American finally announced that they too will extend their members elite status.
That follows other North American airlines like Alaska, Delta, United, and Air Canada as well as hotel chains like Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott.
However, American seems to have taken their time to add some additional benefits as well.
In the most shocking part of the news, you will earn 1 mile towards million miler status for every $1 spent on AA credit cards that post to your AA account between May and December 2020.
AA used to offer this, but it was discontinued way back in 2011! I earned lifetime Platinum status from opening credit cards back then.
You will earn lifetime gold status and 35K bonus miles when you earn 1MM million miler miles.
You will earn lifetime Platinum status and 4 systemwide upgrades when you earn 2MM million miler miles.
Alas, you can’t earn far more valuable lifetime Platinum Pro or Executive Platinum status from the million miler program.
Don’t have an AA card? You can get one now and spend on them to earn lifetime elite status:
- Earn 70,000 miles with the Citi AA Business Mastercard. You can read the full review here.
- Earn 50,000 miles with the Citi AA Executive Mastercard.
- Earn 50,000 miles with the Citi AA Mastercard.
- Earn 10,000 miles with Citi AA MileUp card.
AA also announced that:
- AA elite status will be extended so that you’ll maintain your current status through 1/31/22. You’ll see the new expiration date on your account in a few weeks. Thanks Hyatt!
- AA club memberships will get a 6 month extension.
- AA club one-day passes that expire between 3/1-5/31 will be extended for 6 months.
- AA elites can get a $400 credit towards an AA vacation.
- Systemwide upgrades expiring 1/31/21 will not expire on 7/31/21.
- Award tickets issued by 5/31 for travel through 9/30 can be changed or redeposited for free.
- Award tickets as of 6/1 and going forward permanently can be changed for free more than 60 days before departure:
If you want to earn elite status for 2020, you can do so with reduced mileage and spending requirements:
Executive Platinums will have reduced requirements to earn rewards in 2020:
If anyone has seen JetBlue and Southwest, please pick up an airport courtesy phone and dial the operator.
Will you try to earn AA million miler status?
HT: Cohen Zalman
Does this work on personal and business AA Barclay cards?
Yes, all AA cards in the US are included.
Does a cc signup bonus count toward million mile or is it spend only?
It says for spending, but we’ll have to wait for someone to open a card and report the results to see if the signup bonus counts towards million miler status.
when AA used to offer this in 2011, did CC bonus count as MM?
They did.
through a promotion I had platinum pro. If I flew a certain amount of miles within 6 months I would keep it. if not I would be back to my current one. it expired in April but was able to make the mark due to corona. do you think they will give me platinum back or should I call?
Call and ask.
called and asked. they told me they dont know. and I should call back once the promotion is over and they can see what they can do
If you receive a CC bonus, 70k miles, will those count toward MM miles?
It says for spending, but we’ll have to wait for someone to open a card and report the results to see if the signup bonus counts towards million miler status.
So can I just spend on the card and not fly with them to get status?
Yes.
Does this mean that if I spend $1Million on my cc I will earn elite status?
Yes.
What about the AA Companion certificates?
Nothing announced.
Does the signup bonus count towards Million Mller?
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/elite-status/wow-american-extends-elite-status-announces-credit-card-spending-may-december-will-count-towards-million-miler-lifetime-elite-status/#comment-1463547
If I weren’t stuck at home social distancing, I’d totally go for it.
Hopefully that will be over long before the end of the year.
another method for them to find the hackers…$2 million spend in 8 months!
isnt this a downgrade ? aa used to allow free changes on award tickets now only 60 days ? if thats the case then its a massive devaluation ? [only upside that i assume changes before 60 days mean any route, unlike currently].
It’s unclear, hopefully it’s just referring to route changes.
Approved for the AA 70K card, here we go!
Good luck!
“If your current elite status expires on January 31, 2021, we’ll automatically extend the expiration date until January 31, 2022” It does not look like it will help those with trial status.
Dan, what say you how to maximize the $400 Vacation credit???
Will have to wait for more details.
I’m also curious to see how they spend at bonus categories
Should count, why not?
Just to make sure I understand this, since it seems Dan is really excited… does this mean that in order to benefit from this, I need to spend $1 million on a credit card in the next 8 months? Are there really a lot of people who can do this, even if manufacturing? Even with average credit limits of $10k? This seems pretty impossible, unless I’m missing something? How can anyone really benefit from this?
All previous AA flight miles and all AA mileage earning from 2011 and earlier are million miler miles.
This adds onto your miler miler balance.
You can also pay your balance multiple times in a month and you can do this with multiple cards.
Doesn’t that incredible the chance of them shutting down your account?(amex financial review etc
Can you please explain this better? I’m as confused as @Ctown Bin
CtownBin, if you’re someone like me who is close to his X million miles (for me 3rd), this can put you over the top. Then you can have enough miles to not only book a trip to Israel, but also have the SWUs to potentially get the upgrades to go with it.
I am at 1.6 million miles. Its going to be a stretch….
Lambo?
Does this work for airline transfers as well? Back in 2011 it works for Spg. I know that spg does not exist anymore, but are there other ways to transfer points to AA? MR? UR?
I have been gold lifetime for years. Want to hit plat.
Thanks dan
No.
No it wont count, or no there is not a credit card that can transfer miles to american airlines
Won’t count.
Now that would have been sweet. I was sitting on millions of SPG at the time, and one of my regrets are not transferring to hit the plat for life.
