The Great AA Mileage Race to "D-Day" (MM change day) - 12/1/11
Aug 24, 2011, 5:47 pm
#16
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA LT PLT 2mm, SPG Gold
Posts: 365
I'm in a similar boat. If I get the World Elite MC and charge my usual $200k next year, plus buy 50k miles, I'll be within striking range. But is it worth ~$1500 ($450 + $1050)? Hmm. It's times like that this make the Mint days seem wonderful.
Aug 24, 2011, 5:52 pm
#17
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Boston, MA (BOS)
Programs: AA PLT Pro 2MM, DL Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Ambassador + LT Plat, COFC Venture X, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 5,587
200k to go until 1MM. I have a 50% bonus for my Citi AAdvantage card and plan to use that in lieu of my default Amex Plat card. I'll probably apply for another Citicard in the coming days.
Aug 24, 2011, 5:55 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,517
currently sitting on 703k and need to get 46k EQMs to renew to EXP, so planning to achieve that, which will put me around 800k by year end (I know its 1/12/11, not 31/12/11 for the MM deadline).
Plan to get 2x 75k citicard, transfer 25k SPG point, and will then need about 20k from somewhere........ Looks like I might have to put my hand in my pocket and buy some miles...
BM
Plan to get 2x 75k citicard, transfer 25k SPG point, and will then need about 20k from somewhere........ Looks like I might have to put my hand in my pocket and buy some miles...
BM
If you skip the purchase and the SPG transfer, you'll stil be at 950K. And you're an EXP-level flyer, you'll get from 950K to 1MM with BIS miles sometime next year.
Aug 24, 2011, 6:07 pm
#19
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Miami
Programs: AA LT Gold SPG Gold ($30K AMEX)
Posts: 112
It has begun
I am at 876K.
1. I just transferred over 20,000 Starwood points (I have about 9000 left I might transfer over before 12/1).
2. I just transferred over 70,000 Priority Club points.
3. I had done a 30,000 offer for the 1st $1000 (spent $900) with every 5000 getting an additional $5000 (Note: I had been rejected for other cards because of first time users).
4. I had just put in an application to refinance a property with Wells Fargo for the refinance program. Does the OP or another poster know how long miles are REALLY posted after the funding date? It will be close because the refinance will close sometime in October.
5. I am still doing the BankDirect, AAdvantage Shopping, AAdvantage Dining so I should be in the high 900,000's when 12/1 passes and will just qualify for the remaining miles the old fashioned way. I qualified for Gold anyway based on flying this year so I have until 2013 to accrue the remaining miles.
1. I just transferred over 20,000 Starwood points (I have about 9000 left I might transfer over before 12/1).
2. I just transferred over 70,000 Priority Club points.
3. I had done a 30,000 offer for the 1st $1000 (spent $900) with every 5000 getting an additional $5000 (Note: I had been rejected for other cards because of first time users).
4. I had just put in an application to refinance a property with Wells Fargo for the refinance program. Does the OP or another poster know how long miles are REALLY posted after the funding date? It will be close because the refinance will close sometime in October.
5. I am still doing the BankDirect, AAdvantage Shopping, AAdvantage Dining so I should be in the high 900,000's when 12/1 passes and will just qualify for the remaining miles the old fashioned way. I qualified for Gold anyway based on flying this year so I have until 2013 to accrue the remaining miles.
Aug 24, 2011, 6:09 pm
#20
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Miami
Programs: AA LT Gold SPG Gold ($30K AMEX)
Posts: 112
Oh ...
Oh, I also applied for a business Citibank card with the same 30,000 mile offer that I had recently been approved on the personal side. So who knows ...
Aug 24, 2011, 6:12 pm
#21
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 37
crummers
I'm f'd. I'm only up to 364,202, and it took a lot of effort to get there. No way I could hit 1mm in three months, even with the max amount in a BankDirect checking account. Blarg!
Aug 24, 2011, 6:17 pm
#22
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EP/4MM, DL GM/1MM, HH ♦, Bonvoy LT PLT, Hyatt Globalist, AMEX Bus Plt
Posts: 620
FYI, I transferred 60 = 75K points from SPG on Monday and by Tuesday the points made it into AA account. Never been that fast before...usually about a week.
Maybe this will help the race for some.
Maybe this will help the race for some.
