How Can I Earn AAdvantage Platinum Status Besides Flying?

Sept. 14, 2014

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3 min read

How Can I Earn AAdvantage Platinum Status Besides Flying?

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TPG Reader Tim tweeted me to ask:

"‪@thepointsguy: Does American Airlines offer alternatives to obtain Executive Platinum status? If so, who do I call? I am currently an AAdvantage Platinum member."

We're more than halfway through 2014, and I know that many elite travelers (myself included) are looking at their elite status qualification requirements, as we only have until December 31, 2014 to re-qualify for next year.

TPG reader Tim, who currently has AAdvantage Platinum status, tweeted me to ask if American Airlines offers alternative ways to earn Executive Platinum, and if so, where he can get that information.

There's really only one way to get elite status on American Airlines besides flying, and that is getting the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard, which has a $450 annual fee. If you spend $40,000 within a calendar year on this card, you'll get 10,000 elite qualifying miles.

You'll have to earn elite status the old fashioned way--by flying! Shutterstock. — You'll have to earn elite status the old fashioned way--by flying! (Image courtesy of Shutterstock)

Beyond that, if you're already an elite flyer with American, it's very unlikely that they're going to give you a shortcut to get Executive Platinum. They've got rules in place for a reason, and if they gave some people a shortcut, it wouldn't be fair to those who earn it the hard way by actually flying.

A couple years ago, the airlines were giving double miles or double elite qualifying miles to select flyers, but I don't see that happening this fall, so I wouldn't count on it. Business is up, airlines are making record profits, mergers are taking place, and these days airlines are making it more difficult to obtain elite status. For example, the new revenue requirements that Delta and United have now put in place are just more hoops to jump through to obtain status. In general, starting in 2015, it's going to be much more difficult to obtain elite status than it is this year.

If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook, or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.

Featured image by You'll have to earn elite status the old fashioned way--by flying! Shutterstock.