In December 2024, American Airlines announced plans to improve its million miler lifetime elite status program, to make it more competitive with other airlines.
Continue reading: American AAdvantage Improves Million Miler Program: Long Overdue
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
This is weak. It is not even competitive with their OneWorld partner, Alaska Airlines, which grants Emerald Status at 3 million miles.
If AA again credited all miles earned towards lifetime status, AA would create an incentive for people to spend in all revenue channels. Imagine the revenue AA would recognize if someone spent $1 million on an AA card. If they did, I'd have reason to throttle up spending on AA credit cards . . . and happily hand revenue to AA. As it stands, no (stinkin') way.
Delta offers Lifetime Diamond at 3 million. Lifetime Delta 360 (think CK) at 5 million.
Still woefully uncompetitive. A shocking middle finger to 3 million milers - those with 3 million on 3/1/25 should have been grandfathered into Platinum Pro . I see no reason that I should surpass 2 million.
Presumably AA has waited this long to allow those that had non flight miles from 13 years ago to "age out" of the program. Assuming a heavy travel schedule of $250K miles a year it would take 20 consecutive years of flying at the level to reach lifetime EXP status. Given changes in people's lives, both voluntary (like taking a job with less travel to spend more time at home) to non voluntary (losing a job with frequent travel) relatively few will ever reach that level, other than the people already in the plan with lots of LT miles.
Finally! I have 24.7 million miles, welcome to ExPlat Lifetime as of March 1, 2025. Too bad they didn’t make Concierge Key Lifetime status. Data point, I’m in my 50’s so I think it my age group and older.
Well I didn't think I'd wake up this morning to Lifetime Platinum Pro status...but there you go. Every once in a while the world surprises you.
My thanks to the gift of TWA Lifetime Platinum status - which turns out to be the gift that keeps giving...as at least half of my AA million miler miles come from the conversion of programs. It may have taken almost 25 years, but the awarded status level is now closer to what TWA Lifetime Platinum travelers lost in the last bankruptcy.
I guess AA figured out how to do this without costing it a dollar extra 😉
I have to agree with everyone saying this is underwhelming. Of course the ability to achieve LT status beyond Platinum is something, but to set the bar for Plat Pro at double the amount for Platinum is much too big a gap. It's really a smack at everyone in the +/- 3M range - which is still a lot of LT miles even if some were earned in the old version of "everything counts". It's been a long time since that was the case, so it's hard to believe a 3M LT milestone would flood the Plat Pro ranks.
Even at 3.5M this doesn't really incent me to work towards 4M. I'm easily making EXP with travel + spend for now but mostly buy F when I want F on the most convenient airline. I don't see much reason to change that strategy now.
It's gotta be a joke to call this an "improvement" of the AA Million Miler program...
AA has people with as many as 75,000,000 lifetime miles. (per former head of AAdvantage)
I suspect the gap between 2 and 4 million - reduces the impact.
But I don't think AA has a way to filter out CC miles.
Many people did CC churn, Manufactured Spending, etc.
Many many people will now get LT EXP -
Let me add - if you are earning EXP - at the 200K LP -then you would be ahead in upgrade list over an EXP that says doesn't earn it now.
But big impact for Plat Pro folks that earn it.
I have my million-miler lifetime gold on AA. Don't do the heavy travel that I used to do. I'm somewhat content with my gold benefits of free first bag and once in a blue moon domestic upgrade (actually gotten a few this year!). I do wish AA would issue / offer new Lifetime Gold luggage tags. back in the day you used to be able to order extra tags.
This comment fails to be factual if you say Tom Stuker holds this record with UA at 24M+.
Yawn. 3MM AA Lifetime here, I get nada new. Same old worthless Platinum status. Whereas, in UA my 3MM status gets me Lifetime 1K, which is a thing. This is not even close to competitive.
It's gotta be a joke to call $15 a "breakfast" of the Lifetime Diamond program...
Oh wait... jokes on you.
Haven't you heard? I use the $15 to offset my bar tab, and treat myself to a full hot restaurant breakfast that includes every item on the menu because it is always part of my travel expenses.
Therefore, I win and I win, which means that the joke is on you, but you're too stupid to get it.
Tom's claim to fame is specifically butt-in-seat miles with United. There is nothing contradictory between him holding that record and someone racking up a ton more miles through credit card spend, etc.
3.05 Million Miler Here, Lifetime Platinum. Was only able to use 2 of my 4 SWU's when 2 expired at 3MM. The new SWU extension for status year is good, but can they give me back those 2 SWUs with that 6 month extension? But, 950K Miles for Lifetime Emerald for me, I am grateful I can at least see it knowing many others are not even close......there's still hope that AAdvantage made a typo and meant 3MM for Lifetime Emerald and will make an announcement to match Delta and UA, but hope is eternal. The feeling though when I make 4MM will be great, unless they make it 3MM before March 1st. What is the MM level for Lifetime CK?
