Only AA Flights will Qualify for The Platinum Challenge

[serfty]

Came across this post in the AAdvantage forum on FT: Plat Challenge - AA flight only starting next year

From 1 January Next year ...

 

[Dave Noble]

From another reliable source.... don't put too much faith in that thread

Dave

 

[serfty]

I'm hoping that is the case; time will tell.

Planning to have mrs serfty undertake a challenge in the second half of next year.

There another post about it here with a rebuttal here.

 

[Dave Noble]

I think that it is ok to post it... I have read from a reliable source that AA is wanting to restrict the challenge to AA flights and will claim it as such to punters ( as well as plans to change the Million Miler qualification requirements in due course ) , however the AA IT systems seem not to be going to be set up to handle this desired change so that in the near future at least , the challenge will probably operate as currently

Dave

 

[Tiki]

I hope Jdiver is correct. This will be our one and only chance to ever get platinum with a trip to the USA planned in 2008 while we are still platinums so we can enjoy the benefits.

 

[drron]

Well hopefully it will include AA codeshares.The 2 of us are planning the challenge next year and will be using AA ticketing with the AA codeshare on QF75 BNE-LAX.The next few flights are AA so should reach platinum by the time we land in atlanta.
As for the million miles just to make sure I will be transferring my DC points over as soon as they appear just in case this changes.

 

[JohnK]

I have no interest in AA's platinum challenge but if this story is true it does not surprise me. Even if story is not true do people simply believe that it will always be this easy to achieve AA Platinum, OneWorld Sapphire?

Enjoy the benefits while they last before anymore "enhancements"!

 

[Dave Noble]

I hope Jdiver is correct. This will be our one and only chance to ever get platinum with a trip to the USA planned in 2008 while we are still platinums so we can enjoy the benefits.

I am fairly confident that jdiver is incorrect

Dave

 

[simongr]

( as well as plans to change the Million Miler qualification requirements in due course )

Dave

What change is that? I checked briefly flyertalk but couldnt find any threads regarding a change to million mile qualifier (which I assume is referring to qualification for AA LTG and LTP).

S

 

[flyingzzzds]

Have finally convinced SO to 'convert' to AA and enrolled him in the challenge. The email he received is as follows and it specifically mentions points earned on other carriers despite his challenge extending until 31st January 2007:

We invite you to achieve AAdvantage Platinum status by way of a challenge. Simply earn 10,000 points between November 1st and January 31st, and you will receive AAdvantage Platinum membership through
February 29th., 2008.

Here's how you earn points: When you purchase First Class, Business Class or Full Fare Economy Class (American Airlines booking codes Y and B), you earn 1.50 points per mile flown; for Discount Economy you earn 1.00 point per mile; and for Deep Discount Economy you earn .50 points per mile. (Discount Economy includes AA fares booked in H, K, M, L, W, and V. Deep Discount Economy includes all AA fares booked in G, N and S; eligible AA domestic fares booked in O; and AA fares booked in Q, excluding transatlantic fares.) Points are also earned on other elite-qualifying carriers. To learn more, please go to our Web site at www.aa.com/aadvantage. Select 'Program Details/AAdvantage Elite Status/Recognition by Other Airlines.'
It will be our pleasure to welcome you at this elite level. Good luck with your challenge!

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

thanks for the heads up serfty

 

[Dave Noble]

What change is that? I checked briefly flyertalk but couldnt find any threads regarding a change to million mile qualifier (which I assume is referring to qualification for AA LTG and LTP).

S

It isn't on FT

Dave

 

[Dave Noble]

Have finally convinced SO to 'convert' to AA and enrolled him in the challenge. The email he received is as follows and it specifically mentions points earned on other carriers despite his challenge extending until 31st January 2007:

The plans only relate to challenges which commence from next year rather than those started this year, however it does sound like the IT systems are currently as capable of handling this as they are in allowing members to see their eVIP balance online and that this plan will hopefully not be successfully implemented in january

Dave

 

[Tiki]

So how do you fancy my chances for pulling this off next year? I have only GIG-JFK-LHR on AA metal. 8253 miles. If I can use AY-AA codeshare LHR-HEL that's another 1146. Or do you think they won't be able to pull off the technical aspect by next Aug, which is when I would expect it to post?

I was counting on the LAN segs to pull this off. Are there any other AA codeshares I could sneak in? The main focus of this trip is South America.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

So how do you fancy my chances for pulling this off next year? I have only GIG-JFK-LHR on AA metal. 8253 miles. If I can use AY-AA codeshare LHR-HEL that's another 1146. Or do you think they won't be able to pull off the technical aspect by next Aug, which is when I would expect it to post?

I was counting on the LAN segs to pull this off. Are there any other AA codeshares I could sneak in? The main focus of this trip is South America.

Since it hasn't been announced officially yet, and no one has experienced it to share what happened, it is only speculation as to whether codeshares count or not for this new rule.

Nonetheless 8253 flown miles on AA in high economy fare class, or in business or first, gets more than 10,000 Qpoints.

 

[NM]

Nonetheless 8253 flown miles on AA in high economy fare class, or in business or first, gets more than 10,000 Qpoints.

But Tiki is planning to travel on an L fare ticket.

 

[Altair]

Has there been any further word on this?
If the AA challenge is now to be only on AA metal and not codeshare then I will no longer even think about crediting any of my up coming flights to AA. Having the challenge was the only thing that tipped me to start crediting some flights from QF to AA in the knowledge that I would be doing a challenge either next year or the one after. Now the points that I have will be orphaned as for my travel QF is the better option giving me status.

 

[Dave Noble]

There is no official word. Apparantly AA want to be able to do new things with their IT, but remember, this is the same airline that cannot update its IT to be able to display eVIP balances, so I suspect that it will still be fine for a while

Dave

 

[adrian]

I think that it is ok to post it... I have read from a reliable source that AA is wanting to restrict the challenge to AA flights and will claim it as such to punters ( as well as plans to change the Million Miler qualification requirements in due course ) , however the AA IT systems seem not to be going to be set up to handle this desired change so that in the near future at least , the challenge will probably operate as currently

Dave

Hi, I know that this is off topic, but I have heard about the Million Mile thing a few times now, but have not been able to find any link to the rules etc on this forum or on flyertalk or on AA. But that could be because I am not searching correctly. Could anybody give me a link to a thread or a whatever for the rules etc. Thanks

 

[Tiki]

There is no official word. Apparantly AA want to be able to do new things with their IT, but remember, this is the same airline that cannot update its IT to be able to display eVIP balances, so I suspect that it will still be fine for a while

Dave

They may be able to program it to weed out AA flight numbers, but they would be pushing YKW uphill to get it to weed out codeshares. Besides, isn't the whole idea of codeshares is for an airline to get revenue without having to physically fly the routes?

I know I have a gold challenge easy regardless for next year and if worst came to worse, I would make plat for the USA trip in 2008. I can clean up if I use the AA fares to Europe via the USA in 2009 especially if I am plat then. I did some number crunching over the weekend and I will equal out in miles earned whether I do it in 2007 or 2008, though I would prefer to do it in 2007 so I can have the stickers for the USA 2008 trip.