For many years, Aegean Airlines has offered one of the easiest paths to Star Alliance Gold status. Over time, the rules have been adjusted several times. But even now, the status with Miles+Bonus has still been comparatively easy to maintain – at least since the tightening of the rules in 2023, as long as you travelled to Greece once per year.
Now there is more bad news. The requirements to achieve and keep Star Alliance Gold status are once again being significantly increased. Until now, it was enough to take 4 flights with Aegean + earn 12,000 status miles per year to renew Gold status. In the future, you will need 12 flights with Aegean or Olympic Air and 18,000 status miles. So one trip to Greece per year won’t be enough anymore.
Aegean is also introducing a new Platinum status with even higher thresholds. At the same time, there are new benefits for Silver & Gold status, mainly related to seat selection.
New (and Old) Qualification Rules
The new rules take effect on November 5, 2026. So everyone can still benefit from the old rules at least once more. It’s not yet entirely clear whether November 5 refers to the actual upgrade date or the renewal date. But it’s likely the former – that’s also how it worked with the changes two years ago. The following table compares the old and new thresholds:
| Status | Requirement until 04 Nov 2026 | Requirement from 05 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Blue → Silver | 2 flights with Aegean + 12,000 miles or 35,000 miles | 4 flights with Aegean + 12,000 miles or 36,000 miles or 16 flights with Aegean |
| Requalify Silver | 2 flights with Aegean + 8,000 miles or 35,000 miles | 4 flights with Aegean + 9,000 miles or 36,000 miles or 16 flights with Aegean |
| Silver → Gold | 4 flights with Aegean + 24,000 miles or 70,000 miles | 12 flights with Aegean + 24,000 miles or 72,000 miles or 32 flights with Aegean |
| Requalify Gold | 4 flights with Aegean + 12,000 miles or 70,000 miles | 12 flights with Aegean + 18,000 miles or 72,000 miles or 32 flights with Aegean |
New Status Benefits
While the requirements are being tightened, there is at least some positive news. Aegean is expanding the status benefits for Silver and Gold members – also valid starting November 5, 2026:
- Miles+Bonus Silver:
- Free standard seat selection on Aegean & Olympic Air flights
- 1,000 bonus award miles as a birthday gift each year
- Miles+Bonus Gold:
- Free standard seat selection on Aegean & Olympic Air flights
- 50% discount on extra legroom seats
- 2,000 bonus award miles as a birthday gift each year
A completely new Miles+Bonus Platinum status is also being introduced. You reach it with 72,000 status miles per year, including at least 32 flights with Aegean or Olympic Air. Hardly anyone is likely to achieve this. Still, here’s a look at the most important perks:
- 30% mileage accrual bonus on Aegean & Olympic Air flights (instead of 20% for Gold)
- Free seat selection on Aegean & Olympic Air flights (incl. Up Front & Extra Legroom)
- 2 additional checked bags on every Aegean/Olympic Air flight (instead of 1 as Gold)
- Aegean Business Lounge: Up to 8 guests allowed (instead of 1 guest). They need to be on the same flight
- 3,000 bonus award miles as a birthday gift each year
- Exclusive Platinum hotline
- Ability to gift Gold status
Conclusion
The 2023 changes already caused major frustration. Until then, Star Alliance Gold status could be renewed relatively easily without ever setting foot on an Aegean aircraft. Then the requirements for that scenario were suddenly tripled, and it became almost mandatory to fly to or via Greece once a year.
Now, even that easy workaround is gone. One annual trip to Greece was not a major barrier for frequent flyers. But reaching 12 segments is much harder if you’re not island-hopping across Greece. For non-Greeks, Star Alliance Gold via Miles+Bonus is now basically a thing of the past.
Translated by Ditmar
Cover Picture: Photo by Wolfgang Weiser on Unsplash
Comment (1)
A very accurate article and especially its conclusion. Thank you!