Well it is time to
say goodbye to Portland, Oregon, as I get ready to board my Alaska Airlines
flight back to Burbank, California.
While at the airport I began thinking about a topic for today’s blog and
thought it might be a good time to talk about airline elite status,
specifically American Airlines and what is known as the “Elite Status
Challenge”. I will explain some of
the advantages and then tell you how you too can have elite status. Don’t stop reading this blog thinking you don’t
fly enough. American Airlines has
a secret, which is not openly promoted and cannot be found on their website… It is called the Elite Status Challenge and you can buy status with limited flying.. This is how I earned my platinum status this
year and you can too. First let me
show you the benefits then I will show you what you can
do to obtain either Gold or Platinum status on American Airlines through the challenge.
Remember the
July 3, 2012 blog when we talked about alliances? If you recall, Alaska Airlines
and American Airlines both belong to the Oneworld alliance. I currently have platinum
status with American but American does not fly out of Burbank, California, but
Alaska Airlines does. So I booked
my round trip flight from Burbank to Portland and enjoyed the benefits of my
American Airlines platinum status.
When I went to get checked in today at Portland I was able to check in
at the first class line versus standing in the line for coach class passengers (I
can use first class if the airport does not have a business class line, which Alaska
Airlines-Portland doesn’t). I checked in two bags each way. A traveling companion, on the same reservation, can also check two bags for free. This would normally cost $20 a bag,
(most airlines are $25 per bag), for a total savings of up to $160 round trip. When I fly American the luggage will be tagged priority so
it will be one of the first off the conveyor belt upon landing at my
destination. After checking in the
luggage, I then had to go through the security /baggage screening. I went to the “Priority Access” line
and bypassed a long line of people waiting to be cleared. I was given priority access in boarding
the plane. When I boarded the
plane I sat in seat 2A. I could
have chosen the first row with more legroom but I had items I wanted stored
under my seat and this is not an option with the first row. The first and second rows are not
available when booking your ticket unless you have some type of status or pay for higher class tickets. Since this blog is about traveling for less you know I didn't pay for higher class tickets. The best deal is, I get
double the miles. This is a huge benefit! For a short trip from Burbank to
Portland it may not mean much (an extra 1634 miles) but as I have always said,
“Every mile counts.” On my cross country trips I practically earned 1/2 of a free ticket earned. See the chart
below for all the benefits you can obtain. So how much does this status cost and how do you get it?
Before you start reading this and think it is too confusing If you think you will be flying American Airlines in the near future and wonder if you qualify just email me at travelforless@earthlink.net.
First you must choose
a challenge: Gold or Platinum?
An AA Challenge is
based on flying sufficiently to earn 5,000 (AAdvantage Gold) or 10,000
(AAdvantage Platinum) Elite Qualifying Points (EQP) in a three month period. Elite Qualifying Points are figured on
the basis of miles earned and fare class. Lower fare classes typically earn .5
points per mile flown, while higher classes can earn 1.5 points per mile flown.
Important notes:
▪
Elite Qualifying Miles
(EQM) are not the same as Elite Qualifying Points (EQP), and it is
Points that count for a Challenge; miles earned are not relevant.
▪
See the tables at aa.com for the number of points that you will earn for
the various fare booking classes. You'll earn points in accordance with the
booking class that you purchased. This holds true even if you are upgraded into
another booking class.
▪
Only flights marketed by
AA (with an AA flight number) are eligible for earning points that count
towards the completion of a Challenge. You can still fly on a non-AA metal
flight operated by a partner, but you must make sure that you have booked it
with an AA codeshare flight number. For example, I can book the Burbank to Portland flight on AA.com, which has an AA flight number.
▪
You can only set your
enrollment date for the 1st or 16th of the month
▪
The challenge can start
in the past to include previously flown miles, but you can only backdate your
enrollment date to the most recent allowed enrollment date. For example, if you
last flew on the 14th of the month, and call AA on the 18th, the earliest you
can backdate the challenge is the 16th of the month, and therefore won't be
able to include those miles in your challenge. However, if you flew on the 14th
and you called AA by the 15th, you could backdate your enrollment date to the
1st of the month and be able to include those miles.
To enroll in a challenge, call
AAdvantage customer service at +1 800-882-8880.
Challenges begun
before June 16 of a given year earn status for the remainder of that year and
the first two months of the following year (8-14 months total); challenges
begun on or after June 16 grant status for the remainder of that year, the
following year, and the first two months of the year after (14-20 months
total). Challenges can be started on the 1st and 16th of the month and you can
request a specific start date (within the next few months). Be very explicit
about requesting a start date unless you want the one offered to you. Challenge
start dates may even be backdated to include a recent flight. (But only 2 weeks
in the past)
The fee for enrolling in a Challenge is:
▪
As of June 22, 2012, fees
are $240 for Platinum Challenge.
