Muckus

Hello! I'm a long time EXP and also BA Silver. It looks like AA isn't inclined to extend status again. Rather, they seem to expect us road warriors to get back on planes soon and fly 80k+ miles by December 31st. Now that this is sinking in, I'm beginning to realize this may be the end of the AAdventure for me. What are my options?

I fly 150k-200k (pre-pandemic) in Y domestically and C internationally. I'd say the breakdown is about 50k domestic Y and 100k+ international C (to the tune of $25k-$30k+ on those international flights alone). Anyway, my paid flights are nearly 100% business travel (all those flights in C and the vast majority of the domestic ones too), and my work constraints are such that hitting the road again is along way off.

I'm thinking my best option is to ride it out with my BA status (already extended to late 2022) and once i get flying again just credit it all to BA. I read a few old threads on the relative merits of BA Gold vs AA EXP, and some blog articles of the same ilk. As best I can tell, once I'm BA Gold I'll get most of my current benefits on AA, gain FF check in rights, keep my free lounge access (which is why I bother with BA Silver as it is), and get various bennies on BA. I lose the AA SWUs, but they're nearly worthless to me since I'm unwilling to play upgrade roulette (I use them to upgrade relatives on domestic flights). So, I guess my only loss would be the free domestic upgrades? Based on another thread right now those sound hard to come by anyway (at least for now).

Are any of the rest of you pondering these same questions? If so, what do you plan to do? Am i missing something? Is there a better option? Alaska? Some other OW airline? I am lifetime gold on UA and so could go back to them with a status match or something but my travel patterns mesh better with OW non-stops out of LAX. I can't quite understand why AA would be so indifferent to retaining my business but I need to be pragmatic...

united 1k flyer

I have switched to Ba gold and its much better. I even get access to the EXP line so irrops treatment is identical. You will lose out on free domestic upgrades however with this new Oneworld upgrade program you might be able to use ba miles to upgrade on aa. we will see what fare classes are eligible but the Oneworld CEO hinted that it would blow away their competitors programs.

Mwenenzi

AS / AA have an upgrade scheme. AS forum thread--> Complimentary Upgrades on American (AA)
But AS status will not get you USA domestic lounge access. (same rule as AA in the OW web site)
AS is a distance based ffp. Not revenue based.

Would not expect that much from a OW alliance upgrade scheme.
[ExecTrav AU]-->Oneworld plans rollout of alliance-wide upgrades by end of 2021

After BA status extension runs out will you meet the required BA/IB flights to maintain status? Or too far in future to guess?

The grass in not always greener on the other side. Would not consider other OW ffp's
For many the airline you fly most is the preferable ffp. But can vary depending on your flying pattern & objectives from a ffp and ff miles earning from non flying activities (credit cards etc)

Muckus

THe four flight minimum is easy for me. I go to London several times a year anyway and would just need to credit to BA rather than AA.

Also, I'm not looking for greener grass. I'm quite content with EXP + BA Silver. But, if my AA status expires I don't see the point slogging it out for much of 2022 as a Platinum Pro (if AA even does soft landings) to earn it back when I could just pivot to BA or elsewhere without a loss of perks.

redtop43

If you aren't flying, why does it matter what your status is?

If you will be beginning again in a hurry, you can do a status challenge to Platinum and should be EXP fairly quickly. If you're flying paid C, will it matter that much?

Muckus

Thanks. These are good points. But, I expect travel to begin again sometime in 2022 after my status runs out. Clearly it doesn't matter much for my international flights but those many shorter domestic flights loom large...

Spanish

Not in the exact same boat, but seriously considering going for BA Silver or Gold next year instead of AA status. Mostly domestic USA travel with enough INTL / EURO to get the require BA segments. The Flagship Lounge benefit is quite nice, and I'm always paid premium cabin, so upgrades make no difference.

I wonder about IRROPS though?

A good question to ponder, and a good thread to follow.

PHL

The status challenge is how I will probably have to re-up my Plat. I'm def not going to get it - much less Gold - in 2021. I'm hearing from my clients that travel may pick up a little bit in Q3/Q4, but I'm probably not going to get to where I need to be. My clients reimbursed my coach fares, and they were usually close in bookings so after ticketing I was often able to up-fare or take the upgrade offer on my own dime and still get the 1.5 EQM credit. Client gets the receipt for the coach fare and I suck up the up-charge. Win win for everyone(mainly me).

If I do a plat challenge with that methodology, it shouldn't take long to get back there once I start hitting the road more regularly.

Muckus

One more anecdotal datapoint: my business partner has been CK for a decade and has flown roughly 10m milies on AA (the full Clooney!). I mentioned to him that I don't think I can come anywhere near requalifying for EXP this year. He said he already resigned himself to PlatinumPro (his lifetime status) and proceeded to grill me on the details of tier points and how one earns BA Gold status...

pauleeepaul

Is this a new thing?

Muckus

Right. My mistake. I meant Platinum.

SFO_FT

I’m in a similar situation to the OP. Primarily international travel and EXP. Anticipate international borders in Asia-Pacific reopening so that earning in 2022 becomes feasible. My guess is that towards the end of 2021, AA will provide some targeted offers to soon-to-be former EXP in the form of paid and/or earn promos, such as short-term extensions coupled with challenges (eg, “we see that you’ve not been able to requalify. We’re giving you a free/paid extension through 30Apr22. Earn 30k EQM during 1Jan22 and 30Apr22 and we’ll extend through the end of 2022 membership year.”) That sort of thing. No way that AA executives are going to allow mass droppings of EXP that can’t requalify due to border restrictions. Too easy for other carriers to poach with their own status challenges, which all of the carriers are likely to offer up in Q1 regardless.

Expect lots of status challenges in late 2021 and 2022!

pauleeepaul

Darn i was excited . I haven't been on a plane in 18 months so a little disconnected from AA developments. I have had 100 nights in HH properties since covid so traveling, just on the surface.

Spanish

Wow, for 10 million miles they should make a CK-for-life exception a la United Global at 4 million.

Muckus

I've thought for years that this is carzy. Indeed, if it was UA he would be lifetime Global Services. For all of AA's copycat following of the their competitors they never aligned on lifetime recognition.