Comped to elite, just re-earned for next year. You?
 

Hi,

Last December I comped to CO silver from AA gold. I'm happy to say that I just requalified based on BIS miles flown this year. (Woohoo!)

Does anyone know the percent of comped elites that earn status for the following year by flying?

Just curious.

BTW, I didn't post this in the status match master thread since I figured that comped elites wouldn't be reading that thread anymore :-)

Sample size of 1, but last year I completed an AA Gold Challenge in April, made Gold BIS in June, and made Plat in December.

Reading the AA board here on FT, it seems I'm in the great minority. Most of the folks posting there about the challenge do not seem to ever earn it the old fashioned way. But I'd guess FT is the exception, and the % of folks who earn the status after a comp or challenge is probably greater amongst non-FT'ers.

Actually, I would guess that the % of folks outside FT who even know about the status comps or challenges is very tiny. I never would have known about either had it not been for FT...it's not like those are well-publicized features of frequent flyer programs.

Personally, I am also 1 for 1 - I got comped to NW Silver this year, and have already upped it to Gold.

i was comped to NW gold from AA plat simply bcs i do 4-6 TATL and a couple of TPACs with them. Four years in a row and i was always shy of Gold (last year 44k BIS), never done a MR and never will btw. So my logic again this year was that since i had my usual NW trips coming up i thought of better to get comped to GOLD thanks to status match thread so that at least i get 100% EQM bonus. Im currently @ 26K or so BIS with NW and i have 2 or 3 more TATL and no TPACS in sight for 2006 with NW so i doubt ill make it to GE. However i knew this and really not looking for status on NW just bonus mileage... it was good till it lasted.

A comp, at least in theory, is to get a customer who would earn that level on his/her own in the long run but doesn't want to suffer through a non-status drought en route to it. Status on another airline is usually required, proving that the person at least flies that much with someone. Given that concept, I'd say nearly all those who get comped at least make a case that they'll requalify "for real." Barring the unforeseen changes in jobs etc., I'd guess that most of them do. (I did when AA comped me Platinum so I'd switch from DL where I was Gold Medallion and enjoying all the benefits thereof. AA no longer comps based on DL status, at least not in general, but the principle still applies.)

Do you know why AA takes this position when they comp from UA?