American Airlines Offering Status Purchase Options For 2017
It’s that time of year again, where airlines try to pick up some extra cash by offering elite members the opportunity to purchase status for the upcoming year. This has taken different forms over the years. Last year there were plenty of different tiers. Someone could spend up to almost $2500 buying status.
I don’t have a full picture for this year, but I do have an offer from American Airlines to purchase status. It looks like this:
I actually just finished my elite re-qualification for Executive Platinum last night, so I was within 5,000 miles of the 100,000 necessary. Based on last year’s tiers, that would have cost me $1,199 last year. This year’s price is $100 more. I just noticed fellow blogger Jeanne from Le Chic Geek got an offer as well:
That’s consistent with last year’s price. It’s unclear to me at this point how many different prices there are for status purchase.
ETA: I reached out to AA and they said that since offers this year are personalized they won’t be able to offer a chart like last year. Comments on this blog post yielded the following data points:
- Offer of $1299 for Platinum. Joe has 27,000 EQMs now. Seems to make some sense, same price as mine for lesser status, further away from the goal.
- $799 for Gold received by someone with no status.
- $399 for Gold, currently has no status. Accrued 22K EQMs this year.
- $599 for Gold, currently has no status. Accrued 18K EQMs this year.
- $1499 for EXP, currently has 98,500 EQMs. This is essentially the same place I was, whereas my offer was for $1299. Very interesting.
The post American Airlines Offering Status Purchase Options For 2017 was published first on Pizza in Motion
I’m requalified for gold but tempted to switch to Delta since they do free upgrades for lower level status and fly more out of my home airports instead of having to pay for them and the mileage earning is no longer much different. Wonder if I’ll regret this though or if there’s something I’m missing.
Jason, the loyalty programs are so similar now (though DL’s award chart is worse) that schedule out of your home airport should play a much larger role in your decision.
The award miles you get now are so low that for me that’s barely a consideration anymore. I’m much more focused on upgrades and other perks which I can actually get more than once a year.
Ed, Delta has an award chart? 🙂 🙂
Michael, I heard a rumor……
I’m requalified for gold but tempted to switch to Delta since they do free upgrades for lower level status and fly more out of my home airports instead of having to pay for them and the mileage earning is no longer much different. Wonder if I’ll regret this though or if there’s something I’m missing.
Jason, the loyalty programs are so similar now (though DL’s award chart is worse) that schedule out of your home airport should play a much larger role in your decision.
The award miles you get now are so low that for me that’s barely a consideration anymore. I’m much more focused on upgrades and other perks which I can actually get more than once a year.
Ed, Delta has an award chart? 🙂 🙂
Michael, I heard a rumor……
My offer was for the same price, $1,299, but was to extend my Platinum status. Compared to last year, besides the bump in price, they seem to have eliminated (or greatly reduced) the required EQM one has to have already. I say this because I just crawled over the line for Gold this past weekend, at 27480. I think by last year’s standards, I wouldn’t have even been offered the option. So while spending 26 cpm in your 5000 mile case would have been brutal, spending 5.8 cpm in mine may be worth it – if I plan to travel more next year, that is.
Joe, thanks for the data point. Interesting. Guess it depends on how much (and where) you’ll travel next year.
My offer was for the same price, $1,299, but was to extend my Platinum status. Compared to last year, besides the bump in price, they seem to have eliminated (or greatly reduced) the required EQM one has to have already. I say this because I just crawled over the line for Gold this past weekend, at 27480. I think by last year’s standards, I wouldn’t have even been offered the option. So while spending 26 cpm in your 5000 mile case would have been brutal, spending 5.8 cpm in mine may be worth it – if I plan to travel more next year, that is.
Joe, thanks for the data point. Interesting. Guess it depends on how much (and where) you’ll travel next year.
A friend got $799 for Gold (he doesn’t have status). I barely got Platinum this year and haven’t received any offers.
Timothy, what status level were you last year?
A friend got $799 for Gold (he doesn’t have status). I barely got Platinum this year and haven’t received any offers.
Timothy, what status level were you last year?
My wife and both daughters all received offers for Gold status (they do not currently have any status). My wife is at 22,583 with no more travel booked for the year and she was offer Gold status for $399. Both of my daughters are at 18,405 and both received offers for Gold at $599.
Interestingly, I’m the only one in the household that didn’t received an offer. I’m currently Exec Plat with 86,601 under my belt. I have two more trips booked at this point but I will still end up about 2,000 short unless I do a final MR.
Glenn, even with EXP devalued it’s worth flying 2,000 miles to get another year.
Agreed, it’s just difficult for me to take the time during the holidays but it makes sense to make the time.
My wife and both daughters all received offers for Gold status (they do not currently have any status). My wife is at 22,583 with no more travel booked for the year and she was offer Gold status for $399. Both of my daughters are at 18,405 and both received offers for Gold at $599.
Interestingly, I’m the only one in the household that didn’t received an offer. I’m currently Exec Plat with 86,601 under my belt. I have two more trips booked at this point but I will still end up about 2,000 short unless I do a final MR.
Glenn, even with EXP devalued it’s worth flying 2,000 miles to get another year.
Agreed, it’s just difficult for me to take the time during the holidays but it makes sense to make the time.
I got an offer for Ex Plat for $1499 and I am at 98,500 on the year.
I got an offer for Ex Plat for $1499 and I am at 98,500 on the year.
$1799 for EXP. Currently at 90k+ EQM. It might be based on EQPs?
$1799 for EXP. Currently at 90k+ EQM. It might be based on EQPs?
My offer email arrived yesterday. I’m currently Platinum, and I’ve already qualified for Gold by flying just shy of 26,000 EQMs this year. To bump that up to Platinum, American wants $1479. I doubt I’ll take them up on it, since I’d still need to pay for upgrades on the longer domestic segments I typically fly. However, if I was given the opportunity to buy up from Gold all the way to Executive Platinum, I’d be willing to pay at least $3500. I’m not holding my breath for that.
My offer email arrived yesterday. I’m currently Platinum, and I’ve already qualified for Gold by flying just shy of 26,000 EQMs this year. To bump that up to Platinum, American wants $1479. I doubt I’ll take them up on it, since I’d still need to pay for upgrades on the longer domestic segments I typically fly. However, if I was given the opportunity to buy up from Gold all the way to Executive Platinum, I’d be willing to pay at least $3500. I’m not holding my breath for that.
$1,499 and am 21,000 miles short of platinum………..
$1,499 and am 21,000 miles short of platinum………..
4,079 short of re-qualifying for Plat, my offer was $699. I can get the 4k in one LAX-JFK(or BOS) quick weekend turnaround for about $300 – but only one weekend has that pricing and the timing is bad for me. Deciscions, decisions…
4,079 short of re-qualifying for Plat, my offer was $699. I can get the 4k in one LAX-JFK(or BOS) quick weekend turnaround for about $300 – but only one weekend has that pricing and the timing is bad for me. Deciscions, decisions…
I’m at 91,000 and was offered $2,499.00 for my buy back EXP promo. No thanks.
I’m at 91,000 and was offered $2,499.00 for my buy back EXP promo. No thanks.