Travelers should keep in mind, Mr. Leff said, that the airline programs have become less rewarding. But Mr. Leff said he believed that the number of elite status fliers had actually increased from a decade ago. Those who attain elite status can get hooked on the benefits. Ms. Umbach is spending January looking at her plans for travel this year with an eye on retaining her MVP Gold frequent-flier status — the second level of status. Then, he said, they should approximate the travel they will do and see what status levels they can achieve.

Source: New York Times January 21, 2019 21:56 UTC