Azulcactus

Whether it is worth it or not is really up to you. The main benefits of PLT over GLD are the higher priority for upgrades, standby, etc. Also OW lounge access if you fly internationally, and a 100% mileage bonus (opposed to 25%).

If you aren't going to fly enough to make good use of those benefits, then it may not be worth it. If you know about what you expect to fly, you can put a hard cost on the extra bonus miles you'll get (2 cents is common), and a reasonably hard cost on the OW lounge access (say, $30 per visit to cover the cost of shower, food, drink, wifi, and sanity that you may have purchased). See how much of your $900+challenge fee is then covered by your benefits and whether it is worth it.

vasantn

Dated terminology, but I think you mean Q-points; not Q-miles (although in this case they are the same).

janetdoe

It sounds like you've already decided to have a vacation with a companion in HNL. Given those facts, and assuming your prices do not include challenge fees, I would choose gold challenge for these reasons:

1) Throwing in two extra transcons in coach is not the best way to start and end a vacation, especially if both people are not equally excited about the idea
2) The benefits of doing the gold challenge (free checked luggage, priority access, choosing better seats) are far more valuable that the incremental benefits of platinum
3) If you really decide you want plat, you can probably find a way to get 2500 additional points for less than $400 if you look hard enough. (e.g. dfw-ord-sea is 5k miles, so even in a fare class that will earn 0.5 points per mile, that would work.)

bts09

I agree here. If you want plat, I think you can do it more cheaply, assuming you're willing to spend the extra time flying (which probably won't be too much more than your proposed trip anyway). I probably disagree that the incremental benefits of platinum are not worth it, however. Your chances of upgrades, IMO, go up exponentially as a plat to a gold--and the bonus miles are valuable, though if you really don't fly enough to requalify as gold on your own, you have to wonder if the cost of getting plat (probably $700) is worth it at all. If you don't plan to fly more than 25k next year, well, it really might not be worth it. I'm spending about $1000 to make sure I requalify as exp over plt, but for me, those incremental benefits are well worth $1000.

davidsteverson

Greetings, everyone. Just wanted to stop by and say thanks to everyone for the good advice on the gold/platinum challenge. I travel overseas 4 times a year and at least 2 are usually on American. I also have several domestic trips a year. I made gold on my own so signed up for the platinum challenge prior to a recent trip to Bangkok and it worked just like everyone said it would. They calculated my miles and as soon as everything was posted, I was platinum after the Bangkok to Tokyo leg of the return trip and received the 100% bonus on the Tokyo to DFW leg as well as bonus miles for the elite challenge. My wife usually accompanies me (at my expense - my travel is business) so I signed her up as well so she now is receiving 100% bonus miles which will add up to many more miles for her to use on her travel. It's nice when something works just as advertised. Thanks everyone.

billgrates3

fyi - since I reached PLT by challenge early in 2006 (thanks, FTers for that!!) I've convinced 7 of my colleagues, i.e. all but one of those who travel, to do the challenge to gain AA status. One of those was a Skyteam mid-tier, two were either UAMP 1K or PE. There's only one 1K holdout who hasn't done the challenge ... but she will probably get GLD just from travel SFO-PAP this year.

Final total at the end of this year (most likely) among my org's 10 travelers:
EXP = 2 (one is me, and I'm also LTPLT)
PLT = 4
GLD = 2
holdouts = 2 (one of these two just had a baby and ain't going places, much)

All of us do travel on AA/BA much more now than in 2006. Shouldn't AA give me some love?

allset2travel

As mentioned up-post, worth it or not is up to you. It depends on how much travel is in the pipeline after attaining PLT. How much of that is international? Read about the PLT bennies, and see how much of that you can in fact benefit from.

