The American Airlines AAdvantage loyalty program noticed important adjustments in 2022. In explicit, this system fully modified the way you earn American Airlines elite standing. Now, Loyalty Points are the only metric that issues.
This information will assess and worth every American Airlines elite standing tier. By doing so, we’ll allow you to resolve whether or not it is value qualifying for American Airlines standing through the elite qualification interval from March 1, 2023, to Feb. 29, 2024.
Methodology
The evaluation on this put up represents only one solution to resolve how a lot American Airlines elite standing is value. You could worth particular advantages in another way than we do, so modify the numbers to make them extra related to your journey habits.
We additionally worth different airline elite statuses, together with Delta Air Lines elite standing and United Airlines elite standing. Although the applications cannot be instantly in contrast, we’re making the next key assumptions on this evaluation to offer some consistency:
- You will earn 10% extra Loyalty Points than the minimal required for a given standing tier.
- You will earn 30% of your Loyalty Points by non-flight strategies, corresponding to spending on AAdvantage bank cards, utilizing the SimplyMiles program and clicking by the AAdvantage buying portal earlier than making on-line purchases.
- You will earn 70% of your Loyalty Points by flights at the usual charge of 5 miles per greenback for AAdvantage members, 7 miles per greenback for Gold members, 8 miles per greenback for Platinum members, 9 miles per greenback for Platinum Pro members and 11 miles per greenback for Executive Platinum members. We assume you will not guide flights that may earn based mostly on a companion’s fare class or particular fares.
- We spherical our valuations of particular person advantages to the closest $5.
- You have already got the given standing tier (see the part on ranging from scratch in case you’re trying to earn a brand new standing tier).
Finally, we’ll use TPG’s valuation of American miles at 1.77 cents every when calculating the worth of bonus earnings.
Related: Chasing American Airlines elite standing? Here are 14 methods to earn Loyalty Points
American elite standing tiers
There are 4 elite standing tiers you can earn within the American AAdvantage loyalty program. Each tier gives totally different perks; here is a fast overview:
| AAdvantage Gold | AAdvantage Platinum | AAdvantage Platinum Pro | AAdvantage Executive Platinum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualification necessities | 40,000 Loyalty Points. | 75,000 Loyalty Points. | 125,000 Loyalty Points. | 200,000 Loyalty Points. |
| Oneworld standing | Ruby. | Sapphire. | Emerald. | Emerald. |
| Mileage bonus | 40%. | 60%. | 80%. | 120%. |
| Priority on the airport | Business-class check-in lane and Group 4 boarding. | First-class check-in lane, precedence baggage supply and Group 3 boarding. | First-class check-in lane, precedence baggage supply and Group 2 boarding. | First-class check-in lane, precedence baggage supply and Group 1 boarding. |
| Checked baggage allowance | First. | First and second. | First, second and third. | First, second and third. |
| Complimentary seating | Preferred seats at reserving and Main Cabin Extra seats inside 24 hours of departure. | Preferred and Main Cabin Extra seats at reserving. | Preferred and Main Cabin Extra seats at reserving. | Preferred and Main Cabin Extra seats at reserving. |
| Same-day standby and flight adjustments | Same-day standby precedence. | Same-day standby precedence. | Complimentary same-day flight change; same-day standby precedence. | Complimentary same-day flight change; same-day standby precedence. |
| Complimentary upgrades inside North America | Up to 24 hours earlier than departure on paid tickets. | Up to 48 hours earlier than departure on paid tickets. | Up to 72 hours earlier than departure on paid tickets. | Up to 100 hours earlier than departure on paid and award tickets. |
| Complimentary alcoholic beverage and snack within the Main Cabin | On flights with full drink service. | |||
| Priority cellphone line | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Benefits on Alaska Airlines and JetBlue | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Near the tip of 2022, American introduced it will decouple milestone rewards from elite standing tiers. As a outcome, you may earn Loyalty Point Rewards on the following milestones beginning in March 2023:
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- 15,000 Loyalty Points: Unlock Group 5 boarding for the membership 12 months and select precedence check-in, safety and Group 4 boarding on one journey or 5 most well-liked seat coupons.
- 60,000 Loyalty Points: Unlock Avis Preferred Plus standing and obtain a 20% Loyalty Points bonus on spending with American Airlines Vacations, American Airlines Hotels, AAdvantage eShopping, AAdvantage Dining and SimplyMiles.
- 100,000 Loyalty Points: Unlock Avis President’s Club standing and obtain a 30% Loyalty Points bonus on spending with American Airlines Vacations, American Airlines Hotels, AAdvantage eShopping, AAdvantage Dining and SimplyMiles.
