AA EP status poss by flying SYD-LHR or MAN - AMM before 31 Dec 2010 in bus class?

[Mia Steele]

Hi

I'm new to this site, so please forgive my lack of acronyms knowledge!

I'd really love your help on figuring out whether we can get to American Airllnes AAdvantage EP status this calendar year without spending an unnecessary fortune to do so. My husband and I have just made AAdvantage Platinum status (One World Sapphire) and need the following number of points/miles to make EP;

Husband - needs 35,029 pts or 55,570 miles
I need 35,066 pts or 55,644 miles

Is there any way that we can qualify for EP status on this trip to the UK without spending a fortune for the privilege?

1. leave Syd on around 20 Dec 2010 to fly to UK (I have family in Manchester, but could fly to either LHR or MAN) - Business Class
2. fly from LHR or MAN to either Jordan (AMM or AQJ) or Syria (DAM or ALP) before 31 Dec 2010 - Business Class.

As I understand it, the return trip (AMM - SYD) will be in the new calendar year for status calculations and so won't help us to get to EP status this year. Is that correct?

As EPs I think we earn a 100% status mileage bonus in business class if we fly on an eligible flight with one of AA's Partner airlines namely

• American Airlines (including codeshare flights booked as an AA flight number)
• American Eagle®
• AmericanConnection®
• Alaska Airlines
• Cathay Pacific Airways
• Dragonair
• Finnair
• Iberia
• LAN 1
• Mexicana (Effective November 10, 2009)
• Qantas Airways
• Royal Jordanian Airlines

I've so far managed to dig up the following paid options in business class;

1. QANTAS/ROYAL JORDANIAN - SYD/LHR/AMM/SYD for AUD 17,460 pp (ouch!!)

OR

1. FINNAIR - SYD/BKK/HEL/MAN/BKK/SYD for AUD $7155 pp (Business Saver fare) +
2. Royal Jordanian - MAN - AMM - MAN for AUD $2976 pp
Total: $10131 pp (a saving of $7239 oo over the QAN/Royal Jordanian fare but of course, this adds about 12 hours of flying time)

Will either of these routes earn us enough points for EP status (I don't think either will earn us enough miles)? If not, is there any other routing that would get us to EP status without costing heaps more than the Finnair/Royal Jordanian option above?

Thanks heaps in advance

[drron]

You wnt make it by direct routing.You could by buying a DONE4 and routing via the USA.Someting such as SYD-LAX-DFW-JFK-HEL-BUD-LHR would get you there.You need just over 28000 miles.The DONE fare is cheaper than your costings but will need a lot of flying to get to EXP.In J you get an extra 25% EQP for status.The 100% bonus is for redeemable miles not status.
Go to-
Great Circle Mapper
to get mileage.

[NM]

Welcome to AFF.

See reply to your other thread (Is AA EP status possible this year with this itinerary?), which I have moved to the AAdvanatge forum.

[Mia Steele]

Thanks drron. Very helpful!

However, I thought AA Exec Plats get a 50% EQP bonus for J class - or is that only on AA flights not on partner airlines? This is what the AA site says

Qualifying Points per Mile Earned on
American Airlines, American Eagle and AmericanConnection Fare Purchased Booking Class Points Per Qualifying Mile Earned First Class A, F, P 1.50 Business Class D, I, J 1.50 Full Fare Economy Class B, Y 1.50 Discount Economy Class H, K, M, L, W, V 1.00 Deep Discount Economy Class G, Q, N, O**, S 0.50

Thanks again
Mia

[NM]

Thanks drron. Very helpful!

However, I thought AA Exec Plats get a 50% EQP bonus for J class - or is that only on AA flights not on partner airlines?

EQP is only based on the fare paid and miles flown. There is no bonus EQP for any status member.

[Mia Steele]

Thanks Nelly. That was a brilliantly clear explanation for this newbie!

Now all I need is a website that will calculate mileage and EQP for any given routing and fare class? Is there such a thing?

Thanks again
Mia

[Danger]

I know nothing about AAdvantage but, in terms of calculating mileage, try Great Circle Mapper. If you need airport codes, try here.

[NM]

I know nothing about AAdvantage but, in terms of calculating mileage, try Great Circle Mapper. If you need airport codes, try here.

That is basically what I do, and feed that into an Excel Spreadsheet that maps the fare booking class to the EQP earning rate via a simple lookup table.