LPs for AA Credit Card Spend in February – New Rule for 2024
#1
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LPs for AA Credit Card Spend in February – New Rule for 2024
The following rule change has been mentioned in scattered posts across the forum but has not yet had a dedicated thread, and a lot of outdated information continues to be posted, particularly as we approach the end of the status year.
Via a December 7, 2023 email to cardholders (pasted below), AA announced that beginning in 2024, LPs for AA credit card spending will be credited to either the current or next status year based on the transaction date, rather than the statement closing date. As a practical matter, this means that LPs from credit card purchases during the month of February will count toward the 2023-2024 status year, irrespective of when the credit card statement closes. Please note that this rule change applies to all AAdvantage credit cards -- i.e., Barclays or Citi, fee or no annual fee, etc.
The AA email provides an illustrative example of how the rule will be applied for a credit card statement that includes transactions from both February and March. What we don’t know yet is exactly how the new rule will be implemented. The AA email indicates that it may take 8-10 weeks for LPs from February transactions to be reflected correctly in your account, and presumably your elite status if applicable. Perhaps this thread can be used to collect data from FT members as to how and when these LP adjustments are made after March 1.
DECEMBER 6 EMAIL TEXT:
Via a December 7, 2023 email to cardholders (pasted below), AA announced that beginning in 2024, LPs for AA credit card spending will be credited to either the current or next status year based on the transaction date, rather than the statement closing date. As a practical matter, this means that LPs from credit card purchases during the month of February will count toward the 2023-2024 status year, irrespective of when the credit card statement closes. Please note that this rule change applies to all AAdvantage credit cards -- i.e., Barclays or Citi, fee or no annual fee, etc.
The AA email provides an illustrative example of how the rule will be applied for a credit card statement that includes transactions from both February and March. What we don’t know yet is exactly how the new rule will be implemented. The AA email indicates that it may take 8-10 weeks for LPs from February transactions to be reflected correctly in your account, and presumably your elite status if applicable. Perhaps this thread can be used to collect data from FT members as to how and when these LP adjustments are made after March 1.
DECEMBER 6 EMAIL TEXT:
Your journey to AAdvantage® status
As an AAdvantage® credit cardmember, you earn Loyalty Points on everyday purchases, which is a great way to reach AAdvantage® status and Loyalty Point Rewards.
With a few months left in the status qualification year, we wanted to make you aware of a change we’ve made to reaching status with your AAdvantage® credit card.
What has changed?
The Loyalty Points you earn on AAdvantage® credit card* purchases between March 1 and the end of February of the following year count toward the current status qualification year.
This means you can earn Loyalty Points through February 29, 2024, instead of your last statement close date of the qualification year.
What will this look like?
As an example, if your monthly AAdvantage® credit card statement closes on March 5 (which includes purchases posted to your credit card account between February 6 and March 5), all the Loyalty Points earned from purchases made between February 6 through 29 will count toward 2024 status. All Loyalty Points earned between March 1 and 5 count toward the 2025 qualification year.
It may take up to 8 – 10 weeks after March 5 to post to your account, in this example.
What happens on March 1?
The new status qualification year begins and your Loyalty Point balance resets to zero. You can then begin earning toward status from March 1, 2024 – February 28, 2025.
How can I earn Loyalty Points faster as an AAdvantage® credit cardmember?
Along with flying, we recommend engaging with our partners using your AAdvantage® credit card.
As an AAdvantage® credit cardmember, you earn Loyalty Points on everyday purchases, which is a great way to reach AAdvantage® status and Loyalty Point Rewards.
With a few months left in the status qualification year, we wanted to make you aware of a change we’ve made to reaching status with your AAdvantage® credit card.
What has changed?
The Loyalty Points you earn on AAdvantage® credit card* purchases between March 1 and the end of February of the following year count toward the current status qualification year.
This means you can earn Loyalty Points through February 29, 2024, instead of your last statement close date of the qualification year.
What will this look like?
As an example, if your monthly AAdvantage® credit card statement closes on March 5 (which includes purchases posted to your credit card account between February 6 and March 5), all the Loyalty Points earned from purchases made between February 6 through 29 will count toward 2024 status. All Loyalty Points earned between March 1 and 5 count toward the 2025 qualification year.
