Dec 17, 2021, 11:25 am
Last edit by: jbeckett
American Airlines announced that starting in 2022, the way to earn Elite status has changed. No more Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM), Elite Qualifying Segments (EQS), or Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQD)!
Now, you can get AA Elite status by earning Loyalty Points (LPs): https://aadvantagestatus.com/?anchor...=newaadvantage
How many LPs do I need for elite status?
How do I earn LPs?
Flying
What you get for redeemable miles (RDM) is what you'll get for LPs.
AA and B6 flights:
No status: 5 LPs per $ spent in base fare plus fees (excludes taxes)
Gold: 7 LPs per $
Platinum: 8 LPs per $
Plat Pro: 9 LPs per $
EXP: 11 LPs per $
Partner flights (other than B6):
Distance flown x accrual rate* x (1 + cabin bonus + elite bonus**)
* Certain discount fares earn less than 100% of miles flown. In those cases, the discounted accrual rate (0% to 75% depending on the partner and the fare class) should be applied to the flown miles. Otherwise, the accrual rate is 100%. If there is a cabin bonus, it should not be added to the accrual rate; it is applied separately within the parentheses. The accrual rate can never be more than 100%.
** 40% for GLD, 60% for PLT, 80% for PRO, 120% for EXP.
So for example, an EXP on a 5000-mile flight on QR booked in J would earn 5000 x 100% x (1 + 25% + 120%) = 5000 x 1 x 2.45 = 12250 LPs.
A PLT on the same flight booked in P would earn 5000 x 75% x (1 + 0% + 60%) = 5000 x .75 x 1.6 = 6000 LPs.
Earning chart for QR
Here's a great online LP calculator:
https://lpcalculator.com/#/calculator/
AAdvantage non-flying partners:
Generally, 1 LP per base mile earned. But in many cases you can earn large bonuses that post as base miles; see link here: https://exploreamerican.com/newaadva...nloyaltypoints
There are differences among how these programs work, ranging from minor to significant, in terms of awarding LPs. You will need to skim through the thread as there are too many different promo offers to address here. But here are the popular ones:
BookAAHotels and RocketMiles: You can earn large mileage bonuses here, separated into "base" miles and "promo" miles by the portals. For now they are all posting as base miles on aa.com, but there is a suspicion that the "promo" miles may start posting as bonus miles (and so would not count as LP). You don't even have to actually check in or stay at the hotel as long as you pay for the stay.
SimplyMiles: You must link a MasterCard to the account. Then you can add their promos to your card by activating the offers. When you accept one of their offers and then pay for it using your linked card, you will get the associated miles which currently post as base miles on aa.com.
AAdvantage eShopping: Once you click through the AAdvantage eShopping portal to a vendor offer and make a purchase, you will eventually get the associated miles posted to your AAdvantage account as both redeemable miles and Loyalty Points. If the merchant advertises an increase in the miles per dollar spent, you'll earn the higher amount in both redeemable miles and an equal number of Loyalty Points. The same applies if a merchant advertises a higher fixed amount per purchase, rather than a per dollar amount. Examples of this would appear on the portal as, "Extra miles. Was 1 mile/$. Now earn 3 miles/$" or "Extra miles. Was up to 3700 miles. Now up to 6200 miles." However, if the website advertises a "Limited-time bonus offer" for "bonus miles" after meeting a spending threshold, that bonus will only post as redeemable miles and not Loyalty Points. If a bonus is offered for some site-wide activity such as 1000 miles for installing an extension, or 500 miles for enrolling in the portal, or 2000 miles for meeting a spending threshold across multiple merchants, the bonus will only post as redeemable miles and not Loyalty Points.
(If a vendor has offers with both SimplyMiles and eShopping, activate the offer on SimplyMiles first and then make the purchase through eShopping with the MasterCard linked to your SimplyMiles account. Apparently that you can get a double-dip. You can also get a double-dip by stacking the promos with discount offers from your credit card issuers, basically reducing the cost to you.
Booking directly with hotels, car rental companies, etc.: The picture here is a bit unclear but it appears that if you book with a hotel that offers 5x miles, only 1 mile will post as base and the rest as bonus.
Credit card spend:
1 LP per $ spent on an AA branded card (except for one card which earns 0.50 LP per $ and several non-US cards which earn 2 LP per $). See the list of cards, and a lot more small print here: https://creditcards.aa.com/aadvantag...hange_ExecCard
What about spending bonuses?
