2008 AAdvantage status year repurchase/buyback (consolidated)
Hi guys. Last year I remember making 47,000 miles for the 2006 qualifying year. At the beggining of 2007, American sent me an email saying that if I wanted to continue holding my platinum status I would have to pay aproximately $500.00, so I did. This year I have the same problem. I have flown 46000 miles and was wondering if American does that every year of if they happen to do it only last year. I dont want to loose my status but I have no way of flying the remaining miles. Has anything like this happen to anybody?
Added December 14, 2007 by Moderator - please click on links for original posts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GentleGiant
For anyone wishing to buyback their current level - Gold or Platinum, you can now do so if you are not going to reach the level required.
Interesting, for all those wondering what a year of plat on AA is worth to them, its not more than 649:
AAdvantage Platinum
AAdvantage Tier Level 40,000 Miles or Points or 48 Segments - $549
Less than 40,000 Miles and Points and less than 48 Segments - $649
Last edited by JDiver; Dec 14, 07 at 11:52 am.
Reason: edit original post title back in, add information
Hi guys. Last year I remember making 47,000 miles for the 2006 qualifying year. At the beggining of 2007, American sent me an email saying that if I wanted to continue holding my platinum status I would have to pay aproximately $500.00, so I did. This year I have the same problem. I have flown 46000 miles and was wondering if American does that every year of if they happen to do it only last year. I dont want to loose my status but I have no way of flying the remaining miles. Has anything like this happen to anybody?
Don't know whether AA will or will not. But with just 4,000 miles short would it not be cheaper to do a few MRs between now and end of year.
the problem is that I am in El Salvador c.a. Just to fly to Mia this month is 600.oo, and it is just 2022 miles round trip. Flying to LA, the only remaining direct american airlines city out of El Salvador is 1200 plus tax.
I suppose policy could change at any time, but at least right now, they're not offering it. But then again, that offer doesn't usually become active until January anyway, right?
As another poster has said, AA may, or may not, make this offer again.
However, it's highly doubtful that you would qualify to take part in the offer if AA chose to make it again... I believe one of the requirements is that you cannot have gained your status through the previous year's renewal offer.
Programs: AA PLT 1.31 MM, DL GLD, UA Prem, BW Diamond
Posts: 631
Just wanted to add that every year it was offered, the terms stated that it was for (Butt in Seat miles) Plats and Golds that failed to earn the status in the previous year. It was a one year only thing, meaning that you could not use it to maintain status in perpetuity. Or at the very least for two consecutive years.
If it is offered again under the same terms, you will not be eligible since you used it the previous year.
So unless they change policy for the first time in your favor, the only way you will get to Plat is to fly.
Also if it follows past precedent, it is still to early to see the offer.
Your only hope is to plead for them to comp you Plat. Although given how far you are from it and the fact that you did not earn it the prev year, your chances are slim. Or try a Plat challenge run, if available, in early 2008.
Programs: AA PLT 1.31 MM, DL GLD, UA Prem, BW Diamond
Posts: 631
Quote:
Originally Posted by beita
the problem is that I am in El Salvador c.a. Just to fly to Mia this month is 600.oo, and it is just 2022 miles round trip. Flying to LA, the only remaining direct american airlines city out of El Salvador is 1200 plus tax.
Have you considered partner flights that will earn you Elite miles as well? Watch the fare codes though, they can be tricky.
the problem is that I am in El Salvador c.a. Just to fly to Mia this month is 600.oo, and it is just 2022 miles round trip. Flying to LA, the only remaining direct american airlines city out of El Salvador is 1200 plus tax.
It's not that dismal. SAL-MIA-DFW is 1011+1121 = 2132 miles each way. I see one-way fares as low as $233 (plus fees/taxes, natch) for Dec. 14, AA 926 and 1724, with comparable fares for a variety of return options. You ought to be able to do the whole thing in one trip for about $600 or even less. Definitely worth it, especially since as previously posted you can't use the repurchase offer two years running (or haven't been able to in the past) and you'll also earn 8,000+ miles toward awards (worth $100-150 or thereabouts).
I'm going to be about 8k miles short of requalifying, partly because I flew NRT-SFO-NRT on JAL (to pour salt in the wound, it was full fare Y) a month before JAL joined OneWorld. I credited the miles to my AA account, but emailed customer service a couple of weeks ago to see if they would consider giving me EQMs for that flight.
They declined, but did say:
Quote:
In fairness to our customers who meet the established qualification
criteria, we are conservative in granting exceptions. That said, we also
understand that sometimes circumstances arise that may prevent a member from meeting travel goals. Therefore, we do consider individual
exception requests but only after the end of the qualifying year, when
we are in a better position to evaluate our overall elite membership. We
encourage members to do all possible to qualify on their own by
fulfilling the necessary requirements during the calendar year.
Let me also tell you that in making exceptions we place greater emphasis
on the value of purchased fare tickets than on frequency alone. Thus,
the closer you are to reaching the points requirement of your desired
level, the easier it is to justify an exception.