It may take up to 8 – 10 weeks after March 5 to post to your account, in this example.
What happens on March 1?
The new status qualification year begins and your Loyalty Point balance resets to zero. You can then begin earning toward status from March 1, 2024 – February 28, 2025.
How can I earn Loyalty Points faster as an AAdvantage® credit cardmember?
Along with flying, we recommend engaging with our partners using your AAdvantage® credit card.
Last edited by ZenFlyer; Feb 19, 2024 at 7:04 am
#3
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#4
Join Date: Apr 2017
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it's totally related to the thread, doubly so as the same question can be asked of the issue of status. if you need that last few days of cc spend to make the next status level, what happens, are you platinum at the start of april, then platinum pro 6 weeks later when the divided cycle LPs post post?
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Washington, D.C.
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it's totally related to the thread, doubly so as the same question can be asked of the issue of status. if you need that last few days of cc spend to make the next status level, what happens, are you platinum at the start of april, then platinum pro 6 weeks later when the divided cycle LPs post post?
#6
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Fwiw, I thought it might be a good idea to have some kind of more comprehenisve master thread/sticky regarding various end-of-status year questions that tend to come up, some of which are addressed in their own threads and some of which are not. Maybe someone else can consider taking that on -- I only had the energy to make a post specifically about the credit card spend rule, mostly because I've seen a lot of confusion on this issue and I'm tired of making the same correction in different threads.
#7
Join Date: Apr 2017
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Posts: 896
The fact of the matter is that no one knows for certain, as the current LP program is only two years old, and this is the first time that this rule is being implemented. Also, the past two years suggest that AA tends to make up the policy for implementing such rules as it goes along.
#8
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Loyalty Point Rewards program, formerly Loyalty Choice - 2021 on (consolidated)
#9
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Fwiw, I thought it might be a good idea to have some kind of more comprehenisve master thread/sticky regarding various end-of-status year questions that tend to come up, some of which are addressed in their own threads and some of which are not. Maybe someone else can consider taking that on
I made one.
Last edited by notquiteaff; Feb 19, 2024 at 9:13 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2000
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The fact of the matter is that no one knows for certain, as the current LP program is only two years old, and this is the first time that this rule is being implemented. Also, the past two years suggest that AA tends to make up the policy for implementing such rules as it goes along.
#11
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No. The rule was announced in December 2023, and of course that is last year, if that's what you mean. But if you are talking about implementing the rule, last year LPs in February and March worked differently. More specifically, in 2023 card spend in February counted for both status years -- a double-dip for AA cardholders. My assumption is that was a bit of an improvisation on AA's part, and something they did not want to repeat again.
#12
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No. The rule was announced in December 2023, and of course that is last year, if that's what you mean. But if you are talking about implementing the rule, last year LPs in February and March worked differently. More specifically, in 2023 card spend in February counted for both status years -- a double-dip for AA cardholders. My assumption is that was a bit of an improvisation on AA's part, and something they did not want to repeat again.
#13
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
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Do the T&C for the credit card say anything when the LP are supposed to post? If so, and if they didn’t adjust the T&C to cover this special period, you might have a leg to stand on. I did get the email and saw a number of threads here where it was discussed, but I could easily see a less “engaged” member not seeing the posts here and either not getting the email for technical reasons or simply mistaking it for one of the many useless emails from loyalty programs.
#14
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: DCA/IAD
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Posts: 7,819
No. The rule was announced in December 2023, and of course that is last year, if that's what you mean. But if you are talking about implementing the rule, last year LPs in February and March worked differently. More specifically, in 2023 card spend in February counted for both status years -- a double-dip for AA cardholders. My assumption is that was a bit of an improvisation on AA's part, and something they did not want to repeat again.
#15
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Posts: 3,217
Yes. Last year, we got credit for 2023 and 2024 for LPs earned in between one's February statement closing date and February 28 -- i.e., we were able to double dip, although we didn't know we could until after the fact. This year, it's based solely on transaction date. I've been holding a few large purchases (new furniture, new mattress, etc.) to March 1 as a result.