Aug 24, 2011, 6:22 pm
#23
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 55
I just found out about this program today. I have 960k, almost all of it from regular flights over 30 years. I sure wish I had known.....
Anyway, I was thinking of getting a Citicard for 30-35k miles. If I aply today, will I get the points posted before 11-30? Otherwise this is a waste of time.
I guess I can put $40k in a BankDirect cd, but with almost no interest for two years this does not seem like a good deal, but maybe I am wrong on that.
HELP! Need ideas soon.
Anyway, I was thinking of getting a Citicard for 30-35k miles. If I aply today, will I get the points posted before 11-30? Otherwise this is a waste of time.
I guess I can put $40k in a BankDirect cd, but with almost no interest for two years this does not seem like a good deal, but maybe I am wrong on that.
HELP! Need ideas soon.
Aug 24, 2011, 6:25 pm
#24
Join Date: Feb 2009
Programs: AA 1MM, Hyatt GP Platinum, *wood Gold
Posts: 173
Now that we know the new AA lifetime rules let's all focus on best ways to get our remaining needed AA miles in by the 12/1/11 deadline.
Ones I have thought of so far:
Maximize spend on Citi AA cards
Do BankDirect 2 yr CD for $200k to get 200k miles upfront (and other BD products to get
more; already have max in checking there)
Buy 50k miles by 8/31 from AA for $1030 (2.06cpm) (how do they post on CC- can get 3x as airfare on MR as well to further reduce net cost?)
transfer SPG 20k to get 25k AA
mileage runs (I won't do as rather not spend the time)
I've got about 540k now. Through an incoming 75k card bonus and 3 months of 20k BD monthly credits that will hit before 12/1 I'll have 675k. If I buy 50k from AA, do a BD CD for 200k I can get to 925k.
Hate to transfer SPG into AA as need hotel points way more than airline miles, but could pick up 25-50k there. Can do more spend on Citi AA cards to get another 10-20k. Would put me about 5-40k short by the 12/1 rule change date.
What other easy and or cost effective ways to get AA miles in next 3 months am I missing?
Ones I have thought of so far:
Maximize spend on Citi AA cards
Do BankDirect 2 yr CD for $200k to get 200k miles upfront (and other BD products to get
more; already have max in checking there)
Buy 50k miles by 8/31 from AA for $1030 (2.06cpm) (how do they post on CC- can get 3x as airfare on MR as well to further reduce net cost?)
transfer SPG 20k to get 25k AA
mileage runs (I won't do as rather not spend the time)
I've got about 540k now. Through an incoming 75k card bonus and 3 months of 20k BD monthly credits that will hit before 12/1 I'll have 675k. If I buy 50k from AA, do a BD CD for 200k I can get to 925k.
Hate to transfer SPG into AA as need hotel points way more than airline miles, but could pick up 25-50k there. Can do more spend on Citi AA cards to get another 10-20k. Would put me about 5-40k short by the 12/1 rule change date.
What other easy and or cost effective ways to get AA miles in next 3 months am I missing?
2. Prepay utility bills like cable tv/internet/wireless/home phone
3. Get an Amex card with a Membership Rewards promotion for spending at grocery stores, gas stations and pharmacies (double miles), then transfer to SPG, then to AA from SPG.
Aug 24, 2011, 6:29 pm
#25
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AA,CX, BA, Priority Club, SPG, Hilton
Posts: 1,397
1. Doing your holiday shopping early through the AA eshopping portal
2. Prepay utility bills like cable tv/internet/wireless/home phone
3. Get an Amex card with a Membership Rewards promotion for spending at grocery stores, gas stations and pharmacies (double miles), then transfer to SPG, then to AA from SPG.
2. Prepay utility bills like cable tv/internet/wireless/home phone
3. Get an Amex card with a Membership Rewards promotion for spending at grocery stores, gas stations and pharmacies (double miles), then transfer to SPG, then to AA from SPG.
Aug 24, 2011, 6:30 pm
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,905
IIRC, it took between 3-4 months to post. But the actual activity date should be when the closing takes place. One would hope anything with an activity date prior to 12/1/11 would count, even if it posts long after (ie AAdvantage eshopping). Maybe a question for FT's AA rep...