Lifetime miles is a significant phrase, that includes the meaning Butt in Seat.
A reply from Randy is needed here to clarify the actual meaning, otherwise we can all add our interpretations.
Actually - you got something distinct for your 3 million miler status - a virtual slap in the face . No respect for anyone with 3 million lifetime miles .
Seems short-sighted from AA. I understand it's probably impossible for them to separate out butt-in-seat miles for legacy pax. That said, this really de-motivates younger customers from staying loyal, knowing these new numbers are very difficult (if not impossible) to hit during our lifetimes. Meanwhile, those who are old enough to have all past activity count get rewarded/knock us further down the upgrade list. Just more motivation to become a free agent and book away from AA.
Haven't you read? $15 is the breakfast benefit of the Hilton program that doesn't cover breakfast.
You paid for a bar tab AND for breakfast. Call it travel expenses, resort fee, or DCS self anointed valuation money. It's still more money for Hilton.
Therefore, Hilton win and Hilton win, which means that the joke is on you, but you're too stupid to get it.
By the way, did you just copy Tim Dunn's quote?
"the reality is that **I** win."
When did comments is about winning?
You're that idiot who thinks comment section is a competition.
Oh wait... You and Tim.
I think Randy is pretty clear, "AA has".
How you bring up "record with UA" and trying to get clarification is just trying to do a Tim Dunn.
All of you bragging about millions and millions of miles packed in a metal tube with hundreds of strangers being served substandard food by surly flight attendants. This is something to be sorry about and hide from everyone.
I actually think you're onto something. I made LT Platinum because of how it was calculated back then...nowadays it would have been a huge stretch with the updated calculations, especially as I'm no longer flying domestic RT twice a week and/or long-haul international RT twice a month. I had fun traveling all of the time up until COVID changed everything for me, but these days I don't miss it at all / ZERO.
Haven't you read? $15 is the breakfast benefit of the Hilton program that doesn't cover breakfast.
Like I said, you are too stupid to "get it". So let me repeat, maybe I'll register this time: "I treat myself to a full hot restaurant breakfast that includes every item on the menu because it is always part of my travel expenses." The $15, stoopid, is just booze money. As long as the breakfast money is corporate money and not out of my pocket, who cares if it is money for Hilton?!!! The 15$ for my booze definitely does come from Hilton and it's sweet!
You are so stupid it is the last time I will ever dignify your drivel with an answer. Have fun in your igloo.
I'm not saying I do. I'm talking generically. AA would receive substantial revenue from someone who did spend $1 million on its cards. Right now, AA is not creating an incentive for such a person to switch spending from whatever cars to an AA card.
$1M is really not much if you have a business credit card and use it to purchase inventory, or pay other key suppliers.
And in respect of your "people are starving" comment, are you saying that means that no-one who is "rich" (which, in global terms, means anyone who is middle class in a developed country) should ever spend significant money. Because that won't help starving people - quite the opposite.
Except that you contradicted yourself and showed that you do care when you decided to comment instead of leaving it alone.
And despite the hard life of traveling in a tube...you're the one that comes off as bitter. It's actually a challenging life to spend so much time traveling. Though I agree, there is some bragging too much
Still debating how to explain an idiot who thinks $15 booze is breakfast equivalent.
I'll refer your case to the self anointed gurus.
Maybe they can tell you to use that $15 for hookers instead and expense it like you always do.
How hilarious your company memo would read.
Due to DCS eats hookers for breakfast and expensed it. P***y or other genitalia is not considered breakfast per company policy.
Yawn. It's an improvement...but only marginally. If this had been the case a year or two ago, I might have considered parking my bookings with AA. Unfortunately for AA, BA seems to be the better bet in the alliance.
I'll slowly chase MM on Delta (Gold at 1MM) since at least for now I won't have to pay much cash to do so (DL awards million miler miles from award reservations) and I'm already closing in on the halfway mark (curses to a quirk of my RL situation, or I'd probably be closing in on it on the basis of the credit cards), but since AA won't count award miles towards MM there's not a lot of point in chasing it with them (no pun intended). Much of my travel with AA is award-based and what isn't is going to BA.
All this means is that someone, way back when, was churning the heck out of a business card. I don't know how long AA was recognizing CC miles towards MM, but if you have someone running $10m/yr for their business via the cards this is /entirely/ believable.
I recalled this from an article years ago, but I was initially off in my recollection of the amount - someone once earned over 30m points with Starwood in a year (2015). So it is quite plausible for someone to have done something like this for 2-3 years, that could get you there.
