SFO777

Member since day one, with a very low all numeric AAdvantage number.
The most fun was in the pre-BS-EQD days when miles flown meant miles earned.
Oh those crazy routings just to earn more miles, especially those occasions when AA RM forgot to put any limits on connections.

M60_to_LGA

I joined in 1988 when I was a college student and flying back home for the holidays. I just checked the site, and it says I joined September 23, 1988 - I'm guessing I must have called or mailed something in to join in preparation for my Thanksgiving flight back home. It would have been BDL-ORD.

catawba

I joined AA in 1987 and joined Piedmont before that. My favorite memory was the crazy triple mileage year in 1988, started by Delta and then copied by everyone. The triple mileage applied to each flight leg, and minimums often meant 3000 miles for a short flight. I took so many short hops and extra stops flying between east and west coast that year. I piled up an enormous number of miles across all the major airlines.

James91

I joined when I turned 18 at the end of 2009...don't have any crazy redemption stories but I've used them more than once for last minute trips to job interviews and such so the program has served me very well - probably more so than any other.

cmd320

Best value out of AAdvantage for me were Etihad awards for First Class Apartments (RIP). I guess at this point the best use is probably JAL F or CX F. Even CX F is a shell of its former self though.

MSPeconomist

I joined the AA FF program in late 1981. In fact, I joined most of the USA based FF programs quite quickly so that I would never have a flight that didn't get credit. In those days, you applied by (snail) mail and IIRC generally needed to get your FF card in advance.

cova

I joined in 1985, but then switched to CO a couple of years later - when CO offered free upgrade to F on full fare Y tickets (for business).
Also - CO flew non-stop DCA-MSY which was a frequent destination.
This was before FF upgrades were around, and it helped to know the gate crews.
Upgrades were at the discretion of the gate agents.

Then I switched back to AA around 2012 after a MegaDo and an EXP challenge.
When CO and then UA changed the upgrade process (TODs, etc) - AA was better with the EXP upgrade rules - time of ticketing was the trump card.

But now AA isn't much better than UA for upgrades - so plan is to go back to UA (with LT 1K) in a few years after I use up my miles.
Easier to just buy F on AA now - then do not need status. AA LT Gold (or even LT Plat) doesn't cut it.

johnndor

The earliest records I have of getting AA credit were from 1994. I also benefited from the merger with TWA, counting towards MM status as well as CC spend! As it was, I just barely earned Lifetime Gold in somewhere around 2000. Soon after that, I changed jobs and cities, and haven't had much occasion to fly AA since. Currently sitting at 1,055,873 Million Miler Balance.

(edit: just found it on AA - been a member since November, 1990.)

born sleepy

aa.com says Member since Mar 5, 1989

I was on the verge of homelessness through the 80s -- thanks, Reaganomics -- and I can't remember signing up for this thing, but here we are. I never flew AA much until I moved to Atlanta after years of UA 1K status. I left UA because their merger with CO was so messy and the only aircraft out of ATL at the time were UX CR2s and ER4s, so F that.

AA matched me, then the US merger happened. Ugh.

Robt760

Date Joined AAdvantage: Summer 1991

First flight on AA: SFO-LAX Summer 1991

Revised Join Date: August 1989 (Via US Air Dividend Miles Program Merger)
First flight on US Air: SFO-PIT (on ex Piedmont 762) then PIT-LGA Fall 1989

Pre-Revised due to HP merger with US - Joined HP Flight Fund May 24, 1989 (which was rolled into US and then AA)
First flight on HP: brand spanking new B757 from SAN to PHX

Current Info: Million Miler, just 1/2 way from 2 MM

Highest accumulation of miles at any given time: 945 K

Most memorable mileage runs/opportunities:
Summer of 2007 (?) with Triple RDM bonus on LAX-BOS flights either on B757 or B763, doing 10 of these that Summer, and one day/24 hr period managed LAX-BOS red-eye, BOS-LAX AM, LAX-BOS Afternoon, and nearly missed the BOS-LAX, getting home almost 24 hours later.

Most memorable miles redemptions:
Fall of 2009 QANTAS First Class LAX-SYD and return SYD-LAX-JFK (including the elusive 5th freedom inter USA segment) 90 K miles ea
Fall 2016 Cathay Pacific First Class LAX-HKG-SIN (90 K miles) and return Business Class SIN-HKG-LAX 90 K miles)
January 2014 Inaugural AA Flagship First Class A321 T JFK-LAX 100k Miles

Longest Domestic AA Flight Taken: LAX-SJU (RIP)
Longest International AA Flight Taken: LAX-NRT

Shortest Domestic AA Flight Taken: LAX-SAN
Shortest International AA Flight Taken: LHR-BRU (RIP)

Bonus from 1997

JB OmahAA

JB OmahAA

I joined in June 1984, FAs were pitching the program on a flight to SFO. I have mainly used my miles for international upgrades and last minute domestic. Attained Plat during a challenge promo and on a flight to SDQ. Most of my 2 million is from credit card spend

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

Does anyone know how the modern AAdvantage Program evolved? When were elite levels created? When did upgrades come along? The MM program?

Geordie405

I apparently joined in July 2012 but cannot for the life of me remember why, especially as I was living in Belgium at the time and had been a BAEC member since 2005. I certainly don't have any significant mileage balances or anecdotes to recount. The highlight was probably doing a Platinum status challenge a few years back shortly after I moved to the USA and was doing a lot of lying between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The complimentary upgrades were a perk on the short flights and I managed to redeem a few stickers here and there on longer flights. Most recently I actually signed up for an AA credit card so as to get the 50k miles, which have been redeemed for 2 x business class awards MIA - LAX - LAS in September. I wasn't even 10 years old when AAdvantage was launched!

JDiver

I have two words for you: Que Eff. (Qatar Airways for awards)