upgraded on flights not popular with business travelers.
Increasingly, airlines are giving their best reward not merely to passengers who fly the most but also to those who pay the most expensive fares. An elite passenger who pays for a full fare coach seat will usually be given priority when it comes to an upgrade over another elite member in the same tier who paid less for his or her coach seat. www.cheapfares.com