Mar 21, 2013, 3:13 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
HELP DESK: AAdvantage Elite Status Challenge (Gold and Platinum)
Challenges may no longer be enrolled in as of 6 Oct; hard end date 23 Dec 2015 -
but some reporting success 6 Oct backdating to 23 Sep by supervisors
This is the archived thread about the now defunct AAdvantage elite Gold and Platinum status challenge. The current thread can be read here.
Challenges may no longer be enrolled in as of 6 Oct; hard end date 23 Dec 2015 -
but some reporting success 6 Oct backdating to 23 Sep by supervisors
This is the archived thread about the now defunct AAdvantage elite Gold and Platinum status challenge. The current thread can be read here.
NOTE: Challenges were closed off September 23 2015, at least for the remainder of 2015 - some have succeeded in enrolling and backdating to 23 Sep.
It is possible a new, remodeled challenge will be announced in or for 2016. That discussion is here: Original Gold / Platinum Challenge Ended 23 Sep '15. New program to come?
This thread is now dedicated to requests for assistance and responses to clarify challenge requirements for those members currently engaged in challenges and related issues. To discuss the potential and form of any future challenge, please use the link provided above.
NOTE: The rules for the Challenge at the time of closure are preserved below. The date by which the last person would have completed this challenge would be 23 December 2015.
It is possible a new, remodeled challenge will be announced in or for 2016. That discussion is here: Original Gold / Platinum Challenge Ended 23 Sep '15. New program to come?
This thread is now dedicated to requests for assistance and responses to clarify challenge requirements for those members currently engaged in challenges and related issues. To discuss the potential and form of any future challenge, please use the link provided above.
NOTE: The rules for the Challenge at the time of closure are preserved below. The date by which the last person would have completed this challenge would be 23 December 2015.
Note: The four AA segment minimum required for regular status qualification does not apply to completing the challenge.
Class of service, status or other bonus miles are redeemable miles and thus do not count for the challenge. Class of service is the reigning factor in calculating the points earned per mile flown: the base points per mile charts for the various fare buckets on qualifying airlines are here.
Note: The "Reach elite status faster" promotion awarding 2 or even 3 EQ Points per mile for flying premium fares through 2015 does not apply to the challenge; challenge flyers will only have a maximum of 1.5 base EQP per base EQ Mile considered for challenge-earned status. The extra points are considered bonus points and are only applicable for earning "normal", non-challenge status.
Though one earned status bonus miles on the qualifying flight at one time, that is no longer possible. Status bonus miles will accrue on the next eligible flight after your status qualifying flight.
Also see (FT) Help Understanding Status, Points / Miles & Segments: EQM vs EQP (merged thread) for further assistance with the miles-EQMiles-points issue.
For miles calculations, many use the Great Circle Mapper tool
*for Platinum, Jan-Jun $200, Jul - Dec $240 - presumably for the max nine months of status vs. the max of 20 months $240 of status. Occasionally, there are "sales" reductions; they seem to be about 10%.
Challenges begun before June 16 of a given year earn status for the remainder of that year and the first two months of the following year (8-14 months total); challenges begun on or after June 16 grant status for the remainder of that year, the following year, and the first two months of the year after (14-20 months total). Challenges can begin anytime (not previously the case) and can even be backdated up to two weeks as far as we know (as of Nov 2013).
To sign up for a challenge, call AAdvantage Customer Service at +1-800-882-8880.
Link to cyclingpilot post about being granted a back-dated challenge (2 weeks)
You cannot use a challenge to requalify for status. There is no longer a "soft landing" to the next lower level of status. The flight on which the challenge is completed no longer earns the redeemable miles bonus for the new status level.
Some have been granted Gold status whilst flying a Platinum challenge, particularly those with current elite status (any level) on an airline of a competing alliance, but this is not a given.
Based on multiple reports from FT members, as of mid-2015 AA is only allowing one status challenge over a five year period.
August 2014 e-mail received by a Challenger, shared by ashill:
Thank you for registering for an AAdvantage® challenge.
To enjoy AAdvantage PLATINUM status through February 2016, please earn 10,000 elite qualifying points between now and [redacted]. Qualifying flights on American Airlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection®, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qantas, US Airways and their eligible codeshare flights count toward your challenge.
Since the number of elite qualifying points you earn is based on the fare you purchase and the miles you earn, you can view these details for each airline:We wish you every success in attaining the elite status level you desire.
Sincerely,
Janet L F[redacted]
Director
AAdvantage Customer Service
Thank you for registering for an AAdvantage® challenge.
To enjoy AAdvantage PLATINUM status through February 2016, please earn 10,000 elite qualifying points between now and [redacted]. Qualifying flights on American Airlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection®, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qantas, US Airways and their eligible codeshare flights count toward your challenge.
Since the number of elite qualifying points you earn is based on the fare you purchase and the miles you earn, you can view these details for each airline:We wish you every success in attaining the elite status level you desire.
Sincerely,
Janet L F[redacted]
Director
AAdvantage Customer Service
ARCHIVE: HELP DESK: AA Elite Status Challenge (CLOSED: "hard end" 23 Dec 2015)
Jan 15, 2015, 7:02 pm
#631
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 6
Thank you for your prompt response Djokison. I was referring to deadline if I enter the challenge now, which will be june 15th. I thought the 3 months would start when you enter the challenge. I would love to have Platinum status until 2017. But unfortunately my gold status expires this february.. Thanks 😊
Jan 15, 2015, 10:13 pm
#632
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,546
Thank you for your prompt response Djokison. I was referring to deadline if I enter the challenge now, which will be june 15th. I thought the 3 months would start when you enter the challenge. I would love to have Platinum status until 2017. But unfortunately my gold status expires this february.. Thanks 😊
For your round-trip June 9th to July 8th, you could set a challenge start date of, say, June 8th. Both flights will then be included for the challenge, but your status will still only be valid through Feb 2016.
