Originally Posted by PurdueFlyer

I started the challenge in April (DL GM - > AA PLT). So I am currently on "phase 2" of 3. It's one of those programs where I feel like you can read the rules / terms over and over and over, and still not really get it.

I was immediately given the PLT status and then had to earn 42, 500 Loyalty Points in phase 1 (4 months) to keep it, which I did. There is also the verbiage "Registrants will have the opportunity to upgrade their Instant Status Pass™ based on their Loyalty Points earned during the first 4 months." So if you blow Phase 1 out of the water, you can improve on your matched status while the rest of the challenge is going on, but they don't say what that threshold is.

You'll see a "promotions" tab that tells you your progress and how long the status lasts for, but its complicated because that tab shows everything relevant to the challenge. That tab shows I have PLT through April 26, 2024 (the end date of my challenge) but since I met the regular program earning threshold for PLT as well, the main screen of my Aadvantage account shows that I have PLT through March 31, 2025. They need to make this less confusing.

The pros are that there are a myriad of ways to earn LPs, way more than with Delta. But you're forced to interact with the portal and keep track of every purchase until it posts. Save your receipts, boarding passes, and screenshot everything (especially on the e-shopping portal). Also I've heard that the LPs MUST post during the "phase dates" in order for them to count towards the challenge. So if you book a last-second OAL flight right before the end of your phase, and the points don't post right away, customer service won't retro those points for the challenge. Everything has to post by the end-date of the phase in order for them to count towards that phase's goal. Don't procrastinate.