Overview: Adjustments of status criteria for airlines and hotels due to the corona virus

Last update: 04/07/20, 08:00 CET

Due to the currently extremely restricted travel traffic, airline and hotel loyalty programs increasingly see a duty to support their most loyal customers. In this regularly updated article, we list all special regulations known to us that relate to airline or hotel loyalty programs. For example, many programs are currently extending status or reducing qualification criteria.

Here you can find out about the current entry requirements for the countries, here you will find the rebooking and cancellation policies of the most important airlines, here the most important hotel chains and here an overview of what else you should currently consider when traveling.

Airlines

Aegean Airlines Miles & Bonus

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 6 months

Aer Lingus AerClub

• AerClub members are automatically credited with status points (tier credits). Depending on the status level, you will receive different numbers of animal credits:
  • Green members receive 25 tier credits
  • Silver members receive 100 tier credits
  • Gold members receive 200 animal credits
  • Concierge members receive 350 tier credits

Aeroflot bonus

• Extension of the status validity of all customers until the beginning of 2022, including those customers whose status level had already expired at the beginning of this year
• Therefore requalification for all customers will only be necessary in 2021

airBaltic

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 6 months

Air Canada Altitude

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 12 months
• If you reach your status regularly in 2020, you can also give the status away to a third party
• Miles expired until 14 May
• Additional upgrade certificates valid until the end of May 2021 are immediately visible in your account

Air China Phoenix Miles

• Automatic extension of the status validity and the (re) qualification period by 12 months for all who lose their status
• Applies until further notice

Air Europa Suma

• Automatic extension of the status validity by 6 months (presumably this also applies to the requalification)

Air France / KLM Flying Blue

• Reduction of status hurdles to 75% of the regular value for members whose (re) qualification period ends in March, April or May
• Miles expired until the end of the year

Air India Flying Returns

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 6 months
• Miles expired until 31 August

Air New Zealand Airpoints

• Automatic extension of the status validity and the (re) qualification period by 12 months if a status was available on March 20, 2020
• This also applies to status holders who have already achieved or extended their status in the current year

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

• Earn 50% more status miles for Alaska Airlines flights between 07 March and 31 May.

ANA Mileage Club

• Double status miles (Premium Points) for all flights in the first half of 2020
• Mileage expiration suspended until 31 March 2021 (applies to miles that would have expired between 31 March 2020 and 28 January 2021)

British Airways Executive Club

• If your membership year ends in April, May or June, you benefit from a 30% reduction in status hurdles
• Thus 210 status points are required for bronze, 420 for silver and 1,050 for gold

Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Club

• Status members worldwide receive status points for February, March and April:
  • Silver members receive 30 points each month (90 out of 300 required points in total)
  • Gold members receive 65 points for each month (a total of 195 out of 600 required points)
  • Diamond members receive 140 points each month (a total of 420 out of 1,200 required)
• Upgrades, lounge passes and similar status benefits are extended by 6 months

Delta SkyMiles

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 12 months until January 2022
• Extension of various benefits such as Companion Certificate, Upgrade Certificate or Travel Vouchers by 6 to 12 months

Emirates Skywards

• Status hurdles for your current (re) qualification year have been reduced to 80% of the regular value
• Those who still fail to requalify themselves will receive a status extension until the end of 2020 (only applies to status holders whose status would expire by the end of September)
• You will also receive 20% more status miles for all trips until 30 June
• Miles expired until the end of the year

Etihad Guest

• Earn double status miles for every flight from March to June
• Depending on the status level, you will automatically receive a certain number of status miles for March, April and May (3,000 miles for Gold members)

Finnair Plus

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 6 months

Iberia Plus

• You have started to send emails regarding the status extension. More precise details are not yet known.

LATAM pass

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 12 months until March 2022

Lufthansa Group Miles & More

• Miles & More has not yet announced any changes, but has promised a fair regulation

Oman Air Sindbad

• Automatic extension of the status validity and the (re) qualification period until the end of June 2020 for all statuses that would expire in March, April or May

Qantas Frequent Flyer

• Automatic extension of the status validity and the (re) qualification period by 12 months if the status had expired between March 2020 and February 2021

Qatar Airways Privilege Club

• Automatic extension of the status validity and the (re) qualification period by 12 months for all status levels that would have expired by January 31, 2021

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 12 months

S7 Airlines Priority

• For every day you log in from home on this promotional website, you will receive 100 miles (also status miles) as part of the Stay Home Promo, but it is not clear whether this also applies to members outside of Russia

TAP Air Portugal Miles + Go

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 12 months

Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus

• Miles expired until 30 September
• Status criteria regulation expected

Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 6 months

United Airlines Mileage Plus

• Automatic extension of status validity by 12 months until February 2022
• Different qualification criteria for 2021 will be announced

Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 12 months for status holders whose status would have expired in March, April, May or June
• Automatic extension of the status validity and the (re) qualification period by 6 months for all other status holders

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 6 months

Virgin Australia

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 12 months
• Status members worldwide receive additional status points for April, May and June:
  • Silver members receive 20 points each month (a total of 60 out of 200 required points)
  • Gold members receive 35 points for each month (a total of 105 out of 500 required points)
  • Diamond members receive 70 points each month (210 out of 1,000 points required)

Hotels

Accor Live Limitless

• In 2020, all members will automatically receive 50% of the necessary status points and status nights on their account.

Best Western Rewards

• Extension of the status validity of all customers until the beginning of 2022, including those customers whose status level had already expired earlier this year
• Therefore requalification for all customers will only be necessary in 2021

Choice privileges

• Expiration of Choice Privileges points suspended until May 31st

H-Hotels.com hotmiles

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 12 months

Hilton Honors

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 12 months
• Expiry of Hilton Honors points suspended until 31 December
• All Weekend Night Rewards remain valid until 31 August 2021

IHG Rewards Club

• No status extension, but reduced status criteria for the qualification year 2020:

Leaders Club

• All statuses that would have expired by June 30 will initially be extended to July 31.

Marriott Bonvoy

• Expiration of Marriott Bonvoy points suspended until 31 August
• Changes to the status validity are being planned and should only be communicated in the future
• Suite Night Awards remain valid until 31 December 2021, and you can use Free Night Certificates until 31 January 2021

MeliáRewards

• Automatic extension of the status validity and the (re) qualification period by 12 months for all customers whose status would have expired between March and December 2020

Preferred Hotels

• Automatic renewal of all status memberships by 30 June 2021

Radisson Rewards

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 12 months
• Automatic extension of the point validity by 6 months for all points that would have expired from 01 March

Shangri-La Golden Circle

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 12 months

World of Hyatt

• Automatic extension of status validity and (re) qualification period by 12 months
• Expiration of World of Hyatt points suspended until 31 December
• The introduction of peak and off-peak pricing is postponed to March 2021

Wyndham Rewards

• Expiration of points suspended until 31 May 2020
• Adjustments to the status criteria are still to be announced (members in the Asia Pacific region have already received a status extension until the end of 2021)