Update: American has clarified that signup bonuses and double mile categories won’t count for million miler status.
Earlier today, American announced that miles earned from spending on all US based AA credit cards that post to your account from 5/1-12/31 will count towards earning million miler status. You can read about elite benefits here.
- 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.
- Sadly, there is no way to earn Platinum Pro or Executive Platinum status, but you will earn 4 systemwide upgrades for each additional million miler threshold reached.
AA used to offer this, but it was discontinued way back in 2011. That was back in golden age of earning miles, elite status, and redeeming awards. In the recovery from the great recession of 2007-2009, opportunities like scooping up countless free miles with dollar coins, earning insane quantities of Hyatt points and free nights, racking up hundreds of credit card bonuses annually, and taking advantage of amazing award charts with wide open award space.
Will we see some of those opportunities return due to the economic fallout from coronavirus?
Based on American’s move today, it seems possible. Airlines have been clawing back benefits over the past 9 years during the economic boom, but they’re going to have to be creative to earn back business during a downturn.
I earned lifetime Platinum status from opening AA credit cards back then.
I got my wife close by opening credit cards for her from when we got married in November 2008 until when the program ended in November 2011, but didn’t quite get her to 2MM:
As we pretty much exclusively travel on award tickets, her million miler balance has been frozen there for the past 9 years, just 132,651 million miler miles away from lifetime Platinum status and 4 systemwide upgrades.
That will change soon, as she was just approved to earn 70K miles on the Citi AA Business Mastercard. Officially this time around, only spending will earn million miler miles, but I’ll make an update whether or not the signup bonus miles count for million miler status.
You can login via this link to check how many million miler miles that you have. After doing that you should see the screenshot above with your million miler balance.
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 card 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.
Will you try to earn AA million miler status?
I’m 118k short for Platinum. Similar to your wife. Are you sure that 70k signup bonus will work? Otherwise is the only other way to spend 118k on my car
Read the post again.
In english i need to spend a million dollars?
That depends on your current million miler balance.
@Dan
I’m only at 11k 🙁
Only $989,000 to go!
I’m at 500,000, any good, safe ways of spending $500,000?
Pay a really big IRS bill 😀
Isn’t there a maximum per quarter you can pay on credit card to IRS?
2 payments of any size, per credit card processor, per taxpayer, per quarterly estimate.
It is nt owrth it one bit. Who flys AA like I do and finds great perks with Plat. I am Exec Plat not but lifetime plat. Free baggage you can get with the card. Bonus miles are dead as anything important since they went to a revenue program.
Does that mean I need to spend $1m to get the status?
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/elite-status/heres-check-much-youll-need-spend-earn-american-million-miler-lifetime-elite-status-without-flying/#comment-1463632
Am Haeretz here.
In short, what are the benefits of a million miler?
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-program/elite-status/elite-status-benefits.jsp
I have 2 AAdvantage accounts. If I were to merge them, would the million miler balances be added together? If so, then I would be at 984k. Is it worth it – Gold status is pretty lame. Thanks.
Sure.
Why do you keep 2 accounts?
I got the second account when I opened a Barclays account in addition to my Citi card & I kept the two accounts in order to double the 10% rebate they used to offer. Once they ended the 10% rebates, I suppose there was no longer any benefit to having the second account, but I never got around to merging them. Maybe now is the time. The only card I have today is the Barclays Business card does it count toward the status offer?
No reason not to merge.
All AA cards in the US count.
Status matches?
Gold is terrible. If you could get it with the card application only then maybe.
With the CitiBusiness AAdvantage card, would spending 500k on gas work to reach 1MM?
Excellent question. I’ll try and post the results.
Wow what kind of car are you driving? That’s a lot for a chol hamoed trip
LOL. Will start with one purchase.
Gas stations sell gift cards…
Dan what happened to the tesla?
Still have the minivan as well.
I’m at 144k. I think I can quit now.
I’m at 1.3M, too far for me to hit it in 8 months.
Dan, sign up bonuses do not count towards MM. Good news is that it is not 1 point per mile on everything. If you make an AA purchase with your AAviator Silver card, it’ll earn 3 miles AND MM miles for this.
Fantastic ! I only need to spend a half-million dollars on groceries.
hey Dan quick question on the Dot ruling about canceled flights due to COVID-19. I have a Flight from Newark- London on United at 7 pm. They officially canceled the flight and re-booked me on a 7:45 PM flight (different flight numbers ). Does this fall into the DOT laws of canceled flight to receive a full refund or did they put me a flight good enough not to need to issue a refund? (just want to know my legal backing before calling them)
Thanks in advance!
Michael
If the change is less than 2 hours, you’re unlikely to get a cash refund.
How is it that I have 970k award miles but only 600k mm
Hi. Nice. I am @ 4,890,145 do you say i could become a 5MM so easy?
Hey Dan everyone who Ive talked to about dansdeals has the same question, can you just fly anyway for free for years with all your miles?
points transferred from hotel partners count ? prior to 2011 spg transfer did count .
No.
Dont do it. its a terrible deal. I am lifetime plat. the benefits are nebulous and they have watered it down which they can do again. Only if you are a small number away to get to that lifetime plat. gold is worthless. In the past you got more
Is any type of AA credit card eligible for this offer or only the 4 cards you listed under “Don’t have an AA card?”
Any update yet if bonus enrollment miles will count toward the million mile level?
So you think its worth 2.95 percent fees on payments to get closer to Platinum for life. I am at about 1.7 million so I am not going to make it this year but can get closer.