- 175,000 Loyalty Points: Choose one of many following choices: two systemwide upgrades, 20,000 bonus miles (25,000 for AAdvantage bank card holders), six Admirals Club day passes, a $200 journey credit score ($250 for AAdvantage bank card holders), carbon offset, $250 charity donation, 15% one-time award rebate, two presents of Gold standing or 35,000 miles off a Mastercard Priceless expertise.
- 250,000 Loyalty Points: Choose two of the next choices: two systemwide upgrades, 20,000 bonus miles (30,000 for AAdvantage bank card holders), six Admirals Club day passes, an Admirals Club particular person membership (requires each selections), a $200 journey credit score ($250 for AAdvantage bank card holders), carbon offset, $250 charity donation, two presents of Gold standing, Bang & Olufsen product (requires each selections), one Flagship Lounge single-visit move (two passes for AAdvantage bank card holders) or 35,000 miles off a Mastercard Priceless expertise.
You can earn extra Loyalty Point Rewards in case you attain even greater milestones — however the advantages per Loyalty Points earned path off after you attain the 250,000-Loyalty Points milestone. So, in our evaluation, we’ll solely think about the worth of the Loyalty Point Rewards you’d earn whereas reaching every standing tier.
AAdvantage Gold: $585
The lowest American Airlines elite standing tier is AAdvantage Gold. Although this tier beforehand required 30,000 Loyalty Points, you may want 40,000 Loyalty Points per qualification interval beginning on March 1, 2023.
We’ll assume you have already got AAdvantage Gold standing and you may earn 44,000 Loyalty Points between March 1, 2023, and Feb. 29, 2024. If you earn 70% of your Loyalty Points (30,800) from flights, we assume you may spend about $4,400 on flights throughout this qualification interval.
| Benefit particulars | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Complimentary upgrades inside North America | Space-available on paid flights for you and a companion; could clear as much as 24 hours earlier than departure.
Upgrades fall behind higher-tier AAdvantage members, so we’re giving them a valuation of three% of flight spending for Gold members. |
$130. |
| Mileage bonus | Gold members earn 2 miles per greenback extra on flights than basic members, equaling 8,800 bonus miles on $4,400 in spending. | $155. |
| Priority on the airport | Business-class check-in lane and Group 4 boarding. | $50. |
| Checked baggage allowance | A primary checked bag is free for everybody in your reservation. | $50. |
| Same-day standby | Same-day standby precedence on choose routes for you and as much as eight vacationers in your reservation. | $25. |
| Priority cellphone line | Access to the Gold service desk, which can have shorter waits and more-experienced brokers than the final member line. | $25. |
| Complimentary seating | Preferred seats at reserving and Main Cabin Extra seats inside 24 hours of departure for you and as much as eight vacationers in your reservation. | $100. |
| Loyalty Point Rewards | None of the rewards you’d unlock on the 15,000-Loyalty Points milestone present further advantages if you have already got Gold standing. | $0. |
| Oneworld and companion advantages | Oneworld Ruby; precedence check-in and boarding on Alaska and JetBlue; most well-liked seating, premium class and upgrades to top quality (all as obtainable) on Alaska (besides on saver fares); two checked baggage on Alaska; one checked bag on JetBlue; Even More Space seats on JetBlue. | $50. |
| Total | $585. |
AAdvantage Platinum: $1,715
The subsequent American Airlines elite standing tier is AAdvantage Platinum, which requires 75,000 Loyalty Points per qualification interval.
We assume you may earn 82,500 Loyalty Points between March 1, 2023, and Feb. 29, 2024. If you earn 70% of your Loyalty Points (57,750) from flights, we assume you may spend about $7,220 on flights throughout this qualification interval to requalify for AAdvantage Platinum standing.
| Benefit particulars | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Complimentary upgrades inside North America | Space-available on paid flights for you and a companion; could clear as much as 48 hours earlier than departure.
We’re valuing upgrades at 5% of flight spending for Platinum members since these members have improve precedence over Gold members. |
$360. |
| Mileage bonus | Platinum members earn 3 miles per greenback extra on flights than basic members, equaling 21,660 bonus miles on $7,220 in spending. | $385. |
| Priority on the airport | First-class check-in lane, precedence baggage supply and Group 3 boarding. | $125. |
| Checked baggage allowance | The first and second checked bag is free for everybody in your reservation. | $125. |
| Same-day standby | Same profit as Gold, extra frequent utilization. | $35. |
| Priority cellphone line | Access to the Platinum service desk, which can have shorter waits and more-experienced brokers than the Gold line. | $60. |
| Complimentary seating | Preferred and Main Cabin Extra seats at reserving for you and as much as eight vacationers in your reservation. | $350. |
| Loyalty Point Rewards | Once you accrue 60,000 Loyalty Points in your qualification 12 months, you may get Avis Preferred Plus standing and a 20% Loyalty Points bonus on spending with choose companions.
