Congrats!

The second MM is easier (partially thanks to FT and the tricks you learn here!).

Switching Loyalties
 

Once you reach lifetime elite status switching to another airline could make sense if your only objective is obtaining elite status with them as well. Personally, I think the message this sends to AA Management has a greater value.

I recently sent a detailed correspondence to AA concerning the last 34 flight segments I have flown since June 1, 2007. I detailed the fact that all but one of these flights had either been delayed or canceled, and my status with AA did nothing to prevent me from getting bumped (literally taken off a plane), downgraded from first to coach, stranded for two days in Dallas, and having to rent a car to sleep in due to all the hotels being sold out by the time AA figured out where they were going to route me to.

The response I received from AA was that I should never rely upon their staff at the airports to take care of me, but always call the Platinum or Executive Platinum toll free numbers. According to the executive offices at AA, the personnel at the airport have no visibility to top-tier customer status, which is apparently a different factor than your Aadvantage status alone.

has anyone else heard of this?

welcome to FT!

yes, always call the EXP line. Particularly during ireg ops.

Forgive me for asking I'm having a difficult time finding the answer in search however I'm sure somebody has the link.

What is the 1M status based on? See, somebody was talking about eshopping bonuses. I thought you had to have 1,000,000 miles flown. Lets say somebody has flown 400,000 as a Platinum (earned 800,000 miles) and has earned 200,000 miles through the credit card, eShopping, Dining, etc., they've earned a million miles (but their account is say 250,000 because they've burned miles) do they get the 1M designation? See my confusion.

Sorry to ask, I'm sure this has been covered before.

Everything counts towards MM Status.

But what is the difference in elite status (i.e.: Platinum, Exec. Platinum) and "Top Tier" customer status, and why is the visibility of said status limited to the phone reps?

That would be the case if you were a UA flyer.

Tom taking in the sun in North Lake Tahoe this afternoon

Time to go read the membership guides on the AA website:
http://www.aa.com/content/AAdvantage...tus/main.jhtml

Okay, this is very interesting, I didn't know this. With Delta and with some other airlines you can be carrying a balance over 1,000,000 and if you're status has elapsed you are no more elite than the priceline passenger who has never been on an airplane. It sounds like American awards 1M status for people who have earned 1M miles over the life of the AAdvantage program, I didn't know this. I'm not spitting distance but I'm not that far either. Even more incentive to stick with American.

During irregular ops, a GA has limited options, and is a single person dealing with a long line. Status helps in floating towards the top in stand-by situations and the like.

But if you call the phone reps, there are gobs of them, and your elite status makes your call picked up faster, and then they can deal with you immediately (like I've done on a cell phone while being physically 50th or more in a long like at the gate, and being able to catch a flight leaving far earlier than I could have reached the front of that line at my original gate).

That is what is meant.

Steve

I noticed the email does not mention lifetime gold status. What about the written statement you might have received?

Hmm, does the email mention that something along the lines of "you'll be getting a letter in the mail..." IIRC, lifetime GLD is mentioned in the letter that arrives w/the luggage tags.

I believe Gold and Platinum for life are still part of the 1M and 2M accomplishment - but the OP never told us what his letter said when he received the packet, so we can only speculate about the wording.

As to the wording in the e-mail, I think it's just fine as it is. What else does one want to hear in a form letter anyway? (Perhaps the briefness and presumed lack of enthusiasm reflect a certain ambivalence within AA management about this lifetime status for miles from all sources thing?)

I 2nd that. All I really care about it is the goodies that mean something.. and the level of service I get from AA on my trips. Not the email itself..other than it confirms that it's in the system that I've crossed the mark.

Just got the email this week myself for crossing 1M, and I didn't have a sense of disappointment. Havn't seen the packet in the mail yet, so I'll be curious to see the hard copy letter.

I also understand why AA is not gonna give details about the benfits this gives in an email. Not offically published benefit and always subject to change. Email's that can be fowarded everywhere would only compromise the program.

At about 950K lifetime miles, my employer decided to "move" me to Belfast. I stayed there for about 6 months, crossed the 1 MM mark and received 4 e-VIPs because of my foreign address. I didn't care about what the e-mail said, all I cared about was the 4 e-VIPs and my new EXP card with the 1 MM mark.

Amazingly enough I was told to go back home right after I crossed the 1MM marker.

Amazing how things just work differently for everybody. ;)