FWAAA

Credit card miles (in fact, ALL miles) count toward lifetime miles, and after a million miles (from any source) you earn lifetime gold. After 2 million, lifetime plat. No such thing as lifetime EXP (although I've now inadvertently challenged all sorts of trolls to come out of the woodwork claiming that THEY are lifetime EXPs).

Stripy

Thanks for all the great replies...very helpfull...also I can't believe how quick you guys are

Stripy

Being very much a newbie I decided to read as many FT posts as possible (going back to 2006) on the various AA status levels and how people have attained them and found the level of knowledge amazing. There is one thing that I don't understand however:

A few people were commenting that it was getting too 'easy' to attain ExPlat status on AA and a few posts mentioned it could be done for $8k - $12k. Admittedly these posts were from 2006 (if memory serves) but I haven't been able to work out how that is possible (even at 2006 pricing). Firstly I'm assuming they cannot be referring to achieving ExPlat by segments as 'too easy' as 100 segments can't be much fun, so, they must be referring to points or miles. This is where I have the issue - how do you get 100k miles/points for $8k-$12k? Or even $11k-$15k at today's pricing?

scoow

See the Mileage Run forum. Most runners seem to aim for $0.02 per mile. Even at $0.05 per EQM, EXP would only be well below your range. Then there are occasional promotions, such as the Double EQM offered earlier this year.

QF WP

Presumably, those posts/threads will have been ralking about the ability, using a RTW ticket (where costs in 2006 were in that vicinity), to maximising the mileage earned from each sector (and back when 20 sectors were allowed per ticket) by maximising the sector distances.

Now with 16 sectors maximum per ticket and ticket prices rising, it is getting harder to achieve. That's where lateral thinking comes into play - looking to which country's ticket prices (and currency) is weaker thus when converted, allows the cheapest overall price. For a long time, places like Thailand and Sri Lanka (more recently) have been the best places given their weaker currency, however the logistics of organising the ticketing (with a local travel agent) as well as getting there (to start the flghts) is all the rage in the alliance Forums here on FT.

Of course, other tickets can be nested within the RTW ticket to achieve the 100K mileage requirement, but that's a whole new conversation.

bdemaria

This is my 4th year as EXP. For the 1st three years, I achieved it for about $5K. I live on the West Coast and travel to Europe about 8 times a year, w/a routing that earns about 13,000 miles. Before fares shot up, I could get off season TATL fares for about 600 to 700rt. I remember distinctly my 2nd year achieving it for an all time low of 3500 or so.

This year I'll fly 127,000 BIS miles for a cost of about $8,500.00.

Stripy

I'm clearly looking in the wrong places for fares as I can't even come close to some of the $/mile figures I've seen. A poster on another thread (for example) mentioned that they had done 6 trips this year for a total of 33900 EQMs with a cost of 'about $1,440'. By my calculations that would be 5,650 EQM per trip which is slightly more than a round trip from LAX to HI. That would mean that it's technically possible (in 2008) to get 6 return trips to HI for $240 each!

The post I'm referring to was in July this year so perhaps one of the trips was under double miles but that is still a heck of a deal.

scoow

Ah... but you're pricing tickets to HI. A destination that someone might actually want to visit. Mileage runners don't care where they go - they look for cheap tickets. And lots of connections to get there.

This past winter/spring, there were quite a few runners doing FRA trips for around $400.

mvtm

Hi.I am newbie in need of big help.
I have many questions,being the main one to challenge or not.

I was thinking applying to a challenge,Gold most certainly i don't think i can reach PLT on this go.The scenario is the following:

Both of my parents and i are flying this September with American,so we just have opened the 3 AAdvantage accounts.We are traveling CCS-MIA and MIA-MEX on the best class available which i believe its Business.So far Ive read flying Business means 25% extra miles?? Because when they bought the tickets the operator at the Travel Agency told them,we should get 50% extra miles so i am not quite sure on this,and i read something about it being Int Premium Business..
Do i get 25 or 50?

I am that way on Business, but the return (MEX-MIA-CCS) all in Economy.So i looked up on aa.com the mileage between CCS-MIA and shows:1360 and MIA-MEX shows 1276.Assuming i get 25% extra it should be like this:

CCS-MIA=1700
MIA-MEX=1595
MEX-MIA=1276
MIA-CCS=1360
-----------------
Total:5931

So me, my mom and dad should be getting 5931 miles each. If it is 25%+ and not extra 50%.So i could complete the gold challenge without a problem right? What about the Platinum..or it is too far from my reach.

Please thank you for your patience

JDiver

Well, don't worry about the miles, directly, on a Challenge - because what you need is Elite-Qualifying Points. You earn 1.5 points per Elite-Qualifying Mile (basically, mile flown - bonus miles do not count in this kind of math) in Business or First, or even B or Y (full Y, not merely coach) and anywhere from 1.0 to 0.5 points per mile flown on other fares.

