AA Platinum Challenge - Tips

[Dave Noble]

Thanks Dave - awesome information and exactly the help that I needed.

From here on everything's AA for us! Cheers

Just to make sure that all was ok , I have just been checking the mileages to make sure that they were correct and found some discrepencies

AKL-LAX will earn 1630 rather than 1631
JFK-LAX-JFK will earn 617 rather than 618 each way
JFK-MIA will earn 545 rather than 546
MIA-JFK will earn 1090 rather than 1092

These 6 qpoints won't make much of an issue however..

LAX-BNE is only 7166 rather than 7950 so the qpoint earning would be 1792 rather than 1988 which reduces qpoints by 196

In total, this will reduce the earning by 202, so rather than needing 507, you will need 909 more qpoints. Changing to V class will increase earning by 546, so would still leave you 363 qpoints short , so you will still need to take another flight to get Platinum. Any eligable QF flight would complete it , so as long as you take one more flight before the period ends will help. Perhaps , rather than change to V class on MIA-JFK, just purchase something such as an O class BNE-NTL r/t and do that before you go/when you return and you will attain status

Perhaps also check whether your ticket will allow you to use AA rather than QF for the US sectors to/from JFK, since that would make the difference. Alternatively, if you can change the LAX-BNE to be LAX-SYD-BNE , that would earn 2372 qpoints. Adding that to the V class earning and you have done it

Dave

 

[flyingzzzds]

Thank you for all your work on this Dave. Looks like I definitely have my training wheels on with the mileage calculations!

I didn't mention that we are travelling to the USA on such super discount fares because we will have 6 teenagers with us! Think we're best off just doing a domestic run prior and leave the OS flights as they are.

You have been a massive help - Cheers.

 

[Dave Noble]

I didn't mention that we are travelling to the USA on such super discount fares because we will have 6 teenagers with us! Think we're best off just doing a domestic run prior and leave the OS flights as they are.

No worries. For for the most precise figure when calculating miles earned on QF flights, the points earning calculator on the Qantas website is the best place to check. For AA flights, make a dummy booking on the route at aa.com and it will show you the mileage that will be earned on the route

Doing a cheap r/t domestically in Australia before or after the international trip will be an easy way to complete the challenge .. Just ensure that you do not book it in N class since that is the non-mileage earning class

If you would be travelling en-masse when you want to make use of the platinum benefits, then I would suggest making sure that at least 4 of you complete the challenge since each platinum member can take 1 guest into a lounge and so , to get 8 of you into the lounges requires 4 platinum members.

Of course, given the 100% mileage bonuses, depending on your travel plans, it might well be worth trying to ensure that all get status

Dave

 

[tscharke]

just out of curiosity - what would be a N Class booking on qantas?

I first thought it was those red e-deals, however all red e-deals that I have booked have been O Class?

 

[serfty]

just out of curiosity - what would be a N Class booking on qantas?

I first thought it was those red e-deals, however all red e-deals that I have booked have been O Class?

O & N are both red e-deal fare buckets; O is generally the less expensive of the two.

e.g. If you do a dummy booking on the QF website, say for this Saturday MEL-SYD you will see two different fares listed under red e-deal column, O class is $125 and N class is $145.

 

[tscharke]

cheers serfty

 

[flyingzzzds]

Of course, given the 100% mileage bonuses, depending on your travel plans, it might well be worth trying to ensure that all get status

You have me thinking now (could be a worry) I am already AA Plat but could get all 6 teenagers to do the challenge and perhaps throw in a day trip from LAX-SFO on our trip to get everybody over the 10K threshold. Thinking the plat bonus could make this worthwhile. Especially with 'family transfers' of points in the future.

Was going to sign up 2 of them as QP members before we leave to get all of us into the AA clubs during our trip. But the ongoing value of AA Plat to give all of us individual lounge access would be very handy. The 'kids' probably won't requalify next year, but even when they drop down to Gold we'll get a handsome bonus on their travel (however infrequent).

Thinking, thinking, thinking ...ummm can I convince teenagers to get out of bed early to flyto SFO for a few hours? One I can bribe with Ghiradelli chocolate atleast! Has anybody ever had 7 family members all on a Platinum Challenge at once? Is this likely to 'concern' AA?

 

[tscharke]

You have me thinking now (could be a worry) I am already AA Plat but could get all 6 teenagers to do the challenge and perhaps throw in a day trip from LAX-SFO on our trip to get everybody over the 10K threshold. Thinking the plat bonus could make this worthwhile. Especially with 'family transfers' of points in the future.

Was going to sign up 2 of them as QP members before we leave to get all of us into the AA clubs during our trip. But the ongoing value of AA Plat to give all of us individual lounge access would be very handy. The 'kids' probably won't requalify next year, but even when they drop down to Gold we'll get a handsome bonus on their travel (however infrequent).

Thinking, thinking, thinking ...ummm can I convince teenagers to get out of bed early to flyto SFO for a few hours? One I can bribe with Ghiradelli chocolate atleast! Has anybody ever had 7 family members all on a Platinum Challenge at once? Is this likely to 'concern' AA?

lol.... a candy family!