Jan 19, 2015, 12:09 pm
#634
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: DAY
Programs: Marriott Platinum, HHonors Diamond, AA ExPLT
Posts: 116
I'm reading some posts about targeted emails for a free status challenge on AA. Anyone get/accept this offer?
Jan 19, 2015, 12:18 pm
#635
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Hi. I am currently gold status on AA, expiring this coming february. I have a trip that will give me more than 10k miles june 9th, coming back july 8th. Question is if I go for the platinum challenge, will my flight back count to the challenge, since it will be past the deadline? Thanks in advance.
You could ask to begin the Challenge June 16, if you're going to earn 10,000 points during that three month period (including July) and earn status through 29 Feb 2016. And some who have asked have been granted "instant Gold" as their Platinum Challenge was granted, though it's not at all a sure thing.
Jan 19, 2015, 12:24 pm
#636
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Jan 20, 2015, 7:58 pm
#637
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 85
Thanks in advance,
always,
M
Jan 20, 2015, 8:27 pm
#638
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: MSN
Programs: AA, BAEC Gold
Posts: 3,932
Spoke to AAdvantage desk today and they would not start a platinum challenge for 3/1-5/31 until 3/1 or after. That seems to go against other posts in this thread, anyone with recent experience able to help chime in? I was planning to call again if anyone had success in forward dating the start date.
Thanks in advance,
always,
M
Thanks in advance,
always,
M
Jan 20, 2015, 9:50 pm
#639
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: BDL,CLT,LIM
Programs: AA,BA
Posts: 345
Spoke to AAdvantage desk today and they would not start a platinum challenge for 3/1-5/31 until 3/1 or after. That seems to go against other posts in this thread, anyone with recent experience able to help chime in? I was planning to call again if anyone had success in forward dating the start date.
Thanks in advance,
always,
M
Thanks in advance,
always,
M
Jan 22, 2015, 10:45 am
#640
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: JFK / LGA
Posts: 124
I completed my Platinum Challenge... how long before they send out the membership cards for AA Platinum and Oneworld Sapphire? I'm actually more interested in OW Sapphire card because AA status I can show the AA app but I have no proof OW status.
Jan 24, 2015, 7:47 pm
#641
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,546
Rational lounge attendants will let you in based on your boarding pass. There are only a few notorious lounges where they want to see the card.
I think it was just too far in advance. If 3/1 is your desired start date, try again around 2/1. If they still refuse, report back here because that means something about the challenge program might have changed.
Jan 25, 2015, 9:31 am
#642
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: World
Posts: 1,647
Can gift cards be used as payment for the challenge fee?
Jan 25, 2015, 9:36 am
#643
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
But be sure your PNRs booked before you earned status have updated to reflect your Platinum status before you find yourself with a BP that reflects outdated status.
Jan 25, 2015, 8:48 pm
#644
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: JFK / LGA
Posts: 124
Your boarding pass is usually proof enough, as _kurt said. And as he said, you won't get a separate oneworld card; oneworld airline status cards reflect the oneworld status with a ruby, sapphire or emerald colored circles.
But be sure your PNRs booked before you earned status have updated to reflect your Platinum status before you find yourself with a BP that reflects outdated status.
But be sure your PNRs booked before you earned status have updated to reflect your Platinum status before you find yourself with a BP that reflects outdated status.
Jan 26, 2015, 4:15 pm
#645
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: LHR
Programs: AA
Posts: 773
I am not a frequent enough flier to be 100% certain I will achieve status (I never have before), but I think this year it is likely. However in March I have some paid F travel coming up that would easily clear a Gold challenge and put me well on my way to hitting Platinum with a couple more flights within the 90 days. Of course if I do a challenge starting in March, it will expire next February, rather than in 2017, and my bigger concern is that it will lock me out of challenges in the future.
I have no idea if next year will be another likely status-attainer for me, so I wouldn't like to lock myself out of doing a challenge in the not-too-distant future. If I do a challenge this year, is that what I should expect? I have read that AA will often not grant challenges to those who have done them within the last few years.
I note in the Wiki post on this thread that you cannot requalify with a challenge, but I'm not sure what this means exactly--it seems like many FTers use challenges to requalify if they aren't going to hit status before year-end. Am I misunderstanding? Does it just mean you cannot requalify with a challenge if your previous qualification was from a challenge?
Essentially, if I do the challenge, I will likely hit Platinum but then be out of luck if I need a challenge in the future. If I don't do the challenge, I will almost certainly only hit Gold, and it will take me most of the year to achieve. I know I have to ultimately make the call, I'm just trying to understand the factors involved.
I have no idea if next year will be another likely status-attainer for me, so I wouldn't like to lock myself out of doing a challenge in the not-too-distant future. If I do a challenge this year, is that what I should expect? I have read that AA will often not grant challenges to those who have done them within the last few years.
I note in the Wiki post on this thread that you cannot requalify with a challenge, but I'm not sure what this means exactly--it seems like many FTers use challenges to requalify if they aren't going to hit status before year-end. Am I misunderstanding? Does it just mean you cannot requalify with a challenge if your previous qualification was from a challenge?
Essentially, if I do the challenge, I will likely hit Platinum but then be out of luck if I need a challenge in the future. If I don't do the challenge, I will almost certainly only hit Gold, and it will take me most of the year to achieve. I know I have to ultimately make the call, I'm just trying to understand the factors involved.