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
Oct 26, 2021, 8:50 am
#46
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Earth
Programs: AA - EXP 1MM, Marriott/SPG Plat, Hilton Gold, BA, DL, TWA Royal Ambassador
Posts: 309
The 120% is bonus miles, not Loyalty Points, according to the linked website. With flying only you'd need to spend $40,000 to earn EXP status the way I interpret this. If you only want to earn EXP by flying, it's a lot harder now it seems, it's as if it's more profitable for them to award AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points for activities other than flying.
Oct 26, 2021, 8:51 am
#47
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, AA ExecPlat, Amtrak Select Exec, former WN apologist
Posts: 1,428
The 120% is bonus miles, not Loyalty Points, according to the linked website. With flying only you'd need to spend $40,000 to earn EXP status the way I interpret this. If you only want to earn EXP by flying, it's a lot harder now it seems, it's as if it's more profitable for them to award AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points for activities other than flying.
In the air: All base miles earned from flying on Loyalty Point-qualifying airlines (flights marketed by American Airlines, oneworld® airlines, and JetBlue). This includes:
- Basic Economy tickets on American
- All status bonuses earned when flying on American Airlines and eligible partner airlines
Oct 26, 2021, 8:51 am
#48
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: DCA/IAD & BUF
Posts: 1,400
We all breath a collective sigh of relief Partner miles aren't devalued. However isn't that only an assumption because the update is silent on Award Charts? Not sure anything in today's announcement actually precludes waking up tomorrow to Partner award devaluations, either earning or spending.
Oct 26, 2021, 8:51 am
#49
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP, AA Million Miles, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,586
Oct 26, 2021, 8:52 am
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,056
AAdvantage members who don't fly a lot don't consume as many benefits, compete for upgrades, etc. So the comparison is more complex than a cursory analysis would suggest. The fact that the loyalty benefits don't kick in until you get 30 segments also shows that AA sees additional value in those who actually fly instead of just churning spend on credit cards.
Oct 26, 2021, 8:53 am
#51
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, AA ExecPlat, Amtrak Select Exec, former WN apologist
Posts: 1,428
Clearly AA values credit card holders over people that actually fly their airline week in and week out. $40K to make EXP without cc spend is a tough nut to crack. I guess by 2023 I'll have to hope that MCE is now providing free alcohol (although I doubt). Might be time to finally think about DL after my AC membership ends.
Oct 26, 2021, 8:53 am
#53
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Anywhere
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 674
Oct 26, 2021, 8:56 am
#54
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SAN
Programs: Lots of faux metal
Posts: 6,424
Hellllllo, Alaska!
Initial take I think its crazy to think you could qualify for Plat Pro or EXP and still not earn SWUs. I've qualified for EXP with much less than 30 total segments.
Initial take I think its crazy to think you could qualify for Plat Pro or EXP and still not earn SWUs. I've qualified for EXP with much less than 30 total segments.
Last edited by skunker; Oct 26, 2021 at 9:06 am
Oct 26, 2021, 8:56 am
#55
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL Platinum, AA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Radisson Premium
Posts: 6,638
I Haven't flown AA in forever but this seems like overall a positive change that I really hope DL/UA will follow in some respect. UA of course eliminated the concept of EQM all together a few years back. Mileage runs will matter again.
However, the concept of qualifying dollars going away would be great if the industry follows this. Also a good way to encourage people using their co-branded credit cards. Wise business decision considering so many miles are earned off the ground now, and that business travel still isn't where it needs to be.
What are the negatives to this change overall? Perhaps a devaluation in the earning requirements compared to the EQM only days. But in those days, bonus RDM didn't count and now they do
However, the concept of qualifying dollars going away would be great if the industry follows this. Also a good way to encourage people using their co-branded credit cards. Wise business decision considering so many miles are earned off the ground now, and that business travel still isn't where it needs to be.
What are the negatives to this change overall? Perhaps a devaluation in the earning requirements compared to the EQM only days. But in those days, bonus RDM didn't count and now they do
Oct 26, 2021, 8:59 am
#56
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, AA ExecPlat, Amtrak Select Exec, former WN apologist
Posts: 1,428
Curious how that is possible? You're making the $15k EQD threshold for EXP, but don't think you'll spend enough to get 75k loyalty points? Doesn't seem possible.
Oct 26, 2021, 9:01 am
#57
Join Date: Oct 2021
Programs: AA PLatinum
Posts: 2
Definitely will lose a status level by 2023. Awesome change.
Did a quick check on the future status calculator at AA's website (under the loyalty program news link). I do a lot of multi-leg domestic trips through hubs. Looks like without CC spend/other spend AA has tidily booted me back from Platinum to Gold. In a huge way. I'm assuming they'll honor Platinum in 2022 but then I'm tossed. On top of all the other abuse this year I am seriously wondering if a concerted effort to switch to United might be worth it. Really feel valued by you, American! Not. : (
Oct 26, 2021, 9:01 am
#58
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,585
Maybe AA made a mistake, but I do not see any exclusion for miles earned from deposits at Bask Bank!
"Which AAdvantage® miles do not count toward earning Loyalty Points?
Bonus miles earned from special promotions
Miles from Buy, Gift, Transfer transactions
Government taxes, fees, and other charges associated with buying a ticket do not count toward earning AAdvantage® miles and do not count toward earning Loyalty Points
Conversion of another program currency to AAdvantage® miles
For AAdvantage® credit cards, “accelerators” or “multipliers” such as: extra miles for purchases in specific categories, with specific merchants (such as American Airlines purchases) or purchases made abroad
AAdvantage® credit cards new account or welcome bonuses, spend bonuses, etc."
"Which AAdvantage® miles do not count toward earning Loyalty Points?
Bonus miles earned from special promotions
Miles from Buy, Gift, Transfer transactions
Government taxes, fees, and other charges associated with buying a ticket do not count toward earning AAdvantage® miles and do not count toward earning Loyalty Points
Conversion of another program currency to AAdvantage® miles
For AAdvantage® credit cards, “accelerators” or “multipliers” such as: extra miles for purchases in specific categories, with specific merchants (such as American Airlines purchases) or purchases made abroad
AAdvantage® credit cards new account or welcome bonuses, spend bonuses, etc."
Oct 26, 2021, 9:02 am
#59
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, AA ExecPlat, Amtrak Select Exec, former WN apologist
Posts: 1,428
I assume you mean "Mileage runs will never matter again." ? If so, good riddance. I always found the idea of flying the longest circuitous route to a destination only to turn around and come back to be a waste of time, resources, and bad for the environment.