E.g., your card gives 2x miles for hotels, or 3x for AA purchases, etc etc. These do NOT count.
These bonuses count:
Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard (the $450 annual fee card that gives Admirals Club access): 10K LP bonus when hitting $40K spend for the year.
AAdvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard: 5K LP bonus when hitting $20K spend, another 5K LP bonus when hitting $40K spend, and another 5K LP bonus when hitting $50K spend for the year.
Do miles earned at Bask Bank count?
No.
Will Loyalty Points count toward Million Miler℠ status?
No, Million Miler℠ status will still be earned the same way as today, based on miles earned from flying with American and its partners.
Now, you can get AA Elite status by earning Loyalty Points (LPs): https://aadvantagestatus.com/?anchor...=newaadvantage
How many LPs do I need for elite status?
Code:
Gold: 40K Platinum: 75K Plat Pro: 125K EXP: 200K
Flying
What you get for redeemable miles (RDM) is what you'll get for LPs.
AA and B6 flights:
No status: 5 LPs per $ spent in base fare plus fees (excludes taxes)
Gold: 7 LPs per $
Platinum: 8 LPs per $
Plat Pro: 9 LPs per $
EXP: 11 LPs per $
Partner flights (other than B6):
Distance flown x accrual rate* x (1 + cabin bonus + elite bonus**)
* Certain discount fares earn less than 100% of miles flown. In those cases, the discounted accrual rate (0% to 75% depending on the partner and the fare class) should be applied to the flown miles. Otherwise, the accrual rate is 100%. If there is a cabin bonus, it should not be added to the accrual rate; it is applied separately within the parentheses. The accrual rate can never be more than 100%.
** 40% for GLD, 60% for PLT, 80% for PRO, 120% for EXP.
So for example, an EXP on a 5000-mile flight on QR booked in J would earn 5000 x 100% x (1 + 25% + 120%) = 5000 x 1 x 2.45 = 12250 LPs.
A PLT on the same flight booked in P would earn 5000 x 75% x (1 + 0% + 60%) = 5000 x .75 x 1.6 = 6000 LPs.
Earning chart for QR
Here's a great online LP calculator:
https://lpcalculator.com/#/calculator/
AAdvantage non-flying partners:
Generally, 1 LP per base mile earned. But in many cases you can earn large bonuses that post as base miles; see link here: https://exploreamerican.com/newaadva...nloyaltypoints
There are differences among how these programs work, ranging from minor to significant, in terms of awarding LPs. You will need to skim through the thread as there are too many different promo offers to address here. But here are the popular ones:
BookAAHotels and RocketMiles: You can earn large mileage bonuses here, separated into "base" miles and "promo" miles by the portals. For now they are all posting as base miles on aa.com, but there is a suspicion that the "promo" miles may start posting as bonus miles (and so would not count as LP). You don't even have to actually check in or stay at the hotel as long as you pay for the stay.
SimplyMiles: You must link a MasterCard to the account. Then you can add their promos to your card by activating the offers. When you accept one of their offers and then pay for it using your linked card, you will get the associated miles which currently post as base miles on aa.com.
AAdvantage eShopping: Once you click through the AAdvantage eShopping portal to a vendor offer and make a purchase, you will eventually get the associated miles posted to your AAdvantage account as both redeemable miles and Loyalty Points. If the merchant advertises an increase in the miles per dollar spent, you'll earn the higher amount in both redeemable miles and an equal number of Loyalty Points. The same applies if a merchant advertises a higher fixed amount per purchase, rather than a per dollar amount. Examples of this would appear on the portal as, "Extra miles. Was 1 mile/$. Now earn 3 miles/$" or "Extra miles. Was up to 3700 miles. Now up to 6200 miles." However, if the website advertises a "Limited-time bonus offer" for "bonus miles" after meeting a spending threshold, that bonus will only post as redeemable miles and not Loyalty Points. If a bonus is offered for some site-wide activity such as 1000 miles for installing an extension, or 500 miles for enrolling in the portal, or 2000 miles for meeting a spending threshold across multiple merchants, the bonus will only post as redeemable miles and not Loyalty Points.
- A separate thread exists to discuss the AAdvantage eShopping portal
- Another thread exists to discuss using the portal for a particular merchant, giftcards.com
- For additional questions about buying and using gift cards, refer to the separate Manufactured Spending forum.
