Many travel loyalty programs offer the ability to earn lifetime elite status. Ordinarily elite status has to be earned on an annual basis, so it sure is nice to be able to not worry about requalifying for status anymore.
Continue reading: Guide To American AAdvantage Lifetime Million Miler Status
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Even if they credited all earned Loyalty Points towards lifetime tier status, the *incremental* benefits are simply too weak.
AA should include miles flown on reward tickets - since you are still paying for the flight with a different currency.
AA should also include anything that generates revenue for it. Such as hotel bookings, rental car bookings, holiday bookings, shopping portal purchases, etc. These revenue channels have substantially higher margins than flying yet AA lacks a long-term incentive for customers to use them. Heavy of catch phrases, light on delivery. "Every aircraft ready to fly at the start of every day."
They used to count credit card points way back in the day like 1 mile per dollar but then everyone was a million miler and they stopped. There probably should be a compromise but that's the rationale.
AA could discount pre 2011 miles by a factor to account for the million miler program (i.e. 70% of the miles earned in that period account for the million miler program, 30% not). For the past 20+ years I have flown on average once a month long haul and I am around 2.3m, and know that I will never make it to 4m.
Probably well north of 500 flights in 20 years, not including that most were in J, feels like should be rewarded with a higher tier than platinum.
Woefully uncompetitive. They took forever to make changes to the million miler program - well after their competitors made positive changes to their programs. Seemed to be caught in an infinite loop of analysis paralysis. Then , when they finally made changes , they sent a clear message to lifetime 3 million milers and that message was “you are no more valuable than a 2 million miler “. Can get the same portfolio of benefits at 2 or 3 million AA lifetime miles for 1 million lifetime miles at DL and UA. Certainly not a pivot to premium . It’s actually a disincentive to go past 2 million lifetime miles with AA.
Interactive article idea... I'd be very interested in a demographics poll on OMAAT. Basic, anonymous, but knowing the general age bands, location heat map, primary hotel/airline loyalty, etc would be fascinating. This is an unusually engaged audience, more than happy to click a few buttons.
The age one in particular might surprise. Would be even more interesting to see the split in data between guests/non-commenters, those with accounts/ commenters, and those with status.
Q: Do paid premium/business/first seats count for additional lifetime miles, or still 1:1?
You need to fix a typo under Lifetime American AAdvantage Platinum status (two million miler)... "Platinum is American AAdvantage’s lower-mid-tier status."
(Should be Platinum PRO)
I'm at 2.917MM and yeah it was disappointing to see nothing extra at the 3MM mark. Not sure if I'll ever get to 4MM but still Lifetime Platinum is a nice thing to have.
My AA MM Gold status came with OW Ruby status which comes in very handy flying on Alaska. Earned prior to 2011.
Don't know if that's just an oversight in the article or new MM earners don't actually get it.
Needless to say, I would be most unhappy if they screwed with my status with some futile attempt at "leveling" pre-2011 points earned. I still have not forgiven United for all the downgrades applied to my Premier Executive MM status over the years.
I am very frustrated that I have over 3 million miles flown for many years and my status is only Platinum. The fact that they skip 3 million (especially when many of the miles were flown in the pre-credit card era so they truly are "earned" and bought) had me shopping other programs in recent years. Also, years ago I had a higher status "executive platinum" which was better until they downgraded when they re-did the system years ago. Bottom line is I am back to being a free agent looking for the best deals and if my status was better on American, it would be my first choice in air travel.
I've been a Gold MM status as long as I can remember. Using its benefits still requires flying American which is not what it used to be. I have two long haul international trips coming in the next few months and neither will be on American
Yes I agree Americans advantage program has deteriated over the years,especially when US Airways joined them and started pinching pennies. The new planes are horruble with their seats getting smaller and their advantage programs relying on one ...credit cards ,only citi cards. AAl needs someone to bring back some old time perks and ways back.