Most companies, on the verge of being acquired by a larger organization, would be content to sit back and let operations continue on autopilot through the merger process. In case anyone needed reminding, however, Virgin America is not most companies.

Even as Virgin America’s days are numbered, pending its acquisition and absorption by Alaska Airlines, the airline continues to nudge its Elevate loyalty program in a more customer-friendly direction. Here are the latest changes, announced yesterday in an email to program members:

• Silver elite status now awarded after 15 flights or 20,000 credits (versus only 20,000 credits previously)
• Silver members receive 50 percent elite bonus on spend (versus 25 percent previously)
• Gold elite status now awarded after 30 flights or 50,000 credits (versus only 50,000 credits previously)
• Gold members receive 140 percent elite bonus on spend (versus 100 percent previously)
• Award flights now count toward earning elite status

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So, elite status will now be easier to earn. And once earned, status will be more rewarding.

And a New Status Match

These changes are not being made in a vacuum. Since the announcement of the Alaska-Virgin America merger, JetBlue has been aggressively courting Virgin America customers, including this month’s offer of free flights to travelers in California and New York, a clear ploy to get traction with Virgin America loyalists disaffected by the prospect of the imminent Alaska takeover.

No doubt with just such attempted incursions in mind, Virgin has added JetBlue to the list of airlines’ elite status it will match.

Effective immediately, Virgin America will award complimentary Elevate Gold status to JetBlue Mosaic members for three months. The status may be extended through the end of 2017 by meeting the specially lowered earning targets during the three-month challenge period.

Likely some time before the end of this year, Elevate will be folded into Alaska’s Mileage Plan program, a solid loyalty scheme in its own right, but a very different one. Whatever else changes, there’s little doubt elite status in Elevate will be honored in Mileage Plan. So these changes, even in the program’s twilight days, are still meaningful and worth taking advantage of.

Reader Reality Check

Will you miss Virgin America when it’s gone?

After 20 years working in the travel industry, and almost that long writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.

This article first appeared on SmarterTravel.com, where Tim is Editor-at-Large.