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Original Gold / Plat Challenge Ended 23 Sep '15. Speculation: New program to come?

Original Gold / Plat Challenge Ended 23 Sep '15. Speculation: New program to come?

Old Sep 4, 2015, 12:08 pm
  #1  
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Original Gold / Plat Challenge Ended 23 Sep '15. Speculation: New program to come?

[B]NOTE: The very long-running, unpublished Gold and Platinum elite status challenge, originally documented by member FewMiles, will end at the end of the day 23 December 2015. That is the final day for anyone to complete the "traditional" status challenge.

AA representatives have alluded to a new challenge to be implemented in 2016, but at this time we have no details.


The HELP DESK thread for the challenge is: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ep-2015-a.html
A recent challenge enrollee has posted

Originally Posted by JRRinNC
I just enrolled for a Platinum Challenge for flights I have where I should qualify by mid October. When signing up, the rep told me that it's a good thing I called now as they've just found out they will be closing the challenge program on September 23rd, not taking any more signups after that through at least the end of the year. He said they will have a revamped program starting sometime next year.
It appears we may have continuation of some kind of challenge program, but if the agent was accurate (and given the conditions of the conversation, I tend to give it some weight) it will be in a different form.

Speculation: it'll be more restrictive, as it has had relatively large numbers of sign ups?

Last edited by JDiver; Oct 5, 2015 at 10:44 am Reason: Update
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Old Sep 5, 2015, 4:16 am
  #2  
 
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I am glad I started my challenge this month. The agent didn't say anything to me about it though...Thanks for the heads up. Even with a money based system, the FF program is still much better than delta. Let's hope they don't erode that too..
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Old Sep 5, 2015, 10:28 am
  #3  
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Dear members: this thread is for discussion of the current, open to all, traditional Gold and Olatinum challenge, its potential closure 23 Sep 2015 and possibility, potential shape and form of a revised status challenge to be offered in 2016. (A new thread dealing with that product, including the basics in a wiki, would be established as we have details.)

The LinkedIn all status TARGETED challenge posts have been moved to http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...-targeted.html.

/Moderator
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Old Sep 10, 2015, 7:58 am
  #4  
 
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Originally Posted by AA-Flyer-SAN
The thought of falling from EXP is depressing.......
Yes it does. My biggest fear isnt the minimum dollar spend (because I expect a credit card waiver for minimum spend), it will be earning less EQM on BA flights for lowest buckets. A good chunk of my miles this year came from that and I already have planned 2-3 trips next year on BA.

Does anyone know if they are likely to grandfather in tickets pre-purchased before any changes (ie if I book 2-3 BA trips in their lowest buckets, and they change earnings, am I screwed after the fact)?
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Old Sep 10, 2015, 8:55 am
  #5  
 
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Originally Posted by imapilotaz
Yes it does. My biggest fear isnt the minimum dollar spend (because I expect a credit card waiver for minimum spend), it will be earning less EQM on BA flights for lowest buckets. A good chunk of my miles this year came from that and I already have planned 2-3 trips next year on BA.

Does anyone know if they are likely to grandfather in tickets pre-purchased before any changes (ie if I book 2-3 BA trips in their lowest buckets, and they change earnings, am I screwed after the fact)?
I fear the ba factor too. I have hedged my bets by booking zero ba flights... I doubt they will grandfather the ba flights... Ba themselves only grandfathered their own flights to baec, not aa flights...

If aa changes for 2016 then it will be time to burn the stash of miles I have and reminiss
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Old Sep 10, 2015, 2:08 pm
  #6  
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Originally Posted by imapilotaz
Yes it does. My biggest fear isnt the minimum dollar spend (because I expect a credit card waiver for minimum spend), it will be earning less EQM on BA flights for lowest buckets. A good chunk of my miles this year came from that and I already have planned 2-3 trips next year on BA.

Does anyone know if they are likely to grandfather in tickets pre-purchased before any changes (ie if I book 2-3 BA trips in their lowest buckets, and they change earnings, am I screwed after the fact)?
No insider knowledge here, but I suspect and speculate the way of the future could be a sliding scale on AAdvantage EQM and EQP based on fare purchased that is more in line with BA and IB reduced Avios earning for discounted and highly discounted fares.

In the past, AA has published the old chart with a "Effective for flights flown on or after February 1, 2015" with another chart with "Effective for flights flown on or before January 31, 2015" below it, and some notice given.

