JIMCHI

I recently achieved OW Emerald status through American Airlines. I fly a lot on other OW carriers such as BA and AS. When I fly with those carriers I want to accrue miles in their mileage plans, not with AA. I also want to be able to use my OW Emerald benefits (e.g. first class check-in, lounge access, priority boarding, etc). So what is a simple way (if one is available) of ensuring my reservations with these other carriers show that I am OW Emerald? AA doesn't issue cards showing status.

guv1976

That's incorrect. AA issues virtual cards showing AAdvantage status. You must log in to your AAdvantage account to see the card, and to download it.

That said, it's not clear to me which of AA's oneworld partners will let you enjoy the benefits of your OWE status if you do not have your AAdvantage number in the reservation record.

JIMCHI

Yes, you can access the status by logging onto your AAdvantage account on a cellphone, but that's quite inconvenient. I see no way of downloading and printing my AAdvantage card that shows my OW Emerald status. I tried it and all it does is show my name and AADV number- not status. OW claims to make things "seemless" between carriers. That certainly isn't true. There should be an app where you can link your account at, say, AS, with my account at AA and transfer the status so that whenever I make a reservation with AS (or with any other OW carrier) that my status is instantly there.

guv1976

On my virtual AAdvantage Gold card, my oneworld status (Ruby) is indicated in the upper left corner of the card with a Ruby-colored oval beneath the word "oneworld." I am also offered the opportunity to download the card to my photo gallery, from which I presume a paper copy could be printed, if desired.

JIMCHI

Thanks VERY much for your help here. So are you looking at your "virtual AAdvantage Card" on your phone or on a laptop/desktop computer? I've tried getting it on my desktop PC and all it does is print a completely blue card with only my name and numbers and the OneWorld symbol. It shows no status. In addition, the website says "Please note that AAdvantage® status membership cards cannot be printed.". I have tried finding it on my phone and I can't find the card anywhere. Why do they have to make this SO complicated- just send elite members a card !

guv1976

On the AA app, I log into my AAdvantage account, and then click on the field near the top where my name and mileage balance are displayed. Then, from the bottom of the new screen, I drag up to see additional options. One of those options is "View AAdvantage card." After clicking on that, you will see your card without your name, but with your AAdvantage status, and oneworld status (indicated by the colored oval). Immediately beneath the card you will find your name, AAdvantage number, AAdvantage status, mileage balance, and status-expiration date, along with a bar code that I'm guessing can be scanned as necessary by other airlines. There will be a clickable link to "Save card to photo gallery."

Hope that this helps.

JIMCHI

It's just not there. I'm using an Android phone- maybe you are using an Apple phone. I'm going to call AAdvantage customer service next week. This just has to be simpler. Thanks for trying to help me.

s0ssos

In the app, on the home screen there is a little arrow pointing up. Click on it. On the very bottom it says "View Aadvantage Card". It will pop up a card image that has no name or anything on it, just your status on the bottom left and Aadvantage on top right. Below that, in print, it lists your name, advantage number, status, etc.
And it does have a link "save to photo gallery". This is on Android.

guv1976

I'm using an Android.

After you log in and click on the field with your name and mileage balance at the top of the screen, what do you see on the bottom of the next page? You should see two circles, on marked "Promotions," and the other marked "Wallet," with a light gray up-arrow (^) above and between the two circles. If you drag the up-arrow up, you should see several more options, including one to print your AAdvantage card.

Of course, make sure that you have the current version of the AA app.

Edited to add: Just noticed that süssos got there first.

JIMCHI

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU !!!! The location couldn't be more obscure but following your directions I got to it. I really appreciate all the help you guys have given me.

cmiller11101

Why do you need to print anything at all? Use your AAdvantage number with your booking and the status will come through to other OW carriers...

-Chris

JIMCHI

I really don't understand OneWorld benefits at all. If I achieved OW Emerald status flying with AA, I am being told that the only way I can use benefits such as priority check-in, preferred seating, early boarding, etc. on another OW carrier is if I agree to have the miles accured on that other carrier be credited to my AA AAdvantage account. Thus, I can't fly on AS and accrue miles on AS's Mileage Plan and have my OW Emerald benefits-- correct? So, OneWorld is not a seamless benefit program.

ernestnywang

Early boarding may be difficult, but for everything else, have you tried using your AAdvantage number first, and then switch to ASMP at the gate with the gate agent?

dvs7310

I think you're going to very quickly find yourself in a situation you won't appreciate. Most if not all OW carriers force you to use the same FF number for accrual that you use for status benefits. Some other alliances (*A particularly) are looser on that, but OW seems not to be. I got away with it once... literally once, I had AB status (back when that was an airline) that put me at OW Sapphire. I had an AA domestic first ticket so didn't need to care about boarding group or luggage allowance, just wanted to use the Admirals Club, so on my way out the door of the club I asked the agent to switch my number from AB to BA... she gave me a very stern cross look but did it, knowing exactly what I was up to. I think if I were in economy they'd have told me no, since I was in first already the only 'benefit' I got was Admirals Club access, group 1 boarding and 3x 32 kilos baggage were already included.

But I am curious WHY you want to accrue miles on the various partner programs? You get more AA miles by flying partners, not the other way around. You earn far fewer AA miles by actually flying AA vs a partner. On the flipside you'd get far more miles generally flying AA and crediting to QR (new to Avios so that might eventually drop down to the same earnings level as BA or IB for AA accrual but still currently BA and IB are better than crediting to AA natively on all but the very most expensive tickets). I really think you have the whole thing backwards.

But at the end of the day, I've found that if you just want OW status and don't need AA domestic upgrades (as a PPro I don't think you see many) then I'd go for QR status, their Platinum (OW Emerald) is far easier to reach than AA PPro or EXP, I think it may currently be the easiest OW Emerald if you fly paid international Premium Economy or Business.

ernestnywang

What I have heard before is the opposite. *A is more strict on this (because if you access *A lounge based on *G, the charge is billed to the airline whom you have membership with), while oneworld airlines don't care as much (since the lounge access tab is to be absorbed by the operating carrier). I have no concrete proof on any of this, but this is my understanding.