AA Targets AAdvantage Members With Free Platinum Status

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

What's better than earning status? Getting it for free. It appears that American Airlines is giving out complimentary Platinum status to select AAdvantage members for a few months in 2016. A TPG reader recently shared an email he received, which indicates he'll have all the benefits of Platinum status through May 31, 2016, and he'll even receive 20 500-mile upgrades on top of those perks. It also appears that if you earn 10,000 EQMs by May 31, 2016, you'll be able to keep status through 2017.

If you do get the targeted offer, be sure to sign up — you should receive a promo code as well as a deadline for when you need to register. If you weren't targeted by this special offer, you can still get AA status pretty easily right now. The airline is offering a challenge to help you earn Gold and Platinum status quickly — this is available to all flyers, even if you don't presently maintain status with another airline.

Some credit cards, like the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard, also offer perks typically reserved for elite flyers, like access to the Admirals Club and free checked bags for you and your travel companions.

Update:

It appears that American is also giving out complimentary Gold status (and mailed offers) as well as 10 500-mile upgrades for select members. Like the Platinum offer listed above, the offer requires registration by February 22, and you can also earn status through 2017 by earning 7,000 EQMs — not quite as generous considering the current status challenge has the same opportunity. However, you do earn 25% bonus miles as a Gold member through the end of this offer.

Thanks to TPG reader Sascha S., who shared this news tip by emailing tpgtips@thepointsguy.com. We’ll be sending out a $200 Visa gift card as a token of our appreciation.