Nov 5, 2018, 12:18 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
AAdvantage program changes have been announced, to be implemented 1 January 2019. In part:
AAdvantage® program updates
What’s new (link)
2019 AAdvantage® program updates
We’re introducing a few updates effective January 1, 2019, for AAdvantage® members, including new qualification requirements for AAdvantage® Executive Platinum status and extra rewards Executive Platinum members can choose.
Additionally, we’re changing how you earn Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) on American and select oneworld® airlines, and what you earn when flying on special fares (such as bulk or consolidator fares) and exception tickets (cases when ticket/fare details are unavailable).
Executive Platinum qualification and rewards
The Elite Qualifying Dollar (EQD) requirement for AAdvantage® Executive Platinum status is increasing from $12,000 EQDs to $15,000 EQDs for the 2020 membership year. (You’ll need to earn $15,000 EQD in 2019 to qualify for Executive Platinum for the Status year beginning 1 Feb 2020.)
Upon qualification for Executive Platinum status, members who reach 150,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs), 200,000 EQMs and 250,000 EQMs can choose a reward.
Reach 150,000 EQMs and choose from:
2 systemwide upgrades
40,000 bonus miles
Gift of AAdvantage® Gold status
Reach 200,000 EQMs and choose from:
2 systemwide upgrades
40,000 bonus miles
Gift of AAdvantage® Platinum status
Reach 250,000 EQMs and choose from:
2 systemwide upgrades
40,000 bonus miles
Gift of AAdvantage® Platinum status
You can track your progress toward reaching these reward levels in your account. Once you reach these goals, your reward choices will be available in your wallet.
Earning Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs)
The EQMs you earn on select oneworld® airlines are increasing to be aligned with what you earn when flying on an American-marketed flight. (NOTE: affects JBA one world airlines only)
British Airways
Finnair
Iberia
Japan Airlines
The EQMs earned on American-marketed flights on fares booked in “Y” are decreasing from 1.5 EQMs to 1.0 EQMs per mile flown to be more in line with the ticket value.
Earning on special fare tickets
Earning on special fare tickets
We’re adjusting the award miles, class of service bonus, EQDs and EQMs to match the value of the ticket for select booking codes for travel on American-marketed flights on these ticket types:
Special fares (such as bulk and consolidator fare tickets)
Earning when ticket/fare details are unavailable
In some cases what you earn on these tickets is increasing and in other cases it’s decreasing.
What’s new (link)
2019 AAdvantage® program updates
We’re introducing a few updates effective January 1, 2019, for AAdvantage® members, including new qualification requirements for AAdvantage® Executive Platinum status and extra rewards Executive Platinum members can choose.
Additionally, we’re changing how you earn Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) on American and select oneworld® airlines, and what you earn when flying on special fares (such as bulk or consolidator fares) and exception tickets (cases when ticket/fare details are unavailable).
Executive Platinum qualification and rewards
The Elite Qualifying Dollar (EQD) requirement for AAdvantage® Executive Platinum status is increasing from $12,000 EQDs to $15,000 EQDs for the 2020 membership year. (You’ll need to earn $15,000 EQD in 2019 to qualify for Executive Platinum for the Status year beginning 1 Feb 2020.)
NOTE: see Barclaycard Aviator Red no EQD, Silver $3k EQD Only as of 2019 thread on credit card EQD reductions
Reach 150,000 EQMs and choose from:
2 systemwide upgrades
40,000 bonus miles
Gift of AAdvantage® Gold status
Reach 200,000 EQMs and choose from:
2 systemwide upgrades
40,000 bonus miles
Gift of AAdvantage® Platinum status
Reach 250,000 EQMs and choose from:
2 systemwide upgrades
40,000 bonus miles
Gift of AAdvantage® Platinum status
You can track your progress toward reaching these reward levels in your account. Once you reach these goals, your reward choices will be available in your wallet.
Earning Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs)
The EQMs you earn on select oneworld® airlines are increasing to be aligned with what you earn when flying on an American-marketed flight. (NOTE: affects JBA one world airlines only)
British Airways
Finnair
Iberia
Japan Airlines
The EQMs earned on American-marketed flights on fares booked in “Y” are decreasing from 1.5 EQMs to 1.0 EQMs per mile flown to be more in line with the ticket value.
Earning on special fare tickets
Earning on special fare tickets
We’re adjusting the award miles, class of service bonus, EQDs and EQMs to match the value of the ticket for select booking codes for travel on American-marketed flights on these ticket types:
Special fares (such as bulk and consolidator fare tickets)
Earning when ticket/fare details are unavailable
In some cases what you earn on these tickets is increasing and in other cases it’s decreasing.
AAdvantage Program Changes as of Jan 2019 and EXP EQD Requirement
Nov 5, 2018, 7:32 pm
#136
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,239
Well if one was going to do that level of flying anyways then you come out ahead vs paying for AC and you get FL where available which is far better than the AC. I think if you're flying primarily paid J/F and flying enough to hit BA Silver but not enough for EXP then that's a reasonable strategy, you get access to FL and AC on all flights, Avios do have some sweetspots for short/mid length flights in the US as well.
