Jul 25, 2017, 10:25 am
Last edit by: Prospero
How Can I Achieve ConciergeKeySM / "CK" Program
(Concierge Key is by invitation only)
(Concierge Key is by invitation only)
NOTE: For issues relating to services provision for CK members, changes in offerings and all other issues pertaining to current Concierge Key members, please see AA Concierge Key / ConciergeKey / CK members (master thread) thread
"The ConciergeKey Program is an exclusive program that American Airlines has for our very top customers. This is by invitation only and a very exclusive club." (Billy Sanez for AA) You can not apply for CK; you must be nominated and invited. According to member Gino Troian, reviews and decisions ~July, December.
ConciergeKey Services are provided to a select group of VIPs to facilitate travel on AA. The program is offered on an invitation basis only and is targeted at customers who control travel policy for large organizations. Customers who generate a high amount of revenue for AA may also be invited into this program (possibly those who spend upwards of US$60k a year on travel with AA).
Possible ways to gain CK, remembering that as the criteria are not published this is somewhat speculative, based on having several CKs posting here and some members knowing several CKs (in no particular order):
- Arranger of travel with corporate travel contract with AA
- Influencer of travel with Fortune 1,000
- True VIP with significant recognition within an industry or profession
- Air Pass with $60,000 or more prepaid travel
- VFF EXP with high EQD ($75k?) and many high fare flights p.a. on AA
- Nominated by "sales" at AA (may dovetail with immediately above)
- Be sent a targeted "challenge" by AA instead of an invitation (see below)
According to Emily McNutt of The Points Guy, July 19, 2017 (link), AA has selected some high achievers to send a "challenge" type of CK invitation (offer closed 21 Jul 2017).
The offer required the invitee to earn 16,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs) on AA marketed or operated flights within the next 90 days in order to get Concierge Key status; successful completion receive Concierge Key through January 2019.
"According to one FlyerTalk user who was targeted, they have 65,000 EQDs (54,000 on AA-operated flights) and 223,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs)." We don't know if AA will make this offer in the future.
SERVICES: Services provided include airport escorts, Cadillac apron or golf cart transfers, pre-boarding (seems variable, more likely during OSO?); assistance with flight changes, seat changes, and upgrade requests via their own dedicated telephone line. In addition, there is the ability to communicate directly with ConciergeKey associates via a dedicated email address. ConciergeKeySM representatives will also monitor day of travel of ConciergeKey members and will proactively reroute or rebook travel when necessary. ConciergeKey status allows check-in at First Class counters, as well as access to elite lines through security at certain airports. Miles and copay upgrades with copay waived. CK are First in upgrade and reaccommodation Priority, over EP.
ConciergeKey members receive AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, membership to the Admirals Club, international miles upgrades with copayment waived, as well as two additional System-Wide Upgrades (SWU's) as part of CK membership. (From our FlyerGuide AA Wiki page)
CK members have access to Flagship Check-in on any flight. It has been said unofficially CK will have Flagship Lounge access when flying.
As of 1 Jan 2017, Concierge Key members have upgrade requests prioritized over all other tiers: CK members have an upgrade window of (up to) 120 hours (Executive Platinum member's will retain the 100 hour upgrade window). CK members are pre-boarded ahead of other passengers.
Regarding Concierge Key tier benefits coming in 2017, please see: New Concierge Key Benefits for 2017: New CK Elite Status Tier
Boarding Area's AAdvantageGeek's blog shows the card and documents here.
Previous threads:
ConciergeKey AA Premium Service (ARCHIVED)
ARCHIVED: AA Concierge Key / ConciergeKey / CK (2014 consolidated)
Updated 25 Jul 2017 by JDiver
How do I make / making AA Concierge Key / ConciergeKey / CK? (master thread
Sep 25, 2018, 6:38 pm
#196
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Executive Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,663
Sep 26, 2018, 6:54 am
#197
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
Its my understanding you get invited only if you are a very high dollar spend (I'd think even probably closer to $50K a year) or a corporate travel manager that agrees to give AA "X" amount of business.
Sep 26, 2018, 9:02 am
#199
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Sep 26, 2018, 12:18 pm
#201
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
I assume that if your job no longer provides for extensive paid premium or you are no longer in the role of big corporate travel manager you'd lose it. Years ago there was a poster on FT that was former CK and from his post he wasn't happy about the experience (IIRC it was around the 2008-2011 time frame when lots of high rollers were being shuttered to the unemployment rolls.)
