Aug 13, 2014, 6:59 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
What are Executive Platinum / EP / EXP benefits? Are they worth it?
Link to oneworld web page “Emerald Privileges”
Executive Platinum status requirements: rack up 200,000 Loyalty Points in one calendar year
*See FT: Earning EQD / Elite Qualifying Dollars on AA and partner airlines (2017 on)
(Members NO LONGER must fly at least 4 American Airlines marketed segments during the qualifying year to receive elite status.)
Status will last the current status year and the following status year - earn EP during 2019, your status ends 31 Jan 2021.
Preferred benefits:
Airport benefits
Upgrade benefits (on AA)
Systemwide Upgrades (SWU)
You’ll receive four (4) systemwide upgrades (8 SWU years prior to c/y 2016 ) when you qualify or re-qualify for Executive Platinum status.
You may earn two more SWU at 150,000 EQM, and again at 200,000 EQM
SWU upgrades are valid, when available, for one-way travel on any American Airlines marketed and operated flight (up to 3 segments) and you can give them to anyone, even if you're not traveling with them.
Linkto further SWU information
Other benefits
Award benefits
oneworld benefits*
*oneworld benefits are available only to passengers on scheduled flights that are both marketed and operated by a oneworld member airline (marketed means that there must be a oneworld member airline flight number on your ticket).
**AAdvantage member access to American Airlines lounges excluded (regardless of status or class of service) if traveling within North America or between the U.S., Canada, Mexico (except Mexico City), the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
Link to aa.com guide to AAdvantage Elite benefits (all levels)
Link to aa.com AAdvantage Elite Status benefit comparison charts
Link to aa.com [b]Elite Status Benefit Guide
Previous posts: Archive: Is EXP / Executive Platinum worth it? What are the benefits? (consolidated)
Link to oneworld web page “Emerald Privileges”
Executive Platinum status requirements: rack up 200,000 Loyalty Points in one calendar year
*See FT: Earning EQD / Elite Qualifying Dollars on AA and partner airlines (2017 on)
(Members NO LONGER must fly at least 4 American Airlines marketed segments during the qualifying year to receive elite status.)
Status will last the current status year and the following status year - earn EP during 2019, your status ends 31 Jan 2021.
Preferred benefits:
- Complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred Seats
- Up to three (3) free checked bags with oneworld benefit, 32 kg / 70 lbs ea. (extends to all traveling companions same PNR)
- Minimum mileage guarantee available[/color] (for EQM only as of 1 Aug 2016)
- 100% elite mileage bonus (changed to 11 Award miles per "fare dollar" (base fare plus carrier fees, not taxes) spent as of 1 Aug 2016)
- Guaranteed Main Cabin seat availability [/color] (up to 24 hrs from departure)
- Systemwide Upgrades (see below)
- First class lounge access qualifying longhaul international and MEX** (see below)
Airport benefits
- Check in at First Class counter)
- Priority Lane / Fast Track through the airport at check-in, security and boarding (link) (see post #472 - link)
- Checked bag fee waived for three (3) bags up to 70 lb / 32 kg
- Priority baggage delivery
- Complimentary same-day standby
- Complimentary same-day flight change on American Airlines
- Discounted Admirals Club® membership
- Flagship Lounge and Admirals Club access on qualifying flights, regardless of class
Upgrade benefits (on AA)
- 100-hour upgrade window
- Flights* 500 miles or less: Unlimited, auto-requested complimentary upgrades
- Flights* over 500 miles: Unlimited, auto-requested complimentary upgrades*
- Upgrade one companion traveling with you on the same flight with 500-mile upgrades*
- As of June 2017, Executive Platinum members can use their complimentary 500-mile upgrade benefits on AAdvantage® award tickets for travel on American from Main Cabin to the next class."
- Courtesy 500 mile Upgrades confirmed before departure (as early as) 100 hours
- *Upgrades on American are valid on American marketed and operated flights, within and between the U.S. (including Hawaii) and between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Bermuda and Central America (based on availability). Upgrades are valid from the Main Cabin to the next class of service.
- Executive Platinum members DO NOT earn 500-mile upgrades.
Systemwide Upgrades (SWU)
You’ll receive four (4) systemwide upgrades (8 SWU years prior to c/y 2016 ) when you qualify or re-qualify for Executive Platinum status.
