Pursuit of Premium Status: The Enhanced Points Squad Unveils Their Mid-Year 2025 Review
Upgraded Points Team Members Pursue Elite Status in 2025
In the world of travel rewards, the Upgraded Points team is gearing up for an exciting year as they set their sights on achieving elite status in both airline and hotel programs. Here's a look at some of the team members' strategies and progress.
Alberto Riva, Editor and Content Contributor, is determined to maintain his Diamond Medallion status with Delta Air Lines. He values the Global Upgrade Certificates that come with this status, which he can use for long-haul flights. However, with 9,726 Medallion Qualification Dollars, he has a long way to go to requalify for Diamond, which requires 28,000 MQDs.
Lori Zaino, Senior Content Contributor, is not chasing airline or hotel status by traditional methods in 2025. Instead, she is focusing on earning transferable Amex and Chase points. In the airline sector, she holds the Qatar Airways Privilege Club Visa Signature Credit Card and the AAdvantage Aviator Red card.
Nick Ellis, Senior Editor and Content Contributor, is aiming for Gold Medallion status with Delta Air Lines in 2025. However, due to a recent move to Chicago, he is leaning toward becoming an airline free agent.
In the hotel realm, Ryan Smith is working on Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite status, having earned 56 of the 75 elite night credits needed. He also has complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status through The Platinum Card from American Express.
James Larounis, another Senior Content Contributor, is fully committed to American Airlines and is working on requalifying for Executive Platinum elite status. He has 2 Marriott credit cards that get him 30 elite night credits each year.
Juan Ruiz, Senior Editor and Content Contributor, has already logged 50 of the 60 elite nights needed to requalify for World of Hyatt Globalist status. His World of Hyatt card gives him 2 elite night credits for every $5,000 spent.
Katie Corrigan Seemann, Podcast Co-Host and Travel Partnerships Manager, recently did a status match to Delta Platinum Medallion but will probably fall short of earning Delta Gold. She is planning to requalify for Platinum Pro status on American Airlines.
Christine Krzyszton, Senior Contributor, has about 103,000 American Airlines Loyalty Points toward the 200,000 needed to requalify for Executive Platinum status.
Ryan Smith is working on requalifying for Hyatt Globalist status through a combination of stays and credit card spending. He has 8 additional nights booked at Marriott Bonvoy properties during a trip to Spain in late May and early June.
Lori Zaino is working on holding mid-tier credit cards that provide basic-level hotel elite status.
In the revamped American Airlines AAdvantage program, elite status tiers such as Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum are achieved by accumulating Loyalty Points. Team members can earn benefits and rewards without flying, based on Loyalty Points thresholds.
The Hyatt hotel elite status strategy involves strategic hotel stays, capitalising on credit card and promotion bonuses to reach elite status targets, and leveraging the benefits like bonus points and complimentary upgrades.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points remain a valuable currency, transferable 1:1 to Hyatt, enabling team members to redeem points for hotel stays with published award charts facilitating planning.
Overall, the Upgraded Points team’s 2025 status and progress goals involve strategic hotel stays (notably Hyatt), capitalising on credit card and promotion bonuses to reach elite status targets, and leveraging Loyalty Point Rewards in airlines like American Airlines to attain high-status tiers while minimising reliance on flying segments.
- Alberto Riva, while determined to maintain his Diamond Medallion status with Delta Air Lines, faces a challenge with 9,726 Medallion Qualification Dollars, far from the required 28,000.
- Lori Zaino, instead of chasing traditional airline or hotel status, is focusing on earning transferable Amex and Chase points and holding mid-tier credit cards for basic-level hotel elite status.
- In the hotel realm, Ryan Smith is working towards Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite status, while also holding complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and using his World of Hyatt card for elite night credits.
- James Larounis is fully committed to American Airlines and is working on requalifying for Executive Platinum elite status, having 2 Marriott credit cards that get him 30 elite night credits each year. The team's strategies involve a mix of strategic hotel stays, credit card bonuses, and leveraging Loyalty Point Rewards in airlines to attain high-status tiers, while also considering the value of transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
