Airline status now follows the money, including when the company buys the ticket

What changed

• 17 December 2025: American Airlines stopped awarding AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points on basic economy tickets bought from that date.
• 2026: United kept Premier thresholds unchanged. From 1 February 2026, PlusPoints and complimentary upgrades can be used on award tickets; fixed PlusPoints upgrade prices give way to dynamic pricing in February 2027.
• December 2025: Delta confirmed that Medallion thresholds for 2027 status are unchanged. Status is earned on Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs), and Main Basic fares do not earn them.
• August 2025: Alaska and Hawaiian moved to a joint program, Atmos Rewards, replacing Alaska's Mileage Plan. A planned choice to earn on distance, spend or segments was still pending in late September 2026.
• 1 April 2025: British Airways replaced the Executive Club with The British Airways Club and began awarding Tier Points at 1 per pound of eligible spend.
• 26 February 2026: Qantas announced status changes, including Status Credits from everyday spending (up to 140 a year), rollover of part of any surplus, and, from late 2027, retain thresholds equal to earn thresholds. It is not moving to revenue-based qualification.

Why it matters

Under spend-based rules, the price of the ticket matters more than the distance flown. An executive on flexible or business-class fares bought by the company reaches status quickly; a colleague on the cheapest fares may earn nothing, since basic economy no longer counts on American and Main Basic does not earn MQDs on Delta. Status largely follows the company's travel budget.

That raises two questions to settle deliberately. First, miles and status earned on company-paid tickets accrue to the traveler's own account, not the company's. Second, American, Delta and United each run small-business programs in which the company earns its own rewards alongside the traveler. Whether to join them, and how personal miles are treated, are policy choices; check with your accountant on any reporting implications.

Who is affected

• Executives and senior staff who fly frequently on company tickets, especially in premium cabins.
• Employees booked on the lowest fares under a strict travel policy, who may now earn little or no status.
• Owners whose status is built partly on company travel and partly on family travel or co-branded credit card spend.
• Staff and clients flying Qantas from Australia, where status is still earned on Status Credits.

What we recommend

1. Review the travel policy against the new rules. A lowest-fare requirement can place travelers on American and Delta basic fares that earn no status; decide whether that trade-off is intended.
2. Concentrate each frequent traveler's flying with one airline or alliance where the company's routes allow it. Spend-based programs reward concentration.
3. Consider the airlines' small-business programs (AAdvantage Business, SkyMiles for Business, United PerksPlus), which let the company earn alongside its travelers, and check their minimum spend and traveler requirements first.
4. Write down how the company treats miles and status earned on company-paid tickets, and on business expenses charged to personal co-branded cards. Check with your accountant on any reporting implications.
5. For owners who fly for both business and family, choose one primary program and keep both kinds of travel in it where routes allow.