Jun 8, 2016, 12:18 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
What are AAdvantage Platinum Pro Benefits? Are they worth it?
NOTE: AAdvantage Platinum Pro elite status became available 1/1/2017.Platinum Pro status requirements: in one calendar year, earn $9,000 EQD*, AND earn 75,000 EQ Miles or fly 90 EQ Segments.
*See FT: Earning EQD / Elite Qualifying Dollars on AA and partner airlines (2017 on)
Status will last the status year earned and the following status year. (Platinum Pro status earned in 2017 will last through 31 Jan 2019.)
Preferred benefits:
- Complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred Seats (extends to up to 8 traveling companions)
- Two (2) free checked bags (extends to all traveling companions same PNR)
- Free Same Day Flight Change (SDFC)
- Minimum mileage guarantee (EQM only)
- Earn 9 Award Miles per "fare dollar" spent (fare & carrier imposed fees, not taxes, etc.)
- Business class lounge access longhaul international and MEX** (see below)
- oneworld Sapphire benefits (see below)
Airport benefits
- Priority through the airport at check-in, security and boarding
- Checked bag fee waived for two (2) bags
- Priority baggage delivery
- Complimentary same-day standby
- Complimentary same-day flight change
- Discounted Admirals Club® membership
Upgrade benefits (on AA)
- Flights 500 miles or less: Unlimited, auto-requested complimentary upgrades*
- Flights over 500 miles: Complimentary "domestic" (North & Central America, Caribbean) upgrades
- Upgrade one companion traveling with you on the same flight with 500-mile upgrades*
- Upgrades confirmed before departure (as early as) 72 hours
- *Upgrades are valid on American marketed and operated flights, within and between the U.S. (including Hawaii) and between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Bermuda and Central America (based on availability). Upgrades are valid from the Main Cabin to the next class of service.
- Platinum Pro members will not earn four 500-mile upgrades as you get unlimited domestic upgrades (UDU).
Other benefits
- "Exclusive service desk" (actual prioritized number to Reservations lines)
- Complimentary preferred seats (extends to up to 8 traveling companions)
- Complimentary Main Cabin Extra seats (extends to up to 8 traveling companions)
- Exclusive partner offers
Award benefits
- Award processing charge waived (awards within 21 days of travel)
- Special discounts on hotel and car awards
- N.B. Extended award availability is only an Executive Platinum benefit
oneworld benefits*
- oneworld priority check-in and standby
- oneworld priority boarding
- oneworld partner lounge access** Business Class and frequent flyer lounges
*oneworld benefits are available only to passengers on scheduled flights that are both marketed and operated by a oneworld member airline (marketed means that there must be a oneworld member airline flight number on your ticket).
**Access to Qantas Domestic Business Lounges excluded. AAdvantage member access to American Airlines lounges excluded (regardless of status or class of service) if traveling within North America or between the U.S., Canada, Mexico (except Mexico City), the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
Alaska Airlines Benefits ended 1/1/2018
Can only earn EQ on AA codeshares and AS International flights
Link to aa.com guide to AAdvantage Elite benefits (all levels)
Updated 16 Jan 2018 - JDiver
What are AA Platinum Pro Benefits? Are they worth it? (master thread)
Jan 10, 2017, 10:46 am
#76
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: AA Exec PLT
Posts: 8
Welcome to FT, mathnlaw!
I am guessing that those of us in the 75K+ category are the first to receive this "opportunity." We knew it wouldn't be free, but I agree that $899 is offensive.
What I find annoying as well is that this wasn't cast as a "renew" opportunity, since we did fulfill the requirements last year, but rather as a "boost."
( Edit: I now see much more commentary about this on the renew/boost thread )
I am guessing that those of us in the 75K+ category are the first to receive this "opportunity." We knew it wouldn't be free, but I agree that $899 is offensive.
What I find annoying as well is that this wasn't cast as a "renew" opportunity, since we did fulfill the requirements last year, but rather as a "boost."
( Edit: I now see much more commentary about this on the renew/boost thread )
Jan 10, 2017, 10:47 am
#77
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: AA PLT PRO, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plt. Premier
Posts: 587
I got the same offer, no thanks, I will be a free agent after this snafu most of my flights are short anyway hops on business so the 1st upgrade is not that important. AA can can say goodbye to my 20K of spend.
Jan 10, 2017, 10:50 am
#78
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: AA Exec PLT
Posts: 8
That's kind of how I feel, personally. If I want or need business/first, I book it. And that's fairly often for my business travel. So, the upgrades aren't that big to me, but would be nice for my personal travel. More, it's the flexibility in travel changes. And, admittedly, it just rubs me the wrong way.