Nov 5, 2018, 7:34 pm
#137
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 3,225
Nov 5, 2018, 7:56 pm
#138
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP, AA Million Miles, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,584
Outside upgrades many of the other benefits are defined by OW also history shows us that the reduction of benefits is primarily driven by the actions of DL and to a lesser degree UA not the number of members. In short they will give a little as they feel they can based on what the competition provides and that will be the case if there are 10,000 or 10,000,000 EXPs. When EQDs were introduced I would assume that had an effect on the number of people meeting all thresholds, unless I missed something we didn't get any additional benefits and in fact the number of SWUs were cut in half.
And many benefits of the program have nothing to do with OW: MCE is one, award redeposit fees and other fees waivers is another, the (largely useless) same-day change policy is yet another, etc...
And you're glossing over the fact that this very program change announcement contains additional benefits.
Nov 5, 2018, 8:07 pm
#139
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,239
Huh? This makes little sense. AA's internal evaluation of the cost/benefit to the airline of the elite program is surely defined by many factors: including OW alliance terms; what the competition does, how many members AA has at the various elite levels, and a whole host of other things. "DL did it" makes a nice FT-soundbite - but its not as universally true as people think it is.
And many benefits of the program have nothing to do with OW: MCE is one, award redeposit fees and other fees waivers is another, the (largely useless) same-day change policy is yet another, etc...
And you're glossing over the fact that this very program change announcement contains additional benefits.
Last edited by ryan182; Nov 5, 2018 at 8:14 pm
Nov 5, 2018, 8:37 pm
#140
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 67
Between increasing the EQD requirement to 15K and eliminating the EQD bonuses on the Barclays cards, AA definitely appears to be trying to weed out a lot of low spending EXPs. I wonder what impact this will have on the overall # of EXPs in 2020. Could be good news for those EXPs that remain in terms of upgrade competition, service levels, etc. ... or not.
This year I was able to apply 3 SWU on flights between LAX-HKG and LHR-LAX. Previous year, upgraded my wife on LAX-SYD so I’ve got no complaints on that front. Worth the spend.
If Ben Franklin were around (and flying) today, he might have amended his famous statement to “nothing can be said to be certain, except deathandtaxes...and elite program devaluations”
Nov 5, 2018, 9:26 pm
#141
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Bangkok, Thailand. No longer Palm Coast, FL though still exiled, again, from the Bay Area.
Programs: Only the good ones
Posts: 5,153
Let me know (please) if I'm thinking this through clearly:
We are both LT Plat, so we can rest on that. Let's say that we're not going to try for EXP again (after like 10 years) in 2019. Then we have OW Sapphire, Business Lounges, etc.
Now, we shoot for BA Silver. 600 Tier Points. Looks like a SFO-MIA or SFO_JFK 2-class business nets 140 Tier Points. So only about 4 of these.
While still Sapphire this also affords AC and FL access on AA domestic flights.
Is it that straightforward, or am I miscalculating?
Cheers.
We are both LT Plat, so we can rest on that. Let's say that we're not going to try for EXP again (after like 10 years) in 2019. Then we have OW Sapphire, Business Lounges, etc.
Now, we shoot for BA Silver. 600 Tier Points. Looks like a SFO-MIA or SFO_JFK 2-class business nets 140 Tier Points. So only about 4 of these.
While still Sapphire this also affords AC and FL access on AA domestic flights.
Is it that straightforward, or am I miscalculating?
Cheers.
The changes were expected. Since AA moved to EQD's for qualifications, my AA spend has trended down.
2016: Total spend $8571 with $6600 on AA;
2017: Total spend $5524 with $1514 on AA (requalified wih 17k+ EQD's
2018 Total spend: $6871 with $2600 on AA (requaified with 12k EQD's
and2019: Estimated total AA spend of $2000, $1413 already ticketed for PEK-LAX-HKG-PEK and will add another HKG-LAX to use my (last) 4 SWU's until I cross 5MM probably 2020..
There are still inexpensive ways to get 15k EQD's and 150k EQM's with CX and BA PE fares, and one routing that CX offers a decent schedule on, costs $965 RT, and would require only 4.5 RT's (pushing the return into the next year of course,) and generates 112k EQM's and 165k RDM's. I wonder how much rev AA generates from those miles. Total cost of $4421 and no need for SWU's.
I'll be happy with my AA LT PLT and *A Gold (OZ thru 2021.) Expectations in check always.
Last edited by rbAA; Nov 5, 2018 at 9:54 pm
Nov 5, 2018, 10:06 pm
#142
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Bangkok, Thailand. No longer Palm Coast, FL though still exiled, again, from the Bay Area.
Programs: Only the good ones
Posts: 5,153
Been there, done that. Not as good. I will give up 1K next January and my *A Gold will be from OZ thru 2021.
Maybe it's time to do a status match next year and move to UA then.
