Alaska Airlines and Virgin America will offer elite fliers an extra year’s extension to keep their current status if they go on parental leave.
Called Elite Leave, new moms and dads have to provide proof of a new baby on the way, such as note from a doctor or employer.
"This is just one less thing for new parents to worry about. It’s such a high stress, high emotion, low sleep time in your life that the last thing you want to be worrying about is losing your status," said Natalie Bowman, Alaska Air’s managing director of brand marketing.
It applies to the Alaska Mileage Plan as Virgin America’s frequent-flyer program will be discontinued at the start of 2018.
"This is one of those things that is a very simple change, but that we as working parents knew had the potential to make a huge impact," Bowman added.
The program is thought to be the first of its kind in the US market although airlines including BA and Qantas have similar policies.
