AA Platinum Challenge - Tips

[simongr]

Just another question on this - if I do go the platinum challenge and get either platinum or exec platinum - then does that get me access to the first class lounges even if I am flying business (or heaven forbid - economy)?

S

 

[JohnK]

if I do go the platinum challenge and get either platinum or exec platinum - then does that get me access to the first class lounges even if I am flying business (or heaven forbid - economy)?

I may be wrong so someone may correct me.

With AA platinum you are equivalent to QF Gold, OneWorld Sapphire and definitely no first class lounge access unless you are flying first class. From what I understand you get no lounge access in the US with this status anyway.

With AA executive platinum you are equivalent to QF Platinum, OneWorld Emerald and in theory should have access to OneWorld first class lounges if flying OneWorld that day regardless of class of travel.

 

[Dave Noble]

Just another question on this - if I do go the platinum challenge and get either platinum or exec platinum - then does that get me access to the first class lounges even if I am flying business (or heaven forbid - economy)?

S

If you get Platinum status, you will have OW Sapphire status and will be entitled to business class lounge access (c.f. QF Gold) when travelling on OW. So book a red-e-deal from SYD-CBR, for example, and you can use the business check in and use the Qantas Clubs

If you manage to attain Executive Platinum status, you will have OW Emerald status and be entitled to 1st class lounge access ( c.f. QF Platinum) when travelling on OW. Also, for attaining EXP, you will get 8 Systemwide upgrades for use on any AA flights

The only exception to lounge access ( and is not a major one imo for those living outside Nort America is that you do not get lounge access in USA/Canada/Caribbean unless you have a same day international connection .. a flight from US-Canada is considered domestic ).

Dave

 

[simongr]

OK - now the exec platinum is sounding more interesting Time to jump on the AA website I think. Might wait until I get Qantas gold (which is next week when I flight back to Oz via singapore) just in case some of my travel plans get scuppered - although I am pretty sure I will be back to Singapore in September...

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

There is no exec plat (EXP) challenge although there is a USD10,000 prepay card which comes with EXP status (until Feb 07). Watch out for the restrictions with the prepay card though (only aa, limited time, etc).

 

[Alan in CBR]

With AA platinum you are equivalent to QF Gold, OneWorld Sapphire and definitely no first class lounge access unless you are flying first class.

Correct.

From what I understand you get no lounge access in the US with this status anyway.

Not quite correct. No lounge access unless travelling internationally on the same day. Which means AA's unique definition of "international", rather than the old-fashioned definition which was "to any other country".

With AA executive platinum you are equivalent to QF Platinum, OneWorld Emerald and in theory should have access to OneWorld first class lounges if flying OneWorld that day regardless of class of travel.

In theory, and in practice. Except again, when travelling on a purely North American domestic itinerary with no (AA-defined) international same-day travel.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

In theory, and in practice. Except again, when travelling on a purely North American domestic itinerary with no (AA-defined) international same-day travel.

Except that other emeralds (eg QF WP) and sapphires (eg QF SG) do not need any international travel when visiting an AA domestic lounge.

 

[spd]

Question about qualifying.

i have a trip to seattle coming up and was wondering class of economy ticket i should buy to maximise the number of qualifying points and will it be enuff to qualify for the platnium challenge?


I'll have a trip to tokyo within the 3 month qualifying period (business class) which should be enuff to get me there. Both will start from sydney.

many thanks

 

[Dave Noble]

Question about qualifying.

i have a trip to seattle coming up and was wondering class of economy ticket i should buy to maximise the number of qualifying points and will it be enuff to qualify for the platnium challenge?

The trip to SEA can do it on its own on most cheap economy fares as long as you book the AA codeshares rather than the QF flight numbers ; just book through AA.com and ensure that you book in any of H, K, M, L, W, V class and the challenge is easily completed

If you book on the QF flight numbers to US, then you would need to purchase the fairly expensive K fares. Do not book Q or N class tickets since they will earn zero miles

Dave

 

[spd]

thanks Dave,

when i attempt to book on aa.com they only give me the option of syd-lax-san jose- sea

i know they have coseshare with alaska which offers a direct flight lax - sea.

anyway of getting around this online, or should i just call them?

Stephen

 

[Dave Noble]

thanks Dave,

when i attempt to book on aa.com they only give me the option of syd-lax-san jose- sea

i know they have coseshare with alaska which offers a direct flight lax - sea.

anyway of getting around this online, or should i just call them?

Stephen

Have you tried the multi-city seach and done SYD-LAX and then LAX-SEA with zero stops?