Assuming the bonus applies to 30% of the Loyalty Points you’d earn after reaching the milestone, you’d earn 1,350 further Loyalty Points. |
$25. |
| Oneworld and companion advantages | Oneworld Sapphire; precedence check-in, boarding and bag supply on Alaska and JetBlue; most well-liked seating, premium class and upgrades to top quality (all as obtainable) on Alaska (besides on saver fares); two checked baggage on Alaska and JetBlue; Even More Space seats on JetBlue. | $250. |
| Total | $1,715. |
Related: Here is all the pieces 1 TPG staffer did to get American Airlines Platinum standing
AAdvantage Platinum Pro: $3,265
The subsequent American Airlines elite standing tier is AAdvantage Platinum Pro, which requires 125,000 Loyalty Points per qualification interval.
We assume you may earn 137,500 Loyalty Points between March 1, 2023, and Feb. 29, 2024. If you earn 70% of your Loyalty Points (96,250) from flights, we assume you may spend about $10,695 on flights throughout this qualification interval to requalify for AAdvantage Platinum Pro standing.
| Benefit particulars | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Complimentary upgrades inside North America | Space-available on paid flights for you and a companion; could clear as much as 72 hours earlier than departure.
We’re valuing upgrades at 7% of flight spending for Platinum Pro members since these members have improve precedence over Gold and Platinum members. |
$750. |
| Mileage bonus | Platinum Pro members earn 4 miles per greenback extra on flights than basic members, equaling 42,780 bonus miles on $10,695 in spending. | $755. |
| Priority on the airport | First-class check-in lane, precedence baggage supply and Group 2 boarding. | $200. |
| Checked baggage allowance | The first, second and third checked bag is free for everybody in your reservation. | $200. |
| Same-day standby and flight adjustments | Same-day standby precedence and complimentary same-day flight adjustments on choose routes for everybody in your reservation. | $200. |
| Priority cellphone line | Access to the Platinum Pro service desk, which can have shorter waits and more-experienced brokers than the Platinum line. | $100. |
| Complimentary seating | Same profit as Platinum, extra frequent utilization. | $560. |
| Loyalty Point Rewards | Once you accrue 100,000 Loyalty Points in your qualification 12 months, you may get Avis President’s Club standing and a 30% Loyalty Points bonus on spending with choose companions.
Assuming the bonus applies to 30% of the Loyalty Points you’d earn after reaching the milestone, you’d earn 1,125 further Loyalty Points. |
$50. |
| Oneworld and companion advantages | Oneworld Emerald; precedence check-in, boarding and bag supply on Alaska and JetBlue; most well-liked seating, premium class and upgrades to top quality (all as obtainable) on Alaska (besides on saver fares); three checked baggage on Alaska; two checked baggage on JetBlue; complimentary same-day flight change on Alaska and JetBlue; Even More Space seats on JetBlue. | $450. |
| Total | $3,265. |
Related: Earn miles with Bask Bank’s AAdvantage financial savings account
AAdvantage Executive Platinum: $6,695
The closing American Airlines elite standing tier is AAdvantage Executive Platinum, which requires 200,000 Loyalty Points per qualification interval.
We assume you may earn 220,000 Loyalty Points between March 1, 2023, and Feb. 29, 2024. If you earn 70% of your Loyalty Points (154,000) from flights, we assume you may spend about $14,000 on flights throughout this qualification interval to requalify for AAdvantage Executive Platinum standing.
| Benefit particulars | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Complimentary upgrades inside North America | Space-available on paid and award flights for you and a companion; could clear as much as 100 hours earlier than departure.
We’re valuing upgrades at 10% of flight spending for Executive Platinum members since these members have improve precedence over lower-tier members. |
$1,400. |
| Mileage bonus | Executive Platinum members earn 6 miles per greenback extra on flights than basic members, equaling 84,000 bonus miles on $14,000 in spending. | $1,485. |
| Priority on the airport | First-class check-in lane, precedence baggage supply and Group 1 boarding. | $325. |
| Checked baggage allowance | Same profit as Platinum Pro, extra frequent utilization. | $325. |
| Same-day standby and flight adjustments | Same profit as Platinum Pro, extra frequent utilization. | $325. |
| Priority cellphone line | Access to the Executive Platinum service desk, which can have shorter waits and more-experienced brokers than the Platinum Pro line. | $150. |
| Complimentary seating | Same profit as Platinum and Platinum Pro, extra frequent utilization. | $910. |
| Complimentary drink and snack in the principle cabin | Enjoy a normal alcoholic beverage and any meals merchandise from the menu on flights with full drink service in case you’re in the principle cabin. | $50. |
| Loyalty Point Rewards | Once you accrue 175,000 Loyalty Points in your qualification 12 months, you’ll be able to select one reward from the listing above. The Most worthy choice is probably going two systemwide upgrades; we worth every systemwide improve at $500.
