American Airlines Will Sell You Elite Status – What Was Your Offer?

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American Airlines has been sending out emails to AAdvantage members reminding them that they will, once again, allow customers to pay to retain their existing status (if it looks like that won’t happen naturally) or to buy up to the next elite status level if they’re within a reasonable distance of qualifying anyway.

How much flyers are asked to pay depends on how close they are to retaining/reaching the status level American is allowing them to buy but, as American no longer publishes details of the criteria or cost structure for this promotion, we have to rely on information published in blog comments and on internet bulletin boards to work out what the criteria and costs are.

If you haven’t received an email there’s a good chance you don’t fall into the correct criteria to receive and offer but you can still check on this American Airlines webpage.

Who Has To Pay What?

I control three AAdvantage accounts that all received different offers and those, combined with comments posted on Flyertalk and elsewhere give an indication of the criteria and costs American is using.

Here are the qualification requirements as they stand:

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AAdvantage Gold Status

This was the offer one of the accounts I control received and this is for a flyer with no status and 11,500 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM)

gold

Here are a few data points showing what AAdvantage members have been asked to pay to reach or retain Gold status:

  • Flyer with 6,000 EQM – $799
  • Flyer with 9,000 EQM – $799
  • Flyer with 10,000 EQM – $649
  • Flyer with 11,500 EQM – $649 (above)
  • Flyer with 13,000 EQM – $649
  • Flyer with 13,500 EQM – $749 *outlier*
  • Flyer with 15,900 EQM – $499
  • Flyer with 19,500 EQM – $499
  • Flyer with 22,000 EQM – $499

AAdvantage Platinum Status

This is the offer one of the accounts I control was given with 35,000 EQM banked so far:

platinum

Here are a few data points showing what AAdvantage members have been asked to pay to reach or retain Platinum status:

  • Flyer with 25,000 EQM – $1,479
  • Flyer with 26,000 EQM – $1,479
  • Flyer with 31,000 EQM – $1,479
  • Flyer with 35,000 EQM – $1,299 (above)
  • Flyer with 36,000 EQM – $1,199
  • Flyer with 41,000 EQM – $899
  • Flyer with 46,000 EQM – $799
  • Flyer with 47,000 EQM – $750

AAdvantage Executive Platinum Status

Despite the fact that I have more than enough flights already booked to maintain my EXP status for next year American felt the need to make me an offer (I have 90,000 EQM already banked):

exp

Here are a few data points showing what AAdvantage members have been asked to pay to reach or retain Executive Platinum status:

  • Flyer with 87,000 EQM – $2,499
  • Flyer with 89,000 EQM – $2,499
  • Flyer with 90,000 EQM – $1,799 (above)
  • Flyer with 92,000 EQM – $2,099 *outlier*
  • Flyer with 96,000 EQM – $1,299
  • Flyer with 96,000 EQM – $1,499 *outlier*
  • Flyer with 99,000 EQM – $1,799 *outlier*
  • Flyer with 99,000 EQM – $1,299

Thoughts

This is a very simplistic way to look at the figures as there are clearly other things at play as well the number of EQM collected to date (that why some figures appear to be outliers). An AAdvantage member’s current status will almost certainly have an effect on the offer and what we don’t know is how many segments these flyers have flown – that could have an effect too.

Overall, however, the further you are from whatever status you’re being offered the more it’s going to cost you.

Should You Be Buying Status?

Clearly this will vary from flyer to flyer but there are some generalisations that can be made:

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A credit card that costs less that $100 will get you most of the same benefits as Gold Status and with the upgrade rules changing next year Gold Status will never have been worth less.

With $499 apparently being the minimum American Airlines is asking for Gold Status it would have to be a flyer with a very specific and rare set of circumstances that gets value out of paying that amount.

plat-aadv-card

Platinum Status will go from being the second highest tier of the AAdvantage program to the second bottom tier next year and will see its benefits slashed to match that fall.

The advent of revenue based mileage accrual sees Platinum earn only marginally more than Gold and, even when flying with partner airlines, the days of Platinum status holders getting a 100% mileage bonus are gone (now down to 60%).

It would appear that the best offer American Airlines is prepared to make for Platinum status is around $750 and, at best, I think that’s a marginal call. I cannot see the value in paying any more than that.

exec-plat-aadv-card

The most likely status to be worth paying for is Executive Platinum status because there’s tangible value to be had from the 4 Systemwide Upgrades (for the time being I value them at around $600 each)…but that doesn’t mean everyone should be jumping to pay for EXP.

Executive Platinum status has been seriously devalued over the past year and the change in upgrade rules means that, unless you’re a high spender, your chances of free domestic upgrades will be a lot worse in 2017.

It looks like American is offering EXP for anything between $1,299 through to $2,499 and, while at $1,299 I can see the temptation to pay, AAdvantage members should really be looking to see if they have time to fit in any flights before the end of the year to hit status naturally. For most that will be by far and away the cheapest option.

Bottom Line

First and foremost, before you had over any cash to American, have a think about the possibility of fitting in a few flights to reach the status you’re after and work out the cost to do those – flying will be the cheapest route to status for most.

Secondly (and lastly), before you hand over any money please make sure you think through what advantaged and benefits you’re going to have next year if you pay for whatever status you’re going for.

In my experience most people over value the benefits that come with status and, while that’s not terrible if you’re earning that status naturally, it could lead to a big disappointment if you pay out a large amount of money for it.

Let me know in the comments if you received an offer from American Airlines – it will be interesting to see if we can get a few more data points.