Is AA EP status possible this year with this itinerary?

[Mia Steele]

Hi

I'm new to this site, so please forgive my lack of acronyms knowledge!

I'd really love your help on figuring out whether we can get to American Airllnes AAdvantage EP status this calendar year without spending an unnecessary fortune to do so. My husband and I have just made AAdvantage Platinum status (One World Sapphire) and need the following number of points/miles to make EP;

Husband - needs 35,029 pts or 55,570 miles
I need 35,066 pts or 55,644 miles

Is there any way that we can qualify for EP status on this trip to the UK without spending a fortune for the privilege?

1. leave Syd on around 20 Dec 2010 to fly to UK (I have family in Manchester, but could fly to either LHR or MAN) - Business Class
2. fly from LHR or MAN to either Jordan (AMM or AQJ) or Syria (DAM or ALP) before 31 Dec 2010 - Business Class.

As I understand it, the return trip (AMM - SYD) will be in the new calendar year for status calculations and so won't help us to get to EP status this year. Is that correct?

As EPs I think we earn a 100% status mileage bonus in business class if we fly on an eligible flight with one of AA's Partner airlines namely

• American Airlines (including codeshare flights booked as an AA flight number)
• American Eagle®
• AmericanConnection®
• Alaska Airlines
• Cathay Pacific Airways
• Dragonair
• Finnair
• Iberia
• LAN 1
• Mexicana (Effective November 10, 2009)
• Qantas Airways
• Royal Jordanian Airlines

I've so far managed to dig up the following paid options in business class;

1. QANTAS/ROYAL JORDANIAN - SYD/LHR/AMM/SYD for AUD 17,460 pp (ouch!!)

OR

1. FINNAIR - SYD/BKK/HEL/MAN/BKK/SYD for AUD $7155 pp (Business Saver fare) +
2. Royal Jordanian - MAN - AMM - MAN for AUD $2976 pp
Total: $10131 pp (a saving of $7239 oo over the QAN/Royal Jordanian fare but of course, this adds about 12 hours of flying time)

Will either of these routes earn us enough points for EP status (I don't think either will earn us enough miles)? If not, is there any other routing that would get us to EP status without costing heaps more than the Finnair/Royal Jordanian option above?

Thanks heaps in advance

 

[NM]

Note that status bonus miles to not count towards annual status level qualifications. So if travelling in business class, or in fact anything above a B class economy fare) you will be earning 1.5 EQP (Elite Qualifying Points) per mile flown, which is your fastest way to Executive Platinum.

So if you need 35K EQP, that requires flying at least 23.3K miles on a B or above fare. A straight SYD-LHR-SYD journey is just over 21K s would earn around 31.6K EQP. So that leave you tantalisingly close to EXP status.

Note that even travelling in Premium Economy or a B or Y economy fare would earn you exactly the same number of EQP as flying in business class or first class.