(If a vendor has offers with both SimplyMiles and eShopping, activate the offer on SimplyMiles first and then make the purchase through eShopping with the MasterCard linked to your SimplyMiles account. Apparently that you can get a double-dip. You can also get a double-dip by stacking the promos with discount offers from your credit card issuers, basically reducing the cost to you.
Booking directly with hotels, car rental companies, etc.: The picture here is a bit unclear but it appears that if you book with a hotel that offers 5x miles, only 1 mile will post as base and the rest as bonus.
Credit card spend:
1 LP per $ spent on an AA branded card (except for one card which earns 0.50 LP per $ and several non-US cards which earn 2 LP per $). See the list of cards, and a lot more small print here: https://creditcards.aa.com/aadvantag...hange_ExecCard
What about spending bonuses?
E.g., your card gives 2x miles for hotels, or 3x for AA purchases, etc etc. These do NOT count.
These bonuses count:
Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard (the $450 annual fee card that gives Admirals Club access): 10K LP bonus when hitting $40K spend for the year.
AAdvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard: 5K LP bonus when hitting $20K spend, another 5K LP bonus when hitting $40K spend, and another 5K LP bonus when hitting $50K spend for the year.
Do miles earned at Bask Bank count?
No.
Will Loyalty Points count toward Million Miler℠ status?
No, Million Miler℠ status will still be earned the same way as today, based on miles earned from flying with American and its partners.
Loyalty Points discussion/questions - From 2022 now used for determining elite status
Mar 4, 2022, 11:59 am
#2746
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: The World!!!
Programs: Some of them not all ...
Posts: 1,532
A word of warning for those using RocketMiles. I just had mine post from a recent booking where I earned 4,000 but was then given the opportunity to buy up an additional 2,000 AA miles through RocketMiles at checkout. I thought I would receive LPs for the full 6,000 RDMs I was getting through RM, but it turned out I only received 4,000 LPs, and the 2,000 I upgraded to at checkout was treated as a "bonus," for which no LPs were given.
Mar 4, 2022, 12:04 pm
#2747
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: RDU
Posts: 83
I haven't done a great job of keeping up what is happening with Loyalty Points, other than to look at it and think I would have a tough time keeping my EXP status. I fly a lot on AA metal but my spend is fairly low. I have an AA credit card but spend in the very low five figures.
I wanted to see how I was stacking up and now I'm even more confused.
I'm at 14,342 Loyalty Points. It says for Jan-Feb I earned 10,987 loyalty points. I see no where that mentions how I earned the other 3,355. On the segment tracker, I see credit for 2 segments, however, I flew 10 segments in Jan-Feb and another 2 segments on March 1.
Do you earn points for flights when they are completed, or in the month that they are purchased? Am I right in my understanding that I should be earning 11 points for every dollar I spend (minus tax) on AA flights? Does it seem like I just haven't gotten credit for everything yet?
I wanted to see how I was stacking up and now I'm even more confused.
I'm at 14,342 Loyalty Points. It says for Jan-Feb I earned 10,987 loyalty points. I see no where that mentions how I earned the other 3,355. On the segment tracker, I see credit for 2 segments, however, I flew 10 segments in Jan-Feb and another 2 segments on March 1.
Do you earn points for flights when they are completed, or in the month that they are purchased? Am I right in my understanding that I should be earning 11 points for every dollar I spend (minus tax) on AA flights? Does it seem like I just haven't gotten credit for everything yet?
Mar 4, 2022, 2:08 pm
#2748
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: DL: Silver; AA: EX PLAT; UA: Silver; HY: DIA; HH: DIA; MR: TIT
Posts: 1,708
Mar 4, 2022, 2:15 pm
#2749
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: DC
Programs: AA PPRO, HH Diamond, National EE
Posts: 603
Mostly for gold but every Plat now doesn't have to decide if it's worth it to use stickers for a flight since it's comp. So in the past you would have to complete against, CK, EXP, PPro, and then someone we deems the flight worth stickers. Now you have to complete against the 3 bigs plus all Plat and Golds that spent more than you.
Mar 4, 2022, 2:19 pm
#2750
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: DC
Programs: AA PPRO, HH Diamond, National EE
Posts: 603
In the past it was beneficial to not pass the qualification levels until after the middle of the year so that it would carry you all the way through the next year. Is that the same still now that the qualification period moved to the right? Meaning if you qualify in Sept of 22 or later you will be good thru Feb of 24?