▪
As of January 29, 2012,
fees are $120 for Gold Challenge.
Completing
a Challenge
An AA Challenge is
successfully completed when you earn the requisite number of points within the three-month
period after you sign up. In general, status is not conferred during the
Challenge itself. On the flight on
which you actually cross the threshold, status is earned for the purposes of
elite bonus miles (25% GLD, 100% PLT). Remember, only base miles flown and
elite minimum miles count in EQP calculations; class-of-service and elite bonus
miles do not count.
When you complete
the Challenge you have signed up for and your flight miles post to your online
account, you will be able to use the benefits of your status (ability to
request upgrades, priority standby) as soon as the miles post. Your ability to
use certain amenities, such as elite security lines, could be diminished until
you have a physical card, though you may have success by pointing out your
status when printed on boarding passes.
Your new status is
not automatically applied to reservations made prior to the completion of a challenge.
To apply your new status to reservations made before the completion of your
challenge call the Platinum Desk 1-800-843-3000 or Gold Desk 1-800-843-4653
with the Passenger Name Record (PNR) of your scheduled travel.
Before enrolling
in the challenge, make sure to plot out your upcoming travel. If you do not
meet the terms of the challenge, there are no refunds!
While
a lot of this may seem very confusing sometimes it helps to have a mentor to
guide you through the process. I
found that person when I last attended a Frequent Traveler Conference in
Chicago last year. Click on the
link to learn about the 2012 conference.
AAdvantage Elite Benefits Chart
As an AAdvantage elite status member, you will
enjoy a world of perks and benefits designed to make your travel experience
more enjoyable.
|
Benefit
|
AAdvantage
Platinum®
|
AAdvantage
Gold®
|
|
To qualify for elite status, meet one or more
of the following requirements within a calendar year (If
not doing the challenge)
|
50,000 miles
50,000 points
60 segments
|
25,000 miles
25,000 points
30 segments
|
|
Complimentary Upgrades on full-fare tickets
(booked in Fare Classes Y or B)
|
X
|
X
|
|
Upgrade Window
|
72 hours
|
24 hours
|
|
Companion Upgrades
|
X
|
X
|
|
Earned Upgrades
|
X
|
X
|
|
100% Elite Mileage Bonus
|
X
|
|
|
25% Elite Mileage Bonus
|
|
X
|
|
Minimum Mileage Guarantee
|
X
|
X
|
|
Special Service Desk
|
X
|
X
|
|
Preferred seating on Alaska Airlines
|
X
|
|
|
Complimentary access to exclusive Preferred
Plus Seats and Preferred Seats
|
X
|
X
|
|
PriorityAAccessSM
Check-in
|
X
|
X
|
|
PriorityAAccessSM
Security Screening
|
X
|
X
|
|
PriorityAAccessSM
Boarding Privileges
|
X
|
X
|
|
Priority check-in and boarding on Alaska
Airlines**
|
X
|
X
|
|
Same Day Standby
|
X
|
X
|
|
Priority Baggage Delivery
|
X
|
|
|
Waived Checked Baggage Charge on American
Airlines, American Eagle, the AmericanConnection carrier and Alaska Airlines
|
X
|
X
|
|
oneworld®
Alliance Travel Benefits
|
X
|
X
|
|
oneworld®
Partner Lounge Access
|
X
|
|
|
Discounted Admirals Club®
Membership
|
X
|
X
|
|
Waived AAdvantage Award Processing Charge
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
|
X
|
X
|
|
Exclusive AAdvantage Participant Offers
|
X
|
X
|
|
No cap on AAdvantage®
miles earned on purchases for domestic Citi®/AAdvantage®
credit cardmembers+
|
X
|
X
|
*Valid for travel within/between the 50 U.S.,
Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, The Bahamas, Bermuda, and between the U.S. and
Central America.
**Includes access to expedited security lanes when traveling
on Alaska Airlines for AAdvantage Executive Platinum and AAdvantage Platinum
members.
+ AAdvantage® miles are only earned on
eligible purchases. Eligible purchases exclude balance transfers, cash
advances, convenience checks, items returned for credit and interest charges.
I could not end this blog without saying congratulations to my friend,
Tim, for following through on the updated American Express “free money” blog.
Way to go. Seeing one's name in print has that effect.
