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-   -   Falling short of EQMs to qualify for platinum (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/1985982-falling-short-eqms-qualify-platinum.html)

hdoraisamy Sep 4, 2019 10:57 pm

Falling short of EQMs to qualify for platinum
 
Hi there

It looks like I am going to fall short of the 50,000 EQM requirement by approximately 450 miles to qualify for AA Platinum :(

I could have met this requirement if I hadn't been impacted by weather delays in my recent trip which resulted in an involuntary rerouting of my trip.

I don't have any travel planned for the rest of 2019 and I have already cashed in on the 10,000 EQMs from Barclays credit cards..

Is it worth calling the AA Advantage line to see if they would be willing to make an exception and make me Platinum?

Appreciate any feedback. Thanks so much

tylerdurden4543 Sep 4, 2019 11:07 pm


Originally Posted by hdoraisamy (Post 31492001)

I could have met this requirement if I hadn't been impacted by weather delays in my recent trip which resulted in an involuntary rerouting of my trip.


Rather than ask for an exception for Plat Status (though you'd likely get it being that close), why wouldn't you call AA and ask them for ORC (Original Routing Credit), which should award you the miles originally planned for before the involuntary rerouting you mentioned?

javabytes Sep 4, 2019 11:16 pm


Originally Posted by tylerdurden4543 (Post 31492016)
Rather than ask for an exception for Plat Status (though you'd likely get it being that close), why wouldn't you call AA and ask them for ORC (Original Routing Credit), which should award you the miles originally planned for before the involuntary rerouting you mentioned?

On the contrary, I doubt an exception to the qualification requirements would be granted. But asking for Original Routing Credit (use those exact words) is very much within AA’s established policies and is the right move here.

hdoraisamy Sep 4, 2019 11:30 pm


Originally Posted by javabytes (Post 31492026)


On the contrary, I doubt an exception to the qualification requirements would be granted. But asking for Original Routing Credit (use those exact words) is very much within AA’s established policies and is the right move here.

Thank you.. I will try this approach and see what transpires. Thanks for the suggestion. Much appreciated!

JDiver Sep 5, 2019 12:19 am


Originally Posted by hdoraisamy (Post 31492001)
Hi there

It looks like I am going to fall short of the 50,000 EQM requirement by approximately 450 miles to qualify for AA Platinum :(

I could have met this requirement if I hadn't been impacted by weather delays in my recent trip which resulted in an involuntary rerouting of my trip.

I don't have any travel planned for the rest of 2019 and I have already cashed in on the 10,000 EQMs from Barclays credit cards..

Is it worth calling the AA Advantage line to see if they would be willing to make an exception and make me Platinum?

Appreciate any feedback. Thanks so much

I agree with javabytes. You likely won’t get any mercy, other than the opportunity to buy your status back., is that AA has monetized buying back or up. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...us-2019-a.html

Better to request original routing credit because you were involuntarily rerouted, using those exact words, and earn your Platinum status; that’s apt to be much more successful. https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...aster-thd.html

smilee Sep 5, 2019 2:20 am

Also don't hold your breath on the original routing credit - ORC , as I asked twice as an ExPlat 6 or so years ago when AA was a much friendlier airline. Denied both times.

Also in OMAAT thread https://onemileatatime.com/american-ruined-my-trip/

As a blogger he couldn't even get it. Mind you in my opinion I didn't think that he really had a case their.

coolcoil Sep 5, 2019 4:26 am

If the ORC request is not successful, then it is likely that it would cost much less to find a cheap round trip to anywhere. One leg will get you 500 EQM, so you could even do a one-way revenue flight and return on miles. I recall that the minimum that AA charges to buy back status to PLT is about $700 no matter how close you are.

IADCAflyer Sep 5, 2019 4:50 am

OP is in PHL, and we're in a low travel season. You can fly PHL-BOS-PHL on 10/9 for $100. Its basic economy, but round trip will net you 500 EQMs.

Often1 Sep 5, 2019 5:35 am

As there will be any number of these threads between now and the end of the year, it pays to summarize the general advice:
1. Very, very unlikely that AA will "waive" any requirement as it sells buy ups (at a significant premium).
2. Check your crediting over the year and make certain that nothing was missed.
3. If rerouted, check that you received proper credit.
4. Find the cheapest day / short trip you can find which gets you to your goal.
5. Take a break you had not planned and actually expand #4 to something beyond a MR.

