inpd

Hi,

Due to some flight cancellations and auto-rebooks, I won't requalify for next year.

The only option the agent is suggesting is to rebook to depart the next day (when the canceled flight will run) which is not acceptable.

I suggested, can AA just give me the missing EQM (about 2000 miles) but she said that wasn't possible.

Is that true? Or is it a case of HUATA (Hang up and try again)?

Thx.

Ready2Go

Of course it is possible, from a technical standpoint, for them to give original routing credit (including EQMs). They will do this, for example, if a cancellation causes you to be rerouted on another carrier involuntarily. I doubt they will do it if you simply opt not to travel at all.

inpd

Given this is a rebooking months out, getting ORC is not possible (as per other threads).

But can they just give me 2000 EQM? The agent I talked to said no, there is no mechanism to do that (i.e. its just not possible). But I'm checking with everyone's collective experience before I give up that (easier) route.

Stripe

If your flight is cancelled you should get a refund, which you can then apply to another flight to get your needed EQMs. If you were involuntarily rerouted on a past trip and got fewer EQMs than planned you can call and ask for original routing credit. And there are still over three months left in the year for other travel opportunities.

LucWise

You should plan to fly to earn the EQMs.

bdemaria

No, they can't and they won't.

TheDudeAbides

Get a Citi Elite Executive Mastercard and spend $40k with all spending posting prior to your December 2014 statement. This will cost you $450 annual fee but will yield 10k EQM. Otherwise, you had better fly.

Another possibility is that AA will offer a buy-back again this year, but that will cost you more than the Citi Card or the mileage run.

rjw242

Well, there's always the Citi Executive Card option -- spend at least $40,000 by the end of the year and you'll get 10K EQM. Not feasible for many, but if you can put a lot of work expenses on it and get reimbursed, for example...

inpd

What the hell type of extravagant lives do you guys have that you even think its in the realm of possibility to spend $40K on a credit card in 2.5 months?

I don't even spend $40K on my credit cards for the entire year.

ericgdukie44

If you can put business expenses on it...

makfan

AA does not typically give original routing credit in cases where you are rebooking in advance due to schedule changes. Unfortunately, your best bet is to find a cheap 1000 mile flight and fly a round trip (or perhaps two cheap short round trips that give you the 4 times 500 EOMs). I wouldn't let my status fall off over that small of a shortage and you have 3 months to watch for fare sales to get over the top.

The reason AA is stubborn here is that they figure you can be flexible and change to AA qualifying flights since they have given you advance notice. This is different from a storm or mechanical problem where you might get redirected to another airline or a different combination of AA flights. AA will usually be persuaded to give you ORC in these cases if you ask politely at the time of rebooking so they can note it in the flight record.

Contrast this with Alaska where I have never been able to get a single mile of original routing credit when directed to another carrier because of a cancellation. If I don't fly AS, I don't get anything.

TheDudeAbides

Clearly, you haven't met my contractor!

arollins

Spending is not the problem, that's the easy part. Paying, now that is something else.

At any rate inpd, you have to fly to earn the EQM, EQP and segments, unless you are re-routed on another carrier, or shorter route, then you request for ORC. Other than that, the only way to earn EQM is spending 40k with the Citibank World Elite Card. By the way, how many EQM's you have? I think last week you posted that you've flown about 40k in the past couple of weeks, you should be around 50-60k by now.

If you are going to be off by 2k to achieve EXP, you better fly to make the 100k, and that is not counting those EQM's that you got by error on a previous posting. Best to secure all necessary miles. If you still have some travel arrangements to do, try to do some connecting flights, instead of direct routing, just so you get extra miles. I seem to recall that a couple of years back, AA ( or was it US, I know UA does) gave the option to "buy up" to the status that you where missing, but it was very costly as you move up, no status to Gold was about $800 for the few needed miles. It is cheaper to fly and earn the miles. Granted, we do not know what new AA will do, but I doubt they will grant you EXP if you are short on miles, when you can buy up the status. US Air is known for this, so I bet it won't be any different here. Good luck in your search, I think you will make it with careful planning.

inpd

So my original booking was 11/03 Smf lax pvg ret 11/08 pvg dfw lax Smf

The ret leg was changed to pvg lax Smf leaving me 1500 miles short.

I tried via aa.com but nothing on either date works. Only option is to return one day earlier or later which is undesirable

JDiver

Ah. AA will not give you ORC / EQM in this instance. You must fly (or spend with the Citi Executive card as indicated above.)