It’s an uncommon yr for me relating to airline elite standing, so on this put up, I need to share the technique that I’m pursuing, since one factor could be very completely different than ordinary for me this yr…
I’m working my means up the AAdvantage elite ranks!
As I wrote about a number of weeks again, I didn’t requalify for AAdvantage Govt Platinum standing for the primary time in 14 years. Not solely that, however I dropped all the best way all the way down to AAdvantage Gold standing.
I’ve combined emotions about this. On the one hand, standing isn’t almost as helpful because it was once by way of perks like upgrades, so I don’t take into account it to be a lot of a loss. However, as somebody who primarily travels internationally, I actually worth the perks of oneworld Emerald standing (notably, the nice lounge entry), and it’s one thing that I feel is value striving for.
Once I didn’t requalify for standing final yr, it’s not that I used to be giving up on standing with American, however as a substitute, I hoped to qualify a bit extra effectively:
- I’m most likely blissful simply incomes Platinum Professional somewhat than Govt Platinum going ahead, since each tiers provide oneworld Emerald standing, however the necessities for the previous are almost 40% decrease (125,000 vs. 200,000 Loyalty Factors)
- I figured it made sense to effectively qualify for standing each two years, somewhat than ever yr; by incomes standing at first of the present program yr (2025-2026), my standing can be legitimate by March 2027
Spending my strategy to AAdvantage Platinum Professional standing
With American’s Loyalty Factors system for standing qualification, it’s doable to earn elite standing by quite a lot of strategies, together with bank card spending. With American, you typically earn one Loyalty Level per greenback spent on an eligible co-branded American bank card, and elite necessities are as follows:
As you possibly can see, for those who wished to earn elite standing solely by bank card spending, you’d probably must spend $125,000 for Platinum Professional, and that’s the standing that I’m aiming for.
One strategy to get a little bit of a shortcut is to have the Citi® / AAdvantage® Govt World Elite Mastercard® (evaluation). For those who earn 90,000 Loyalty Factors in a program yr and have the cardboard (no matter the way you truly earned the Loyalty Factors), you’ll obtain 20,000 bonus Loyalty Factors. That may make a giant distinction, clearly, because it means you’d solely in any other case must earn 105,000 Loyalty Factors for Platinum Professional.
I’m typically against overwhelmingly incomes elite standing by bank card spending, merely due to the chance price of spending, of with the ability to earn two transferable factors per greenback spent on different playing cards. However I feel I’ve a reasonably good plan now…
I would as properly choose up two-for-one elite standing
That is the place spending cash on American bank cards will get much more fascinating. The Citi® / AAdvantage Enterprise™ World Elite Mastercard® (evaluation) is the co-branded Citi and American Airways enterprise card. The cardboard gives a number of helpful perks, and in addition has a wonderful welcome bonus in the meanwhile, making it a really perfect time to use.
There’s a quirk to the cardboard, although, relating to licensed person rewards. On this card, the licensed person ordinarily earns the Loyalty Factors for his or her spending, and never the first cardmember.
The catch is that there’s a restricted time (at present by the top of 2025, however it is likely to be prolonged), focused promotion, that provides the power to double dip. For many who are focused (and it appears to be extensively focused), each the first cardmember and licensed person earn Loyalty Factors for spending. It mainly means you earn two Loyalty Factors per greenback spent, simply in several accounts.
If I’m going to be spending cash on American bank cards, then I would as properly choose up standing for 2 individuals, somewhat than one. That means Ford may earn oneworld Emerald standing, as he typically travels alone as properly.
Does double dipping make extra spending profitable?
If I’m going to earn Platinum Professional standing for 2 individuals by bank card spending, does it then make sense to place much more spending on the cardboard? Let’s say, hypothetically, that two individuals have 125,000 Loyalty Factors, and have earned Platinum Professional, and let’s say they’re eligible for the double dip promotion on bank card spending.
That is the place American’s Loyalty Level Rewards program comes into play, which gives incremental perks for passing sure Loyalty Factors thresholds. For instance:
- If you earn 175,000 Loyalty Factors, you possibly can choose two systemwide upgrades or 25,000 AAdvantage bonus miles
- If you earn 250,000 Loyalty Factors, you possibly can choose 4 systemwide upgrades or 60,000 AAdvantage bonus miles
For those who’re getting these rewards for 2 individuals, the worth of that basically provides up. So for those who had been to spend your means from 125,000 to 250,000 Loyalty Factors (so $125,000 in spending), your standing would go from Platinum Professional to Govt Platinum, and also you’d obtain a complete of 12 systemwide upgrades or 170,000 AAdvantage bonus miles (since each individuals are incomes the Loyalty Factors).
If you mix that with one mile per greenback spent, meaning you’d be incomes 290,000 AAdvantage miles for $125,000 in spending, which is properly over two miles per greenback spent, higher than you’d get on most transferable factors playing cards.
Let me emphasize that I’m approaching this extra as a common train than anything, as I’m undecided if I can full that spending. However I do suppose the maths checks out, surprisingly, as I don’t take into account there to be a possibility price, in comparison with utilizing a card that earns two transferable factors per greenback spent.
Backside line
For the primary time in a very long time, I didn’t requalify for Govt Platinum standing with American AAdvantage. That’s not as a result of I’m completely giving up on the standing, however simply because I wished to earn the standing a bit extra effectively.
My plan is to now (largely) spend my strategy to Platinum Professional standing. The fascinating twist to that is that the Citi AAdvantage Enterprise Card has a focused promotion providing Loyalty Factors double dipping for the rest of the yr, for each the first cardmember and licensed person.
That is superior, because it’s mainly a possibility to get two-for-one elite standing. Given the Loyalty Level Rewards program, I’d argue that it even makes incremental spending past that fairly profitable, because of the bonus miles and/or systemwide upgrades.
Anybody else utilizing this double dipping alternative to earn AAdvantage standing?
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