Elite status in hotels or airlines is not something everyone tries to attain because let's face it, it's not always practical when there are cheaper options available sometimes.
Philippine Airlines did run a promotion recently that helped me achieve not just Elite status but Premier Elite status. The nation's flag carrier offered a fast track to their elite status tiers and drastically reduced requirements to encourage people to fly during the lean months of August, September, and October.
Philippine Airlines website
Airline elite status isn't one I really plan to achieve since I consider myself a free agent when it comes to airlines, but the fast-track promo was too good to pass up.
Normally to become a Mabuhay Miles elite you would need to achieve one of the following: 25,000 flight miles, 30 one-way qualifying flights, or 15 business class sectors flown in a calendar year. The easiest and cheapest way would be to go for the 30 one-way qualifying flights. To be honest I was already planning to become an elite member since I wasn't that far from achieving 30 flights this year at 18 flights already before the fast-track promotion started.
Premier Elite goes further by requiring either 45,000 flight miles, 50 one-way qualifying flights, or 25 business class sectors flown in a calendar year.
Philippine Airlines website
I already had a trip to Jakarta and Bangkok booked before the promotion so that gave me 8 one-way qualifying flights each since I was flying out from Cebu and I had to connect via Manila. This automatically qualified me to Premier Elite status. I also booked 2 roundtrip flights to Manila instead of using my Cebu Pacific Super Pass vouchers which were actually expiring soon, but it didn't matter anymore.
Based on the terms and conditions of the promotion, the status would be awarded after the promotion period which was October 31, but I got upgraded to Premier Elite a few days after my last qualifying flight which I was able to take advantage on my trips to Manila.
Premier Elite perks include
Lounge access + 1 companion
Additional luggage allowance (30kg with the weight system)
Upgrade travel certificates (not included in the fast-track promotion)
Bonus miles (25% except North America which is 75%)
Priority check-in, boarding, and luggage handling
Priority airport standby
I've mentioned the perks based on how much I value them being lounge access the most valuable and priority airport standby being the least in my opinion. You can value each perk differently but this is how I value them personally.
Overall, gaining Premier Elite status with Mabuhay Miles took some effort even with the fast-track promotion, but it was definitely worth it. The perks that come with Premier Elite status have made my travels much more enjoyable, and I'm already planning my future trips to take full advantage of my status.
For detailed information about each perk you can click here.
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