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Previous and obsolete posts have been archived to: OBSOLETE / ARCHIVE: Questions about the '4 AA segments' needed to earn status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
Dec 21, 2016, 12:39 am
#331
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,719
Indeed award flights, not being eligible flights, do not count towards the count
Dec 21, 2016, 10:41 am
#332
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,946
OK so I need some help with this one.
I live in the Middle East so most of my travel with BA/QR.
I saw the 4 segment rule to get AA status. All it says now on the qualifying requirements page is 'you must fly at least 4 segments on American or American Eagle to qualify for elite status'.
I read this and planned accordingly. I flew 5 legs on AA metal. 1 was paid AA, 2 were paid flown AA booked BA, 2 were AA miles tix. Nothing on the website indicated that was a problem.
I had done a platinum challenge at the start of the year so when I passed silver, gold, platinum nothing came up.
I hit 105k EQM in Nov, then the website is showing I have 105k EQM but status is still platinum.
I call up and they say the 4 segments have to be AA marketed & paid tickets. They start giving me a lot of b***t about 'this is an american program, not a oneworld program' (literally!). After several phone calls / emails most recently I get told they can't do anything but I'm fortunate enough to be allowed to pay $1500 to get EXP next year.
I will sue them if I have to, but would like any advice from anyone in a similar story.
Thks all.
I live in the Middle East so most of my travel with BA/QR.
I saw the 4 segment rule to get AA status. All it says now on the qualifying requirements page is 'you must fly at least 4 segments on American or American Eagle to qualify for elite status'.
I read this and planned accordingly. I flew 5 legs on AA metal. 1 was paid AA, 2 were paid flown AA booked BA, 2 were AA miles tix. Nothing on the website indicated that was a problem.
I had done a platinum challenge at the start of the year so when I passed silver, gold, platinum nothing came up.
I hit 105k EQM in Nov, then the website is showing I have 105k EQM but status is still platinum.
I call up and they say the 4 segments have to be AA marketed & paid tickets. They start giving me a lot of b***t about 'this is an american program, not a oneworld program' (literally!). After several phone calls / emails most recently I get told they can't do anything but I'm fortunate enough to be allowed to pay $1500 to get EXP next year.
I will sue them if I have to, but would like any advice from anyone in a similar story.
Thks all.
As a member since 2007, it seems to me checking here before you assumed you had a plan to re-earn status might have saved you considerable angst. There is a lot to be found on FT that clarifies AA policy and action, or documents unpublished information. I can imagine how you feel - I failed to use available resources some years ago and did not receive the credit I'd foolishly expected for some long haul Qantas coded flights. (Btw, AA has no "Silver" status.)
The language in the Wikipost at the top of the page clarifies it:
Four (4) Minimum AA segments required to earn / keep status
"American Airlines is enforcing the previously stated but unenforced rule 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, as of c/y 2014."
You could try writing / emailing AA to state their language is unclear for award and codeshare flights; though I'd not give it high chances of success, it would be much more likely to result in status renewal than suing AA. The $1,500 offer seems like that would solve your problems; no AA segments are required in 2017, and I'm sure the cost would be considerably less than suing (other than a small claims lawsuit - but I doubt that could be done from the Middle East).
The required minimum AA segments rule ceased applying starting Jan 1, 2017.
Last edited by JDiver; Sep 19, 2019 at 9:30 am