Sep 26, 2018, 1:38 pm
#202
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Malibu, CA
Programs: AA CK / Marriott Worthless Ambassador
Posts: 1,158
I lost it.
I lost it after two years. They never notified me. It just disappeared and they clearly stopped caring. I wrote them an email and they acknowledged I lost it.
Maybe went from $50k eqd to $30k eqd
never given a challenge to get it back so just made exp and then I buy premium on other airlines.
Maybe went from $50k eqd to $30k eqd
never given a challenge to get it back so just made exp and then I buy premium on other airlines.
Sep 26, 2018, 3:47 pm
#203
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: New Hampshire
Programs: AA EXP Hilton Diamond
Posts: 543
You don't have to be a corporate travel manager. I work for a very large corporation, home office in Texas. We fly lot's of people around. It's my understanding that AA given CK to a number of executives not just travel managers.
Sep 26, 2018, 3:52 pm
#204
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
Im sure it’s both. Anyone is a decent size company with enough air travel that has influence in choice of airline.
Sep 26, 2018, 9:12 pm
#205
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Oct 5, 2018, 3:41 pm
#206
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 2
Thoughts on odds of CK invite?
Hi all,
I've read through the entire thread and I'm wondering if you can give me your opinion on if you think I'll be invited to CK this upcoming year. I'm going to close out the year with 46 segments on AA (or AA codeshare booked as AA) flights and 3 more flights on OW carriers. My total spend (fare and carrier fees) on all 49 flights is ~$50,400 and actual miles flown 113,000, whereas my EQM will be ~194,000. Only 2250 of the actual miles flown were not AA. In both calculations, it comes out to $0.45/mile. I fly 4-5 transatlantic in Business (I/J fare), 2x to deep South America (D/R fare), and a lot around the US, Canada, Caribbean, Central America.
I've been EXP for a few years now, so this isn't a one off year.
Thanks!
I've read through the entire thread and I'm wondering if you can give me your opinion on if you think I'll be invited to CK this upcoming year. I'm going to close out the year with 46 segments on AA (or AA codeshare booked as AA) flights and 3 more flights on OW carriers. My total spend (fare and carrier fees) on all 49 flights is ~$50,400 and actual miles flown 113,000, whereas my EQM will be ~194,000. Only 2250 of the actual miles flown were not AA. In both calculations, it comes out to $0.45/mile. I fly 4-5 transatlantic in Business (I/J fare), 2x to deep South America (D/R fare), and a lot around the US, Canada, Caribbean, Central America.
I've been EXP for a few years now, so this isn't a one off year.
Thanks!
Oct 5, 2018, 5:57 pm
#207
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
Why on Earth did I just read this whole thread?
Seriously, I know I'm not anywhere in the distant horizon of CK material. I'm a 16k rolling EQD slumming EXP who never bought a J seat in my life! Well for money anyway...hell I've flown the apartments for miles. Whatever, point is it's not in the cards. There was just no conceivable benefit I'd get from reading all this.
Was it just higher-status-voyerism? Or just my lust for analytics for its own sake? These are both strong possibilities.
We may never know. But now I have thoughts:
1. It seems really obvious from the thread that the answer isn't that complicated. You want high spend, and after that the lowest miles/segments possible, right? Lots of the posts totally get this and some even get into the math, but the general awareness seems really low. I've got some posts, but am still a bit uncertain going and poking at wikis; do folks round here think it would be useful to add something like "EQD/BIS and EQD/EQS may be good metrics to look at" or similar to the wiki? It still kinda reads like it's a straight spend thing, which is pretty clearly not accurate.
2. Considering the process to get it, I find myself underwhelmed by the whole concept of CK. Near as I can tell, you pretty much have to be buying J/F tickets all the time; I'm only in this status game for the upgrades! I mean the Cadillac thing is cool...
3. Ol' cupcake just above me seems like he's right on the cusp, yes? Maybe a hair low?
And to all those out there angling for it: best of luck! I'll be right behind you (at boarding time).
Seriously, I know I'm not anywhere in the distant horizon of CK material. I'm a 16k rolling EQD slumming EXP who never bought a J seat in my life! Well for money anyway...hell I've flown the apartments for miles. Whatever, point is it's not in the cards. There was just no conceivable benefit I'd get from reading all this.