 

[Dave Noble]

Thinking, thinking, thinking ...ummm can I convince teenagers to get out of bed early to flyto SFO for a few hours? One I can bribe with Ghiradelli chocolate atleast! Has anybody ever had 7 family members all on a Platinum Challenge at once? Is this likely to 'concern' AA?

Im sure that you can convince them to do it for 1 day

Perhaps you could do SFO on arrival at LAX from Oz and spend 1 night in SFO before returning to LAX and avoid the whole "getting up early" issue

At AUD114 plus tax for the roundtrip ( based on purchasing 2 single Q14VAA3N fares ), seems like a good value candy steal

Rather than a candy steal, this sounds more like Grand Theft Candy . I cannot see why you would have any issue signing all up; perhaps do it over a cpl of phone calls to the US Aadvantage desk if you dont want comments about it )

Dave

 

[flyingzzzds]

Perhaps you could do SFO on arrival at LAX from Oz and spend 1 night in SFO before returning to LAX and avoid the whole "getting up early" issue

Hmm think throwing them back on any aircraft after that flight would start a riot! Seriously, think I can sandwich this in after returning from LAS - we'll be at LAX anyway. Won't bother telling the tribe - will be a great "suprise" for them!!!! Thanks for the inspiration and help on this.

When moving these poitns around later, am I only able to receive 15,000 points in total or a maximum of 15,000 from each account ie could three of the children all 'gift' me 15,000pts each? Think it's the former but never actually done this.

 

[Dave Noble]

Hmm think throwing them back on any aircraft after that flight would start a riot! Seriously, think I can sandwich this in after returning from LAS - we'll be at LAX anyway. Won't bother telling the tribe - will be a great "suprise" for them!!!! Thanks for the inspiration and help on this.

When moving these poitns around later, am I only able to receive 15,000 points in total or a maximum of 15,000 from each account ie could three of the children all 'gift' me 15,000pts each? Think it's the former but never actually done this.

And when you try to explain it... "whyyy are we going on another bl**dy plane?" ... "To get some frequent flyer miles" .. . With these extra flights, you will not just get the 1000 miles for the flights, but also a 3583 Platinum bonus for the LAX-BNE flight. 4583 additional miles per account is quite decent and will get every account over the 20k threshold for a r/t economy flight to anywhere in AU/NZ

You can only receive 15,000 miles per account per calendar year.

Dave

 

[flyingzzzds]

Yep that's why I picked SFO - so I can use the excuse that I was SURE the older ones wouldn't want to miss out on the Golden Gate Bridge and a ride in a cable car!!! Miles? What miles???

 

[Dave Noble]

Yep that's why I picked SFO - so I can use the excuse that I was SURE the older ones wouldn't want to miss out on the Golden Gate Bridge and a ride in a cable car!!! Miles? What miles???

And Alcatraz mebe

Dave

 

[Mal]

Yep that's why I picked SFO - so I can use the excuse that I was SURE the older ones wouldn't want to miss out on the Golden Gate Bridge and a ride in a cable car!!! Miles? What miles???

And the home of Mythbusters! Maybe you'd see them out filming somewhere!

 

[flyingzzzds]

And Alcatraz mebe

Hmm now there's an idea - lock them up or let them 'assist' myth busters! Either will sound good by this stage in the trip.

Have just realised a flaw in my plan as the kids aren't doing the BNE-SYD flights next week with us. So we will need to make up for these 2 x 500points legs.

Still think were just too close to let the opportunity pass to get them all AA Plat.

 

[Dave Noble]

Hmm now there's an idea - lock them up or let them 'assist' myth busters! Either will sound good by this stage in the trip.

Have just realised a flaw in my plan as the kids aren't doing the BNE-SYD flights next week with us. So we will need to make up for these 2 x 500points legs.

Still think were just too close to let the opportunity pass to get them all AA Plat.

If the only thing that they are missing is that one flight , then upgrading them to V on the MIA-JFK flight will give the extra 546 needed

Dave

 

[flyingzzzds]

If the only thing that they are missing is that one flight , then upgrading them to V on the MIA-JFK flight will give the extra 546 needed

This is becoming bigger than Ben Hur! If all 6 of the kids are on the one booking from MIA -JFK is the $50USD change fee just charged once (for the whole booking) or per person?

 

[Dave Noble]

This is becoming bigger than Ben Hur! If all 6 of the kids are on the one booking from MIA -JFK is the $50USD change fee just charged once (for the whole booking) or per person?

Pass ..... I think so, but best ask AA

Dave

 

[flyingzzzds]

Pass ..... I think so, but best ask AA

Will do. Thanks for all your help - off to work the flights.

Cheers Z

 

[Dave Noble]

Will do. Thanks for all your help - off to work the flights.

Cheers Z

No worries... Given the closenes of meeting the criteria, I would suggest just double checking the points earning from AA and QF for yourself and just make absolutely certain of the earnings and the tally. I am pretty certain of the numbers but don't want you to find an error later on.

Do enjoy your ill gotten gains

Dave