Dave

 

[attimo]

Making sure the FF # is entered correctly:

May I ask, what do you do with your FF number if you have a multi-sector booking, with different OW carriers? For example, we have a booking to Europe with QF (To SIN) and Finnair (beyond).
On Check my Trip it has a section at the top which should have:
Mr My Name
Qantas Airways -- AAxx_xx_x

but what about all the Finnair flights to and within Europe?
Is it enough to ensure that the first flight DOES NOT say :
American Airlines -- AAxx_xx_x
or does Finnair and Qantas have to be entered for each SECTOR?

thanks

 

[Dave Noble]

Making sure the FF # is entered correctly:

May I ask, what do you do with your FF number if you have a multi-sector booking, with different OW carriers? For example, we have a booking to Europe with QF (To SIN) and Finnair (beyond).
On Check my Trip it has a section at the top which should have:
Mr My Name
Qantas Airways -- AAxx_xx_x

but what about all the Finnair flights to and within Europe?
Is it enough to ensure that the first flight DOES NOT say :
American Airlines -- AAxx_xx_x
or does Finnair and Qantas have to be entered for each SECTOR?

thanks

The surest thing to do is to phone n check with AY whether the FF number is in for their sectors. Check my trip is good for airlines which use Amadeus, but am not sure what AY uses


Dave
Dave

 

[NM]

If you want miles to go to AA account, then there should be an entry for each airline in the itinerary that looks like this:

Airline being flown -- AAxx_xx_

So if you have QF, BA, AY and AA flights in the itinerary, then it should show something like:

Qantas Airways -- AAxx_xx_
British Airways -- AAxx_xx_
Finn Air -- AAxx_xx_
American Airlines -- AAxx_xx_

But best way to check with each airline directly and ask them what their booking shows and ask them to change it if its not your AA account.

 

[simongr]

One quick one - I think I read in another thread that you cant use AA points to upgrade QF flights - is this correct? All of my flights are going to be on Qantas pretty much as my travel is AsiaPac in the main and some flights to the US and UK - which again are on Qantas. As such if upgrades can not be obtained with points then AA wont be much use to me.

S

 

[Mal]

One quick one - I think I read in another thread that you cant use AA points to upgrade QF flights - is this correct? All of my flights are going to be on Qantas pretty much as my travel is AsiaPac in the main and some flights to the US and UK - which again are on Qantas. As such if upgrades can not be obtained with points then AA wont be much use to me.

S

Correct. A lot of AA Plat types are both Qantas elites and AA elites. They still have a nice bank of Qantas points, and get Qantas points from various credit cards. You can waitlist for an upgrade on Qantas using Qantas points and your Qantas status, yet still credit to AA.

So they have the best of both worlds. If you're not flying AA, but are an AA elite, you need to keep this in mind. (Note that the really good award redemption rates do help counter this)

I still have not made a serious move to go to AA. This is one of the reasons (but I still credit some points to AA from various activities).

 

[Dave Noble]

As such if upgrades can not be obtained with points then AA wont be much use to me.

S

Remember, as I pointed out earlier, that AA typically offers Award business seats for less than QF charges for an upgrade from economy-business. Why worry about upgrading when you can travel for free for less?

Dave

 

[simongr]

Because most of my flying is business related rather than personal and I would prefer to upgrade my travel using points.

Mind you I have never before built up a significant balance of points so I have not really tried to use them for personal flying - and havent really been on holiday for a long time so using points has never been an option before.

I do see the benefit of the earn/burn rate - I am just now concerned that if say I fly to New York on business and if I want to have my wife along either I need enough points to buy a J class seat for her with AA or I need to buy an economy ticket and have enough qantas points to go from economy to business for her.

What I think I need to do is work out my travel for the next 12 months based on the plan I have at the moment and then work out what I think my points earning and useability would be at each point and then work out what I want to do.

At least I might actually have time to do that when I get back to Syd - and if I have to spend 4-5 hours at the Qantas/BA lounge in London with delays getting through security - it might give me something to do with my time....

 

[Dave Noble]

Because most of my flying is business related rather than personal and I would prefer to upgrade my travel using points.

If you are going to use it for business, why not just offer to book using points for a business seat if available using AA points. Lower cost than upgrading and confirmable at time of booking and saves the company money

I do see the benefit of the earn/burn rate - I am just now concerned that if say I fly to New York on business and if I want to have my wife along either I need enough points to buy a J class seat for her with AA or I need to buy an economy ticket and have enough qantas points to go from economy to business for her.

Indeed. But you are likely to need less points to buy the J ticket than to upgrade hey, plus you save a lot of money


Dave

 

[simongr]

If you are going to use it for business, why not just offer to book using points for a business seat if available using AA points. Lower cost than upgrading and confirmable at time of booking and saves the company money

Dave

Being the selfish oik (and not being self-employed) there is no incentive for me to save the company any money.

My main use of points (for the next 12 months as I dont see a holiday in the mix) will be upgrading or holding. I am flying to NZ for two weeks economy :shock: so I might look to upgrade those - hopefully not toomany points....