Your credit card may not provide the desired status, but it may get you into airport lounges for free, which can be just as useful. The Delta American Express Reserve card, to take one example, includes 15 visits a year to Delta’s Sky Club. Some cards may offer credits for in-flight purchases (such as the AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard and JetBlue branded cards) or in-flight Wi-Fi, but there are many airline card options. in addition to those.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve and Citi Prestige cards aren’t even branded with an airline, but they still come with a Priority Pass membership, which provides free access to hundreds of independent airport lounges around the world (such as one at London’s Heathrow, pictured) . You don’t just show up at a lounge and wave your credit card for access—you just follow the instructions on your benefits card beforehand and sign up for a free lounge membership.
The caveat here is that many of these cards have annual fees of several hundred dollars, and if you don’t travel a lot or pay off your balance each month, the credit card will cost you in other ways. However, if you travel a lot, the math may be in your favor, and it’s still a much cheaper path to elite benefits than spending thousands of dollars on flights or hotel stays.