This would preclude buying tickets before the change and protecting the base miles and EQP earning if they did this.

There's no way to predict either of these.
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Old Sep 10, 2015, 2:23 pm
  #7  
 
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Reader told me he signed up today for the challenge starting SEP16. Paid $200.

No mention of it ending by the agent.
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Old Sep 10, 2015, 6:36 pm
  #8  
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Originally Posted by gemini573
Thank you. As you can see with that change, they only gave two months. That's all they need. I'm in the camp where I believe the changes will kick in next year....not 2017.
They didn't give out two months notice. That change did not affect the 2015 program year; but the 2016 program year. Anyone who flew 100 segments in 2014 was EXP for the 2015 program year. People were not told in October 2014 that they would need to fly 120 segments (instead of 100) before the end of the year in order to qualify for EXP status in 2015.
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Old Sep 10, 2015, 7:37 pm
  #9  
 
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Originally Posted by Fanjet
They didn't give out two months notice. That change did not affect the 2015 program year; but the 2016 program year. Anyone who flew 100 segments in 2014 was EXP for the 2015 program year. People were not told in October 2014 that they would need to fly 120 segments (instead of 100) before the end of the year in order to qualify for EXP status in 2015.
To be fair, while what you're saying is true - they did give only 2 months notice for Dividend Miles Platinum members that their tier is going away and probably left many scrambling on either retaining only Gold DM status or going for Chairman's, which converted to EXP. So, whereas the other poster's examples may not have been accurate, AA did put a lot of former US DM flyers in a tight spot close to the end of the year right before the busy holiday travel season. In the past, when both DL and UA had transitioned to spending-based programs, they have given plenty of notice - DL announced in February for the following year's change and United in June. Given that it's already September and AA is busy working on putting the final piece together by removing the US Airways brand from the equation, I find it highly suspect that AA will make those changes effective with the 2016 program year. However, as pointed out, they have given short notice before.
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Old Sep 10, 2015, 7:54 pm
  #10  
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Originally Posted by Viajero Millero
Reader told me he signed up today for the challenge starting SEP16. Paid $200.

No mention of it ending by the agent.
Did you ask?

Congratulations. I hope you have an easy path; you will be among the last, at this rate. Less than two weeks left!

For those discussing "AAdvance" notice: In April 2014, they gave no notice.

Others are being told that the 23 September date is accurate and the challenge will be closed for an interim whilst they decide what will replace it - if anything.
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Old Sep 17, 2015, 9:58 am
  #11  
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More members have been told the last day for signing up for the longstanding Gold / Platinum challenge will be September 23, 2025.

After that, no more challenge for the remainder of 2015. A new challenge, requirements unknown, is rumoured for 2016.

The original challenge thread has been retitled, and can be read here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ep-2015-a.html
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Old Sep 17, 2015, 10:34 am
  #12  
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Originally Posted by JDiver
More members have been told the last day for signing up for the longstanding Gold / Platinum challenge will be September 23, 2025.

After that, no more challenge for the remainder of 2015.
Im curious-- and have NO reason to doubt it-- but have there been more than one post on the 9/23 thing? Again, I do NOT doubt it, just was curious if there have been multiple reports.
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Old Sep 17, 2015, 11:30 am
  #13  
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Originally Posted by JonNYC
Im curious-- and have NO reason to doubt it-- but have there been more than one post on the 9/23 thing? Again, I do NOT doubt it, just was curious if there have been multiple reports.
Now I saw the other report (different thread I think.)
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Old Sep 17, 2015, 1:17 pm
  #14  
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Speculation and discussion unrelated to the Challenge about putative future changes to the AAdvantage program have been relocated to the current thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html

This thread is about the impending closure of the current Challenge, extending to possible versions of this program that may be returning in 2016.

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Old Sep 17, 2015, 1:24 pm
  #15  
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Originally Posted by JonNYC
Now I saw the other report (different thread I think.)
Iirc, three members signing up for challenges have been told information that is consistent: the challenge ends September 23 (last enrollment) and remains closed the remainder of 2015.

This thread title began with a question mark, but the information given has been consistent and appears definitive.

It will be interesting to see what might take its place.

Even now, with a five year wait for signing up again, it has reduced the gamers who challenged for Platinum, send it until they "soft landed" to Gold, used that a year, then began the cycle over again.

But I'd guess upper management felt they were handing out too many elite status cards to potential valued flyers who proved to be less than high value customers.
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