Enroll in a Free American Airlines Platinum Status Challenge From FoundersCard
Deadline to Enroll: March 2, 2018 at 11:59pm CT
FoundersCard offers members many benefits, from complimentary status to discounts and much more. One of the fairly consistent benefits with FoundersCard has long been its American Airlines Platinum status challenge. And to kick off 2018, FoundersCard is offering the Platinum challenge once again.
FoundersCard members can now enroll in the status challenge for AAdvantage Platinum status. And, if successful, you'll retain the status through January 31, 2019. Once you enroll, you'll get Platinum status benefits for three months — from March 14 through June 12, 2018. Then, if you meet the following requirements, you'll keep the status through January 31, 2019:
- You must enroll in the AA Business Extra Program
- You must earn $2,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs) and 12,500 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) or 16 Elite Qualifying Segments (EQSs).
You must enroll in the challenge by 11:59pm CT on March 2, 2018, in order to participate — so you have some time to plan your strategy. If you successfully complete the challenge by June 12, 2018, you'll retain the status through the end of January 2019.
These are the same earning levels as the public AA status challenge offer. However, a status challenge through FoundersCard has no additional cost. If you sign up for the public status challenge through AA, it'll cost you $200 plus an additional $300 if you want Platinum status while you're completing the challenge — for a total of $500. The major benefit with this FoundersCard challenge is that there's no fee to sign up and you get complimentary Platinum status while you're completing the challenge — easily covering your first-year FoundersCard fee of $495.
Note that American only allows members to receive elite status through a challenge once every five years. But, if you're eligible for the challenge and do meet the requirements, you could be getting tremendous value. We value AA Platinum status at $2,460, so depending on how often you fly American or other Oneworld airlines, there could be a lot of value for you here.
This is a pretty favorable offer from FoundersCard and American Airlines — and it has great timing. Now that American Airlines status expires on January 31, for AAdvantage members who didn't re-qualify for elite status, this could be a great offer to take advantage of in order to re-qualify via a challenge. The complimentary three months of Platinum status while you're completing the challenge really sets this promotion apart. And, if you're able to successfully complete the challenge, you should get more than enough value out of the status to offset the cost of membership, and that's not taking into consideration all of the other FoundersCard benefits.
If you're not yet a FoundersCard member, you can take advantage of an exclusive offer just for TPG readers. If you sign up as a new member, you'll get a preferred annual membership fee of $495 as well as a waived initiation fee when you apply using this link. The standard annual membership fee is $595 with an initiation fee of $95 — so you're saving $195 right away.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.