Q's on AAdvantage status requalification

[Cyclogenesis]

Just a few quick Q's on AA status re-qual. I'm about to hit Plat thanks to the plat challenge. From the AA site:

Entry level: To achieve or re-qualify for AAdvantage Platinum status, you need to either fly 60 qualifying segments, or 50,000 qualifying miles, or earn 50,000 qualifying points during the calendar year.

So do the points reset at the end of the year? Rather than anniversary date like QF? And it sounds like re-qualifying is no easier than the initial qualification?

Looks like keeping Plat for me will involve keeping a keen eye out for double EQ pts promos!

 

[Dave Noble]

Just a few quick Q's on AA status re-qual. I'm about to hit Plat thanks to the plat challenge. From the AA site:


So do the points reset at the end of the year? Rather than anniversary date like QF? And it sounds like re-qualifying is no easier than the initial qualification?

Looks like keeping Plat for me will involve keeping a keen eye out for double EQ pts promos!

For AAdvantage the qualifying year is 1 Jan to 31 Dec for all members

By completing the Platinum Challenge you will be platinum for rest of this membership year and for all of next year

Next year, you will need to attain 50,000 qualifying miles or 50,000 qualifying points or fly 60 sectors. For travel on AA you will earn 1 qualifying mile per mile flown with a min earning of 500

You spending miles will be flown miles ( with min 500 ) * 2 ( for platinum boinus )

Although the qualifying year is 1/1 to 31/12 , if you fail to meet the criteria to retain status then you will drop back down 1 level on 1st March ( you don't lose it on 1 Jan )

Dave

 

[Cyclogenesis]

so why differentiate between Qual miles and points... what is different and when would one be greater than the other?

Ignoring the 50 sectors rule, that will not happen, would the minimum travel be 50,000 miles for plat retain in 2010?

or can points be more than 1 per mile? Is that where a class bonus comes into it?

 

[Dave Noble]

so why differentiate between Qual miles and points... what is different and when would one be greater than the other?

Ignoring the 50 sectors rule, that will not happen, would the minimum travel be 50,000 miles for plat retain in 2010?

or can points be more than 1 per mile? Is that where a class bonus comes into it?

You get 1 qualifying mile per mile flown

For qualifying points, the point earning is dependant on fare basis

Some cheap bases are 0.5 point per mile flown
others are 1 per mile flown
Y and B class plus business and 1st class fares earn 1.5 points per mile flown

The minimum flying amount can be as low as 33,334 miles if it is all in full fare economy or business/1st class

Dave

 

[Cyclogenesis]

Sweet, Thanks Dave...

Very interesting...

 

[drron]

So a DONE4 with a little creativity will get you AA plat,but of course QF WP should be earned on a DONE4 with 33334 miles.
So my current plan is retaining AA plat with a DONE4,mrsdrron getting QF WP on the same trip so getting F lounge access.She should get to LTG on QF just a little after I get to LTP on AA thanks to my trusty DC.

 

[NM]

By way of example, my AA account shows year to date elite qualifying miles of about 47K and year to date elite qualifying points of 70K. The last few years I have qualified based on points rather than miles or sectors.

 

[Cyclogenesis]

Thanks.. Just hit Plat then thanks to the challenge! Very nice.

What are "Miles Towards Elite Upgrades"

 

[serfty]

They are "Stickers" - for upgrades on USA domestic flights.

One sticker is used for each 500 mile or part thereof for each segment you are upgraded.

I believe you earn 4 for every 10,000 EQM's; they can also be purchased.

Exec platinum do not earn any as such upgrades are 'complimentary'.

 

[Dave Noble]

They stopped being stickers many years ago ; the electronic upgrade credits are indeed earned at a rate of 4 for every 10,000 qualifying miles ; be aware that the counter gets reset on the 1st march .

You can also buy additional electronic upgrade credits for USD30 each

Redemption wise these can be used to upgrade flights 1 class from economy to business/1st ( depending on whether the next class up is business or 1st ). If you have any AA bookings, if you access the booking on the AA site, you will find a section at the bottom of the booking where you can request upgrades for eligable segments and it will tell you how many you need for that flight ( basically requires 1 per 500 miles , though there is a 51 mile buffer ... 1050 miles ( for example would only need 2 credits)

These can be used on flights within North America

As a Platinum member, upgrades can clear anywhere from 72 hours to 3 hours before departure automatically; if not upgraded by this point, at the airport, go to the gate and ensure that you are on the airport list. At some airports, they have a screen that displays where you are in the list

Now you are platinum status, I would phone AA and QF and get your frequent flyer number removed and readded to the booking so that it will correctly reflect your status which will help to ensure that (a) you have no lounge access issues and (b) that your AA boaring passes will say "Priority AAccess" to allow you through the 1st/busines/priority security lines and also allow you priority boarding

Dave

 

[Cyclogenesis]

Thanks for all your advice, especially Dave for putting me onto the challenge. The current trip is over (TR on the way) but I am going back for a month in December so this will be handy..

