It's time to take stock of your points and miles and make sure you start 2017 with VIP status. There are several ways to earn your gold or platinum status without necessarily going on a mileage run halfway around the world. Here are nine quick and painless strategies to employ before the ball drops on Dec. 31.
1. Audit your airline frequent-flier accounts
Check that you've received credit for all eligible flights you have taken with your primary airline and its partners; then see how that stacks up against the carrier's flight and spending requirements. Remember, on carriers such as Delta and United, there are new rules governing how many dollars you need to spend on airfare (in addition to flying a certain number of miles or segments) to earn your elite credentials.
Credit cards, including the Delta Reserve from American Express, will give you elite-qualifying miles in exchange for hitting spending thresholds through the year.
2. Cash in on bonuses and affiliate hotel stays
Hotels calculate your loyalty status based on the number of nights or stays you complete from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. Make sure that stays at affiliated properties have been counted, then check to see if your co-branded credit card entitles you to any elite-status bonuses. For example, if you have the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express, you're entitled to two stays' and five nights' worth of credit toward elite status each year.
3. Don't let good points and miles go to waste
Don't lose your miles just because you haven't flown on a specific airline or stayed with a particular hotel group in a while. Instead, download AwardWallet, a free app that keeps track of your points balances and expiration dates. If you find that some accounts are on their last legs, make a token purchase through an airline or hotel's shopping portal. Dine out at a restaurant partner. Buy something via a co-branded credit card. In general, all you have to do is earn a single point to keep your account alive.
4. Use up your travel credits or vouchers
Airline and hotel vouchers have expiration dates, so use them while they're still good. The same goes for annual travel credits from premium credit cards — use them up by Dec. 31.
5. Spend more to earn more
Some cards offer elite status or companion tickets just for meeting certain spending requirements during the year. If you have a card with such a perk and are close to meeting the spending threshold for it, put on your Santa hat: Generous giving can buy you more than good karma.
6. Apply for a new card with a big sign-up bonus
Don't have a spending requirement to meet? Get one. Figure out how much you'll spend on holiday gifts and travel this month, and pick a card that'll reward you with a bonus just for making your planned purchases.
7. Milk those retail partnerships
Double-dip on some of the strategies above by using an airline or hotel's online shopping portal. When you click through to a merchant, you're eligible for earnings multipliers that can triple or quadruple the points or miles you'd make on any given purchase. To compare bonuses, use a site such as EVReward.com.
8. Be a traitor — and cash in on it
If you're likely to lose your status in 2017, now is the perfect time to apply for a match or challenge with a different program. This strategy works best with hotel programs, which more often match your current status with that of a competitor without imposing minimum-stay requirements. Learn about these types of offers at StatusMatcher.com.
None of these strategies are exclusive to the year-end period. Use this cheat sheet to close in on your 2017 goals and continue to reorganize yourself with it every few months in the coming year. We promise it will eventually lead to an even more elite 2018.
