<600 miles from keeping status, any room for error?
Nov 19, 2012, 9:03 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 352
<600 miles from keeping status, any room for error?
I did the math wrong on my miles this year and realized I'll be about 517 miles short of keeping silver status this year. Is there any hope of keeping SP status when I'm this close? Or do I really have to take a short MR for the 517 miles or buy up?
(I wish the move-up program worked like it did several months ago -- I could have easily added a couple segments to flights already booked via move-up (under the old system)! I booked nonstop because I miscalculated and thought I didn't need the miles. Oops!)
(I wish the move-up program worked like it did several months ago -- I could have easily added a couple segments to flights already booked via move-up (under the old system)! I booked nonstop because I miscalculated and thought I didn't need the miles. Oops!)
Nov 19, 2012, 9:31 pm
#2
formerly RZachSmith
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: U.S.
Posts: 187
Maybe others will chime in otherwise, but when they make it as easy as they do to buy up, I wouldn't chance it if it's that important to you. I'd book the flight or buy up.
Nov 19, 2012, 11:18 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: AA-Gold 0.425MM), AS MVP Gold, National EE, Marriott Titanium (LT-G), UA Silver
Posts: 1,136
You can, but buying up costs $199 for the missing ~500 miles. OP is much more likely to find a short r/t for less than $199. Unless OP's time is more important, at which point buying up on 12/31 makes sense.
Nov 19, 2012, 11:40 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, HH Diamond, National Executive
Posts: 1,786
Is 12/31 the last date to buy up then I assume? Is there any grace period?
Nov 20, 2012, 5:32 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2010
Programs: US CP, MR Plat, SPG Plat, HHonors Gold, National X
Posts: 917
I think the last day to buy up (with respect to last year's mileage) is around May/June!
Nov 20, 2012, 5:43 am
#7
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
31 December 2012 Last chance to fly your way to Silver.
28 February 2013 Last day as a Silver if you haven't flown or bought your way up yet.
May/June whenever 2013 As per above
If you have the time and the desire, do a flight in the next month or two. There are some ridiculously cheap fares around.
If you don't do that, you can basically forget about it until at least 1 March 2013, when you will find out whether (as rarely but sometimes happens) US comps you the status. Then you can decide whether to buy up or not if you need to.
By the way, last year, wasn't there some trick Jan-Feb (that is Jan-Feb 2012) where one of the buy-up pull-down windows was basically tipping folks off as to whether US had decided to give them a soft landing post 29 February 2012?
Last edited by Biggie Fries; Nov 20, 2012 at 8:23 am Reason: Fixed mistake
Nov 20, 2012, 8:06 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 352
Are you sure about that? The US site says:
Preferred-qualifying miles or segments flown January 1 - December 31, 2012 count toward Preferred status in 2013.
http://www.usairways.com/en-US/divid...toqualify.html
Nov 20, 2012, 8:24 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
Are you sure about that? The US site says:
Preferred-qualifying miles or segments flown January 1 - December 31, 2012 count toward Preferred status in 2013.
http://www.usairways.com/en-US/divid...toqualify.html
Nov 20, 2012, 8:34 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, HH Diamond, National Executive
Posts: 1,786
Right. Here are the deadlines:
31 December 2012 Last chance to fly your way to Silver.
28 February 2013 Last day as a Silver if you haven't flown or bought your way up yet.
May/June whenever 2013 As per above
If you have the time and the desire, do a flight in the next month or two. There are some ridiculously cheap fares around.
If you don't do that, you can basically forget about it until at least 1 March 2013, when you will find out whether (as rarely but sometimes happens) US comps you the status. Then you can decide whether to buy up or not if you need to.
By the way, last year, wasn't there some trick Jan-Feb (that is Jan-Feb 2012) where one of the buy-up pull-down windows was basically tipping folks off as to whether US had decided to give them a soft landing post 29 February 2012?
31 December 2012 Last chance to fly your way to Silver.
28 February 2013 Last day as a Silver if you haven't flown or bought your way up yet.
May/June whenever 2013 As per above
If you have the time and the desire, do a flight in the next month or two. There are some ridiculously cheap fares around.
If you don't do that, you can basically forget about it until at least 1 March 2013, when you will find out whether (as rarely but sometimes happens) US comps you the status. Then you can decide whether to buy up or not if you need to.
By the way, last year, wasn't there some trick Jan-Feb (that is Jan-Feb 2012) where one of the buy-up pull-down windows was basically tipping folks off as to whether US had decided to give them a soft landing post 29 February 2012?
Nov 23, 2012, 4:30 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHX/MSP
Programs: US Airways Silver Preferred
Posts: 231
I just realized I made the same mistake with my math (admittedly not my strong subject) and will fall exactly 497 miles short even with my two trips planned in Dec. Looks like I may be stuck doing a quick DEN or SAN turn to maintain. I could do a LAS turn but that nets almost exactly 500 miles. Still seems like the cheaper option than buying up
Nov 23, 2012, 7:47 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 91
There are some returns PHX-LAS for $112 to LAS so it would be cheaper. Some are even after work...
Nov 23, 2012, 7:55 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: ONT
Programs: AA Gold, WN A-, UA S, HH ♦, IHG Spire, Hertz Prez O, TSA Disparager
Posts: 2,159
I'm assuming you're based in PHX so I recommend finding a cheap R/T flight and do a mileage run.
Nov 24, 2012, 10:01 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
In my case I am currently PP and will be about 5K short of CP at years end most likely. Are you saying I don't need to buy up by Dec 31 2012 or that I already missed my opportunity and needed to do it in June? Or should I wait until they may upgrade me automatically to CP?
You have plenty of time to buy up from your 2012 mileage ... but if you are going to be flying in early 2013, why not buy up ASAP so that you can take advantage of the CP benefits from the get-go, like better chance of upgrades and an extra 25% on mileage?
Nov 24, 2012, 4:57 pm
#15
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHX/MSP
Programs: US Airways Silver Preferred
Posts: 231