Time is running out on one of the best ways to retain your elite status: double and triple elite qualifying mile deals. Most of them expire on June 15. If you can’t get in a mileage run before then, two of the six major carriers, American and US Airways, offer the option of buying back elite status.
American Airlines: For elites who fall short of their mileage goals,AA offers the option of making up the difference with cash. For instance,AAdvantage Gold members who miss the 25,000-mile mark by 5,000 or less can pay $349 and retain their status through February 28, 2010.What do you get back from your investment? In short, Gold Status ensures a better ground experience: elite priority-access, access to the prime seats, and relief from all of those nuisance baggage fees. For details: http://www.aa.com/aa/pubcontent/en_US/urls/elite.jsp?anchorLocation=DirectURL&title=elite
US Airways: This carrier offers a menu of choices, the most expensive of which is paying $4,499 for top-tier status. (In January the fee was $10,000.) That status also gets you four system-wide upgrades to Europe or Hawaii (two for member/two for companion), 100% bonus miles on future flights, and a seven-day elite status upgrade window. Bottom-tier elite status costs $1,499 if you have no miles accrued, and decreases depending on the number of miles you have logged. That also spares you lots of nuisance fees: bags and Choice seats for example. Buying in at the bottom level is cheaper now, since US Airways dropped fees by 50% compared to their prior offer (see FCF March 09 issue) for earning double elite qualifying miles. For details: http://www.usairways.com/awa/content/dividendmiles/preferred/buy-up-to-preferred.aspx