JDiver Sep 5, 2019 12:57 pm


Originally Posted by smilee (Post 31492377)
Also don't hold your breath on the original routing credit - ORC , as I asked twice as an ExPlat 6 or so years ago when AA was a much friendlier airline. Denied both times.

Also in OMAAT thread https://onemileatatime.com/american-ruined-my-trip/

As a blogger he couldn't even get it. Mind you in my opinion I didn't think that he really had a case their.

There’s a lot of evidence provided much more recently by members ORC is quite commonly, albeit not universally, granted in cases where AA has involuntarily rerouted passengers. Some of that evidence (and the conditions, terms to use) can be read in the thread linked to above, and I’ve read recent evidence in other venues.

Lux Flyer Sep 5, 2019 1:21 pm

Make sure you're calling the AAdvantage number and not reservations. I've never had issues when I call AAdvantage team, reservations on the other hand...

radonc1 Sep 5, 2019 6:12 pm

Do not think that all buy ups are as onerous as expressed above. Sometimes they can be a downright bargin.

I fly (unfortunately) a lot of short segments on AA (in the range of 40/year) so making plat is a difficult event. Last year I was short about 9000 miles and $1200.
I use the plat feature for same day change routinely and early boarding.

AA charged me $1200 to buy up at the end of the year. It was a no brainer. I didn't have to time to mileage run 9K miles and I am certain I would not have saved a lot of money if I did have the time (or desire) to do so. I earned far more at work than $1200 during the time I saved by not wasting it on a mileage run.

For me, the buy up made lots of sense, since I am now a plat doing the same puddle jumps with the need for same day change just about every trip I take. (And once in a blue moon they even up-grade me :cool:)

MSPeconomist Sep 6, 2019 1:05 am


Originally Posted by smilee (Post 31492377)
Also don't hold your breath on the original routing credit - ORC , as I asked twice as an ExPlat 6 or so years ago when AA was a much friendlier airline. Denied both times.

Also in OMAAT thread https://onemileatatime.com/american-ruined-my-trip/

As a blogger he couldn't even get it. Mind you in my opinion I didn't think that he really had a case their.

It's different when the entire trip (or portion on a ticket) is cancelled. ORC applies to an *involuntary* rerouting. I've been told too that if you get a refund for the change to your routing, you're not supposed to get ORC, so in particular you cannot get ORC for a trip in vain, but YMMV.

coolcoil Sep 6, 2019 7:23 am


Originally Posted by radonc1 (Post 31495250)
Do not think that all buy ups are as onerous as expressed above. Sometimes they can be a downright bargin.

I fly (unfortunately) a lot of short segments on AA (in the range of 40/year) so making plat is a difficult event. Last year I was short about 9000 miles and $1200.
I use the plat feature for same day change routinely and early boarding.

AA charged me $1200 to buy up at the end of the year. It was a no brainer. I didn't have to time to mileage run 9K miles and I am certain I would not have saved a lot of money if I did have the time (or desire) to do so. I earned far more at work than $1200 during the time I saved by not wasting it on a mileage run.

For me, the buy up made lots of sense, since I am now a plat doing the same puddle jumps with the need for same day change just about every trip I take. (And once in a blue moon they even up-grade me :cool:)

The $1200 you quoted is much more than the approximately $700 that I stated. I was very close to PLT at the end of last year and that was the offer I received. Fortunately, I had a December trip to put me over the top. Of course, for you $1200 was indeed a bargain, as you would have had to spend more than $1200 to make up the EQD and would have had to fly a lot more than the OP. On the other hand, the OP paying $700 to make up 500 EQM only is very expensive compared to one additional short flight.

The pattern of AA offering much better deals to flyers who are pretty far from qualification than to those who are close has been the norm since the formal buy-up program started.

hdoraisamy Sep 6, 2019 8:38 am

Quick update (happy ending)
 
Thank you all for your input and suggestions. I called AA Advantage and explained my situation to the agent. It took her a while to understand my question and some time to track my old routing. However in the end, she gave me EQM credit by adding the EWR - ORD sector to my account. She was not able to adjust the remaining leg to LHR but it doesn't matter.

Thanks so much once again!


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