dstan

This is a significant price increase versus the last three years (see the OP for the previous threads).

2010 PLT = $619/$769
2007-2009 PLT = $549/$649

2010 GLD = $409/$559
2007-2009 GLD = $339/$449

The last price increase was apparently in 2006 for the 2007 membership year (PLT $499/$599; GLD $299/$399), athough I think there was one earlier year when the price was even higher.

From one of the older threads:

CMK10

I'm currently at a little over 14,000 EQM and 14 EQS for the year, however, I'm coming close to 1MM (currently at ~905,000) so this does give me something to think about. By late January at least I'll know where finances and travel plans will be before I have to decide. Still, $559 is a decent expenditure.

cyncyn129

I'm not sure if this is the right thread for this but....

I have 1 last international trip planned for 2010 - a New Years trip to London. Flights are on 12/29 and 1/3. Will only the 12/29 flight count towards 2010 mileage? And the 1/3 flight for 2011?

Thanks!

SJOGuy

That's right.

coolcoil

I can see one downside for AA with this offer, since it appears they are making it an annual event:

In my case, I just status matched with Continental because they usually have better prices to the destinations I need. I expect to fly about 120K miles next year. Unfortunately, enough of my routes are unworkable with American to prevent me from reaching EXP.

I had been trying to decide whether I would go for Plat (the top level) on Continental and let my AA PLT status slide to gold or try to fly enough on AA to keep PLT and only get mid-level status with Continental.

Now that I think there is a good chance I can buy back AA PLT at the end of 2011, it is much more likely that I will shoot for the top-tier on Continental and hope the AA deal appears again in 12 months.

traveller1983

I flew about 39k EQM miles this year at Platinum status. I flew probably another 5k miles on other airlines because of fare differences or destination availability. I expect I'll fly about the same next year (unfortunately a lot of my business travel has been within driving distance recently). My question is... is it worth paying for buyback or just letting the status fall to Gold? What pros/cons? I'm listing a few below that I can think of but would love to hear from the experts. (and someone to make sure my calculations are correct).

Cost:
1 RT DFW - SFO - DFW would cost $340 and give me I believe 11k miles with the double elite status qualifying miles
OR pay $769 for buyback

Benefits:
the round trip would cost less and give me 11k miles + bonus miles so about 17k miles total which is essentially a half domestic ticket... so the $340 rt would really only be costing me $170 total

The other side:
I let the status fall to gold and not pay any money... what do i lose out on? i'm looking at (http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/pr...efitsChart.jsp)...

with gold, i board a little later... and i'm a little lower on the standby/upgrade lists... but usually that doesn't mean much to me. the priority baggage benefits with platinum are something that i like a lot... so i'd lose that on gold.

*i think* that the mileage bonus may be the biggest thing... if i fly about 40k miles then with platinum i would get another 40k miles at 100% elite mileage bonus... but with gold i would only get 10k miles at 25% elite mileage bonus... ... if that is all correct then buying those extra 30k miles would cost me $750.

if that's all correct, it makes most sense to do a mileage run... any thoughts?

MAH4546

If it was correct, I'd do the mileage run, but you are miscalculating the mileage you get from DFW-SFO-DFW.

As a current PLAT, you will earn 5,856 EQMs and 8,784 RDMs.

You will requalify for PLAT with two round-trips at $680.

Personally, I'd still take the two round-trips assuming you have the time to spare. You could possibly even do it in one day, assuming you can get the fares, DFW-SFO-DFW-SFO-DFW, with the last leg a redeye.

ffay005

I'm in a crappy situation because I will have 49926 points by Dec 31st and only a handful of AA flights. Right now, I have GLD status and based on what I have read here, they might give me PLT even if I don't reach 50k. But does it matter that most flights I have taken are AY or BA, not AA?

pilotchrisg

From the AA Wiki page:

There is an unofficial exception policy for members who come close to qualifying, but don't quite make it. Note that you cannot request an exception before the end of the qualifying year and by then it is too late to fly more if the exception is not granted. The automatic exceptions have been as follows in previous years:

24,500 miles or points for Gold Status
49,000 miles or points for Platinum Status
99,000 miles or points for Executive Platinum Status

shadesofgrey1x

Actually HEL freezes over every year and now thanks to the recent AA expansion you will soon be able top fly there on real AA metal.

bamboosensation

can someone who has never been PLAT just outright buy Plat?

What about if they are gold and want to be upped to Plat?

rjw242

No and no.

Though I guess a couple years ago you could buy a prepaid AA travel card and get instant status: $5000 for GLD, $10k PLT, $20k EXP. But that ended in 2008.

MsEverywhere

This year I had a soft landing to Plat, and a friend had a soft landing to Gold. Since we didn't technically "earn" our 2010 status, I called AAdvantage CS to see if we qualify for the buyback. The rep I spoke with said Yes.

As it turns out, I'll be close to 50K by Feb 28 so I don't plan to buyback. But my friend said she plans to buyback.

vasantn

The agent was misinformed. The language is quite clear.

To earn 2010 AAdvantage Gold status, a member must have accrued 25,000 elite qualifying miles or points or flown 30 qualifying segments in 2009. To earn 2010 AAdvantage Platinum status, a member must have accrued 50,000 elite qualifying miles or points or flown 60 qualifying segments in 2009.

Soft landings do not count as earned status.

Ritz

Unless the agent knows something not stated in the policy.