elite status

Basic Economy fares are still with us in 2025, and while the core idea hasn’t changed—lower fares in exchange for fewer perks—the fine print continues to evolve. Airlines have updated …

It’s easy to forget there was a time when you didn’t know how any of this worked — before you cared about elite status, 5x categories, or which programs had …

I originally wrote this post in 2019, and then updated it in 2020, when airlines and hotels were practically giving away elite status due to the pandemic. Back then, I …

The Marriott Bonvoy program’s Terms and Conditions webpage scrolls on seemingly forever. When your program encompasses dozens of different brands worldwide, there are endless exceptions and carve-outs that need to …

Booking a luxury hotel through a premium credit card travel portal can unlock valuable perks—think daily breakfast, property credits, upgrades, and more. Two of the most popular programs are American …

I’ve been following the miles and points world for close to two decades. When it comes to hotel loyalty programs, one of the biggest gripes is how hotels exploit their …

If you’ve followed Your Mileage May Vary for any period of time, you know that in between our bona fide informative posts about credit cards, hotels, airports, airlines, our travels, …

Marriott Bonvoy has several levels of loyalty status depending on how often you stay at Marriott hotels. With multiple ways to earn and maintain status, it’s important to understand the …

On January 1, 2024, the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards program underwent various changes. The updates mainly impacted earning Southwest elite status and the devaluation of Rapid Rewards points. However, all …

It was almost exactly a year ago when National Car Rental extended free night certificates and loyalty status for an additional year. I’m sure they felt at the time that …