I barely travel these days, and when I do, its nice to have lifetime status
Aren’t they being bankrupt come December?
No, the government is bailing them out.
Does spending by AUs count for the miles or only the account owner? I have the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World EliteTM Mastercard but only use it sparingly right now since AA miles aren’t that valuable compared to Amex membership rewards points.
It will count.
What about AA miles that are expiring soon, have expired miles also been extended?
I’ve written previously that AA isn’t expiring any miles from 4/1-6/30.
If I am Lifetime Gold now, will 1m spend get me lifetime platinum?
Sure, just login to check your million miler balance and get to 2MM.
Awesome! Im at 500k so only 500k between now and December? I can do that. I think.
even websaver mileage tickets can be cancelled for free?
Yes.
“Award tickets issued by 5/31 for travel through 9/30 can be changed or redeposited for free” Does this apply to the WEB specials awards?
Literally one comment up.
Any chance buying miles will be considered for lifetime status – as it was in the past?
Unlikely.
I guess getting people to spend is a good way to generate money for AA by selling more miles to the banks without having to sell their miles for less and be fronted by the banks.
What makes you say the spend “between May and December?” The AA site just says “through the end of 2020” and is dated April 13 so wouldn’t that mean effective immediately?
“For all Citi®/AAdvantage and AAdvantage Aviator® products, as well as select AAdvantage; credit cards outside of the United States, every dollar spent on net purchases that post to your AAdvantage account between May and December 2020 will count as one mile toward Million Miler status.”
Thanks Dan for your updates.
I was actually on a status challenge from last year and achieved more than half of it 1 month into the 3, then COVID hit. I just phoned them and they are doing nothing for these customers right now.
They said they will allow another challenge in year, but based upon the current requirements (i.e. 3000 EQDs and 30000 miles in 3 months for Platinum Pro), which obviously isn’t worth it, proportionate to the current match program.
It’s a little upsetting that they are not thinking this through down to that level, or allowing their staff to have some discretion.
Even with government bailout, AA management is so inept and greedy, they may we’ll end up in bankruptcy.
If I book a partner award flight for December and have no status, will I be able to cancel the flight and get my miles and taxes back as long as I cancel 60 days prior?
How can AA elite get the 400$ credit?
Dan, if i got AA platinum status for free to try it until April 19, will it be extended as well until 2022?
No.
On their website its says they will be extending the status to all customers, does it say somewhere that it’s not applicable to trials?
You can call and ask.
You think United will follow?
No. Their million miler program is far more valuable and never worked like this.
Starting May. –
Does that mean they need to post to AA after may 1, or that the actual spend has to be after may 1.
Meaning if I spend now and my statement closes may 3, I imagine the points will post shortly after may 3 on my AA account. So the spending would be in April and the points will post in may?
Thanks
I’d assume that spending now will count for statements closing in May.
I had 67k post April 2. Damn.
I can do it, but its a lot of work for not that much benefit.
I will wait to see if your sign up bonuses count.
Thanks dan! stay safe
Any idea if people on current status challenges will get an extension?
as of no according to aa no. but they told me to call once the challenge has ended and they will see what they can do.
Alright, which one of you is gonna try to spend 1 million by the end of 2020 lol
love it!
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-airlines/u-s-government-holding-firm-on-airline-aid-plan-could-end-up-with-3-of-american-airlines-idUSKCN21V1VO
I would be interested to see another article analyzing the value of gold and platinum status respectively. For example, do complimentary upgrades ever actually clear for gold members?
I am worried about signing up for the Barclays cards or even Citi as I have signed up for these cards already a few times and am holding 500k I advantage miles in my account. in the last few years (thanks to Dans informative website ), however aa has been closing accounts for signing up for these cards multiple time(not just from the Citi mailers)this has me concerned to sing up and then start spending toward million miler as all that effort would be for nothing if they shut me down if someone can advise gut moed
They shut down people who used mailers to circumvent the waiting period between cards.
Dan, any updates on the AA purge?
What sort of update? If you used multiple mailers you are toast. The end.
So specifically I was wondering:
1. What was the specific threshold that AA set. I saw some people mention 3 cards in 24 months was the threshold…whereas others said 4 cards in 24 months…those were the two most common things I saw mentioned but there were other theories as well
2A. You mention multiple mailers, but there’s 4 different AA cards (3 personal and 1 business) – weren’t there DP’s where some people legitimately signed up for all 4 cards and they got swept up in the purge
2B. How would AA even know if you were using a mailer versus a legit application? I mean obviously someone that opened 25 cards was using mailers…but what about someone that had 2 real applications and one mailer…since it sounds like Citi isn’t furnishing info to AA, how does AA differentiate between those miles when they hit the AAdvantage account?
3. Is the purge ongoing? I.E. Are there still new closure reports coming in? It’s impossible to gather info on the situation since the Reddit thread was locked.
4. Did AA count Barclays cards against you…or was this solely Citi focused?
1. Probably any amount more than 1 of each card every 4 years.
2A. I didn’t see DPs without multiple of the same card.
2B. Of course AA can tell where the offer came from. That’s child’s play.
3. Not sure.
4. Assume any effort to circumvent the stated rules would lead to a ban.
If I spend a million dollars on the card to get the miles, do I have to pay the balance?
Dan,
I have a paper voucher (from being bumped), should i book a ticket and then cancel it to switch it to an e-voucher.
Thanks,