This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here: Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard
“Reader Questions” are answered three days a week — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — by TPG Senior Writer Julian Mark Kheel.
TPG reader Tony is concerned about American’s new Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQD) requirement, and sent us a Facebook message asking if his Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard can help…
I’m trying to reach Gold status on American, but you now have to spend $3,000 in EQD’s. If I spend $3,000 on my Citi AAdvantage card, does that also apply to the EQD’s?
TPG Reader Tony
American was the last of the three legacy carriers to introduce a spend requirement for elite status, but the metric is now officially in place for 2017. This means in addition to earning a set number of Elite Qualifying Miles or Elite Qualifying Segments, you also have to spend a minimum amount of money with American as well.
The amount varies depending on what elite level you’re aiming for, but it starts at $3,000 for Gold and goes all the way up to $12,000 for Executive Platinum. So does spending money on co-branded American Airlines credit cards count toward this new EQD requirement? No… and yes. In other words, it’s complicated.
First, we need to remember that American actually offers co-branded credit cards from two completely separate banks. Citibank has the AAdvantage line of cards, while Barclaycard offers several versions of its Aviator card. Cards from both banks earn redeemable AAdvantage miles, but only one bank — Barclaycard — offers credit cards that will help you earn AA Elite Qualifying Dollars.
Even with Barclaycard Aviator cards, spending $3,000 on an Aviator card does not equal $3,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars. Instead, by spending $25,000 in a calendar year on either the Aviator Red, Aviator Blue, Aviator Silver or Aviator Business cards, you’ll earn a flat $3,000 in EQDs.
You can only earn the $3,000 in EQDs each year on one of those three cards, but if you also have the Aviator Silver, you can get a second $3,000 in EQDs by spending an additional $25,000 on that card. In total, spending a calendar year total of $50,000 on the right two Aviator cards will get you $6,000 in EQDs for the year. The bad news is you can’t apply directly for the Aviator Silver — you have to upgrade to it from another Aviator card.
If all of that sounds needlessly convoluted to you, it is. Delta and United make it much easier to entirely waive their elite qualifying spend requirement through their respective co-branded credit cards, and though United will only let you waive the requirement for elite tiers below United Premier 1K, Delta will waive it for any elite level up through the highest Delta Diamond.
So Tony, you can’t earn dollar-for-dollar American EQDs with credit card spend, but you do have a few options if you have an Aviator card. Thanks for the question, and if you’re a TPG reader with a question you’d like answered, tweet us at @thepointsguy, message us on Facebook or send an email to info@thepointsguy.com.
Featured image courtesy of Spencer Platt/Getty Images.
With some great bonus categories, the American Express Gold Card has a lot going for it. The card offers 4x points at US restaurants, at US supermarkets (up to $25,000; then 1x), and 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com. It is currently offering a welcome bonus of 35,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first three months.
- Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. restaurants. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with The Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Shake Shack, and Ruth's Chris Steak House. This is an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Airline Fee Credit: up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees at one selected qualifying airline.
- Choose to carry a balance with interest on eligible charges of $100 or more.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
