New Loyalty Tiers, Requirements Coming to AAdvantage in 2017

Program adds fourth loyalty tier and minimum qualifying spend requirements coming next year.

Elite flyers on American Airlines’ AAdvantage program will have new hurdles towards requalification next year due to a realignment by the airline. In an announcement on their website, AAdvantage released the changes coming to their program starting January 1, 2017.

As previously reported, the program will move from a three-tier program to a four-tier program, in line with legacy competitors Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. The new tier, Platinum Pro, will fit between the traditional Platinum level and Executive Platinum level and can be obtained after flying 75,000 miles or 90 segments. AAdvantage Gold remains the lowest level, obtained after flying 25,000 miles or 30 segments, with levels increasing every 25,000 miles or 30 segments.

At the new tier, flyers who qualify for Platinum Pro will earn 9 miles per dollar spent on base fare with American, as well as all the benefits of Platinum status. Platinum Pro flyers will also earn complimentary upgrades in 500-mile upgrade markets, get cleared for upgrades up to 72 hours ahead of their flight and two free checked bags per flight.

In addition to the additional tier, AAdvantage is also rolling out an Elite Qualifying Dollar (EQDs) requirement to earning status. At the lowest tier, flyers must spend $3,000 in base ticket price on American-marketed flights, with increasing tiers available in increasing increments of $3,000 EQDs each. Flyers on flights operated by pneworld partners or Alaska Airlines will earn EQDs based on the distance flown and class of service purchases, which varies by carrier. In some situations, flyers in economy on oneworld carriers will earn no miles nor EQDs for their flying.

In a previous press release, executives at American touted the opportunity to reinvent the program as an opportunity to “[reward] our most loyal customers with the benefits they value the most.” The new loyalty tiers and qualifying requirements will take effect for those attempting to qualify for status in 2018.

[Photo: American Airlines]