Originally Posted by
dtremit
Not a bad deal, though for any US fliers considering the $1199 offers, it's worth considering an AA challenge instead, particularly if you live in one of the "corners" of the country.
An AA Plat challenge costs $200 and requires 10,000 EQP to be flown in 90 days. For dates in early March, you can get a US F ticket BOS-PHX-SEA for about $1400 which will earn you 10,221 EQP (6814 miles at 1.5 EQP per mile).
Although the total cost is $400 higher than the "boost," those EQP (and 6814 EQM) would also count towards normal qualification for next year. And there may well be cheaper fares (or combinations thereof) that would earn the required EQP.
Originally Posted by ubernostrum
I would be wary of trying a challenge; one never knows when AA will decide that existing US elites are ineligible.
Actually I think that taking the challenge is a good idea as it makes the person a AA Plat instead of an US Gold for the very reason suggested by ubernostrum. As we have seen, US members seem to get the short end of the stick and becoming a AA plat for a little more than the cost of renewing a US Gold appears to me a better deal. There are however two issues. First, the downside is that you have to make a mileage run. Buying up means you don't and not everyone has the time or inclination to do a mileage run. Second, it makes sense only if the poster is going to be traveling more in 2015. He/She has not traveled in 2014 and if that goes on to 2015, then I would rather keep the money for now.