Looked at the express lane with some desire at OHare, that will be a nice feature...

The 100% bonus on earning will be very nice!

 

[Dave Noble]

Thanks for all your advice, especially Dave for putting me onto the challenge. The current trip is over (TR on the way) but I am going back for a month in December so this will be handy..

Looked at the express lane with some desire at OHare, that will be a nice feature...

The 100% bonus on earning will be very nice!

Glad you found the Platinum Challenge worthwhile

When you go back , perhaps you will be able to use some upgrade credits on flight to Chicago

If you are going to do this with some regularity, you might like to get on and get yourself an APEC card so that on arrivals into USA , you can avoid the potentially long queues for immigration

Dave

 

[NM]

While Executive Platinum members do not earn Electronic Upgrade Credits, the tally that were available at the time of attaining EXP status remain available in the account. These can be used to upgrade a travelling partner or retained until EXPness is not requalified in subsequent years and the member drops back to non-executive status.

 

[Dave Noble]

While Executive Platinum members do not earn Electronic Upgrade Credits, the tally that were available at the time of attaining EXP status remain available in the account. These can be used to upgrade a travelling partner or retained until EXPness is not requalified in subsequent years and the member drops back to non-executive status.

Even if you drop back to a non status member, the upgrades remain in the account although cannot earn any more ( but like an EP member, can purchase additional upgrade credits), just that a non status member can only use them when travelling on Y or B fares

Dave

 

[Cyclogenesis]

Very interesting reading more about the program...

So it seems that you can actually score free upgrades from a fully priced Y ticket as Platinum and from any Y ticket (eg O->Y) as EXP Plat... I assume these upgrades are only processed after all upgrade credit claims are...

Begs the question does anyone actually bother buying a first class domestic ticket in the US? There seem to be a plethora of cheaper ways to upgrade!

 

[Cyclogenesis]

Actual wording:

All elite status AAdvantage members enjoy complimentary upgrades to the next class of service for themselves and one companion when both are traveling on an eligible full-fare* Economy Class ticket on American Airlines within and between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, The Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean and between the U.S. and Central America.
AAdvantage Executive Platinum® members receive complimentary upgrades on any purchased, published fare on the routes defined above. You may also request a complimentary upgrade for one companion, if the companion is traveling on a full-fare* Economy Class ticket. Companions traveling on any other eligible fare may be upgraded using 500-mile upgrades.

So reading that, as a AA-EXP PLAT if there is an empty first class seat you can pretty much score it no matter what fare you are on at no loss... Sounds a bit wacky!

 

[Dave Noble]

Very interesting reading more about the program...

So it seems that you can actually score free upgrades from a fully priced Y ticket as Platinum and from any Y ticket (eg O->Y) as EXP Plat... I assume these upgrades are only processed after all upgrade credit claims are...

Actually no, As a Y/B ticket holder you will be ahead of any discount ticket upgrade requests. AA treats full fare passengers as high importance

Begs the question does anyone actually bother buying a first class domestic ticket in the US? There seem to be a plethora of cheaper ways to upgrade!

On many routes you may well find that the "Instant upgrade" fares ( discounted 1st class ) are cheaper than a full Y ticket. On some routes B can be reasonably priced. As a Platinum member, depending on the routes you fly and the time of day, you can have a reasonable chance of a comfortable trip

Different schemes, different benefits

Dave

 

[notzac]

Begs the question does anyone actually bother buying a first class domestic ticket in the US? There seem to be a plethora of cheaper ways to upgrade!

Domestic first on AA is a nice, quick, relatively cheap method of hitting top-tier status with Qantas -- so yes, there are definitely reasons to buy them.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Would this work.

HNL-LAX-DFW-MIA-JFK = 6001 miles one way and then do it return?

Only $881 each way. $1762 all in and you end up with AA Platinum?


I think that l'm missing something here. It can't be that easy to get the eqiv of QF Gold. Probably wrong fare class.

 

[Dave Noble]

You are probably not missing anything. It can be done cheaper and more easily than that. e.g. SYD-HNL is 5066 miles and a r/t can be done for AUD1565 ( including taxes ) in a 1point per mile booking class . ( $1565 by doing L outbound and V return ). If you can find L in both directions, would be cheaper too

You need to make sure that whatever you book is in a booking class that earns 1point per mile which can be checked by looking at detailed fare rules

Dave