4 miles short of 2k EXP qualification challenge in 2021 - any hope?
 

So I made a boneheaded mistake in my calculation and ended up with 1996 EQD in last Q of 2021, made a MR in last week and could have booked on F on return from LAX to SJC for $100 extra and not had this shortfall. Have been EXP since 2002, starring back to lifetime Gold now. Any chance a plead to EXP desk might help? I now am in a role where I travel domestic F for work, should hit the 200k LP by Oct-Nov timeframe, but its the 30 segments are going to be hard to hit. Most of my travel is on SFO-JFK/ORD/DFW non stops.

You don't need 30 segments for status.

I would absolutely request something. It can't hurt to ask.

The EXP Desk is a reservations desk. They can't do anything for you. Call the Executive Liaison Desk. The number hsa been posted here a few times. It's unlikely they'll do anything because you were already given a waiver opportunity, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

EXP since 2002?

It's dumb enough that AA didn't extend everyone's status like the other majors, but it's essentially corporate malfeasance that AA hasn't reviewed the list of people with expiring status and extended people like you.

If AA doesn't extend you, you should status-match to UA or DL before your AA status expires March 31, just on principle. And then mail a copy to Robert Isom and whoever is running AAdvantage this week.

Can you fly SFO-LGA-JFK to get extra segments?

Just kidding. And highlighting the absurdity.

About 10 years ago I used to fly RDU-CLT-PHL-BDA instead of RDU-PHL-BDA or RDU-CLT-BDA just for the segments.

We do all understand that rules are rules and actual "DYKWIA's" are few and far between, but if they genuinely won't take a 20-year exp and let them slide over 4 bucks, it will seem pretty silly.

Sounds like you really haven't traveled AA much the past year and have been extended the last two years already. The $2K was another offer.
Seems like a reasonable request - but you aren't necessarily a good AA customer at this point.
How many LP's have you earned thus far this year? I think you might have a better chance if you had high LP's for the past 3 months, otherwise again not a big spend customer.

You could have been extended with $15K spend on your AA Credit card - which is what AA wants now for status - big CC spend.

The OP was EXP for almost 20 years and then, like almost everyone else, didn't travel much during a pandemic. It would be malpractice for anyone at AA to assume the person isn't a good customer anymore.

Extending status costs AA nothing, which is particularly true if people like the OP have turned into permanent homebodies and won't use any benefits. On the other hand, the OP might be back to traveling international long-haul in J now that the pandemic has miraculously ended. Losing those people would be stupid for AA, but it appears AA has done no such analysis, since many such people have already reported no extensions have been proactively offered.

Not everyone has access to AA CCs for one reason or another. Other threads have reports from foreign elites who can't get an AA CC and couldn't fly for the $2,000 EQD promo due to their countries' Covid rules, who also haven't been offered any accommodation from AA. Senseless.

Considering that AA's business model is now based upon partner revenue, particularly cc income, the days of highly valuing FFs that aren't spending with partners might be coming to an end.

The OP shows SFO Bay area as location - hence could get AA card. The OP said - flew flights to try to get the $2K spend but just missed. If buying international J in the past - then should be buy domestic F. So clearly someone who was calculating just to try to make it, was not an overachiever.

Some past business travelers may not be coming back. There was also plenty of time for spending the $15K on the CC - those that did not likely kept using AmEx or Chase. AA wants you to move that over to Citi or Barclay. Some here on FT - don't use the AA cards much since they calculate better mile value using other cards.

If someone plans to buy lots of international J, then they won't have trouble getting EXP back - and for that matter don't really need EXP.

The name of the game is spend big - on flights and AA credit cards.

For granting exceptions - AA could look at how you charged past tickets. If you were restricted by your company on CC to use, AA knows that too - since you would be on a discounted corporate fare. So they can take all that into consideration.

There are people out there now - who have already spend big on their AA cards (like several $100Ks) and already earned EXP with tiered bonuses. This is the business spender AA wants.

AA was pretty generous with options to extend status, and gave you plenty of time. If you missed it too bad. There are too many elites already. If I were the OP I would certainly ask for an exception, but as an EXP I hope it isn't granted.

You're just saying the same thing over and over. Not everyone in the U.S. has access to AA CC, and there's no evidence whatsoever that AA is doing any such case-by-case analysis. That's the point.

The status gate-keeping at this place is really hilarious.

How exactly would an extension for the OP affect you in the slightest? The OP's EQD would put him or her at the bottom of the upgrade list behind you big spenders.

I had been EXP for over 12 years but dropped to Plat Pro for 2020. I got no extension. While many kept getting extensions, I had to earn it back the hard way. If the OP buy lots of J International, then they will get it back.

The people impacted are those that earned Plat Pro with good spend and EQM in 2021.
OP doesn't mention what they will drop down to if not extended, but if extended, then they will be prioritized above a Plat Pro with better LP count.

I know I was impacted by not getting extended from 2019 and just kept getting extended for 2 years as Plat Pro, and in some cases had higher spend than extended EXP. None of my extensions were needed as I earned it in all cases, without any promo (but met all the promos anyway).

When I was Plat Pro the last two years - I was many times showing number 8 to 12 on the upgrade list. Now as EXP - I am showing up as 1 or 2 on the list. So I have to assume I was getting no upgrades as Plat Pro - since lots of sub-spend, extended EXPs were ahead of me.

Was there a pandemic in 2019? Why should AA have offered you a waiver in 2019?

What exactly did you earn back "the hard way"? The EXP qualifiers in 2020 and/or '21 were about half what they were in 2019.

The idea that someone like the OP can "get EXP back" after being dropped from EXP to nothing by buying a lot of international J is utterly comical. No self-respecting person would give money to AA after being treated like that.

Once again, a reminder: A huge percentage of the people who earned EXP in 2019 never got to use the benefits. The idea that they're being gifted some huge freebie if extended is silly.

Extended EXPs weren't traveling much but somehow were gobbling up all the precious upgrades?

lol