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 30, 2021, 10:12 am
#841
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,584
Courtesy of upgradedpoints.com (and other blog sites, too), it appears that Bask Bank currently values AA miles awarded by the bank at $0.0042 (0.42¢) per mile:
"You will receive a 1099 interest statement for the value of the miles (calculated at 0.42 cents per mile) earned in a calendar year. This translates to $42 in taxable value for every 10,000 miles received."
"You will receive a 1099 interest statement for the value of the miles (calculated at 0.42 cents per mile) earned in a calendar year. This translates to $42 in taxable value for every 10,000 miles received."
Oct 30, 2021, 10:35 am
#842
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,666
AA has reversed course on MCE access for some partner elites:
"Elite member access Who gets complimentary Main Cabin Extra seats?AAdvantage® Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro and Platinum membersoneworld® Sapphire and Emerald members with elite status on Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair or Japan AirlinesAll listed members are allowed complimentary access for up to 8 traveling companions on the same reservation. AAdvantage® Gold and oneworld® Ruby members*Enjoy complimentary access within 24 hours of departure when seats are available. *oneworld® Ruby members with elite status on Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair or Japan Airlines"
"Elite member access Who gets complimentary Main Cabin Extra seats?AAdvantage® Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro and Platinum membersoneworld® Sapphire and Emerald members with elite status on Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair or Japan AirlinesAll listed members are allowed complimentary access for up to 8 traveling companions on the same reservation. AAdvantage® Gold and oneworld® Ruby members*Enjoy complimentary access within 24 hours of departure when seats are available. *oneworld® Ruby members with elite status on Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair or Japan Airlines"
Oct 30, 2021, 10:35 am
#843
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: DCA
Programs: UA LT 1K, AA EXP, Bonvoy LT Titan, Avis PC, Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,658
When AA kicked in Lifetime miles earning from Credit card for 2020 - this may have given them an indication of the number of heavy hitter's out there on CCs. Many may have shifted there spending to the AA cards since they were not flying during Covid. That may have given AA a boost in revenue from CC spend - since they were not getting much revenue on tickets.
So they likely decided - let's incentivize people to shift spending to the AA cards with LP.
So they likely decided - let's incentivize people to shift spending to the AA cards with LP.
Oct 30, 2021, 10:50 am
#844
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,313
Plus, as more people are concerned about climate change and how it's affected by highly polluting activities like flying, a loyalty scheme not called a "frequent flier program" and not so focused on miles-traveled may seem more appealing to some people (even if in this case that's probably hypocritical and just to let people feel a bit better about themselves).
Oct 30, 2021, 11:12 am
#845
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,584
I'm seeing JFK-LHR-TLV-LHR-JFK in BA Business for as low as $2,225 currently. And AARP members or Chase BA credit-card holders should be able to knock $200 off of that. That would give you the needed four BA segments to get BA Silver/oneworld Sapphire.
Oct 30, 2021, 11:34 am
#846
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/SFO & ORD
Programs: LT Gold/BA Executive Club/AS MP/Marriott
Posts: 1,646
would be no "crapshoot" of getting a seat with decent legroom.
Oct 30, 2021, 11:39 am
#847
Join Date: Oct 2019
Programs: Flying Blue, Hilton Honors, Amtrak Guest Rewards
Posts: 2,401
I would be shocked if we don't see, as the qualification year draws to a close, offers to buy a bundle of miles and LPs calibrated to make up for the difference in earning rates between the tiers. The qualification year being offset from the others especially facilitates this.
For example, an EXP needs the equivalent of approx. 18k in old EQD to renew, but that spend if a PP generates only 162k LPs. So the reasonable offer might be $800 for 40k miles and 40k LPs targeted only at those who cross 125k LPs after Nov 1, 2022 (i.e. those not on pace to cross 200k organically).
Similarly, crossing 75k after Nov 1, 2022 might unlock a $300 for 15k miles and 15k LPs, which is enough to cover the difference between a Plat and a PP at the spend level for a PP to requalify. The corresponding offer for Gold to Plat would be crossing 30k after Aug 1 and $200 for 10k miles and 10k LPs. The no status to Gold offer might then be crossing 15k after Oct 1 and be $200 for 10k.
