How American Airways sucked me again into AAdvantage with Loyalty Factors

I’ve had fairly a multiyear journey with American Airways. I had given up on its frequent flyer program, quitting in disgust as AAdvantage upped the qualification necessities for Govt Platinum again in 2018 (to $15,000 in spending). That led me into the arms of Delta Air Strains and Alaska Airways — a minimum of till the pandemic hit. My Platinum Professional standing from 2019 carried over all the way in which till early 2022, once I dropped again right down to the dreaded “member” standing.

These years additionally noticed the rollout of the Loyalty Factors program, which I had as soon as derided as too difficult.

However American Airways has discovered a approach to reel me again into the AAdvantage system. I’ve change into obsessive about incomes Loyalty Factors and have made it again to Govt Platinum standing, and I am aiming to do it once more subsequent yr. My quest for Loyalty Factors has gotten so unhealthy that I have been doing a little seemingly irrational issues.

However, this has labored for me — and in mild of the upcoming deadline for incomes AA standing (Feb. 29), this is why it’d make sense for you, too.

Shortcut to standing? Prompt Standing Cross continues to be accessible for some

American did one thing fairly massive to lure me again into the Oneworld fold. I used to be fortunate sufficient to get in on what American Airways known as an Prompt Standing Cross again in 2022.

American granted me Platinum Professional standing till the top of March 2023 with the chance to increase it by means of July 28 if I earned 42,000 Loyalty Factors. If I managed to earn a complete of 67,000 Loyalty Factors by then, I may even get boosted to Govt Platinum.

And I did simply that.

I earned 67,000 Loyalty Factors in all three phases of the problem. I am going to go into some element beneath on how I did it, however suffice it to say it wasn’t through butt-in-seat flying.

Whereas AA is not providing that Prompt Standing Cross to all proper now, it launched a brand new standing problem for upper-tier Delta and United Airways elite members solely.

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You may must accumulate a set variety of Loyalty Factors in every part, which lasts 4 months.

• 13,000 Loyalty Factors: AAdvantage Gold
• 25,000 Loyalty Factors: AAdvantage Platinum
• 42,000 Loyalty Factors: AAdvantage Platinum Professional
• 67,000 Loyalty Factors: AAdvantage Govt Platinum

Associated: After 7 years as an American Airways Govt Platinum, requalifying is not a should for me: Here is why

It is similar to the problem I would been partaking in. I extremely advocate it when you’ve got standing with Delta or United. Not solely does it offer you invaluable miles and Loyalty Factors, but it surely’s enjoyable.

So how did I do it? Learn on.

Get an AAdvantage cobranded card

This was the only largest methodology of boosting my Loyalty Factors stability. I opened a brand-new Citi® / AAdvantage® Govt World Elite Mastercard® (see charges and charges), which awards 10,000 Loyalty Factors after you attain 50,000 Loyalty Factors in a standing qualification yr and one other bonus of 10,000 Loyalty Factors after you attain 90,000 Loyalty Factors in a standing qualification yr.

That alone gave me 20,000 Loyalty Factors, plus the factors I obtained for the spending I placed on the cardboard to get the sign-up bonus (the bonus miles earned as a part of a welcome provide don’t rely towards Loyalty Factors). Since I already had earned 90,000 Loyalty Factors in 2023, the bonus was posted in a short time after I opened the cardboard.

Bear in mind, even in case you do not need to open the Citi / AAdvantage Govt card, you will get Loyalty Factors for all spending on cobranded AAdvantage bank cards. You earn 1 Loyalty Level for each greenback you spend. In fact, some spending classes earn greater than 1 redeemable mile per greenback, however you will not earn greater than 1 Loyalty Level per greenback utilizing your AAdvantage bank card (barring particular promotions).

Eligible playing cards embrace all Citi AAdvantage playing cards and all Barclays AAdvantage Aviator bank cards (apart from the no-annual-fee AAdvantage® Aviator® Mastercard®, which earns 0.5 Loyalty Factors per greenback on purchases)

I even have the AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard® and earned one other 5,000 Loyalty Factors as a result of I spent $20,000 in 2023.

The data for the AAdvantage Aviator Mastercard has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

Associated: Your final information to American Airways AAdvantage

World of Hyatt twin accrual

An alternative choice for incomes Loyalty Factors comes through American’s partnership with World of Hyatt. All it’s a must to do is be certain your accounts are linked when you’ve got elite standing with a minimum of one in every of them.

I’ve earned 4,203 Loyalty Factors within the final six months alone by means of this methodology.