Jan 10, 2017, 11:25 am
#80
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: AA PLT PRO, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plt. Premier
Posts: 587
That's kind of how I feel, personally. If I want or need business/first, I book it. And that's fairly often for my business travel. So, the upgrades aren't that big to me, but would be nice for my personal travel. More, it's the flexibility in travel changes. And, admittedly, it just rubs me the wrong way.
Jan 10, 2017, 11:34 am
#81
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: AA Exec PLT
Posts: 8
Yeah, exactly. And my home is DFW, so getting one more level ahead of me is going to negatively impact my PLT experience even though the status I qualified for was the status right below EXP (and would have qualified for that if I could have gotten PLT+). And it's not even that there is a cost to boost, it's that the cost is ridiculous.
Jan 10, 2017, 11:41 am
#82
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: LON/SYD
Programs: AA EXP, SK *G, EY Gold
Posts: 4
Jan 10, 2017, 12:12 pm
#83
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 214
Mathnlaw - can you please report back and let us know what happens if you call AA to discuss the offer? I completely understand charging for a boost to PPro for the folks under 75k, but I can't possibly begin to understand why they are charging $900 to fliers who were OVER the 75k threshold. This isn't a boost...we already hit the minimum requirement. They really need to fix this!
Jan 10, 2017, 12:14 pm
#84
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: AA Exec PLT
Posts: 8
Mathnlaw - can you please report back and let us know what happens if you call AA to discuss the offer? I completely understand charging for a boost to PPro for the folks under 75k, but I can't possibly begin to understand why they are charging $900 to fliers who were OVER the 75k threshold. This isn't a boost...we already hit the minimum requirement. They really need to fix this!
Jan 10, 2017, 12:21 pm
#85
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: IHG Spire Elite, Marriott Titanium, AA Plat, WN A-List Preferred
Posts: 267
I had about 60k EQM and got offered a boost for $1749.
If I had over 75k last year I'd be pretty salty to see that flyers who hadn't flown 75k EQM were getting PlatPro over me (even if the price is ridiculous).
If I had over 75k last year I'd be pretty salty to see that flyers who hadn't flown 75k EQM were getting PlatPro over me (even if the price is ridiculous).
Jan 10, 2017, 12:28 pm
#86
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 58
I had only 37k EQM last year, but 74 EQS.
The same day confirmed flight change would have been nice a few times last year, but certainly not $1749 nice.
Jan 10, 2017, 1:44 pm
#87
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Beantown! (BOS)
Programs: AA PtPro (2 MM); Hilton Diamond; Hertz President Cr; DL SkyMiles; UA MileagePlus
Posts: 3,438
I also got an offer today to boost my status to Platinum Pro. I had 64,000 EQM and 51 EQS last year and asking me $1749 for the boost to Platinum Pro.
Jan 10, 2017, 2:01 pm
#88
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: american
Posts: 13
I took the deal for $1749. I'm plat with 75 EQS last year but barely 50K EQMS. I fly ORD-LGA almost weekly (on personal travel), and will never reach Plat exec under current requirements. I may hit plat pro. With this, I get the upgrades without the stickers (which are much more difficult to earn because of the reduction in miles credited for flying), and the same day confirmed flight changes which are crucial.
Platinum just doesn't get you upgraded that much anymore. Now I can book the lowest fare for the day, 9 out of 10 times get the same day change (as opposed to 50% success rate on standby and a middle seat in row 26) , and get complimentary upgrades from the date of booking. The fare differences between a day fare and night fare can be easily $200. Between the savings on fares, and not having to buy upgrades because I don't earn them fast enough, make my $1750 back easy. Seems to me a no-brainer for my situation, IMHO.
Platinum just doesn't get you upgraded that much anymore. Now I can book the lowest fare for the day, 9 out of 10 times get the same day change (as opposed to 50% success rate on standby and a middle seat in row 26) , and get complimentary upgrades from the date of booking. The fare differences between a day fare and night fare can be easily $200. Between the savings on fares, and not having to buy upgrades because I don't earn them fast enough, make my $1750 back easy. Seems to me a no-brainer for my situation, IMHO.
Last edited by fkhan11; Jan 10, 2017 at 2:13 pm
Jan 10, 2017, 2:10 pm
#89
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: IHG Spire Elite, Marriott Titanium, AA Plat, WN A-List Preferred
Posts: 267
Now I can book the lowest fare for the day, 9 out of 10 times get the same day change (as opposed to 50% success rate on standby and a middle seat in row 26) , and get complimentary upgrades from the date of booking. The fare differences between a day fare and night fare can be easily $200. Make my $1750 back easy. Seems to me a no-brainer for my situation, IMHO.
Jan 10, 2017, 2:29 pm
#90
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Beantown! (BOS)
Programs: AA PtPro (2 MM); Hilton Diamond; Hertz President Cr; DL SkyMiles; UA MileagePlus
Posts: 3,438