Mar 4, 2022, 2:47 pm
#2751
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,535
In the past it was beneficial to not pass the qualification levels until after the middle of the year so that it would carry you all the way through the next year. Is that the same still now that the qualification period moved to the right? Meaning if you qualify in Sept of 22 or later you will be good thru Feb of 24?
Cheers.
Mar 4, 2022, 3:34 pm
#2752
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: DC
Programs: AA PPRO, HH Diamond, National EE
Posts: 603
So if I pass the threshold for PPro from a flight today I will have that all the way until 1 March 2024?
Mar 4, 2022, 3:40 pm
#2753
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Programs: American Executive Platinum
Posts: 368
They're likely a functional devaluation as there will be more requests to use them, thus more competition, thus much less likelihood of getting to us them. Probably bodes well for very high level Platinum elites, almost a nail in the coffin for low level gold. At least how I see it.
Mar 4, 2022, 4:10 pm
#2754
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: DL: Silver; AA: EX PLAT; UA: Silver; HY: DIA; HH: DIA; MR: TIT
Posts: 1,708
Mostly for gold but every Plat now doesn't have to decide if it's worth it to use stickers for a flight since it's comp. So in the past you would have to complete against, CK, EXP, PPro, and then someone we deems the flight worth stickers. Now you have to complete against the 3 bigs plus all Plat and Golds that spent more than you.
Mar 4, 2022, 4:12 pm
#2755
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,535
Cheers.
Mar 4, 2022, 4:13 pm
#2756
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Albuquerque, NM
Programs: American Executive Platinum
Posts: 368
Mar 4, 2022, 4:16 pm
#2757
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: DC
Programs: AA PPRO, HH Diamond, National EE
Posts: 603
Well it still is for Platinum too because someone with a higher spend as a platinum that didn't want to spend stickers wouldn't be put on the upgrade list so then the person who barely cleared the platinum requirements that DID want to use stickers would get the spot. Now that's not the case.
Mar 4, 2022, 4:19 pm
#2758
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
They're likely a functional devaluation as there will be more requests to use them, thus more competition, thus much less likelihood of getting to us them. Probably bodes well for very high level Platinum elites, almost a nail in the coffin for low level gold. At least how I see it.
It may benefit some people and hurt others, but program-wide this is a net positive.
Mar 4, 2022, 5:48 pm
#2759
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,670
The Disney+ bundle is on the AA shopping portal for 500 miles. There is also an AMEX offer that covers the monthly subscription of $13.99 with equal credit for six months...
Mar 4, 2022, 6:39 pm
#2760
Join Date: Jan 2021
Posts: 540
I haven't done a great job of keeping up what is happening with Loyalty Points, other than to look at it and think I would have a tough time keeping my EXP status. I fly a lot on AA metal but my spend is fairly low. I have an AA credit card but spend in the very low five figures.
I wanted to see how I was stacking up and now I'm even more confused.
I'm at 14,342 Loyalty Points. It says for Jan-Feb I earned 10,987 loyalty points. I see no where that mentions how I earned the other 3,355. On the segment tracker, I see credit for 2 segments, however, I flew 10 segments in Jan-Feb and another 2 segments on March 1.
Do you earn points for flights when they are completed, or in the month that they are purchased? Am I right in my understanding that I should be earning 11 points for every dollar I spend (minus tax) on AA flights? Does it seem like I just haven't gotten credit for everything yet?
I wanted to see how I was stacking up and now I'm even more confused.
I'm at 14,342 Loyalty Points. It says for Jan-Feb I earned 10,987 loyalty points. I see no where that mentions how I earned the other 3,355. On the segment tracker, I see credit for 2 segments, however, I flew 10 segments in Jan-Feb and another 2 segments on March 1.
Do you earn points for flights when they are completed, or in the month that they are purchased? Am I right in my understanding that I should be earning 11 points for every dollar I spend (minus tax) on AA flights? Does it seem like I just haven't gotten credit for everything yet?
Your other 3355 is probably your credit card spend.
For the segment issue, AA may be requiring 30 segments in the membership year, which is March - March. Jan-Feb were just a bonus to get a head start on LPs.
Last edited by ORDflyer92; Mar 4, 2022 at 6:39 pm Reason: Minor mistake