HELP DESK & FAQ: Gold and Platinum Status Challenge
 

Note: if you have the wikipost option turned off, you may activate wikiposts by clicking on the [+] in the far right of the wikipost blue bar menu just at the top of this thread.

A new Challenge operated in 2016, but has now been superseded by a yet newer 2017 Challenge, which includes 1) earning EQM OR EQS minima, 2) an EQD component, and 3) a pay for interim status option. It appears this newer iteration allows challenging for Gold or Platinum, but presumably still not Platinum Pro or Executive Platinum.

We know there is a new AAdvantage elite status challenge for 2017; we do not know all the details yet, but we know the basics (thanks to danbrew and raghavchadha). As the information is clarified in this thread by members' contributions and updates, you will be able to read about and discuss further details here - and the Wikipost will be updated.

NOTE the Wikipost is "community property" - it is not the "job" of Moderators or anyone else to update Wikis. A Wikipost may be updated / edited by any FT member with 90 days on FT and 90 posts on FT.

NOTE: Until late 2015, American Airlines offered a status challenge, a shortcut, to AAdvantage Gold and Platinum status available to all AAdvantage members. (AA did not generally offer "matches" to status.) You can read an abbreviated history below, and the archived thread about the challenge here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ec-2015-a.html (link)

The original Gold and Platinum challenges ended in September of 2015. AA employees stated then that a new AAdvantage status challenge was in the works for 2016. You can read more about it here:

OBSOLETE: HELP DESK & FAQ: 2016 AA Elite Status Challenge

Thank you for your contributions to our knowledge base.

/Your American Airlines | AAdvantage forum Moderator team

2018 (February) version of Challenge email sent Challengers (thanks to louienet):

Elite Status Challenge and Flyertalk History

The now defunct original AAdvantage elite Gold and Platinum status challenge is archived; thread can be read here.

The original EQ Points based challenge lasted a number of years. It was AFAIK first documented systematically by FT member FewMiles, who had it on his own web pages with other status-earning information.

The first FT thread about the challenge was started 17 Dec 1998: The Elite Challenge

On a fateful day, 26 Jun 2000, FewMiles asked about taking the challenge in this post; fish on! ;)

On 27 Oct 2000, FewMiles starts a new thread announcing a web page for his Unofficial guide to AAdvantage - elite status, Gold/Plat challenge ... on webflyer.com, later moved to shaw.ca. As these existed before web archiving was common, no record exists with Wayback Machine, etc.

It appears this program has been selected by the new management to continue going forward so AA can offer a shortcut to status that they possibly feel is more rewarding (to AA) and effective than merely handing out status matches to anyone with status in another airline / alliance.

In 2016, a revised Challenge was offered, as covered in this thread

Thanks to danbrew, louienet and raghavchadha for your contributions

Apologies, but I just want to be doubly sure of my options re: Status Exceptions.

I took a status match challenge last year and hit platinum, which will be expiring this month. Living in NY I did all my flying on Delta and hit DM for 2018. Now it looks like we will be moving to Miami in April this year -- would I be able to do any sort of matching/challenging to AA as it would be a much more useful program to have status on over there? Many thanks

I'm in a broadly similar situation and my understanding is that we can't use a challenge to retain status. I did a bit of AA flying this year but fell short of gold. Take a look at whether they e-mailed you an offer to buy back your status. I was offered gold buy-back for $699 and Plat for $1299.

There's a whole thread on the range of offers people in different circumstances got for that bought-back retention or soft landing. YMMV.

IMO, it’s highly unlikely you will be allowed to challenge again this year. But do as pigeonbutler says, if you got close to earning Platinum last year.

I have the same offer. I am tempted especially as I have a $200 rebate for incidental airline fees on my business amex -- (i wonder whether this counts?)

How can you calculate EQM's & EQD's for a flight? Im in my account on AA.com "Your Trip" for DFW-KOA, J ticket, $2,256

Im sure its easy and remember seeing the EQM information when booking but I didn't write it down and don't know about EQD, is there a way to looking at my future reservations to calculate my total?

It's staring me right in the face but I don't know where to look.

EQMs are simply the distance between the origin and destination and EQDs are the fare of the ticket. If you pay $100 for a ticket where the fare is $65 and taxes are $35, you'll earn 65 EQDs. The fare information is usually listed on the booking management page.

There is also the J multiplier on the EQMs. AA doesn't list the mileage anymore but there are several web sites that are pretty close. You can get BA's version by feeding the flight to their Avios calculator.

This is one way DFW-KOA. I don't understand the EQM. Appears that it's 2X the milage, but is that a rule for all F travel? Seems weird they don't list out the info like on United's website.

EQM-7,450
Segment- 1
EQD's- $1,177
Award Miles-9,416

AA does list the information out when you're booking, but they do - strangely - not show it afterwards. All domestic J tickets award 2 EQM per mile flown (3 EQM/mile flown for full-fare J and F), netting you 7,448 EQMs (3,724 miles flown) per gcmap.com for DFW-KOA.

The EQM information is here: https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...n-airlines.jsp
As potus18 points out, they do list the details when you are buying the ticket (if you buy it on AA.com) but, like the fare rules, it disappears after that.

So, after a 10 year hiatus from travel I've landed a new consulting gig which is going to significantly increase my time on the road. Since I'm based out of PHX and most of my travel is going to be domestic with some runs on BA to LHR it made the most sense to go with AA instead of UA this time around.

I enrolled in the challenge today and booked my first trip. Before the 3 months is up I anticipate approximately 20K EQM and $3000 - $4000 EQD. Based on the thresholds for the Gold and Plat levels I figured this should put me in range of Plat Pro easily. I asked the agent I spoke to about the availability of a Plat Pro challenge and she said, "well there's an option in the system for it, but it doesn't do anything. I'm not sure if/when this will be offered. Might be a few months out."

She was very well-versed in the programs, but admitted that her primary job was email rather than phone support and she was just filling in today.

Has anyone else heard about an upcoming Plat Pro challenge? My first flight isn't for 10 days and if this is something that's going to be available I'd love to see if I'd be able to do that option instead. Based on my planned travel for the year I should hit Plat Pro with no issues in the last quarter. Might even hit Ex Plat.

As of today the fees are:

Plat Challenge: $200
Plat Challenge w/ Interim Gold: $400
Plat Challenge w/ Interim Plat: $500

Is a gold challenge still $140 w/o status? I'm debating whether to bother. Have a trip planned in a week or so in PE, so whilst that will get me gold back for this year, the question is whether there is any great benefit over just flying w/o status in PE? If I stump up for the plat challenge w/o status, do I get gold after I pass that challenge threshold?

Short term reader, first time poster.

Enrolled in a gold challenge a week ago, which should be realised by next Wednesday.

Cost $120 with no status in the interim.

7,000 EQM + 1,000 EQD

Or

8 EQS + 1,000 EQD

Currently sitting at 1,036 EQD, 4,930 EQM and 6 EQS with another 937 EQM, circa 150 EQD and 1 EQS to add. And another 1,000 EQM, 500 EQD and 2 EQS next week.

Unfortunately, my travel is all fits and starts depending on projects, and always flying economy / PE if international. So unlikely to get above Gold / Plat.

Annoyingly didn't realise about challenges until the start of this year, as I would have taken one sooner, had I realised.

Welcome to FT! The thing about the challenge, as you probably know, is that you can't do it very often. It's a good way to get status early if your flying pattern changes so that you will be able to maintain it or to regain it if you have an off year.