A soft landing is the rule that a missed status does not disappear entirely but drops to the next lower tier instead.
A soft landing is the rule that a missed status does not disappear entirely but drops to the next lower tier instead.
Also called: Tier downgrade protection.
How it works#
Programmes use the rule to retain frequent travellers after a weak year. How much of the previous year’s activity counts, and whether the drop happens automatically, sits in the programme terms and is rarely advertised. Anyone falling just short of a threshold should know this rule before buying extra flights in December.
Not to be confused with#
A soft landing is not the same as a status extension: an extension keeps the tier, a soft landing lowers it by one step.
In German#
The German term is Weiche Rückstufung. German version of this term
Related terms#
- Elite qualification: Elite qualification is the proof that enough flights, qualifying miles or spending have accumulated within a defined period to reach a status tier.
- Elite status: Elite status is a tier in a loyalty programme that grants extra benefits for a limited period once a qualification threshold has been met.
- Lifetime status: Lifetime status is a tier granted permanently once a cumulative lifetime total is reached, without needing to requalify each year.
Articles that use this term#
TopicEvery article and term onStatus and lounges.