Plus you continue to have the Avis President’s Club standing and a 30% Loyalty Points bonus on spending with choose companions from the 100,000-Loyalty Points milestone. |
$1,075 |
| Oneworld and companion advantages | Same advantages as Platinum Pro, extra frequent utilization. | $650. |
| Total | $6,695. |
Under our evaluation, we assume you’d earn 220,000 Loyalty Points in case you qualify (or requalify) for Executive Platinum standing.
But, as you’d earn extra Loyalty Point Rewards in case you attain 250,000 Loyalty Points, it is doubtless value pushing for that threshold. After all, you may snag 4 extra systemwide upgrades — which our evaluation values at $2,000 — in case you earn 250,000 Loyalty Points through the elite qualification interval from March 1, 2023, to Feb. 29, 2024.
Related: Why 1 TPG staffer spent $848 to increase her Oneworld Sapphire standing
What if I’m ranging from scratch?
The values on this story are based mostly on the advantages you’d take pleasure in when you earn a given standing. However, the calculations are totally different (and extra sophisticated) in case you begin with no AAdvantage standing or a decrease tier of standing.
Loyalty Points turn out to be simpler to earn from flights as you attain greater standing tiers. For instance, an American-marketed flight with a non-basic economic system $1,500 base fare would earn as follows based mostly on standing tier:
- General member: 7,500 miles and seven,500 Loyalty Points (5 miles per greenback).
- Gold member: 10,500 miles and 10,500 Loyalty Points (7 miles per greenback).
- Platinum member: 12,000 miles and 12,000 Loyalty Points (8 miles per greenback).
- Platinum Pro member: 13,500 miles and 13,500 Loyalty Points (9 miles per greenback).
- Executive Platinum member: 16,500 miles and 16,500 Loyalty Points (11 miles per greenback).
If you are at present a basic member or a lower-tier elite member, you are at an obstacle in comparison with higher-tier elite members in terms of incomes Loyalty Points, however your incomes talents enhance as you attain greater tiers.
Related: The final information to getting upgraded on American Airlines
Is American AAdvantage standing value pursuing?
Whether to chase elite standing with American AAdvantage relies upon solely in your scenario. But listed below are a couple of questions to think about when deciding.
How a lot will you employ your standing?
If you qualify for standing through the elite qualification interval from March 1, 2023, to Feb. 29, 2024, your standing will final till March 31, 2025. But it’s important to consider how a lot you may use your standing. After all, most AAdvantage elite standing perks solely present worth whenever you’re flying with American Airlines and its companions.
What’s the incremental worth of 1 tier over one other?
You would possibly wind up inside placing distance of the subsequent tier or Loyalty Point Rewards milestone. If so, think about the worth of any extra perks you’d earn. After all, there isn’t any sense in going out of your method for perks that do not matter to you.
Related: Maximizing redemptions with American Airlines AAdvantage
Do you take pleasure in enjoying the Loyalty Points sport?
American Airlines is taking a special method to elite standing qualification with its Loyalty Points scheme. Now, you’ll be able to earn Loyalty Points by many non-flight actions, corresponding to utilizing the AAdvantage buying portal, SimplyMiles, the AAdvantage Dining portal and cobranded American Airlines bank cards.
Some AAdvantage loyalists take pleasure in stacking gives to earn Loyalty Points, whereas others miss the times of needing to truly fly to earn standing. If you do not take pleasure in incomes AAdvantage miles (and Loyalty Points) by diversified means, AAdvantage elite standing won’t be the only option for you.
Related: How I’m incomes rewards 5 alternative ways on a Hotels.com reserving
Can a cobranded American Airlines bank card provide the perks you need?
If it is American Airlines lounge entry, earlier boarding or a primary checked bag free on home itineraries that you simply’re after, you might be able to get the perks you need by getting one of many following cobranded American Airlines bank cards:
However, notice that the bags profit offered to cardholders will solely present a primary checked bag on home itineraries. So in case you want a couple of checked bag, steadily journey exterior the U.S. or worth different elite perks, you may doubtless nonetheless need to earn AAdvantage elite standing.
Related: Which bank card must you use for American Airlines flights?
Bottom line
American Airlines elite standing can present extraordinarily beneficial perks at each degree. Even the bottom degree of American Airlines elite standing (AAdvantage Gold) supplies a checked baggage allowance, entry to business-class check-in lanes and Oneworld Ruby. And on the highest standing tiers, you may unlock Oneworld Emerald standing and end up greater on the American Airlines improve listing when flying inside North America.
Carefully think about the perks and the convenience at which you’ll earn American Airlines elite standing. Especially when you’ve got a cobranded American Airlines bank card and steadily use the American Airlines buying portal, you might be able to earn your required tier of American Airlines elite standing with relative ease.
Additional reporting by Nick Ewen, Chris Dong, Kyle Olsen and Andrew Kunesh.