Earn Double Elite-Status Qualifying Miles

[serfty]

For those AAdvantage members heading to the USA in the next two months, this may be of interest:

Reported on FT:

• New Bonus: AADER; Earn Double Elite-Status Qualifying Miles - FlyerTalk Forums
• Net SAAver & Special Offers - Special Offer Details
• www.aa.com/eliterewards

Just fly on American Airlines, American Eagle or AmericanConnection® between April 16, 2008, and June 15, 2008, and you'll earn double elite qualifying miles - the miles that bring you closer to AAdvantage elite-status membership - at an accelerated rate.

You can choose from a variety of rewards based on the AAdvantage elite status you hold as of December 31, 2008 as well as the elite qualifying miles/points earned as of that date. Systemwide upgrades, Admirals Club® passes, and even the ability to give AAdvantage Gold status to a friend or family member are there for your choosing.

• For Exec Plat...
  Earn 125,000 or more elite qualifying miles or points during 2008 and choose one of the following:
  • 2 One-Way Systemwide Upgrades
  • One 1-Year Admirals Club Membership
  • 25,000 AAdvantage Bonus Miles
  • Gift of AAdvantage Gold status for a Friend
• For Platinum - Earn 75,000 - 99,999 elite qualifying miles or points during 2008 and choose one of the following:
  • 4 500-Mile Upgrades
  • 2 Admirals Club One-Day Passes
  • 15,000 AAdvantage bonus miles
  • Gift of AAdvantage Gold status for a Friend
• For Gold - Earn 40,000 - 49,999 elite qualifying miles or points during 2008 and choose one of the following:
  • 2 500-Mile Upgrades
  • 1 Set of Elite Luggage Tags
  • 1 Admirals Club One-Day Pass
  • 10,000 AAdvantage Bonus Miles

AAdvantage members need to register, registering for one will register for the both.

 

[simongr]

Well that's just dandy. In 2007 I earned something 160K qpoints and got didley Whereas in 2006 I managed 90K qpoints and got 10K miles. Subject to some other happenings I am not sure I will even qualify for EXP this year ...

 

[tscharke]

ROCK'n'ROLL

this means that if I have done my sums correctly, I will be clocking up 36,888 qp for the trip to YOW this month!!! and all in Y!

 

[drron]

And our flights on AA are booked for June 16th.

 

[Dave Noble]

ROCK'n'ROLL

this means that if I have done my sums correctly, I will be clocking up 36,888 qp for the trip to YOW this month!!! and all in Y!

It will not double the Elite Qualifying Points, just Elite Qualifying Miles so will not change qp earning

Dave

 

[NM]

I should earn an additional 15K EQM on this promo. But its not going to make any difference to my status qualification as I will qualify based on EQP (with a ration of very close to 1.5:1) and not EQM.

 

[futaris]

Shame it only doubles EQM. I'm sitting on around 33K EQP, 25K EQM and could do with a way to earn 17K EQP easily...

So it's only really useful on 0.5 EQP fares, i.e. G, Q**, N, O**, S...

Assuming I flew 7K miles on one of those fares, it would make up for it I suppose.

Something like HNL-DFW at a minimum on AA metal...

 

[Dave Noble]

Shame it only doubles EQM. I'm sitting on around 33K EQP, 25K EQM and could do with a way to earn 17K EQP easily...

So it's only really useful on 0.5 EQP fares, i.e. G, Q**, N, O**, S...

Assuming I flew 7K miles on one of those fares, it would make up for it I suppose.

Something like HNL-DFW at a minimum on AA metal...

It is worth it for many people who fly AA not just those with 0.5 EQP fares. double EQMs means that all fares will earn 2 EQMs per mile flown whilst EQP earning will be 0.5, 1 or 1.5. In your case you are already ahead on EQPs so may be of less use

Dave

 

[futaris]

Does anyone have a list of the longest segments on AA metal? This may make doing a LONE3/4/5 worthwhile...

 

[tscharke]

It will not double the Elite Qualifying Points, just Elite Qualifying Miles so will not change qp earning

Dave

oops! ......someone got a little over excited there for a minute!!

EQM are probably more valuable to me this year anyway!!!

 

[NM]

Does anyone have a list of the longest segments on AA metal? This may make doing a LONE3/4/5 worthwhile...

On AA metal would be ORD-DEL at 7480 miles.

 

[futaris]

Seeing as I need at least 25K EQM, this could be better than doing a platinum challenge. Looking at a ~6.5K return trip on AA metal, i.e:

NRT-JFK
NRT-DFW
DEL-ORD

Maybe NRT-LAX would work too.

Should be able to get one of these for around AU$1000.

This seems doable:

Fri 09May08 08:50-16:45 QF369 BNE-NRT
Fri 09May08 18:00-18:00 AA168 NRT-JFK (arr 09May)
Sat 10May08 11:50-14:30 AA167 JFK-NRT (arr 11May)
Sun 11May08 21:30-07:05 QF360 NRT-BNE (arr 12 May)

AA = AU$693 + $451 taxes, and gives 26980 EQM and 21921 RDM (25% bonus one way, 100% the other?).
QF = 48000 pts + $??? taxes.

Can someone with enough QF points check the taxes for the QF segments for me? I have enough, but they're spread over three family accounts and Amex.

