Update, 3/19/24: DDF member bendor reports that his Israel based Platinum account received a status extension notification email, with status now through 3/31/25. Then again, with AA not returning to Israel until 10/26 at the earliest, I’d have to imagine that another status extension will be needed next year?
Was your AA status extended?
Update, 1/11/24: I reached out to American and Delta when United extended status, but neither had news to share.
Several DDF members now post that they received emails confirming their Delta status has been extended for another year, so I reached out to the airline to ask for more details.
The airlines confirmed to DansDeals that this year they included “frequent TLV fliers and those based in the area” in their annual member review for deciding which elites received a status extension despite failing to qualify for one. Delta says that the end of year review is a long-standing practice.
Was your status extended despite failing to officially requalify? Were you able to contact your preferred airline for an extension if you didn’t receive a requalification email?
Originally posted on 11/28/23:
Many readers, both US and Israel based who frequently fly United between the US and Israel, have commented and shared the email that United sent them, extending their elite status through 1/31/25.
I had previously reached out to all of the US carriers about a status extension, but none of them had any comment. US airlines haven’t flown to Israel since 10/7 and foreign airlines are generally unable to resume flights due to their lack of insurance coverage for flying into designated war zones.
Below are the emails that United is now sending out to existing elite members who normally frequent the Tel Aviv route. For Platinum, 1K, and Global Services members, the extension will also include a new set of 2024 PlusPoints.
If you frequent the Tel Aviv route and didn’t get a status extension email, you can try contacting the United MileagePlus service center at 800-421-4655.
Kudos to United for being the first to officially extend status, here’s hoping that all airlines will quickly announce their own status extensions.
Did you get a status extension email?
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55 Comments On "[AA And Delta Extend Status For Select Members] United Sending Out Elite Status Extension Emails To Passengers Who Fly To/From Tel Aviv"
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Hi Dan
Not sure if you’re keeping track but it seems that aircraft from tel Aviv are taking off straight to the Mediterranean Sea versus going north and then turning
Do you think that’s a good sign that airlines might send their aircraft back there on the limited basis
Especially now that the rocket firing has diminished for now at least
It will all come down to the insurance companies. Without their sign-off, airlines can’t resume flights.
Israel is insuring Arkia, Israir, and El Al planes to keep those running.
I didn’t get an email extension. 1K member. 18,000+ PQPs year to date. Had no travel plans booked in account when war broke out.
Uncle just got email. He is 1K and has 20,000 PQPs year to date and had a ticket for a flight that didn’t take off in October.
I hope they do this universally for all Israel based 1K.
We got the extension.
Do silvers get this also?
Yes
We are silver and didn’t get the email. I spent 45 minutes on the phone with them today and couldn’t get them to budge.
I’m a silver, and i got the extension
Did you have a tlv trip booked? I did not but went twice in 22 and once in 23
Has there been an official announcement from United other than select emails?
Nothing, other than United confirming to me that they are sending out emails to members who meet the unpublished criteria.
What is the criteria ?
It’s unpublished.
My son qualified in 2022 as a yeshiva student going back and forth to Israel 4x. He only took 1 trip back in 2023. When I log into his account, it shows Premier Silver expires 01/2024
It’s not updated in the account, it’s via email only for now.
Thanks for posting this. I got the email, but would not have seen it had you not posted! Best part is that this year with the higher criteria to requalify, I sort of gave up, and started flying mostly with award tickets. Now I got a free year… (shukran Allah)
Nice!
I did not get the offer but is there a number i can call to make my case. I flew back twice j in el al already due to united cancelling and can show them receipts. Can United premier?
Read the post please. 🙂
Did you like elal. Will you move your buissness to elal now?
I called Mileage Plus Service Center.
They saw right away my account had been marked as an exception and would be granted 1K status next year. I asked why I didn’t get an email and they said perhaps it would come later but my account had been marked already.
I asked about extending validity of Plus Points set to expire in January 2024. They didn’t want to do that yet until a formal decision had been made.
Any suggestions or leave it alone?
I spoke with 1K CS the other day and they gave a “complementary 1 yr extension” as I’ve been 1K consecutively. They said they do that once every 5 yrs but I would not be getting the plus points. A few of my friends of have done the same. We received the email today. Do you think that will override what they’ve already done or should I call and try to sort it out? Any advice? Thx!!! I don’t want to waste the once in 5 yrs….
Fantastic! United removed the extension they had given (the once in 5 yrs) and the TLV extension will
Kick in instead.
Thanks to the DansDeals article, I reached out to United MileagePlus service center to check my eligibility for the elite status extension. As a Silver member, I explained that I was just one flight segment short of requalifying, due to a flight from EWR to TLV being canceled amidst the war. The representative suggested that I shouldn’t use the rare offer (available once every five years) for just one missing segment, advising me to instead take another flight. After some deliberation, she counted my canceled flight as the necessary segment, enabling me to requalify without using the special offer.
