A Closer Look at the Illusion of Elite Status, Given the Trending Domestic First Class Airfare Nosedive

Low Domestic First Class Fares and Purchased-Upgrade Trends are Killing Elites Softly. Who Really Wins? Loyalty-Free Agents.

It seems to me (and perhaps to you, too) that I’m always dissing elite status. But, in fact, it’s usually only at year-end, when I get countless emails from FCF members questioning their domestic upgrade approach. With another year’s perspective, I can really go into my opinion on the current state of Elite Pursuit Think, provoked by observing too many members’ lost investments and opportunities.

I’m not really in the opinion business. I prefer to provide exclusive perspectives with hard data and let you decide how they fit your specific situation. With that in mind, this piece is not a how-to, but a how-to-see-through—to get a clear perspective on what’s happening to elite status, especially given the drop in First Class domestic fares and other low-cost upgrade opportunity trends.