NB, T&Cs, says "Double elite-qualifying miles will be calculated at 100% of the elite-qualifying miles earned for each applicable flight and will be posted to the account of the traveling AAdvantage member within six to eight weeks after the offer ends."

So, I probably wouldn't get Platinum until two months after the promo ends, i.e. mid August.

Shame as I could really use the benefits on an AAdvantage reward to ZQN. Luckily I should have enough QF passes till last us till then.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

This seems doable:

Fri 09May08 08:50-16:45 QF369 BNE-NRT
Fri 09May08 18:00-18:00 AA168 NRT-JFK (arr 09May)
Sat 10May08 11:50-14:30 AA167 JFK-NRT (arr 11May)
Sun 11May08 21:30-07:05 QF360 NRT-BNE (arr 12 May)

AA = AU$693 + $451 taxes, and gives 26980 EQM and 21921 RDM (25% bonus one way, 100% the other?).
QF = 48000 pts + $??? taxes.

Seems to be a great way to spend many, many, hours sitting in economy. Ouch.

Shame as I could really use the benefits on an AAdvantage reward to ZQN. Luckily I should have enough QF passes till last us till then.

For the money/time you are spending, why don't you just buy a QANTAS club membership?

 

[futaris]

For the money/time you are spending, why don't you just buy a QANTAS club membership?

QANTAS Club membership = $900 including joining fee, and corporate discount, for 2 years.

AA Platinum = membership till Feb 10, plus points, and 100% point bonus in future till then. Not doing the challenge (this year), also means possibility of doing it in 09, to keep Platinum for another year.

20k points on AA is a return trip anywhere in Australia -> NZ. That could easily be worth the difference in price, if redeemed correctly.

Same reason why people do SC runs for QF Gold / QF Platinum.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

QANTAS Club membership = $900 including joining fee, and corporate discount, for 2 years.

My apologies - I must be out of touch. Our corporate rate is much cheaper

In terms of your other question - the QF BNE/NRT return award flight would be 60000 points and approximately $370 in taxes etc.

Same reason why people do SC runs for QF Gold / QF Platinum.

It still just seems a bit crazy to me to spend ~45 hours sitting on a plane in economy flying half way around the world for AA Plat

I just did two return flights SYD/SEA this month (in economy) and that was painful enough, let alone if I had to pay for it myself :-(

 

[clifford]

I just did two return flights SYD/SEA this month (in economy) and that was painful enough, let alone if I had to pay for it myself :-(

Those are the joys of being a self-funded traveller, like me.

 

[futaris]

The best rate for QANTAS Club corporate is roughly $850-$900, through here, or APESMA etc.

BNE/CNS/SYD/MEL/PER-NRT are available at 20% off (48k) at the moment, using QFF points.

It still just seems a bit crazy to me to spend ~45 hours sitting on a plane in economy flying half way around the world for AA Plat

You should see some of the other travel reports on Flyertalk. Try flying 150k in 4 weeks...

 

[futaris]

Someone in the flyertalk mentioned JFK-NRT-HKG was only $700 AI.

If someone here had a lot of QF points, they could do:

Wed 30Apr08 06:00-08:20 QF605 BNE-MEL
Wed 30Apr08 10:20-07:30 QF93 MEL-LAX
Wed 30Apr08 09:05-17:20 QF107 LAX-JFK

Business Class (128k)

And then:

Thu 01May08 11:50-14:30 AA167 JFK-NRT
Fri 02May08 CX6115 17:00-20:50 NRT-HKG
Fri 08May08 CX6116 10:25-16:00 HKG-NRT
Fri 08May08 AA168 18:00-18:00 NRT-JFK

626 USD + 70.70 USD = 696.70 USD for 30,664 EQM, ie 2.27c/EQM.

Of course you'd have to get back home to Australia, as well...

NB, this is also available from SFO or LAX, for around the same cost per EQM.

So for ~2300 USD you can get EXP.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

The best rate for QANTAS Club corporate is roughly $850-$900, through here, or APESMA etc.

No - that definately isn't the best rate. We pay around $180/year + $180 joining fee. I doubt we are the cheapest rate out there (given the plan it's under - think large global consultancy, but not that big in Aus), but I suspect that cheaper rates would only be marginally cheaper.

You should see some of the other travel reports on Flyertalk. Try flying 150k in 4 weeks...

There's a big difference between flying 150k in business (or first) compared to economy. I've flown just over 40k in economy in the past three weeks (two trips SYD/SEA, plus some domestic), and I've flown well over 75k in a similar period in J, and the J experience was pleasant. The economy was pretty painful on the backside

Edit: fixed typo, and fixed prices.

 

[AnonymousCoward]

If someone here had a lot of QF points, they could do:

Wed 30Apr08 06:00-08:20 QF605 BNE-MEL
Wed 30Apr08 10:20-07:30 QF93 MEL-LAX
Wed 30Apr08 09:05-17:20 QF107 LAX-JFK

Business Class (128k)

There doesn't appear to be any award availability for MEL/LAX on 30th May (or dates around that). AUS/US is reasonably difficult to get award availability, especially at such short notice, and especially for business class.

Even as a plat that can request award seats to be opened up, I've usually had to ask for one of the less popular flights (such as the Thu midday flight from LAX/SYD) to be able to get J seats.

Just an FYI