Was it just higher-status-voyerism? Or just my lust for analytics for its own sake? These are both strong possibilities.
We may never know. But now I have thoughts:
1. It seems really obvious from the thread that the answer isn't that complicated. You want high spend, and after that the lowest miles/segments possible, right? Lots of the posts totally get this and some even get into the math, but the general awareness seems really low. I've got some posts, but am still a bit uncertain going and poking at wikis; do folks round here think it would be useful to add something like "EQD/BIS and EQD/EQS may be good metrics to look at" or similar to the wiki? It still kinda reads like it's a straight spend thing, which is pretty clearly not accurate.
2. Considering the process to get it, I find myself underwhelmed by the whole concept of CK. Near as I can tell, you pretty much have to be buying J/F tickets all the time; I'm only in this status game for the upgrades! I mean the Cadillac thing is cool...
3. Ol' cupcake just above me seems like he's right on the cusp, yes? Maybe a hair low?
And to all those out there angling for it: best of luck! I'll be right behind you (at boarding time).
Oct 5, 2018, 6:00 pm
#208
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: RDU
Posts: 2,264
Hi all,
I've read through the entire thread and I'm wondering if you can give me your opinion on if you think I'll be invited to CK this upcoming year. I'm going to close out the year with 46 segments on AA (or AA codeshare booked as AA) flights and 3 more flights on OW carriers. My total spend (fare and carrier fees) on all 49 flights is ~$50,400 and actual miles flown 113,000, whereas my EQM will be ~194,000. Only 2250 of the actual miles flown were not AA. In both calculations, it comes out to $0.45/mile. I fly 4-5 transatlantic in Business (I/J fare), 2x to deep South America (D/R fare), and a lot around the US, Canada, Caribbean, Central America.
I've been EXP for a few years now, so this isn't a one off year.
Thanks!
I've read through the entire thread and I'm wondering if you can give me your opinion on if you think I'll be invited to CK this upcoming year. I'm going to close out the year with 46 segments on AA (or AA codeshare booked as AA) flights and 3 more flights on OW carriers. My total spend (fare and carrier fees) on all 49 flights is ~$50,400 and actual miles flown 113,000, whereas my EQM will be ~194,000. Only 2250 of the actual miles flown were not AA. In both calculations, it comes out to $0.45/mile. I fly 4-5 transatlantic in Business (I/J fare), 2x to deep South America (D/R fare), and a lot around the US, Canada, Caribbean, Central America.
I've been EXP for a few years now, so this isn't a one off year.
Thanks!
Right now, I think you're going to enter 2019 as a high-spend EXP.
Oct 5, 2018, 10:53 pm
#209
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: FL400
Programs: DL 360, Marriott Ambassador, AA Plat
Posts: 120
Hi all,
I've read through the entire thread and I'm wondering if you can give me your opinion on if you think I'll be invited to CK this upcoming year. I'm going to close out the year with 46 segments on AA (or AA codeshare booked as AA) flights and 3 more flights on OW carriers. My total spend (fare and carrier fees) on all 49 flights is ~$50,400 and actual miles flown 113,000, whereas my EQM will be ~194,000. Only 2250 of the actual miles flown were not AA. In both calculations, it comes out to $0.45/mile. I fly 4-5 transatlantic in Business (I/J fare), 2x to deep South America (D/R fare), and a lot around the US, Canada, Caribbean, Central America.
I've been EXP for a few years now, so this isn't a one off year.
Thanks!
I've read through the entire thread and I'm wondering if you can give me your opinion on if you think I'll be invited to CK this upcoming year. I'm going to close out the year with 46 segments on AA (or AA codeshare booked as AA) flights and 3 more flights on OW carriers. My total spend (fare and carrier fees) on all 49 flights is ~$50,400 and actual miles flown 113,000, whereas my EQM will be ~194,000. Only 2250 of the actual miles flown were not AA. In both calculations, it comes out to $0.45/mile. I fly 4-5 transatlantic in Business (I/J fare), 2x to deep South America (D/R fare), and a lot around the US, Canada, Caribbean, Central America.
I've been EXP for a few years now, so this isn't a one off year.
Thanks!
Oct 5, 2018, 11:18 pm
#210
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,258