I am trying to qualify for AAdvantage Platinum, and I need help from the experts. My dilemma is regarding which is cheaper to obtain this qualification, 60 segments or 50,000 miles. Another question I have is what is the best destination with the most miles and segments for the cheapest price, I guess what I am trying to get at is what is the best �bang for the buck,� thank you in advance. Oh yea, I'm flying out of ORD...

Why not do a platinum challenge? Assuming that you can of course, you can fly 10,000 miles on a challenge and obtain the same status. Head over the AA forums and look there.

How many miles and segments do you have already?

10,000 points, not 10,000 miles. Must be obtained within a 90 day period, and there is a $150 additional charge.

While I don't know much about the challenges, generally they do not work well on lower fare classes. I assume the OP is looking to qualify by 12/31. As another poster indicated, we would need to know his/her current EQM or EQS year to date to help. Suggest he/she head over the MR forum.

Unfortunately, time is short for a "bang for the buck" finish. The OP would need to be able to travel mid week and/or on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day if cost is a consideration.

you can qual either way for around $5k [perhaps less], if you are willing to be on the lookout constantly for deals and assuming that you are going to do mi or seg runs to get there....however, if you provide more info, there are probably better answers....good luck...

an example would be ord-okc-aus-okc-ord, making sure you connect in dfw....if you can do this 10 x, then you have 60 segs....i have seen fares in the $300 range for similar runs, which comes out to $50/seg....add in parking, meals, hotel and you should be under the 5k estimate....or do 4 ord-lax-europe-lax-ord plus perhaps a little more to get the 50k mis....

This question gets asked pretty often, mostly on the AA forum. The answer is that most people don't want status if they don't fly, they want status because they do fly (other than mileage runs to achieve status). If you do fly, what is your flying pattern? Do you fly a lot of short hops, or a few long flights? If you have a lot of short flights, then try based on segments. One of the best ways to do this out of ORD is to book yourself out of MKE instead (for example, instead of booking ORD-CLE, book MKE-CLE, get 4 segments instead of 2). If this still won't get you there, look for segment runs. For example, when AA and NW are mad at each other, they offer real cheap fares to/from each others hubs. I often see DTW-STL (4 segments) for around $150. Actually, right now I see that for $140 all-in. Depart DTW 8:25 AM, return to DTW 5:00 P.M. Available Jan. 5, 6, and 7. Fly ORD-DTW on Jan. 4, return Jan. 7 for $119 all-in. 14 segments for $539. You will also have 3 nights in Detroit, and meals.

If you fly a lot of longer flights, then you want to look for long distances (often overseas) in off season. LHR, DUB, FRA, NRT in the winter, MIA in the summer.

If you never fly at all except for mileage runs to achieve status, then PM me for some info about great mortgage-backed securities.

Thanks for everyones feedback! To answer some questions, I want to start next year for Jan 2009. I mainly do short flights, mainly ORD-JFK; ORD-LGA; ORD-PHX; ORD-LAX; & ORD-LAS. And my next question is regarding the AA Platinum Challenge, do you think it is cheaper to do the challenge with my typical flights or do the traditional 60 segments 50,000 miles?

for the challenge, you need 10k points.....cheap fares get .5 pt/ mi [see aa.com...so, if your sked shows that you can get it early and enjoy the bonus etc, go for it....then try to get plat qual for 2010....if you start the chal before 6/16 iirc, your status is good thru feb 2010....

read the stickies on the aa forum a couple of times....good luck...

btw...how many aa mi/pts/segs do you have this year?

I could be reading the OP wrong, but if he/she is short 50,000 points for Platinum status, and Platinum status requires 50,000 points, then he/she has zip/zilch/nada/nothing on AA.

To do a Platinum Challenge costs $150 plus flights. To do as a mileage run, look for flights to Europe in fare buckets that earn 1.0 Elite Qualifying Points per Elite Qualifying Mile. Some nice W fares have been available during the winters in past years. As an example, AA 92 departs ORD 12/29 at 7:20 PM, arrives DUB 12/30 at 8:30 AM, return AA 93 departs DUB 12/31 at 10:30 AM arrive ORD 12/31 at 12:55, cost $437.90 all-in, 7348 points. You also get one day in Ireland to go pub-hopping. From there, you could just wait and let your normal flying fill in the other 2652 points, or you could do another mileage run or two in the U.S.

You don't tell us how many short flights you do in a year, or whether you can put them all on AA and how much discretion you have in booking them. If you can originate in MKE, it would only take 15 round trips to get Platinum status. Cost from MKE will normally be less than or equal to cost from ORD, so the cost for this would be nothing, but you wouldn't get status as fast.

Which is better for you? You will have to answer that.

I do 1-2 short flights in a month, all on AA. So, if I go with the AA Platinum Challenge, would this scenario work out for me? For Jan, my trip will be ORD-LAX; for Feb, my trip will be ORD-PHX; for Mar, my trip will be ORD-HKG. Will this earn me enough points to qualify? Thanks.

dru....you can figure out the points on aa.com....if you look at by sked, for your trips, it will show you the mi's for the flight.....the points will be based on the fare class.....for hkg, part of the trip will be on a 1world partner i assume, so look at aadvantage on aa.com for the mi/pt earning on partners....then, post what you think you will get and i"m sure some1 will discuss it w/you....

i suspect that the 3 trips will satisfy the challenge, but you should be sure....

looking for yourself will help in figuring out out how to requal for plat in 2009 after completing the challenge....good luck

If you are talking about a challenge, maybe, maybe not. AA flights earn either 1.5, 1.0, or 0.5 points per mile flown, depending on the fare purchased. To get Platinum on a challenge, you need 10,000 points (not miles). There is a sticky on the AA forum on doing challenges, and good information in the AA wiki. You need to review this before doing a challenge, and thoroughly understand the rules. For example, I believe that flights must be on AA metal or be an AA codeshare to count for a challenge (but check me on this, it has been a long time since I challenged and it wasn't that way then, but I think it changed a while ago).

Lots of people try challenges with an incomplete understanding of the rules. Then they post a rant on the AA forum about how they did such-and-so and still no status. Don't be one of those. Do your own research, don't count on the answers of others, a lot of people post here who don't really know. So far, I can't see that you have spent much effort researching this, just asking others to do your research for you. Start now.