I’m Premier Silver, Called the Mileage plus desk, they said they can see I’m eligible for the status extension but I have to call back after Jan 1st to get it extended.
Should I believe them?
I was just told a similar thing by chat rep
I called; I’m currently 1k, and they will extend me to Jan ‘25 as Platinum.
I was also told to call the mileagePlus desk again in January’24 to see about raising it to 1K
I’m a 1k and my 3 family members are all platinum. None of us received any notice and I’ll try calling tomorrow
Thanks to the DansDeals article, I reached out to United MileagePlus service center to check my eligibility for the elite status extension. As a 1K but being short a fee thousand PQP I’d like to extend. The person at Mileageplus account servicing claims we will be reviewed in January and will be extended but I will check back with them again as none of received emails.
So…. following up. Although I was TOLD they would extend 1K and United even sent me a 1K package in the mail, online it says I’m going to be Platinum as of 2/1. So disappointed
I called United Platinum customer service and they approved my status extension for the extra year as they saw I flew to TLV twice earlier in the year and I reached Gold already. Getting boarding group 1 is my favorite benefit.
Dan, can you speculate on whether United will resume their Tel Aviv flights on Dec 15 as their current schedule indicates?
Very unlikely.
Data point: I didn’t receive letter. I’m only a Silver level. I told them I was planning a trip to TLV in Oct/Nov (which I was) that was canceled – That would have allowed me to keep Silver. (Or just about to achieve the goals to keep status).
Said they can’t do a “waiver” based on that but that on my account (not sure if all accounts?) I could use a once every 5 years “maintain” my status for an extra year. I accepted so am g2g for 2024 through 1/31/25.
Mission accomplished (I like that free economy plus at check in, when I can get it!). I figure why not use now since maybe benefits will diminish down the road and above silver likely out of reach for me even though I Hope to fly more next year.
Should the 1K extension and PlusPoints have hit this morning? If not should I call? Thx!
1K status extension went thru but they only deposited 40 Pluspoints instead of 280
Yes I got my platinum status extended (address based in Israel)
I don’t think I flew delta at all this year and they extended me a year. Too bad they aren’t flying yet. Anyways I’m gold on elal also and was going to contact them to match. Maybe they extended me also from my elal status. Honestly don’t really care just happy I have the option now or eventually on them also.
Does elal match delta status?
I got the email yesterday extending my Diamond status. I had previously sent a request via the website and received no reply.
Congrats!
Maybe you can persuade Virgin Atlantic to do something for those of us in Israel who fly to New York via London
Best thing to do is for everyone to write to them.
I guess it might be a good idea to include their CEO in the correspondence. He is Israeli after all and might understand.
I’m a delta silver and flew to tlv last year but don’t see an extension email
I was 8k mqm’s short of hitting gold again for this year on delta(was the only real requirement since I live in israel)
Just got an email from delta saying they gifted me another year of gold since I was do close to hitting it again
I had already qualified for Platinum this year, but had to fly to Israel now and am worried that with one less flight, I won’t have enough to keep it.
I had also saved me points to use on these January flights….
I’m Delta diamond till the end of the year, are we talking about extending it for an additional year? Till the end of 2025 ?
I have been BA Gold for numerous years. With TLV-LHR-LHR a very popular route on my schedule.
My tier point collection year ends in March. I currently have 1460 tier points (just 40 short of Gold requalification)
I emailed them, requesting either to extend my year or to requalify me anyway. I had 6 flights on BA cancelled since October 7. They haven’t flown to Israel since Oct 10 and don’t plan on tiln end of March – after my year ends.
Still awaiting reply.
I am a 1K, have been for 20 years, with almost 2 million lifetime miles. When I did not hear from United, I called. They refuse to extend my status, even though they cancelled 2 flights that I had tickets for.
I flew El Al instead and got El Al to status match to Platinum.
I am delta diamond frequently going to israel. Can anyone share their email explain what details to include ao i can get this status extension? Thanks!
I can confirm. Was diamond status last year on Delta. Only made platinum this year. Frequent on TLV – JFK flight and I received an unsolicited email that I am diamond
Not sure what a “frequent TLV flier” is. I’ve flown AA to TLV, mostly using miles, but also using AMEX BP to purchase a business class seat. My status was earned mostly by spending, and I don’t really fly AA otherwise.
will elal extend status too?
I contacted United a few months ago and asked them to extend my status since I flew between IAD and TLV multiple times in 2022, but they declined to extend my status because I didn’t have any flights in 2023 before October 7th.