djev

The offer is back for 2006 and it's cheaper than last year...


http://www.aa.com/content/urls/elite...RL&title=elite

tom911

There's some discussion on this topic in this thread from a few days ago.

nako

deleted - tom911 beat me to it

Mike

vail

Also available at http://www.aa.com/elite

oklAAhoma

Isn't that the same link that the OP provided?

skywalkerLAX

Well, if anyone sees it as a worthy thing to pay for a Status than it's a great offer. It could be an Alternative to run the Gold/Platinum challenge and combine this with a nice, short vacation instead of burning money in this way. Depends in which situation this fits.

:-:

oklAAhoma

This offer is only for those who will fail to requalify for either GLD or PLT, who didn't purchase that status last year. All current AAdvantage Platinum and AAdvantage Gold members are eligible to participate in this offer provided they have flown at least one elite qualifying segment during 2005. Members who participated in the 2005 offer are not eligible to extend their status through this offer for the 2006 membership year.

Flyer23

You can't do a GLD/PLT challenge to retain your status, e.g. you can't do a GLD challenge if you're currently GLD or a PLT challenge if you're currently PLT. So you'd have to wait to drop down a level in March and then start your challenge.

If I were dropping from GLD to no status, I would seriously consider the buyback, because completing a challenge with no status is no fun. If I were dropping from PLT, it might be different, since AA's "soft landing" policy ensures I'll drop down no further than GLD.

sapguy

OK, I'm sooo glad to be able to find this thread

I have been busy over at the MR board trying to see how I can get enough to requalify for the Platinum status for 2006.

Here is my situation:
1) I will either be 7030 miles or 2100 miles short of the 50000 EQM needed to requalify (it all depends on if the trip to the West Coast will materialize during the last week of December).
2) I am absolutely buying my status back with the $499.
3) I am also plotting a strategy to get ythe missing 7030 EQM by doing a mileage run.

However, I am VERY interested in understanding how I can do a challenge when my Platinum status expires in March 2006, and I will be a Gold.

Could someone explain the "soft landing" as well as what sort of challenges AA might be offering me to regain my Platinum status.

I would be grateful for all of your input.

oklAAhoma

If you buy back your status, a challenge will be unnecessary. However, if you choose to go with the *soft-landing* method, you will drop to GLD on Mar 1. At that time, you will be allowed to sign up for the PLT challenge and you will regain your status as soon as you fly 10K q-points.

The soft landing is the term used for AA's unwritten policy to drop elite pax by only one level the year after they fail to requalify. EXP to PLT to GLD to AAdvantage.

vasantn

I'm very confused.

If you are:

then you don't need to:

or the other way around.

In either case you would be PLT through February 2007, so you wouldn't need to:

For information on the challenges, read the sticky at the top of the page.

A "soft landing" is where you only drop by one level a year, regardless of flight activity.

sapguy

Thank you for your quick reply. I am inquiring because I do NOT want to buy my status back - I will only do so as a LAST RESORT.

So, I am interested in the Platinum challenge from Gold. If I understand you correctly, once I drop to Gold on or about 3/1/2006, I will need to only fly 10000 EQM to regain my Platinum status? Is that it?

Do I need to register for the PLT challene with anyone at AA or AAdvantage?

As a PLT demoted to Gold, am I eligible for this challenge?

I got a lot of trips coming up in Jan and Feb 2006 - would those EQM count toward the PLT challenge, or the 10K EQM must start once I got demoted to Gold?

Thanks again.

sapguy

I do not see any sticky - you mean the top of the AAdvantage page?

tom911

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=342145

oklAAhoma

It is the EQP (elite qualifying points) that count toward the challenge, not the EQM (elite qualifying miles).

Yes, you need to call customer service. I am not sure, but I believe you have to wait until Mar 1 to call to sign up. (I know you cannot begin the challenge until then, it is the call time I am unclear about.)

That is my understanding from what others have posted in this forum. I do not personally know anyone who has done this.

Those trips will count for requalifying if you intend to qualify with 50K EQM or EQP or 60 segments from Jan 1 - Dec 31.

Those trips will not count toward a PLT challenge because you cannot challenge to maintain status. You must first drop to GLD on Mar 1. Then sign up for the PLT challenge. Challenges may begin on the 1st or 16th of any month.

Good luck with this. I recommend you read the sticky at the top of the forum. It is incredibly long but by the time you finish you will have most of your questions answered. (And you will see that many of your questions have been answered previously.)