Up to 30% bonus when buying miles

[Nizar]

Hmmmm ok thanks guys. Am I okay to sign up using an Aus address ?
Also - Is the 60k max per year miles purchase limit per calendar year or must purchases be a year apart i.e., can I buy 60k now and another 60k in say Jan next year ?
And would buying miles count as account activity ? (I notice miles expire after 18 months if no earn/redemption activity)
And lastly... is there a rule that if I sign up today I don't qualify for any promotions and my account must be open for X days first before buying miles, etc ?

Sorry for the basic slightly OT questions, I'm only just catching onto this now

 

[serfty]

Think I will stick to UDSM, better offers which means the points cost will be lower when they come across.

Unless you have a specific need this is quite a resobable proposition.

For me I had specifics - Easter next year on unchangable dates.

An 11 hour red eye from Japan to USA is better spent in a bed than economy. The 50k+15k purchase was USD1510 which when coupled with the 24K AAdvantage miles I had slowly gleaned over the last few years gave me enough for a 'gold class' day trip in economy from LAX to NRT (Midday departure following the sun in an Exit seat due to Emerald status) and a First Class return. (FWIW S class econony return was USD1140)

 

[serfty]

Hmmmm ok thanks guys. Am I okay to sign up using an Aus address ?
Also - Is the 60k max per year miles purchase limit per calendar year or must purchases be a year apart i.e., can I buy 60k now and another 60k in say Jan next year ?
And would buying miles count as account activity ? (I notice miles expire after 18 months if no earn/redemption activity)
And lastly... is there a rule that if I sign up today I don't qualify for any promotions and my account must be open for X days first before buying miles, etc ?

Sorry for the basic slightly OT questions, I'm only just catching onto this now

Calendar year ...

Buying miles is considered activity - but so is, for example, a Hilton stays with Miles credited itoAAdvantage.

You can Enroll, book & hold on the one day. Then buy miles and finalise booking after they post.

 

[amaroo]

Hmmmm ok thanks guys. Am I okay to sign up using an Aus address ?
Also - Is the 60k max per year miles purchase limit per calendar year or must purchases be a year apart i.e., can I buy 60k now and another 60k in say Jan next year ?
And would buying miles count as account activity ? (I notice miles expire after 18 months if no earn/redemption activity)
And lastly... is there a rule that if I sign up today I don't qualify for any promotions and my account must be open for X days first before buying miles, etc ?

Sorry for the basic slightly OT questions, I'm only just catching onto this now

OK, finally getting serious with this AA caper - have signed up & ready to buy. Pretty keen to read the answers to the above & any pointers I may need to know.

Have a few flights with AA I'm about to book - so the timing is all good. Now that I'm about to reach LTG with QF......I feel free as AAbird!

 

[Nizar]

Calendar year ...

Buying miles is considered activity - but so is, for example, a Hilton stays with Miles credited itoAAdvantage.

You can Enroll, book & hold on the one day. Then buy miles and finalise booking after they post.

Thanks for that. Might sign up an account for the wife (to be) as well...

 

[Chesty]

Also bought some in April so need to wait till next year. Picked up 2 x First Class from SYD to DXB with QF for 62k miles each for flights in September. For around $1500 each, unreal value.

 

[Nizar]

Also bought some in April so need to wait till next year. Picked up 2 x First Class from SYD to DXB with QF for 62k miles each for flights in September. For around $1500 each, unreal value.

Indeed. Was their a promotion in April or did you just buy the miles at their usual price ?
I'm trying to work out what time of the year the promotions usually are..

 

[anat0l]

Indeed. Was their a promotion in April or did you just buy the miles at their usual price ?
I'm trying to work out what time of the year the promotions usually are..

The points sellers usually have promos around Christmas time - fairly generous ones. For example, AA ran a 50% promo during last Christmas (as well as raising the buy limit to 60k, so you bought 60k and received 90k).

Of course, these aren't guaranteed things (the amount of bonus that is), especially with AA and US going to merger in a couple of months, but the sale during Christmas has been almost surefire bet for the last few years.

 

[Nizar]

The points sellers usually have promos around Christmas time - fairly generous ones. For example, AA ran a 50% promo during last Christmas (as well as raising the buy limit to 60k, so you bought 60k and received 90k).

I thought 60k was the normal annual limit for purchases ?

 

[anat0l]

I thought 60k was the normal annual limit for purchases ?

Sorry, must be a legacy thing (some time ago, the annual limit was 40k, but during these promos, AA "temporarily lifted" the limit to 60k).

 

[Nizar]

Of course, these aren't guaranteed things (the amount of bonus that is), especially with AA and US going to merger in a couple of months, but the sale during Christmas has been almost surefire bet for the last few years.

Are the airlines going to be continue to be run separately after the merger ?
Will points be interchangeable between programs does anyone know ?

 

[anat0l]

Are the airlines going to be continue to be run separately after the merger ?
Will points be interchangeable between programs does anyone know ?

Although nothing can be confirmed until after the merger, the most popular word around is that (a) they will be either be separate airlines (with US an affiliate) or one airline together (a la CO and UA), and (b) AAdvantage shall remain as the sole programme, with US Dividend Miles to be transferrable to AAdvantage at a rate of 1:1.

 

[Nizar]

Although nothing can be confirmed until after the merger, the most popular word around is that (a) they will be either be separate airlines (with US an affiliate) or one airline together (a la CO and UA), and (b) AAdvantage shall remain as the sole programme, with US Dividend Miles to be transferrable to AAdvantage at a rate of 1:1.

In that case I might set up a USDM account and start accumulating :mrgreen:

 

[markis10]

Although nothing can be confirmed until after the merger, the most popular word around is that (a) they will be either be separate airlines (with US an affiliate) or one airline together (a la CO and UA), and (b) AAdvantage shall remain as the sole programme, with US Dividend Miles to be transferrable to AAdvantage at a rate of 1:1.

Not true at all, it's already be confirmed that USDM will convert at 1:1 into AA.

 

[medhead]

Is there a penalty if you try to buy points above the limit, or does it just not let you purchase?

 

[anat0l]

Not true at all, it's already be confirmed that USDM will convert at 1:1 into AA.

Well, half true, I got the conversion rate right (and the remaining programme right)! Come on - put that bayonet away.

In any case, you never know - they could renege on the conversion rate. Of course it's unlikely to happen - that would be asking for a PR disaster.

 

[Newk]

Is there a penalty if you try to buy points above the limit, or does it just not let you purchase?

yeah, I just tried to buy an amount that took me over my yearly limit and I couldn't advance past the first page

 

[ozbeachbabe]

You can Enroll, book & hold on the one day. Then buy miles and finalise booking after they post.

Is the hold time for AAdvantage Award tickets 24 hours just like when putting KUPPs on hold.

I got 47 hours hold time when I booked a KUPP ex AUA as I booked it at 0100 9th July Atlantic Standard Time (AUA time zone) and it said "you have until 2359 on 10 July to pay for the booking".

 

[Nizar]

Not true at all, it's already be confirmed that USDM will convert at 1:1 into AA.

What do you think will happen to miles post merger in terms of redemptions ?
All USDM will convert to AA miles which can be used for redemption on either OW/AA partners as well as *A/US partners ?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Is the hold time for AAdvantage Award tickets 24 hours just like when putting KUPPs on hold.

I got 47 hours hold time when I booked a KUPP ex AUA as I booked it at 0100 9th July Atlantic Standard Time (AUA time zone) and it said "you have until 2359 on 10 July to pay for the booking".

5 days for a hold on AAwards OBB