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
Jul 13, 2019, 9:28 am
#256
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP, 2 Million Miler
Posts: 821
Jul 13, 2019, 9:30 am
#257
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Jul 13, 2019, 10:50 am
#258
Join Date: May 2010
Location: DFW Area
Programs: AA ConciergeKey; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 396
Agreed. My rolling 12 month EQD is only 46k EQD. I strongly suspect that ~1900 EQD per segment and ~45 cents per actual flown EQM are major factors but those numbers are new for me - I have not ever hit anywhere near that in the past.
They may also be taking a broader, more holistic view these days as I also run a pretty good amount of spend through my Citi Exec AA card and AA gets paid for those miles also in addition to increased loyalty.
Jul 13, 2019, 11:27 am
#259
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Jul 13, 2019, 2:03 pm
#260
Join Date: May 2010
Location: DFW Area
Programs: AA ConciergeKey; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 396
Well I guess that is out the window. Look I am certainly not complaining but it’s always nice to know what the target is to shoot at it. It seems that ck should be much more common than it seems on flyertalk because my status and profitability seems materially less than many folks on these Ck threads that don’t have it. I am not a c-level executive and I don’t influence travel spend at my company. If they don’t make it, I don’t know why I would.
Jul 13, 2019, 2:08 pm
#261
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, BA Gold, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,989
Jul 13, 2019, 2:37 pm
#262
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,256
For all your traveling data geeks, I plotted my rolling EQDs (from when I started to record them) and noted when I was awarded the CK status this year (4/30). It is interesting that I received the CK status at the end of the dip in my 12-month rolling EQDs, which was the result of a quarter in 2018 that I did no international travel. We'll see if I get to keep it in 2020.
It is a profitability thing, so one year if you fly 5 LH flights in full fare F, you could get it, vs the identical spend the next year on 100 flights resulting in not.
Aug 15, 2019, 4:50 pm
#263
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: The Indo Jungle
Programs: AA EXP, IHG Spire
Posts: 1,319
Does anyone ever make CK flying AA metal to connect to CX?
Starting next year I will be flying return BDL-ORD-HKG-DPS around ~6 times a year in paid business.
Trying to figure out what to do - remain AA or switch to Marco Polo.
Mostly I will want to use the miles for rewards tickets east coast to europe / africa so thinking that staying in AA makes sense?
Starting next year I will be flying return BDL-ORD-HKG-DPS around ~6 times a year in paid business.
Trying to figure out what to do - remain AA or switch to Marco Polo.
Mostly I will want to use the miles for rewards tickets east coast to europe / africa so thinking that staying in AA makes sense?
Aug 15, 2019, 9:48 pm
#264
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP, 2 Million Miler
Posts: 821
Does anyone ever make CK flying AA metal to connect to CX?
Starting next year I will be flying return BDL-ORD-HKG-DPS around ~6 times a year in paid business.
Trying to figure out what to do - remain AA or switch to Marco Polo.
Mostly I will want to use the miles for rewards tickets east coast to europe / africa so thinking that staying in AA makes sense?
Starting next year I will be flying return BDL-ORD-HKG-DPS around ~6 times a year in paid business.
Trying to figure out what to do - remain AA or switch to Marco Polo.
Mostly I will want to use the miles for rewards tickets east coast to europe / africa so thinking that staying in AA makes sense?
Aug 16, 2019, 7:33 am
#265
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: Double OWE (AA EXP, QF Plat), FI Gold
Posts: 1,887
Does anyone ever make CK flying AA metal to connect to CX?
Starting next year I will be flying return BDL-ORD-HKG-DPS around ~6 times a year in paid business.
Trying to figure out what to do - remain AA or switch to Marco Polo.
Mostly I will want to use the miles for rewards tickets east coast to europe / africa so thinking that staying in AA makes sense?
Starting next year I will be flying return BDL-ORD-HKG-DPS around ~6 times a year in paid business.
Trying to figure out what to do - remain AA or switch to Marco Polo.
Mostly I will want to use the miles for rewards tickets east coast to europe / africa so thinking that staying in AA makes sense?
Since you state that you want to have the miles, though, it seems you've answered your own question - keep earning with AA even after you hit EXP. You can't combine miles from multiple programs (AFAIK) so splitting miles wouldn't be smart for your award ticket goals. Even if you don't get CK, you do have the opportunity to earn additional SWUs once you hit 150k and 200k EQMs.
As robertablake mentions, a good exercise would be to compare program benefits between AAdvantage and Marco Polo and determine which program to go all-in on.
Oct 4, 2019, 7:37 pm
#266
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: UA 1K, Avist Chairmans Club, SPG Platinum
Posts: 14
Concierge key
I’m about to hit exp 30k eqs, 99k eqm, after this one fight I’ll hit my miles. Mostly first class paid domestic. I’ve already made gs with United, with my spend in the future should I just stick with United or are my numbers too low for ck this year?
Last edited by CBlasek; Oct 5, 2019 at 7:06 am
Oct 4, 2019, 8:20 pm
#268
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Juneau, Alaska.
Programs: AS 75K;BA Silver;AA G;HH Dia;HY Glob
Posts: 15,820
Have a look at the discussion in this thread:
How do I make / making AA Concierge Key / ConciergeKey / CK? (master thread
How do I make / making AA Concierge Key / ConciergeKey / CK? (master thread
Oct 4, 2019, 8:22 pm
#269
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, BA Gold, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,989
Consider perusing the CK thread if you want to see examples of qualifying EQD/EQM numbers, but I doubt you'll make it based on the numbers you've posted.