| | The airline status benefit I can't fly without | | by Sean Cudahy, Senior writer |
|  | I love a good first-class upgrade as much as anyone.
But as frequent flyers know all too well, complimentary upgrades have become much harder to come by in recent years due to a major change in travel habits.
In fact, these upgrades are so few and far between these days, they're no longer the elite status perk I count on most when I fly.
For me, one of the most underrated status perks is free access to the extra-legroom seats. It's a status benefit on most major airlines, whether it's American Airlines' Main Cabin Extra, Delta Air Lines' Comfort, United Airlines' Economy Plus or JetBlue's EvenMore.
Flying so often with the extra space, I've become spoiled — which I realized on a flight this month when I got stuck in the back of the plane, neck and back growing sore as I tried to write an article at 35,000 feet.
You can be spoiled too.
Many airlines offer extra-legroom benefits with lower status levels — no need for the top tier that costs a fortune to reach.
And there are plenty of last-minute ways to still reach status, even though we're now 70% (!) of the way through 2025.
For instance, just carrying the right Delta credit card will immediately get you halfway to Silver Medallion status. The American card I've carried for years earns me Loyalty Points with every swipe.
Heck, on Southwest Airlines, you (for now) don't even need status to score one of its extra-space seats that just soft-launched. Here's how to do it.
What is your favorite elite status perk?
Here are some of the best ways to earn airline status and sit in the fancy seats:
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