Aside from Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum Emirates Skywards memberships, there lies a secret, invite-only tier – Emirates iO. This super premium service is restricted to 300 Emirates VIP passengers across the world, each of whom are handpicked and endorsed by the President of Emirates, Sir Tim Clark . No amount of flying can guarantee that coveted upgrade….

With status tiers, the only real perks start at Gold. Star Alliance is the world’s largest airline group by several measures, including members and passengers carried. With 26 airlines to pick from, what are the elite tiers you can reach and how quickly is it possible? The answer isn’t simple and may not be as…