What are AAdvantage Gold Benefits? Are they worth it?

C/Y 2019 Gold status requirements: $3,000 EQD* earned, AND 30 segments or 25,000 EQ Miles

*See FT: Earning EQD / Elite Qualifying Dollars on AA and partner airlines (2017 on)

Members no longer must fly at least 4 segments on American during the qualifying year to receive AA elite status. This requirement ended in 2017.

Status will last the status year when status is earned and the following status year. E.g. Status earned in 2020 will end 31 Jan 2022.

American Airlines AAdvantage Gold benefits, as stated on aa.com (chart), as of September 2015:

Preferred benefits:

• Half price Main Cabin Extra or Free within 24 hours (extends to up to 8 traveling companions) (NOTE: 50% discount ends 5 Sep 2018)
• Courtesy Preferred Seats
• One (1) free checked bag (extends to all traveling companions same PNR)
• Minimum mileage guarantee (as of 1 Aug 2016, only applies to EQM)
• 25% elite mileage bonus (7 miles per "fare dollar" (base fare plus carrier fees, not taxes) spent as of 1 Aug 2016)

Airport benefits

• Priority through the airport at check-in, security and boarding
• Checked bag fee waived for one (1) bags
• Complimentary same-day standby
• Discounted Admirals Club® membership
• NOTE Complimentary same-day flight change on American Airlines NOT available

Upgrade benefits (on AA)

• 24-hour upgrade window
• Flights 500 miles or less: Unlimited, auto-requested complimentary upgrades*
• Flights over 500 miles: Use earned or purchased 500-mile upgrades*
• Upgrade one companion traveling with you on the same flight with 500-mile upgrades*
• Upgrades confirmed before departure (as early as) 24 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.
• Gold and Platinum members will get four 500-mile upgrades for every 12,500 elite-qualifying miles you earn during the membership year after you achieve status.

Other benefits

• "Exclusive service desk" (actual prioritized number to Reservations lines)
• Complimentary preferred seats (extends to up to 8 traveling companions)
• Complimentary Main Cabin Extra seats 24 hours prior to departure; 50% discounted otherwise (extends to up to 8 traveling companions)
• Exclusive partner offers

Award benefits

• Award processing charge waived (awards within 21 days of travel)
• Special discounts on hotel and car awards
• NOTE: Extended award availability is only an Executive Platinum benefit

oneworld benefits*

• oneworld priority check-in and standby
• oneworld priority boarding

*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).

Link to aa.com guide to AAdvantage Elite benefits (all levels)

Link to archive of older posts from this thread.