For example, an EXP needs the equivalent of approx. 18k in old EQD to renew, but that spend if a PP generates only 162k LPs. So the reasonable offer might be $800 for 40k miles and 40k LPs targeted only at those who cross 125k LPs after Nov 1, 2022 (i.e. those not on pace to cross 200k organically).
Similarly, crossing 75k after Nov 1, 2022 might unlock a $300 for 15k miles and 15k LPs, which is enough to cover the difference between a Plat and a PP at the spend level for a PP to requalify. The corresponding offer for Gold to Plat would be crossing 30k after Aug 1 and $200 for 10k miles and 10k LPs. The no status to Gold offer might then be crossing 15k after Oct 1 and be $200 for 10k.
Oct 30, 2021, 11:45 am
#848
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Wanting First. Buying First.
Programs: Lifetime Executive Diamond Platinum VIP with Braniff, Eastern, Midway, National & Pan Am
Posts: 17,482
The premise of so many posts on this thread is absolutely ridiculous - "the food is awful, and such small portions" ranting.
If AA sucks as an airline (it does), why does anyone care that it might now be more difficult** to earn status on that sheetshow of an airline?
Regretfully, I am moving to another frequent flyer program that actually values my flying with them.
**I'm not even convinced that in the aggregate this makes earning or retaining status more difficult as an entirely new path to status has opened.
Oct 30, 2021, 12:57 pm
#849
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: San Diego
Programs: Plat Pro AAdvantage, but defected to BAEC
Posts: 1,222
If you have both, AARP would knock of $200 and Chase would knock off an additional $202.50
Oct 30, 2021, 1:18 pm
#850
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
"Double Dipping"
The AA site says:
In my case, I have qualified for EXP for "2022" via the $2K EQD requirement, and I have flown little enough in 2021 that I could not realistically get to the "real" EXP threshold so as to get the choice rewards. So this travel wouldn't help me for 2021 "qualifying."
I have a fairly expensive trip that I'm planning for early 2022, and I can take it in January or March. I'm trying to figure out when to take it. If I read this correctly, it doesn't matter.
- From January 1 to February 28, 2022, members will have the opportunity to continue to earn EQMs, EQDs, and EQSs toward 2021 status qualification when flying on eligible airlines (American Airlines, oneworld®, and JetBlue).
- During the same period, members will also earn Loyalty Points toward the new program. Loyalty Points earned in January and February 2022 will be deposited into your account in early March 2022 and will count toward reaching status for 2023.
In my case, I have qualified for EXP for "2022" via the $2K EQD requirement, and I have flown little enough in 2021 that I could not realistically get to the "real" EXP threshold so as to get the choice rewards. So this travel wouldn't help me for 2021 "qualifying."
I have a fairly expensive trip that I'm planning for early 2022, and I can take it in January or March. I'm trying to figure out when to take it. If I read this correctly, it doesn't matter.
Oct 30, 2021, 1:29 pm
#851
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,666
And this is for regular qualification, they have reduced qualification levels until June 2022, 450 TPs for Silver (Sapphire) and 1125 TPs for Gold (Emerald).
Last edited by nk15; Oct 30, 2021 at 1:38 pm
Oct 30, 2021, 1:49 pm
#853
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,584
If my calculations are correct, this would also give you 560 of the 600 BA tier points you need for BA Silver in one J trip for $1800 (w Chase and AARP discounts), so you just need one more domestic flight for OW Sapphire status with BA.
And this is for regular qualification, they have reduced qualification levels until June 2022, 450 TPs for Silver (Sapphire) and 1125 TPs for Gold (Emerald).
And this is for regular qualification, they have reduced qualification levels until June 2022, 450 TPs for Silver (Sapphire) and 1125 TPs for Gold (Emerald).
Oct 30, 2021, 1:58 pm
#854
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP / LT PLT / 3MM, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 35,388
Exactly.
Exactly x 2.
Oct 30, 2021, 2:17 pm
#855
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP.
Posts: 1,325
Someone like me who spends 2-3 M on cards a year for work would easily put 200k on AA for the status alone. But I HATE this new program. Only because I keep getting denied the card for some odd reason. Is anyone else going to jumpship to Alaska?