Hi5z

I have read alot about the elite status both on aa, flyertalk and flyerguide, but maybe I read too much or maybe my comprehension skill is not quite up to the bar or whatever. I know membership year starts on March 1 to Feb 28 and elite qualifying year starts on Jan 1 to Dec 31. I also know the June 16 is the cut off time for determine the period of elite status. So if I successfully hit 25,000 miles before June 16, my gold elite period will be from the date I hit 25,000 miles to Feb 28 of next year. If I successfully hit 25,000 miles after June 16, my gold elite period will be from the date I hit 25,000 miles and the entire next year to Feb 28 of the next next year.

Now, here comes the questions. If I took the elite status challenge after 06/16/2010, let's say 12/01/2010, and successfully completed challenge for gold/platinum within 3 month, let's say 01/25/2011, my elite status will be from 01/25/2011 to 02/28/2012.

1. Now the elite status accured mileage resets every year in Jan 1, since my challenge starts on 12/01/2010 and I have 3 month to complete the challenge, will the elite status mileage not reset in Jan 1 allowing me to complete my challenge or will it reset and my challenge will be incomplete?

2. If I were able to complete my challenge the mileage didn't reset on Jan 1 and I successfully got my gold/platinum elite, that mean I will have entire 2011 and first 2 month of 2012. How do I maintain my elite status then? Will the elite mileage I accured during the challenge in the begining of 2011 count towards the maintenace of elite status for next year if I were able to accure 25,000/50,000 mileage before 02/28/2012? Say for example, I got 50,000 elite mileage on 12/01/2011, will I be able to extend my elite period to 02/28/2013?

3. According to flyerguide, "to attain AAdvantage elite status, you must fly at least four American Airlines or American Eagle® flights within the qualifying year", I thought I saw somewhere stating 4 qualifying segments or does 4 flights apply to challenge only?

Thx for any replies.

pandaperth

Just a (pedantic) item to start – you keep saying elite MILES – for the challenge what matters are elite qualifying POINTS (EQP). For gaining status the regular way – any of EQP/EQM/EQS can get you there (points, miles, segments)
The June 16 cut off is ONLY for challenges. For achieving status the regular way, you have all calendar year to achieve the EQP/EQM/EQS required for status. And the status will last until last day of Feb of the year AFTER next. For example achieve Gold status the regular way on Oct 1 2010 - status will last until Feb 29 2012.
It will actually be until 2/29/2012 – it’s a leap year
I am not certain of the answer, but I have not seen anything in this thread that says the challenge EQP counter resets on Jan 1st and therefore I suspect it does not. Of course your regular EQP/EQM/EQS counters do reset to zero.
The EQP that you accrue in early 2011 still count towards your total regular EQP for calendar 2011, as well as having them count towards your challenge
You’re welcome

Hi5z

Thx for clearing some up, I meant EQP for challenge, mixed it up during the typing. Anyway, let's move the challenge aside, hope someone might have a definite answer(I did call AAdvantage once, 20 min hold, didn't get an answer), I did get some answer from AA not sure if they are right. AA did mention a cut off date for EQM/Segments qualification somewhere in June or July which I forgot. Because if the there is no cut off time and I get 25,000 miles(no challenge) on 12/31/2010, that means I only have 2 months worth of elite until 02/29/2011 and 2 month time from 01/01/2011 to 02/29/2011 for requalification for 2011.

amrom

Hi all, Question i thought would be relevant to this forum:
If I become gold after earning 25000 miles after a flight on October 10, till when will the gold elite status be valid for?

Hagbard Viking

If you reach Gold via 25,000 EQM by 12/31/2010 your status will be good until 2/29/2012. You will then have the whole calendar year 2011 to requalify, which if successful, will give you status until 2/28/2013, and so on...

pandaperth

You will be Gold from October 10, 2010 through to February 29, 2012

amrom

Ok thanks.
Now what if I get 50k enough to become platinum, if I only earn another 25k in 2011 When im already gold, will another 25k be enough or from the beginning 50k?

Hi5z

thx for clearifying. Is there no cut off time? u said I would have whole 2011 to requalify, so if I hit 25,000 miles in 01/31/2011, does that mean my status gets extended from 02/29/2012 to 02/28/2013?