Deferring Advantage Status
 

My wife is pregnant and due in the spring of next year. She has reached Platinum status that she has held for 8 years. Do any of you know of AA allowing a 1 year deferral of status? My wife will not be flying in 2014.

that seems an odd request. I can see no reason why AA would honor such a request.

Why not? Would certainly build goodwill with the passenger as well as loyalty, which is the whole point...

Though, I agree, it is very unlikely to happen OP.

-1.

elite status is designed to nudge us to either prefer AA or fly more often than we otherwise would. the obvious reason for this not-so-odd request is that the OP's wife would probably fly much more on the following year but only when absolutely necessary while pregnant. therefore, this request might benefit both parties. while doubtful that AA would grant the request, it's worth a shot.

Never hurt to ask tho

the answer is always no unless you ask. I would start with the advantage phone line, if they deny it, I would write a letter to the AAdvantage Prez, Suzanne Rubin.

following that logic, AA should have "saved" my earned EXP status, even though I got a new job with much less travel, and am currently a Gold. Someday I might want the benefits of EXP again, so why wouldn't AA bend their elite-qualifying rules so they benefit me ?

in your case, there is no definite future benefit to the airline. in OP's case, there is a definite benefit one year later. either way, i doubt the airline would grant the request.

of course there is; I choose AA over other carriers since I receive superior benefits as an EXP. Same situation as the OP.


I wouldn't call anything "definite". But agreed on the liklihood of the request being granted. AA's elite program specifics are well documented. There's probably a good reason that "status deferral" isn't one of those benefits.

A slippery slope for AA. Bet they get tons of these requests and they're all handled the same way. "We regret ... we hope to see you back". And, I bet they do.

You may be right but pregnancy is a normal occurrence. Beyond that and her 8 years of loyalty nothing makes my wife exceptional to AA so my hopes are little. That said our country accommodates expectant mothers many ways so the concept is around us and out there every day.

incorrect. you said that you don't fly enough anymore to attain EXP and you don't really know if you will again. i am assuming that the OP's wife will resume her prior flying pattern by which she attained platinum. this sounds a bit more certain to me. like i said, elite benefits are designed to encourage you to spend more with AA in the future and not necessarily to congratulate you on your flying pattern in the past.

Depending on how valuable a customer you are to AA (in its sole determination), exceptions are granted more often than one would believe from reading here. Of course most beneficiaries are savvy enough not to broadcast their experiences over the Internet.

I would speculate that in the case of a PLT, unless she is qualifying on points, such a request would be unlikely to be granted, especially now that she can pay a fee to keep her status.

I tried this one year and got nowhere. Good luck.

On the other hand, I've seen AA do this for people in the military who are sent overseas during their elite membership year.