Gardyloo

Correct; if you get a codeshare you'd earn around 17,800 RDM for the SCL nonstop vs. 12,700 for the Lan code. You might also check out the price differential by looking at AA to MIA then Lan to SCL with the AA code; there could be some additional RDM implications.

Yes.

bquinif

Why would the number of RDM be impacted by whether or not it is an AA codeshare or not? It that assuming that the challenge will be completed on the return flight and thus get 100% RDM bonus for plat status on that flight?

Argen_Tina

I haven't flown AA in many years because I concentrate my flying
on another airline. My AA account currently has 0 miles. I live in
Chicago area.

In November, I will be "forced" to fly on AA on the following trip:

Buenos Aires -> Miami -> Chicago -> Tokyo (AA Business Class)
Tokyo -> Singapore (JL Business Class)

Singapore - > Tokyo (JL Business Class)
Tokyo - > Dallas -> Buenos Aires (AA Business Class)

The entire trip is on a paid business class ticket, paid for by the company.

Is it worth it to call AA and ask to do a platinum challenge, which I believe
require $200 fee?

The reason I'm thinking about it is that I may swtich to flying AA more next year....
Is my November trip listed above enough to get me platinum status?

Thank you very much for your help. This is my very first post on this forum.
I just heard about this forum last week from a seatmate.

HNL

simply put - hell yeah!

FWAAA

Your trip is far more than enough points to complete a plat challenge. If you think you'll fly more AA in the future, then do it.

Welcome to Flyertalk.

beerup

Even if you didn't want to pay for the Plat challenge, your trip should earn >45,000 EQPs, which gets you GLD and <15,000 EQPs away from PLT. You say you will be using AA next year, but do you have anymore trips planned for this year? If so you may not need to do the challenge.

aktchi

Absolutely. Here is what you should do right away:

(1) If you haven't already, enroll in the program and get your AAdvantage number.

(2) Call AA reservations and have them enter this number into your itinerary PNR. (You may be able to do this yourself, but AA agents can for sure.) Check your reservation yourself at aa.com to make sure your ff number is there.

If your ticket is not purchased yet, try to get JL flights booked as codeshares with AA flight numbers.

(3) Call AAdvantage customer service and sign up for the Platinum challenge starting October 16. (This is assuming all of your flights are in November or later. If you have any flights in October, start the challenge on Oct 1.)

(4) Go to the web page http://www.aa.com/aa/viewPromotionDe...&reportedPos=5 and register for Double Elite Qualifying Miles.

Also register for Elite Rewards on the same page.

Step (4) is not related to the challenge, but in case you happen to fly more, it will get you closer to Executive Platinum or at least bring you extra rewards for getting close.

Please note that with Step (4), you'll become Platinum anyway even without the challenge. However, with the challenge you will achieve that status much, much sooner and earn many more bonus miles. Well worth $200 IMO.

Good luck.

Well, 45K is only 5K away from PLT, but the situation is complicated by the fact that some flights are JL which, if not codeshare, will earn fewer miles. Also, the OP may or may not fly any more before Dec 31, and that would mean spectacular waste of this opportunity to earn and use status. So I respectfully differ and feel that $200 is very small cost for the benefits that will come from the challenge.

Argen_Tina

Thanks for the detail explanation! I already registered for the double elite qualifying miles promotion. If my travels are already enough to earn me platinum, what is the benefit of paying $200 for the platinum challenge?

I am unable to change any of my flights because the tickets have already been issued. The JL NRT-SIN-NRT flights are in business class. Will I earn any AA miles for the JL flights?

The AA portion will be EZE-MIA-ORD-NRT, plus NRT-DFW-EZE, in business class. The entire trip is only 6 days from start to end. How many elite-qualifying miles can I expect out of it?

Another question.... I was reading the platinum benefits on AA.com.... If I fly very little on AA next year, does the platinum status have any real benefit for me?

Thanks again for your help!

JDiver

Así es la situación: You get to earn 100% bonus miles as of the flight you make Platinum on - earlier with a Challenge. Whether or not that is worth it to you, I can't say; in either case, your Platinum / oneworld Sapphire status will last through 28 Feb 2011 (the following year, if you do not fly sufficiently to maintain status, you would fall back to Gold / Ruby for one year.) The AA status will work with LAN and other oneworld airlines.

You can indeed earn AAdvantage miles on JL, but you will not receive bonus miles other than class-of-service bonus miles for flying in Business.

As to Double Elite Qualifying Miles, you will only earn those on AA aircraft; on JL you will only earn the EQ Miles as miles flown.

The math is easy to do using the Great Circle Mapper. Try this link.

¡Buen viaje!

aktchi

Actually I am not absolutely positive (because of those JL flights) and it is too late in the night for me to do real math...

Later Edit. Next day, more awake, I am positive you'd make PLT even without the challenge. You are doing EZE-MIA-ORD-NRT-DFW-EZE (23.5K miles) on AA, and NRT-SIN-NRT (6.6K miles) on JL. With DBLEQ for the former, that would be enough. However, you'll make the status only when all flights are over and the DBLEQ bonuses post, which could be in January.

OTOH, if you do the challenge, you'd be PLT early, probably during the ORD-NRT flight. This means you'd get double RDM miles for this as well as future flights. You'd also start getting other benefits, such as upgrade stickers, and lounge access (during international travel). For me that would be worth $200, but this is clearly a personal decision.

Of course if you never fly, the status will not matter. However, if you do fly you'd enjoy the PLT benefits. Even if you fail to re-qualify, you'll beocme GOLD after the first year, so you'd have some elite status for at least 2 years.

Don't think too much, just do the challenge, you'd be glad you did.

someday

after june 15 it becomes the year following ie: 2011

Gardyloo

If the Lan flights (trip one) are flown with AA codes, the OP would hit Plat on the return leg of the first trip, earning the plat bonus on that leg as well as both the GIG flights. If flown on the Lan code, the OP wouldn't hit Plat, and therefore wouldn't receive the Plat bonus, until the second leg of the GIG trip.

aktchi

Is this true? I was reading the AAdvantage's JL page https://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do...anAirlines.jsp,
second table "International Flights", and it seems to say that one would earn RDM miles and EQ points, but no EQ miles.

PS. Thanks to dstan and JDiver for clarifying. Looks like one would get EQM's on JL flights.

dstan

I believe that JDiver is referring to the fact that, to qualify for the DBEQM bonus, flights MUST be on AA metal with an AA flight number. JL flights do not qualify for the bonus.

For more info on how to interpret that AA page properly with respect to EQM/EQP/RDM earning on JL, see the wiki. Short answer is that AA presents the information poorly in that table, lumping together EQM and RDM issues, but you will earn EQM if you earn EQP, because the latter are based on the former.

JDiver

It always depends on the fare inventory class flown, of course, but in the Biz cabin on a oneworld airline (other than BA USA - UK) one should earn EQ Miles / E Q Points. No DBLEQ on oneworld, of course, only on AA flown as AA, and no status bonus miles on JL.

The link you post includes

"# JAL is a oneworld® alliance member.
(My emphasis. Posted to clarify for others inquiring about JL and EQx.)