brp

Did you check the wiki mentioned in the "Unofficial User's Guide" thread, specifically the section on challenges? That is considerably less than 200 pages.

(Answers are Yes, and 2011)

Cheers.

xCheesePope

Thank You.

xCheesePope

doodiedan

OK, so like many other posts in this thread, I too am considering a challenge. I have 4 LAX-BOS RT's booked at the low O & Q fares. My question is related to the following text from the Wiki page:
Does anyone know if this is still accurate? If I sign up for a Gold challenge to begin May 1, would I be able to upgrade my challenge to a Plat challenge (pay the fee) after my 2nd RT is complete? Or do I simply wait until my 4 RT's are complete and I have over 10,000 pts to call and upgrade?

If it's the latter, will they give me any 100% bonus RDM's retroactively vs the 25% bonus RDM's?

SFO777

Just finished my first true MR and my Platinum challenge... SAN-SJC-DFW-FLL-DFW-SJC-SAN for $866ai RT in First (P) for 8,900 EQPs. Add that to last week's PSP-SFO-PSP day trip on AS and I'm back to PLT.

Four great mainline flights with terrific crews (especially Catherine FLL-DFW and Paula DFW-SJC)... out and back in 36 relaxing hours. ^

mvoight

1. Yes
2. As noted in multiple places, challenges started June 16 or later give access for another year AFTER the current year.

aktchi

Welcome to FT!

You can call them before June 16. Just make sure the challenge starts on June 16.

I assume your flight is between June 16 - July 1 ? Otherwise there's no point in starting the challenge on June 16 because you only lose time.

Also, make sure you will earn enough points for the challenge that you actually register for. For example if you sign up for Gold (5K points required) and earn 5K points, you will become Gold. That much is obvious. What may not be obvious to some is that if you sign up for Platinum (10K points required) and earn 5K points, or even 9K points, you will not become Gold by default.

wrxmom

Woohoo congrats!

EasternTraveler

That stinks, doesn't it?

EasternTraveler

Good job, now you have 8 months of plat.

SFO777

Am starting three weeks of DBEQM marathon runs on Monday, so I should have EXP thru 2/11 at least.

Qwiklap

I am an expat living in Japan. I have Platinum status on Delta -- because that is what the US sub of my company uses. Sad thing is for me -- the home company - which I am now working for - uses AA for flights back and forth to the US.

So I need to get status on AA in a big way (I have none right now). I am thinking of signing up for the Platinum challenge before my three week home leave trip in June (I will be hoping around the US - hitting Nashville, Rochester, San Fran, then back to Tokyo). Here is the itinerary:

NRT-ORD-BNA -- B code Economy (6669 miles)
BNA-ORD-ROC -- B code Economy (935 miles)
JFK - SFO - B code Economy (2580 miles)
SFO-LAX-NRT - B code Economy (5778 miles)

If I read the wiki right -- since these are B code, I should have enough there to easily get the 10k points (since B code is 1.5 per mile). IN fact, the first leg should do it (just).

These flights are only reserved right now - and not ticketed. Is there any exclusion when you sign up for a challenge that currently reserved or ticketed flights cannot be used for the challenge?

Am I missing something? Are there any other specials out there I should be signing up for? Thanks a ton!

bdemaria

Yes, you are correct that "B" fares earn 1.5 points, so your upcoming trip will qualify for PLT w/no problem -- provided the int'l flights are on AA (not codeshares on JAL). It doesn't matter if the flights are already reserved. You should be aware that if you start the challenge on/after June 16, then your PLT status will last until Feb 2011 while those started on June 1 will result in PLT status only until Feb 2010

Since you'll hit PLT on the outbound, you'll have Admirals Club access on your return. You'll also earn a lot of miles b/c of the 100% bonus associated with PLT.

Do you have any AA miles? If so, you might consider looking into upgrading your int'l flight to business class. It would only be 15,000 miles each way ..

shadesofgrey1x

Does anyone know if the status buy back is valid, if you earned the status via a challenge? ( At least assuming the rules in effect for 2008-2009 do not change)

bdemaria

On aa.com, the buyback information is somewhat cryptic in this regard, since it states specifically that PLT member who earned their 2008 status are eligible. And then the fine print further states:

To earn 2008 AAdvantage Platinum status, a member must have earned 50,000 elite qualifying miles or points or earned 60 segments in 2007.

To my mind, that pretty clearly excludes those who became elite via a challenge.

shadesofgrey1x

That is what I was wondering about. Your interpretation sounds valid. I was wondering if anyone who was expired/expiring PLAT by challenge tried to sign up for status buyback and what the result was.