I have just over 4.9 million miles. I'll reach the 5 million mark but it will take a few years as I'm flying less these days. Does anybody know if I will get lifetime Platinum Pro or does it only apply when "passing" 4 million, not when already having it?
They really need a delineation between those who earned it with spend and those who earned it flying. NOBODY is going to hit 5MM (or even 2MM) miles lifetime *unless they're flying weekly long haul flights for 10-15 years ...straight.
Wonder if BA jacks up the Lifetime Gold threshold soon especially with the change in scheme, both AA's and QF's lifetime emerald are way more (arguably way too much) flying.
as a younger customer, i just wish that they'd made the PPro threshold 3M miles instead of 4M. adding PP and EP to the million miler program was far overdue
I just completed a business trip and just reached gold level for the 2024 period. That someone can have millions of points and not be an airline employee, blows my mind.
BA GfL is 550k under the new system. Existing tier points receive a multiplier. With AA, if annual tier status is meaningless, imagine meaningless for life.
I'm among those who pursued and reached LPLT status in the past. I (we) still enjoy the perks that affords us, but AA's in-flight "soft perks" have declined in quality so much that I often regret my earlier choice. I will not pursue further lifetime status.
Nothing burger. While this offers something to the top .00000000001%, this won’t affect the vast majority of members or offer any inspiration.
That's not true. I hit 1 million with Delta back as a 28-year-old paying out of pocket, with a mix of long and short. Also had more than 320,000 with Continental, but quit earning on them after their merger. Could've easily hit 2 million in early 30s, if I'd focused on Delta solely, and kept up the same pace.
Nowadays, it wouldn't be so easy. But in the 1990s and 2000s, it just wasn't that hard to do.
"You spend 1M in credit card while people are starving?"
What does one have to do with the other?
Yeah, yawn and burp. Give me a bag of pretzels, a mainly ice beverage, a dose of surly and let me get back to the inflight entertainment on my phone.
What defines what is "bragging too much?"
They're just stating what's presumably the fact of what they do, and that they're happy to have accomplished that. Who would have a problem with that, other than someone who's jealous?
To me I find the whole thing absurd. There is a large degree of snob tied to the culture. I have over a million miles with AA, should have 2million but was never loyal, and I have never been able to use a single perk or reward, other than the occasional automatic upgrade, but I buy into business class usually anyways, I never gamble for an upgrade on a long haul. The food on long haul American is atrocious, like atrocious go hungry on business class. The flight attendants with the seniority are on a due the least strategy. So for 5+ years I fly Qatar, earn the miles anyways, get great service and great food, dine on demand, awesome drinks, private suites, amazing lounges. Qatar prices recently have gone up y, and the "business lite" is absurd as you get no lounge access even if you are EX-PLAT. SNOB CULTURE: Years back on one of my last long haul AA flight, me and a colleague got into the business boarding line at HKG heading to Dallas. The ground crew checked for passports and tickets on the line, we were like 10th our of like 40, the flight crew removed us from the business line, you could hear the ones behind us (mostly the wife's) cracking up and making jokes as we got removed from the almighty "business class line"; as this is going on, they moved us to the first class line, we had tickets 1a/1b on a three cabin First class, I had no idea they had a third line for First in HKG. Make a long story short, 15 hours later, a guy from business class rushes to catch us before we enter USA customs in Dallas telling us how he couldn't stop laughing during the flight with all the looks and comments as we were being removed from business line, like we were being put in our place. Then there were the theories about how we could possibly afford a $20k first class ticket, "it must have been an upgrade" was the nicest one according to the source, in summary, the culture is snob to tenth degree. To this day we still laugh it off, and apparently it was much snobbier than we will ever know, i was in my early 30's, taught me a great lesson that it is not a cult i wish to partake with.
If only AA would just make 1MM equal to platinum (OW sapphire), which would very much compete with United.
I’m pretty close to 1MM and stopped flying and/or crediting to AA after all the recent changes to the program that made it not worth it.
Until then, UA will get most of my business. When I do fly oneworld, I credit to BA.
There was an article 15-20 years ago about the LT's on AA/DL/UA,etc. It was a very, very small %. Since its gotten more difficult to hit LT status (at least with AA's "BIS" policy), I'd imagine there are less LT'ers now.
I'm closing in on 2MM on AA. I fly in J when flying internationally solo or solo+Mrs,. however I fly in Y when traveling with family. I also fly Y domestic so having AA PL/OW Sapphire makes a big difference. From lounges, to choosing seats, to boarding early with kids, etc. It adds up for me.
Of course, everyone's situation is unique and different.
Not an "improvement" really.
American Airlines made promoted as that way, but it doesn't add any benefits for those who are already million member milers.