You may earn two more SWU at 150,000 EQM, and again at 200,000 EQM
SWU upgrades are valid, when available, for one-way travel on any American Airlines marketed and operated flight (up to 3 segments) and you can give them to anyone, even if you're not traveling with them.
Linkto further SWU information
Other benefits
- Exclusive Executive Platinum service desk (actual separate dedicated call center staff)
- Waived ticketing service charge
- Guaranteed availability in the Main Cabin*
- Waitlist priority for purchased First or Business Class (on American)
- Complimentary alcoholic beverage and snack in the Main Cabin / coach (no, does not extend to traveling companion)
- Complimentary preferred seats (extends to up to 8 traveling companions)
- Complimentary Main Cabin Extra seats (extends to up to 8 traveling companions)
- Two EP baggage tags
- Exclusive partner offers
Award benefits
- Extended MileSAAver award availability (must call EXP Desk, your FFN must be used during the award search, availability is not unlimited)
- Award processing charge waived (awards within twenty-one days of travel)
- AAdvantage award change and reinstatement charge waived (for awards reinstated to the EP member's account)
- Special discounts on hotel and car awards
oneworld benefits*
- oneworld priority check-in and standby
- oneworld priority boarding
- oneworld priority security
- oneworld partner lounge access** First Class and frequent flyer lounges
- Extended 3 bags and weight (32 kg / 70 lbs ea.)
*oneworld benefits are available only to passengers on scheduled flights that are both marketed and operated by a oneworld member airline (marketed means that there must be a oneworld member airline flight number on your ticket).
**AAdvantage member access to American Airlines lounges excluded (regardless of status or class of service) if traveling within North America or between the U.S., Canada, Mexico (except Mexico City), the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
Link to aa.com guide to AAdvantage Elite benefits (all levels)
Link to aa.com AAdvantage Elite Status benefit comparison charts
Link to aa.com [b]Elite Status Benefit Guide
Previous posts: Archive: Is EXP / Executive Platinum worth it? What are the benefits? (consolidated)
What are Executive Platinum / EP / EXP benefits? Are they worth it? (master thd)
Oct 10, 2013, 5:44 am
#46
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL
Programs: AA 4MM EXP; Starwood Lifetime Plt
Posts: 2,498
Travel without a visa to Brazil wouldn't work as you need to have the visa in your passport before you enter the plane for travel. In the case of Chile you would need to exit the customs area to check-in for the return and the payment booths are located before passport check. Argentina requires prepayment, before arrival so you probably wouldn't be allowed on the plane without the receipt. In general, I doubt very much that this strategy would work. But, if you have a second passport, for example from an EU or other South American country, payment would not be required
Oct 10, 2013, 11:02 am
#47
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781
Travel without a visa to Brazil wouldn't work as you need to have the visa in your passport before you enter the plane for travel. In the case of Chile you would need to exit the customs area to check-in for the return and the payment booths are located before passport check. Argentina requires prepayment, before arrival so you probably wouldn't be allowed on the plane without the receipt. In general, I doubt very much that this strategy would work. But, if you have a second passport, for example from an EU or other South American country, payment would not be required
I have to confess, I'm not a very dedicated mileage runner -- even if it becomes practical for someone with a 2nd passport to do a same-day turn in one of them, once I've flown internationally I'd want want to spend a day or two actually seeing where I'm visiting.
(As I'm likely to be doing in late Nov in Buenos Aires; $871 for 14,600 miles isn't stupendous as a MR even on its own let alone "+ visa + hotel" as a short vacation a long way from home it seems like a pretty good deal to me.)
Oct 10, 2013, 11:39 am
#48
In memoriam
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP, DL PLT, UA 1P, SPG Gold
Posts: 415
The LAX-MIA-ASU ~12k miles for ~$450 fares are very attractive for such an MR. You can do a same day/plane turn in ASU. Visa is required but there reports of being able to do a straight turn without having to clear the customs. Paraguay is a VOA country.
Oct 10, 2013, 11:59 am
#49
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: New York
Programs: AA EXP 1.0mm, not sure where I am with hotels these days
Posts: 2,795
Oct 11, 2013, 2:05 pm
#52
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE, AA EXP MM, UA Gold MM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Titanium, HH Dia, IHG Plat
Posts: 4,777
Success Getting EXP Desk to Release Unpublished Award Space!
