Elite Status Question
 

I will be 1 segment/point away from flying 10 segments in the past 90 days.

If I do business class instead of coach for my last roundtrip trip will that qualify me for elite status?

Do the 1.5 points I get for business upgrade count towards the elite status 10 segments/points?

Well the 1 would, but I don't know about the .5. It would probably be cheaper though to do a quick milage run instead of paying for a full fare business ticket.

The additional .5 credit is a bonus credit. Only actual flight credits count. You must fly 10 one-ways in 30 days or 25 one-ways in a year to qualify for elite status.

More information can be found here.

http://www.aplusrewards.com/elite.aspx

And here.
http://www.aplusrewards.com/earn_and_redeem.aspx

I was wondering the same thing.

This isn't super clear from the website. On the first link, it states: "When you earn 10 or more A+ credits flying AirTran Airways within any 90-day period..."

To me, I would think the 1.5 credits are earned flying AirTran and thus would count towards the count.

Too bad if this isn't the case...

They really should explain the difference between an actual flight credit and a bonus credit, I agree.

That's why savvy folks like yourself use FT though.

Based on that verbiage, you would be right to assume that the accumulation of all A+rewards from paid travel, including the one-half point earned for a full fare business class ticket, would count towards the total. But it doesn't. To further cause confusion that would make you believe all A+ credits count is, in order to renew elite membership, you must fly 12 one-way flights. (this is more accurate) This includes paid travel and not reward travel, bonus points, or points earned from partners of Airtran.

Here is the excerpt from the Terms and Conditions.

Elite Level: Beginning April 22, 2009, A+ Rewards members who earn 10 or more A+ flight credits in any 90-day period or 25 or more A+ flight credits in any 365-day period will be qualified for Elite status in the A+ Rewards program. A+ Rewards flight credits are only those A+ credits earned by flying AirTran Airways and do not include A+ Rewards one-half credits earned for flying in Business Class or other A+ Rewards credits.

They do but you have to really dig to find it and then you have to decipher their lingo.

I have found that many of their call center associates and customer relations reps. do not know all of the parameters of the program. I have found at times that I know more than they do.