5 Ways Elite Status Air Travel Makes My Life Easier

One of my favorite credit card perks involves flying. In addition to racking up airline miles via our travel credit cards, my husband also spent years traveling the globe. I know he enjoyed all the great sites he visited, but a little part of me wonders if his favorite thing about travel is earning elite status with his favorite airlines. I may never know the answer to that mystery, but I do know this: Elite status makes my life easier for the following reasons.

1. Priority check-in

Overall, having elite status makes our trips to the airport less stressful, and there's a good reason for that. My husband is one of those people who likes to be everywhere early. In the case of airports, he prefers to arrive hours early. He's always certain that the lines will be around the block and we'll be stressed out. In fairness, he's sometimes right, but more often than not, we sit around the airport for hours twiddling our thumbs because we made it through security faster than expected due to his status.

There are many great credit cards, but for years, one of our favorites has been Barclays AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Mastercard®. Thanks to the status my husband has earned using that card, we have priority check-in, which moves us right through the line.

2. Complimentary checked baggage

Depending on my husband's airline status at the time, we can check two or three bags for free. This benefit applies to both the elite member (him) and a guest, and because we never bring more than one bag each, we don't end up paying extra for luggage.

3. Main Cabin Extra seating

Thanks to airline status, we know we'll have comfortable seats when we fly with American Airlines. Neither of us is tall or especially large, so it's not like we need a ton of extra room. That said, when we flew to Puerto Rico last year on a different airline, the woman next to me kept falling asleep on my shoulder and could only get comfortable by putting her feet under the seat in front of me. It was awkward, to say the least, but we were so packed into the row I couldn't really blame her.

If available at the time of booking, Main Cabin Extra seating gives us extra legroom, a guaranteed overhead bin space, and the beverage of our choice.

4. Priority boarding

I've never quite understood why people get so worked up about boarding early. We're all going to land at the same destination at the same time, but there's a weird buzz in the air as people line up. I know there are those who don't check their bags and are desperate to find room in an overhead bin, but since my husband and I almost never put anything in a bin, priority boarding shouldn't matter to us. And yet, I find it a sweet relief when we get to board early. Anything to get away from the swarm of people jockeying for position.

5. More miles through partners

AAdvantage isn't the only game in town for airline credit cards, and flying American Airlines is not the only way to earn points. The airline has 26 airline partners, and booking with one of those airlines helps us rebuild the points we've spent. I always feel a little bad as our reward points total starts to drop, so it's nice to know we can jump right back into earning them.

I'm sure everyone has their top reason for wanting to earn or keep elite status. For some, it may be sitting in a nicer seat or priority check-in. For me, it's knowing that getting on a flight will likely be a little less stressful, thanks to small, thoughtful perks like these.