For Gold you need 5,000 Points within three months' time. So,

CCS-MIA and MIA-MEX = 2635 EQ Miles x 1.5 = 3952 Points
MEX-MIA-CCS = 2635 EQ Miles, and since we do not know which economy fare, we have no idea - it could be anywhere from 3952 for Y or B, to 1317 points for the most highly discounted fares (G, Q**, N, O**, S) - except that O class between the US and Latin America would not earn miles or points.

aa.com: ** Tickets between North America and Europe, India, Asia and Latin America booked in O and Transatlantic tickets booked in Q are not eligible.

So, it is most likely that you would be able to complete a Gold Challenge with your CCS-MIA-MEX return flights, but we can not say for sure because we do not know what fare class your return is in.

aa.com Miles / Points discussed in Elite Qualifications <link>

aa.com miles earned on different fare classes <link>

We also know form the last link you will learn 25% bonus miles in Business (I, D or J fare classes,) but those are redeemable miles, not Elite Qualifying Miles counted for status (or for calculating E Q Points.)

It may seem quite complex right now; all of us probably began feeling that way, learned how the system works and document it here on FlyerTalk for others. We have a welcome announcement at the head of this Forum, and a "sticky" thread entitled Unofficial Users' Guide that has some orientation, links and guide to tools for frequent flyers.

aktchi

The business class will get you 1.5 point per mile flown. The first thing you should do is to find out what is the fare code of your return economy ticket (as noted above, you can get 1.0, 0.5 or plain 0 points per mile depending on the fare). If you can't tell from your ticket, just call AA and ask.

For gold challenge you need 5000 points within 90 days from the official start of your challenge. For platinum, 10000 points.

Next you should sign up for the challenge right away. It can begin on the 1st or 16th of a month, and should obviously be before any of your flights.

mvtm

Thanks JDiver,the explanation has been superb and i understood all,really thanks for taking the time to reply me with such detail.Well most likely the return will be on Y,either way.In most cases i already got the 5,000 EQP.I am almost sure that we did not buy O,as we did not buy any tickets with deep or any discount at all.Before applying the challenge, ill be sure to check the fare type when they are issued,just in case.

Now,there's no way i could actually finish this trip gaining Platinum,so i would just apply for the Gold one.So what do i have to do? Ive read most info on the wiki,that i should write a letter or call AA..but i really would like people who have completed the challenge,to tell exactly what and how to do.Bear in mind that i live in Venezuela,and i still have many things to learn on this program.I want to apply for 3 Gold challenges,with 3 different accounts,which is the right way to go? Ill be flying September 5th.

Now another question,if each of us gets 7904 EQP in the best and most likely scenario.Can i... lets say apply for PLT challenge,while i apply my parents to Gold.They complete early their Gold challenge,and one or both of them gives me some EQM so i can reach PLT status while on my challenge.Is that possible? Is it worth it? So therefore i have 2 Golds and 1 Plat,instead of 3 Golds.Or the other way,one of my parents can have PLT and the rest Gold.I really don't care about miles,but if there's something nice i can do for them (and me).Why not give it a try.

bdemaria

Unfortunately no you cannot gift EQP to meet the requirements of a challenge.

aktchi

Call Aadvantage customer service; as you are in Venezuela, I think the US number to call is 817-799-2500. Tell them that you and two other family members wish to start Gold Challenge beginning Sep 1. Give the agent your names and Aadvantage numbers. Ask for email confirmation. A few days later, call again and confirm that you are enrolled in the gold challenge starting Sep 1. That's about it. Good luck.

JDiver

Yup, that's the right way.

Contáctenos para:
• Consultas generales sobre la acumulación y el uso de millas
• Inscripción a promociones
• Categoría elite y beneficios
• Consultas sobre millas no acreditadas en su cuenta (permita que pasen 5 días después de completado el viaje en vuelos de AA y aproximadamente 60 días en cualquier otra compañía participante)
• Problemas con su cuenta

Desde fuera de EE.UU., Canadá o el Reino Unido
1-817-799-2500
7:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. (CT) lunes a viernes
7:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (CT) sábados
10:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (CT) domingos

mvtm, regarding transferring EQM (those base miles we actually earn sitting in the airplane, without any bonus miles,) and EQP (a factor of fare class x EQM,) no se puede. Those are ours alone, and the ones that can be transferred are "redeemable" miles (it gets a little confusing, because ALL miles are redeemable - EQM, bonus miles, miles form purchases online or with a credit card, todititas.)

So, "go for the Gold" for now (it seems to be very popular saying these days, and I see one tough Venezuelan lady received the Bronze,) and when you know you will earn 10,000 EQP in one three month period, call and sign up for a Platinum Challenge.