ty97

Yep, I'm way too neurotic to take the chance. Personally, I'd take a flight to bump myself over.

If the OP is a gambling man/woman, I feel pretty good for his/her chances, but as has been stated thoroughly already, nothing is guaranteed.

jlsw7

I don't know if this is right or not, but such a policy does not sit well with the elite rewards promotion as:

(a) that promotion already rewards people who just fall short of platinum qualification, and

(b) someone (not the OP) who was gold at year end until the exception is granted next year, would be better off falling short of platinum by less than 100 miles as they would get the elite reward for golds and be platinum.

BStrauss3

Given two double-mileage promotions this year, and the airline's revenue hunger, I'd personally bet on no gimmies but a tiered status buy-back program (which they've also run in previous years):

"Sorry m/m x, but you have not flow the necessary miles. However, because you are so close you qualify for the lowest cost tier of our status purchase plan"

ijgordon

Is that 49,940 miles inclusive of the double elite qualifying miles bonus? If so, then they already gave you quite a big break and you still didn't make it. If I were running the airline, I would not make exceptions this year. But I'm not running AA, and neither I nor anyone here can say with any certainty what they will do because they won't tell us. As brp said, by the time we find out, it will be too late to do anything about it.

inlanikai

One of the qualifications for attaining elite status is:

"Member must fly at least four segments on American Airlines, American Eagle or AmericanConnection to qualify .."

OK, so what is the definition of "fly"?

If I fly four segments on AA metal but all on an award ticket (no revenue) and all my other EQPs/EQMs that I earn (let's say 100,000) are on other OW metal with no other AA metal segments during the year, do I qualify for EXP status?

Thanks.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

I'm with brp on this one. Also could depend upon the number of years that you have been elite with AA and I don't know they might also look at your typical fare class purchased (assuming that this previous information is avaiable to them). Safe bet is to find a cheap MR before 12/31.

Mark_T

I wouldn't worry too much about that one as I cannot recall a single documented example of AA ever enforcing that rule.

They may of course decide to make an exception for you though

No guarantees but I'd expect to see you get EXP in those circumstances.

alien

The paragraph immediately above the sentence you quoted from AA.com seems pretty clear in defining segments for the purpose of qualification and retention.
(http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/pr...quirements.jsp)

Mark_T

Dupe.

martin33

no, there isn't a written rule. some years ago, an unofficial policy was posted, but that's now quite out of date.

on the one hand, two EQM promotions should tell no one to expect any slack. on the other, demand continues to be weak and apparently UA and DL boards report those carriers hinting at possible slack...

when exceptions have been had, they've been applied essentially right away at the year end reckoning, I believe. Given the elite rewards will likely be granted with a lag, I don't think anyone will be getting away with "double dipping".

Although seemingly a fairly standard oneworld thing, that policy has never been enforced in AAdvantage (unlike the BA and QF programs). It seems doubtful the system even has a counter set up to track it, at least not up to now.

Mark_T

I wouldn't take the two promotions as an indication of anything other than AA wanting to keep people at higher Elite levels and to try and replace those dropping back with new members, so on that basis they may very well end up being even more likely to let a small shortfall slide through than in previous years.

On the other hand, would I take a chance? No, I'd fly the miles.

ijgordon

Exactly -- we can pontificate and theorize all we want (which we seem to do here), but at the end of the day, you're taking a risk by hoping they'll bump people over who are thisclose.

pvhemanth

I will be ending up the year with 59 segments, have been travelling for about 6 months on short flights (miles around 35K for year). Any chance they'll make an exception & move me to PLT next year?

martin33

that's an interesting one. I do not believe anyone has ever reporting being extended slack in segments, only miles/points.

how did you get to only 35K EQM with six months of double credit? were they partner flights?

mvoight

He said he's only been traveling for 6 months, and 59 short segments could earn 29500 to 59000 if done on flights of 500 miles or less.

If I had 59.... I wouldn't stop