AA Loyalty Points
The evolution of American Airlines program with Loyalty Points is, in my view, the most diabolically genius invention in the points and travel hobby in many years. They turned a guy like me, who had mostly avoided domestic airline elite status, into an AA status chaser within a few days. Not coincidentally, I’m confident AA has been reaping their own rewards from this infatuation. And I’m still good with that deal. I’ve reached Executive Platinum status twice in as many years of the program, and I’m on my way to a third consecutive qualification this year. I enjoy the AA Loyalty Points elite chase more than any other, and I’m confident I’m not alone. Let’s get into what makes it so much fun.
Earning Options
American offers status chasers many different alternatives for earning Loyalty Points – compared to their competitors, at least. As a reminder, individuals can, of course, traditionally earn Loyalty Points on flying paid fares. Paying cash money to fly is the opposite of what I’ve done, but AA has another option for me.
AA awards 1x Loyalty Point on most all of their cobranded credit cards. This changed the qualification game for many, including this guy nursing a Diet Coke while typing. I’ve held several AA cards over the years with multiple banks, and they still offer plenty of options for new cardmembers with Citi and Barclays. A loyalty program offering cobranded cards from more than one issuer is an endangered species these days.
And, obviously, this makes cobranded AA card spend much more attractive now than before. For instance, cardholders instantly went from earning redeemable miles on spend to redeemable miles and progress toward elite status. Not surprisingly, some AA competitors have subsequently made moves closer to a Loyalty Points scheme.
Let’s move to other options. I’ve found AA’s shopping portal offers competitive rates for sites where we routinely purchase. Again, these earn redeemable miles and Loyalty Points to entice more engagement. I know it’s working on me from time to time. Chasers can similarly earn from the AAdvantage Dining Program.
These are just a few of the primary options for earning AA Loyalty Points. Check out here for more.
Attainable Elite Levels
Unlike many other loyalty programs, AA still offers elite levels that many can reach. Perhaps that sounds like a contradictory statement – after all, if everyone is an elite, no one is an elite. But we can’t ignore more individuals have the ability to reach the lower levels of elite status, especially thanks to ability to earn via cobranded card spending. Reaching the first Gold elite level at 40k is a reasonable goal for many AA loyalists. And for some, the higher 75k, 125k, and 200k status thresholds are primarily incremental to reach. But for those people or anyone who can’t reach those levels (even 40k), AA has something else for you. Let’s get into that next.
Rewards Along The Way
Behold, AA Loyalty Point Rewards. At various levels, as low as 15k Loyalty points, at elite thresholds, and even in between, AA offers Loyalty Point Rewards where members can pick one or more perks. Just reaching 15k means members can pick preferred seat coupons, priority boarding, or 1k bonus Loyalty Points. Getting to higher levels means the opportunity to pick stuff like redeemable miles (my favorite), lounge passes (including Flagship locations), systemwide upgrades, trip credits, and more.
Even better, AA decided not to devalue the Loyalty Point Rewards thresholds for the current qualification year. Future changes are uncertain, of course, but we can see AA’s focused on how meaningful these rewards are.
Legit Recognition
And let’s not forget about actual recognition once reaching elite levels. I clearly saw this during my first full year of holding Executive Platinum, and it’s generally holding in year two. I was upgraded to first on a considerable majority of my flights, and that’s continuing in the second year. Back in economy, I’ve often noticed a few flight attendants add small but noticeable touches. A few days ago, a thoughtful flight attendant offered me a beverage and snack on a short flight not providing traditional service. Phone support has been stellar overall, including changing award flights to other options which didn’t seem to be an option online. I haven’t leveraged any of the oneworld-wide benefits lately but plan to soon.
AA Loyalty Points – Conclusion
Loving AA Loyalty Points may seem like the exact opposite of my favorite barriers to entry. Indeed, AA gives reason to many out there to play their game. Has the status watered down since? Perhaps to some, but not to me. It’s all relative. Remember, I held no AA status previously. I’d rather take a watered-down status than nothing. In terms of AA elite status under the Loyalty Points program, it’s all gravy for me, and many of you, I would imagine. How are you feeling about chasing AA Loyalty Points and status these days?
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I really like chasing AA status but some of the threshold awards along the way are a waste of time for me. For example the MCE seat awards it isn’t very helpful if you already have status.
DaninMCI,
Fair enough, and bravo for knowing what does and doesn’t work for you!