May 27, 2014, 9:32 am
Last edit by: JDiver
ARCHIVE: Four (4) Minimum AA segments required to earn / keep status
SUMMARY: American Airlines had stated a rule for many years that AAdvantage members must fly a minimum of four (paid) AA marketed flights (including those operated by other carriers) or segments during the calendar year to earn status benefits, but this rule was not enforced until c/y 2014. As bhomburg shared and Djokison reports, May 2014 account summaries included the following:
The required minimum AA segments rule will not apply starting Jan 1, 2017.
The following information is now archival, as AA no longer imposes this requirement on AAdvantage members now that it has introduced the concept and requirement of earning Elite Qualifying Dollar minima.
Elite-Status Qualification Requirements
It has been reported here that status is not posting when members have earned the required miles or points but have not flown (paid) AA marketed flights; AA CSRs are telling them status is not reflected because of the absence of (paid) AA segments. (N.B. Award segments will not qualify.)
*Must fly at least four (paid) segments on American during the qualifying year to receive elite status.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/eliteStatus/main.jsp.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/eliteStatus/main.jsp.
Note: You must fly at least four segments on American Airlines or American Eagle to qualify for Executive Platinum, Platinum or Gold status within the qualifying year. Qualifying miles do not include class-of-service bonus miles, other participant miles or any other AAdvantage bonus mileage. Miles purchased through buyAAmiles and giftAAmiles do not qualify for elite status.
"American Airlines marketed codeshare flights would count towards the four segments on American Airlines, American Eagle, the American Connection carrier... required to qualify for Executive Platinum, Platinum or Gold status within the qualifying year".
Award flights do not count toward the four segment requirement.
Lifetime or challenge-gained status are exceptions not requiring four AA marketed segments.
Previous and obsolete posts have been archived to: OBSOLETE / ARCHIVE: Questions about the '4 AA segments' needed to earn status
Revised 30 May 2016 by JDiver
ARCHIVE / OBSOLETE: Four (4) Minimum AA segments required to earn / keep status
Feb 2, 2014, 11:28 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 342
ARCHIVE / OBSOLETE: Four (4) Minimum AA segments required to earn / keep status
Perhaps 2014 will see this rule being enforced, in addition to the removal of the soft landing:
I have had 25300 EQM post to my AA account this year, all on BA and IB. Despite the last lot of miles posting 10 days ago, still no upgrade to GLD, even though the status qualification chart says 'miles (0 until Gold)'
No intention of flying AA this year as I am British based and will already hit 100k EQMs based on forward bookings.
Should I be looking into planning a 4 AA segment run to the USA?
I have had 25300 EQM post to my AA account this year, all on BA and IB. Despite the last lot of miles posting 10 days ago, still no upgrade to GLD, even though the status qualification chart says 'miles (0 until Gold)'
No intention of flying AA this year as I am British based and will already hit 100k EQMs based on forward bookings.
Should I be looking into planning a 4 AA segment run to the USA?
Feb 2, 2014, 11:32 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
Programs: AF Platinum/AY LUMO/SK EBG/baEC S/HYATT Globalist/MR LTP/A3 *G/HH Dia/IHG plat
Posts: 7,928
Perhaps 2014 will see this rule being enforced, in addition to the removal of the soft landing:
I have had 25300 EQM post to my AA account this year, all on BA and IB. Despite the last lot of miles posting 10 days ago, still no upgrade to GLD, even though the status qualification chart says 'miles (0 until Gold)'
No intention of flying AA this year as I am British based and will already hit 100k EQMs based on forward bookings.
Should I be looking into planning a 4 AA segment run to the USA?
I have had 25300 EQM post to my AA account this year, all on BA and IB. Despite the last lot of miles posting 10 days ago, still no upgrade to GLD, even though the status qualification chart says 'miles (0 until Gold)'
No intention of flying AA this year as I am British based and will already hit 100k EQMs based on forward bookings.
Should I be looking into planning a 4 AA segment run to the USA?
This would be a bad move for AA, they would lose alot of international customer but maybe this is their intentional???
Feb 2, 2014, 1:54 pm
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,543
Originally Posted by FormalHall
I have had 25300 EQM post to my AA account this year, all on BA and IB. Despite the last lot of miles posting 10 days ago, still no upgrade to GLD, even though the status qualification chart says 'miles (0 until Gold)'
Um, if the person isn't even flying 4 sectors with AA, then they are not much in the way of being AA customers
Feb 2, 2014, 3:09 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 342
Is anyone else in a similar situation or is it too early in the year to judge?