Nov 5, 2018, 10:20 pm
#143
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: OC, CA
Programs: AA EXP, 2MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 832
I’m glad this came out before I booked my first 2019 trip, which would have been part vacation, part MR.
For me, this kicks me out of EXP after 2019. I just can’t justify the extra spend. Some of you said $15K was just a bit more, for me $12k was already that extra stretch. But even more importantly, if I can’t make it to EXP anyway, then all of the things I did to make EXP - at least one international J MR, taking less convenient flights to/from less convenient airports, finding creative excuses for justifying a more expensive AA flight to our company travel agent - simply aren’t going to happen becaues they buy me very little if it’s not enough for EXP. So rather than stretching to hit $15k, my spend could very well drop by $5-6k (a lot will go to AS since I’m on the west coast - and yes, losing EQM/EQD from AS flights didn’t help either ). I’m already LT Plat and I usually buy (or sell up to) F so upgrades are not much of a concern.
I guess AA is convinced that what they will lose from people like me they will make up for people who will stretch to hit $15k. Yeah, that must be it.
it was nice while it lasted.
For me, this kicks me out of EXP after 2019. I just can’t justify the extra spend. Some of you said $15K was just a bit more, for me $12k was already that extra stretch. But even more importantly, if I can’t make it to EXP anyway, then all of the things I did to make EXP - at least one international J MR, taking less convenient flights to/from less convenient airports, finding creative excuses for justifying a more expensive AA flight to our company travel agent - simply aren’t going to happen becaues they buy me very little if it’s not enough for EXP. So rather than stretching to hit $15k, my spend could very well drop by $5-6k (a lot will go to AS since I’m on the west coast - and yes, losing EQM/EQD from AS flights didn’t help either ). I’m already LT Plat and I usually buy (or sell up to) F so upgrades are not much of a concern.
I guess AA is convinced that what they will lose from people like me they will make up for people who will stretch to hit $15k. Yeah, that must be it.
it was nice while it lasted.
Nov 5, 2018, 10:36 pm
#144
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PL, SPG G, MR G, HH G, CC G, AMEX PL
Posts: 1,465
As one of those “low spenders” (relatively), I was bummed to receive the letter from Barclays this weekend, followed by this news. I could have easily managed one decrease or the other but not both. Now, this requires a really aggressive change in spending/biz travel. I supposed the silver lining is that this will weed out a decent chunk of us low spenders to open even more upgrade opps..provided I can requal for ‘20.
This year I was able to apply 3 SWU on flights between LAX-HKG and LHR-LAX. Previous year, upgraded my wife on LAX-SYD so I’ve got no complaints on that front. Worth the spend.
If Ben Franklin were around (and flying) today, he might have amended his famous statement to “nothing can be said to be certain, except deathandtaxes...and elite program devaluations”
Nov 5, 2018, 11:23 pm
#145
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP, IHG Diamond, IC Amb
Posts: 5,508
I just use Google flights.
You can search literally almost any day of the week through EoS For LAX-BOM.
BA metal. $3200 shows almost every day.
$200 off for AARP on J flights
10% off airfare with the Chase BA CC.
$2600 all in, dude.
Just did one a couple months ago and was able to UG to First using 22.5k Avios on one of the legs.
You can search literally almost any day of the week through EoS For LAX-BOM.
BA metal. $3200 shows almost every day.
$200 off for AARP on J flights
10% off airfare with the Chase BA CC.
$2600 all in, dude.
Just did one a couple months ago and was able to UG to First using 22.5k Avios on one of the legs.
Nov 6, 2018, 1:48 am
#146
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
I expected to be outraged when I opened the email, but I probably spent around 15k to hit ExecPlat this year and had to slog out way more BIS with only 1.5x on AY, BA, IB J flights. With this new earning chart, the amount of EQMs I already have booked for 2019 travel jumps substantially and for the same amount of travel I did this year, I'll have a good shot at hitting 150k and getting extra SWU. First time i've seen an "enhancement," that wasn't a knife in the back.
Nov 6, 2018, 4:34 am
#147
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Roswell, GA
Programs: AA EXP 2.8m,Lifetime PLT, Hilton Diamond, IHG PlLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,191
Just wondering, why didnit AA consider a new level for their new requirements.. something like EXP pro? or EXP look at me or EXP I spent too much?
Nov 6, 2018, 8:36 am
#149
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 2,637
I am confused about the calculation of EQD's on OW partners with the discount economy fares. The chart has confusing column headers. It list base miles 0-100%. Then it lists EQD's per mile flown. Does that mean the column in base miles is multiplied by the percentage in EQD's? e.g. 1000 actual mileage at 50% = 500 miles * 10% (EQD's/mile) = 50 EQD's. Is this correct? Or is it 1000 miles * 10% = 100 EDQ's
Nov 6, 2018, 8:43 am
#150
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: DL: Silver; AA: EX PLAT; UA: Silver; HY: DIA; HH: DIA; MR: TIT
Posts: 1,708
Did you type that with a straight face? A quarter of a million dollars is not that much? A person who is barely in the 1% does not have that much in total income after taxes. SMH