Just had my first success getting the EXP desk to open up two award seats on a connection (Eagle) to a midcon with existing published award space. So I'd like to ask: are there any rules of thumb for estimating when a request like this is likely to be successful? Do you need to have at least some award space identified and then EXP will add to that, or are they more likely to open up short-haul or Eagle flights, or could you score with a midcon or transcon without any published award space in the itinerary?
Coming from UA, where elites get published extra award inventory, the way AA works is mysterious to me.
Coming from UA, where elites get published extra award inventory, the way AA works is mysterious to me.
Oct 11, 2013, 2:56 pm
#53
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Dallas Area
Programs: AA EX PLT, Lifetime Platinum, Marriott Lifetime Gold
Posts: 149
I am at 72,324 YTD
I got lucky and have a biz trip to Asia next week and with the other biz trips I will be about 5,000 short.
I had considered a DFW-LHR trip that would be just under 9600 miles. There are multiple flights per day so a round trip with no overnight is possible.
I just booked a DFW-SEA same day trip for $256 which is about 3300 miles leaving me under 2,000 short which gives me plenty of options between now and year end.
Look at West Coast Flights which have high miles.
I got lucky and have a biz trip to Asia next week and with the other biz trips I will be about 5,000 short.
I had considered a DFW-LHR trip that would be just under 9600 miles. There are multiple flights per day so a round trip with no overnight is possible.
I just booked a DFW-SEA same day trip for $256 which is about 3300 miles leaving me under 2,000 short which gives me plenty of options between now and year end.
Look at West Coast Flights which have high miles.
Well, another year, another time i'm SO close to exec. platinum. As it stands today, i'm at 74,000 miles for the year, and I have probably another couple thousand of work trips before end of the year, but unless a surprise international trip comes up, i doubt i'll make it.
Think it's worth it to take a trip solely for the Executive Platinum status?
Assuming the answer is yes, what's the furthest I could fly for the cost (i'm in LAX)
thanks!
Of course i post this while i'm reading the sticky on EXECUTIVE PLATINUM. Could you merge my post with that and delete this thread please mod, thanks!
Think it's worth it to take a trip solely for the Executive Platinum status?
Assuming the answer is yes, what's the furthest I could fly for the cost (i'm in LAX)
thanks!
Of course i post this while i'm reading the sticky on EXECUTIVE PLATINUM. Could you merge my post with that and delete this thread please mod, thanks!
Oct 12, 2013, 3:32 am
#54
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Bangkok, Thailand. No longer Palm Coast, FL though still exiled, again, from the Bay Area.
Programs: Only the good ones
Posts: 5,153
A little planning goes a long way
Living in China the past two+ years really convinced me to do whatever it takes to get the eVP's. So last year it was 32k BIS in December with some NYC-HNL runs-fortunately with the DBEQM promo, as I was about 70k short. This year, came back in Sept on an award to sequence LAX-ORD-PVG RT's and PHL-DFW-ORD-PEK RT's (it's a whole lot cheaper than ex-PVG fares,) thru June 2014, and ran the numbers, so did a couple LAX-BDL's in Sept plus jumped on the PHX-HNL fares in Dec to hit 100k this year as well as. Planning ahead so I'm at 50k by June next year because those end of year MR's really take their toll.
Nov 12, 2013, 4:40 pm
#55
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 106
i have 2 more work trips planned now, that'll put me at 15,629 miles short of ExPlat...now it's seeming too close to not at least try. I've been looking through all the flights from LAX out, but can't find anything under $1100...any thoughts?
Nov 12, 2013, 4:54 pm
#56
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
Tom in Galway
Nov 12, 2013, 5:03 pm
#57
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: LAX, SIN, CGK
Programs: UA, AA EXP
Posts: 201
LAX-ORD-PVG-ORD-LAX is the cheapest one i can think of for 17k
Nov 12, 2013, 5:17 pm
#59
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
I don't have access to my bookmarks over here. Go to google and search for "google flight explorer". You can select Asia, Europe, or any region in the world and get a list of fares. You can specify only One World flights and length of travel.
Nov 12, 2013, 5:34 pm
#60
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 106