Feb 2, 2014, 3:24 pm
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,543
If you phone and ask about getting status changed , either it will get done or the agent may have an excuse. I don't see that there is anything to lose by calling when Aadvantage Customer service is open
Feb 2, 2014, 3:28 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Here and there
Programs: Hyatt Globalist,
Posts: 318
I think AA has been particularly stringent this year. No soft landings etc. Had a friend lose EXP even though he loggedh 98,800. I had been soft landed in the past with double the deficit.
Feb 2, 2014, 3:29 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: LHR
Programs: AA EXP, SPG PLT
Posts: 584
Perhaps 2014 will see this rule being enforced, in addition to the removal of the soft landing:
I have had 25300 EQM post to my AA account this year, all on BA and IB. Despite the last lot of miles posting 10 days ago, still no upgrade to GLD, even though the status qualification chart says 'miles (0 until Gold)'
No intention of flying AA this year as I am British based and will already hit 100k EQMs based on forward bookings.
Should I be looking into planning a 4 AA segment run to the USA?
I have had 25300 EQM post to my AA account this year, all on BA and IB. Despite the last lot of miles posting 10 days ago, still no upgrade to GLD, even though the status qualification chart says 'miles (0 until Gold)'
No intention of flying AA this year as I am British based and will already hit 100k EQMs based on forward bookings.
Should I be looking into planning a 4 AA segment run to the USA?
Feb 3, 2014, 3:38 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Free agent
Posts: 315
Just a data point - I qualified for PLT at the end of last year with all OW bookings. Status updated after a bit of a delay (maybe a week or so). But RDM/bonuses were all out so I called CS mid-Jan. No mention of any 4 seg rule when the agent was working out how many miles to manually add.
Apr 28, 2014, 3:57 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1
Seems like it might be enforced now?
I have 28k+ EKP, and called to ask why I wasn't Gold? Told that I don't have 4 segments on AA direct. (Points earned were on BA flights).
I have 28k+ EKP, and called to ask why I wasn't Gold? Told that I don't have 4 segments on AA direct. (Points earned were on BA flights).
Apr 29, 2014, 8:40 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Anywhere I need to be.
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold, NEXUS, GE, ABTC/APEC, South Korea SES, eIACS, PP, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 16,046
Perhaps 2014 will see this rule being enforced, in addition to the removal of the soft landing:
I have had 25300 EQM post to my AA account this year, all on BA and IB. Despite the last lot of miles posting 10 days ago, still no upgrade to GLD, even though the status qualification chart says 'miles (0 until Gold)'
No intention of flying AA this year as I am British based and will already hit 100k EQMs based on forward bookings.
Should I be looking into planning a 4 AA segment run to the USA?
I have had 25300 EQM post to my AA account this year, all on BA and IB. Despite the last lot of miles posting 10 days ago, still no upgrade to GLD, even though the status qualification chart says 'miles (0 until Gold)'
No intention of flying AA this year as I am British based and will already hit 100k EQMs based on forward bookings.
Should I be looking into planning a 4 AA segment run to the USA?
(that being said, I would also look into adding segments on any USA work trips that you have to take i.e. LHR-ORD-BOS-NYC v.v)
May 5, 2014, 2:09 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 342
Luckily I have 4 segments coming up in a few months, but it seems like enforcement of this rule is one of many unannounced changes at AA.
Or should I keep ringing and trying again?
May 5, 2014, 3:02 pm
#12
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Free agent
Posts: 315
Doesn't sound positive. My status updated automatically when I qualified last year (all partner flights), albeit it took a week or two. Sounds like it could be an 'enhancement', which would be a shame, and probably end up costing AA my business when stateside. I doubt they'd worry about that, mind you...
May 5, 2014, 3:11 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 342
They manually upgraded me to Gold in February after a few phone calls, but are not offering to do the same now in May, which makes me think it is another one of the no-notice changes they brought in last month.
May 5, 2014, 3:24 pm
#14
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Free agent
Posts: 315
Although this one has been published for a long time, just not enforced. So if they are enforcing it now there isn't really anything to announce. I would consider it a shame though!
May 5, 2014, 3:52 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 342
True, and I was aware it was published but not enforced. That said, most airlines with a minimum segment requirement have a counter on their account page so you keep track. The AA 'Current Elite Status Qualification' page is particularly misleading as mine says 0 miles to Platinum.
