Musing on status issues
 

Mileage run discussion, American AAdvantage, or oneworld? That is the question—which forum does this query best fit? Since I really only have ever posted here on oneworld re airline program issues, it landed here. I am 9600 EQM short of qualifying for EXP in AAdvantage. I am 1869 BIS miles short of qualifying for Lifetime Platinum in same program. Reaching each of these milestones yields 4 SWUs, which along with oneworld sapphire status, is really the main benefit of LTPlat since the devaluation of this status tier. Both sets of SWUs are good for the rest of the year earned and the next year. (I called.) I don’t need 8 in one year. This was not an issue until my mom fell and broke her hip, thus causing me to postpone my DONE4 that I should be on as we speak. Instead, I’m in Palo Alto lending a hand and moral support during rehab. I would have been on CX, JAL, BA, MA with no AA metal. I would have qualified for EXP by now, and would have become LTPlat during normal course of flying next year, carefully avoiding any more 2016 AA trips other than the one back to DFW this month. I would love opinions on the following:
>I for sure don’t want to miss EXP—that is goal #1. I’ll probably never do it again. I’d rather give away the unused SWUs than risk missing qualifying. However, going forward, I’ll have $12K in my pocket every year and a lot of banked miles, and staying loyal to AA doesn’t seem so advantageous. But oneworld will continue to be my alliance of choice due to being Sapphire forever.
>I have award miles for positioning—any suggestions for exceptional value Business or PE flights on oneworld partners to garner the 9600 EQM. I’d need to fly 6400 actual miles at 1.5 EQM miles per actual mile flown, which seems to be the earning for business or premium economy on all the partners I checked. Any favorite tools to find these fares?
>could I try to trade SWUs on coupon connection if I just go ahead and qualify for both this year? I’ve given them away there before, but is trading legal? Would it even sound attractive to say I’d swap one to four this year for one to four next year or the year after?

For all questions about AA miles/status & the AA ffp post on the AA forum
The AA forum threads can be confusing, but there will be a thread about getting miles/EQM.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...advantage-733/
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...es-2016-a.html

From next year you not need 4 AA segment for status

You cannot trade AA instruments (SWU, etc) on the coupon connection. An AA restriction apparently. Any post on CC about AA will get deleted. Selling/bartering SWU is against the AAdvantage program t&c's (Is not illegal, as AA does not make laws: that is for governments)

Thanks for the heads up on CC. I have put SWUs on there in the past, "free to good home". I will refrain from doing so in future as I'd hate to lose my miles.

I feared this would be the "wrong" forum, not sure there's a right one'

I understand, or more correctly, am coming to understand, the new RDM/EQM rules. I was just wondering how "safe" it would be to fly a oneworld carrier, perhaps even a codeshare on AA metal, credit to AA, but expect NOT to get credit for LTPlat, which has to be BIS American metal. For example, take a LATAM fligt SFO-BOG, which is operated by AA, credit my miles to AA (thus qualifying for EXP). But since it's marketed by LATAM, would these be BIS AA miles? I know if it were on LATAM metal, I'd be ok, but not sure about the codeshare.

I realize I'm overthinking it, but thought might be worth the effort, if not the expense, to delay LT qualifying til '17 and spread out the SWUs.

My understanding is that partner marketed flights count toward million miler accrual. Thus the LA code would earn million miler credit and defeat your purpose of delaying 2mm qualification.
Also, since LA only yields 1,5 times actual for eqm calculation in D class (versus 2,0 times on AA coded metal) you would also sacrifice eqm.

For all questions about AA miles/status & the AA ffp post on the AA forum
The AA forum threads can be confusing, but there will be a thread about getting miles/EQM.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...advantage-733/
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...es-2016-a.html
There is a lot of information & advise in the AA forum.