Aug 24, 2011, 6:34 pm
#27
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AS, BA, AA
Posts: 3,670
Nothing. I'm closing in 3MM, but no hurry. mrs. brp is at about 1.69M. She'll be beyond 1.7M at the end of the year. Then 3 years of EXP will get her to LT PLT.
I simply don't understand the rush to spend lots of money or burn far-more-valuable (my judgment
) hotel miles when folks are already close. Seriously, what's the rush?
Cheers.
I simply don't understand the rush to spend lots of money or burn far-more-valuable (my judgment
) hotel miles when folks are already close. Seriously, what's the rush?Cheers.
But as someone who recently crossed 1MM, I'm definitely anxious to harvest any "low-hanging fruit" before December. Every 100k miles I get through spending or transfers subtracts roughly one year from the time it would take me to get lifetime plat. Without any last ditch efforts, it would take me 9-10 years to hit 2mm under the new system, and I don't have faith that the AAdvantage Program as we know it will exist in 10 years (Between mergers, bankruptcies and devaluations, who knows what will happen?)
I think anyone who doesn't take AAdvantage
of 150k or 225k in signup bonuses for Citi cards would be missing the boat if they were trying to reach a specific goal in the next few years, and I will definitely accelerate my SPG spend in order to hit the next 20k benchmark before December. As for other not-so-obvious choices, I will look at those on a case-by-case basis.
Aug 24, 2011, 6:35 pm
#28
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: DCA | DEN
Programs: AA EXP/2.9mm | Marriott LT Titanium 1.6k nights | NEXUS
Posts: 981
I just found out about this program today. I have 960k, almost all of it from regular flights over 30 years. I sure wish I had known.....
Anyway, I was thinking of getting a Citicard for 30-35k miles. If I aply today, will I get the points posted before 11-30? Otherwise this is a waste of time.
I guess I can put $40k in a BankDirect cd, but with almost no interest for two years this does not seem like a good deal, but maybe I am wrong on that.
DFW-FRA
HELP! Need ideas soon.
Anyway, I was thinking of getting a Citicard for 30-35k miles. If I aply today, will I get the points posted before 11-30? Otherwise this is a waste of time.
I guess I can put $40k in a BankDirect cd, but with almost no interest for two years this does not seem like a good deal, but maybe I am wrong on that.
DFW-FRA
HELP! Need ideas soon.
Aug 24, 2011, 6:38 pm
#29
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: AA (Executive Platinum), SPG, BA Executive Club, Hilton (Gold), Hyatt (Platinum)
Posts: 31
I'm at 425,000 so 1MM or 2MM is really far away if all I have to rely on is the amount of actual miles I fly. And frankly, I wouldn't need lifetime status if I regularly flew enough miles to maintain gold or platinum with AA. :-p
Total haul = 315,000
Lifetime Total by 12/1 (D Day) = 740,000 (not including any of my planned trips this year on AA)
I posted on this topic on my blog at http://ifeedmybabies.com I don't know if it's appropriate to include a link here but if it's not, please just delete this message with my apologies!
- I haven't applied for any of the credit cards, so, I'll probably do that (225,000 including the business card bonus).
- I'm going to sign up for Verizon Fios since it's available in my area for 10,000.
- I'll put in a loan application for 5,000 points and 1 pull on my credit (even though I have no intention of going through with a refinance!).
- Buy the max of 40,000 miles and get the 25% bonus for a total of 50,000 miles at a cost of $1,030+.
- I may pay 4 months of my mortgage to take me through the end of the year with one of the online payment systems (fee of around 2.5%...which still saves me about $70 if I were to buy the equivalent miles).
- Switch my spending for the next 3 months to the not-so-great Citi Aadvantage card that I do have currently which should get me about 4,500 more miles.
Total haul = 315,000
Lifetime Total by 12/1 (D Day) = 740,000 (not including any of my planned trips this year on AA)
I posted on this topic on my blog at http://ifeedmybabies.com I don't know if it's appropriate to include a link here but if it's not, please just delete this message with my apologies!
Aug 24, 2011, 6:39 pm
#30
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 257
I'm at 844K, how do I get 156K quickly?
50K from buying miles, 6K from purchases, anyway to transfer MR points?
What happens if you get a bank direct CD for the miles and then withdraw early?
50K from buying miles, 6K from purchases, anyway to transfer MR points?
What happens if you get a bank direct CD for the miles and then withdraw early?