EXP requal question - no 2018 activity
 

Currently EXP with 0 flights credited to AA this year. Assuming 31Dec2018 comes and it is still 0 flights credited and not buying membership tier, would the following be correct:

1. EXP still valid until 31Jan2019 - that means for all flights flown from 1Jan19 to 31Jan19 will still accrue EXP benefits - particularly the elite bonuses etc as if was still EXP.
2. If one (somehow) manages to meet all EXP requirements between 1Jan19 and 31Jan19, does that mean EXP will automatically be granted for the rest of 2019 and until 1Jan20 (or 1Jan21)? If this was the case, theres actually no difference if I did all the flying in Dec or Jan (again assume Jan I can meet all EXP requirements)...?

Any insights greatly appreciated!! If it helps with context, I've got quite a bit of flying to do (all long haul premium cabin etc) and can elect to do it in Dec or Jan, so if some of the above is true then its a bit less stressful to fit everything in for Dec when I've traditionally looked to as the "deadline" for requalification.

You are correct, your EXP benefits don't expire until Jan. 31. If you fly enough to meet all of the EXP requirements in January 2019, then your EXP status would then be good through Jan. 31, 2021.

You're correct on all counts. If you qualify for EXP in January 2019 you will qualify for the rest of 2019, for all of 2020 and January 2021 so would have no break in status until at least February 1, 2021.

I believe you are correct and I believe your status would go through 31Jan2021 as you suspect.

Answered 1 minute too slow!

To the OP to clarify, all of your flying (and spending) will need to occur during January. Any part of it during December won't requalify you for EXP for 2021-January 2021. Your right that would be a very time consuming ordeal.

First, since it is December and January we are talking about, it is critical that you have enough activity for the EXP qualification in a SINGLE MONTH. Splitting the activity between December and January will NOT blend to qualify you for any year, and your status will come crashing down to whatever you earned in the larger of the two months as of Feb 1.
If you do the max qualifying flying in December, your status will count for 2019, and will expire Jan 31, 2020.
If you do the max qualifying flying in January, your status will count through 2020, and will expire Jan 31, 2021.

Time or money -- you could do it in two weekends if you were willing to drop about $20k (flying in flexible J to HKG) :)

Ah, it reminds me of the 'good old days' when one actually had to fly 100k miles BIS to be EXP... :)

Or 66,667 BIS miles in premium classes, or 100 miserable short hops on RJs :D

But if OP flew enough in Jan and Feb (say) of 2019, his flying would be less hectic he would still get EXP status until 1/31/21; he would only be "un-elite" for Feb, but since he would have to do nearly all his flying in J and/or F, this shouldn't be a great inconvenience.:)

Here you go

0 to EXP in four weekends in PE & $7000

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...d36886900c.png

book through CX.

Thank to ALL who reply - very much appreciated.

Glad I asked - when I was speaking to the AA EXP desk earlier, I was sort of feeding the assumptions / questions and then ended up "self-answering" - the agent seemed very lost hence why I resorted to FT experts :)

Seems like IF I travel anyway and its in EITHER Dec or Jan / Feb, I better just push everything to Jan / Feb as it would get me an extra year of EXP.

Not Jan/Feb - Just Jan, unless you're OK with dropping status for however long in February it will take to finish your EXP.

+1