Associated: How Hyatt and American loyalists can earn extra rewards by linking accounts

Here is a screenshot of some of the twin accruals I obtained as an AAdvantage Govt Platinum member with Hyatt Globalist standing.

SimplyMiles

SimplyMiles is an effective way to beef up your Loyalty Level stability. It is successfully like a procuring portal, and when you enroll together with your AAdvantage quantity and hyperlink any Mastercard, you possibly can activate gives to earn bonus miles (and Loyalty Factors).

I’ve collected fairly a couple of Loyalty Factors this fashion, together with a number of thousand by reserving Viator excursions and a pair thousand by procuring at Gopuff.

I additionally discovered a suggestion for SimplyBlooms.com, a flower supply service. I despatched flowers to a good friend in Miami and earned 10 miles per greenback spent — some 980 Loyalty Factors.

There was additionally a suggestion for a subscription to the Washington Publish the place you could possibly earn 930 miles on a purchase order of $40 or extra. It seems a one-year particular provide for a subscription to the Washington Publish was precisely $40. That obtained me one other 930 Loyalty Factors.

AAdvantage eShopping

One other nice approach to earn Loyalty Factors is thru the AAdvantage procuring portal. Utilizing on-line procuring portals means that you can earn bonus factors, miles or money again at numerous on-line retailers just by going by means of the portal. That is along with the rewards you earn on the bank card you employ. I’ve earned hundreds of Loyalty Factors this fashion, together with from distributors like Blue Apron and The Motley Idiot.

The wonderful factor is that a few of these gives stack with SimplyMiles gives.

As you possibly can see within the screenshot beneath, I earned miles and Loyalty Factors for Viator and Gopuff purchases through AAdvantage eShopping — and I additionally earned them by means of SimplyMiles. It is an effective way to double dip.

One other simple approach to earn Loyalty Factors (and AAdvantage miles) is through AAdvantage Eating. Go to aadvantagedining.com to register and hyperlink your bank card and AAdvantage accounts.

Associated: Information to AAdvantage Eating

All of the miles you earn whereas eating rely as Loyalty Factors, which might help inch you nearer to American Airways elite standing. Take into account that you’ll solely earn miles when eating at taking part eating places and paying with a linked card, however numerous eating places take part. You simply must lookup eating places close to you on the AAdvantage Eating web site.

I used to be hitting this beautiful onerous final yr, however I have been extra targeted on Bilt Eating recently (you possibly can solely hyperlink every of your eating bank cards with a single program). Nonetheless, the AA Eating miles proceed to trickle in, and each little bit helps.

Rocketmiles and AAdvantage Accommodations

One of many best methods I used to be capable of earn Loyalty Factors was through Rocketmiles — although this has since been dramatically scaled again. As you possibly can see from the reserving web page above, I earned a whopping 8,000 Loyalty Factors from a one-night keep in Washington, D.C.

I additionally examined out a lodge in New York Metropolis, the place I earned one other 8,000 Loyalty Factors.

Sadly, these incomes charges have been dramatically scaled again. For instance, a one-night keep on the Washington Hilton by means of Rocketmiles now earns simply 500 miles (and 500 Loyalty Factors).

Past Rocketmiles, American has its personal lodge reserving website known as AAdvantage Accommodations, the place you may also earn Loyalty Factors. Whereas it would not look like as beneficiant as Rocketmiles as soon as was, you possibly can nonetheless earn fairly a couple of Loyalty Factors — particularly when you’ve got elite standing and a cobranded AA bank card.

I have not used this regularly, however this one-night keep final yr earned me 2,000 Loyalty Factors for lower than $300.

I’ve seen significantly better offers than that not too long ago — like this two-night keep in Cancun that may earn me 14,900 Loyalty Factors.

Nevertheless, each these websites rely as third-party reserving platforms, so in case you guide a property that is a part of a significant lodge loyalty program, you doubtless will not earn factors on the keep, nor will you be capable to entry any elite standing perks.

Learn extra: 6 causes to keep away from reserving by means of a web-based journey company

Backside line

American Airways has discovered the method to lure me again into the AAdvantage program. Whereas a number of the best Loyalty Factors-earning alternatives have been scaled again, there nonetheless are a ton of enjoyable alternatives to play the standing recreation with American. Not solely have I climbed from member to Govt Platinum in just some months, however I’ve stored that standing and even opened up a brand new AAdvantage bank card.

Associated: Chasing American Airways elite standing? Listed below are 14 methods to earn Loyalty Factors