Platinum/Gold Challenges - Master thread

[drron]

Yes only 90000 more this year to EXP.
Any time you qualify this calendar year will see the 2014 date as the expiry.
EQP/EQM reset at the end of each calendar year.
Dont know that one and no experience of status matching apart from AA plat to VA gold.

 

[v8Statesman]

Cheers for the info. I think I'll just scrape it in with days to spare!


Sent from my Telstra iPhone using the Australian Frequent Flyer application.

 

[serfty]

Yes only 90000 more this year to EXP.
Any time you qualify this calendar year will see the 2014 date as the expiry.
EQP/EQM reset at the end of each calendar year.
Dont know that one and no experience of status matching apart from AA plat to VA gold.

I had believed if you stated the challenge June or earlier than it would be to 2013; if July or after then 2014.

How long will my status last

Challenges can be timed to start on the 1st or 16th of a month and 3 months are allowed to complete the challenge

Start on 1st/16th of Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr/May or 1st June, then status will last until end of february the next year ( e.g. start on 1st June 2006 and status will last until end of february 2007 )

Start on or after 16th June, status will last till end of february 2 years time ( e.g start on 16th June 2006 and status will last until end of february 2008 )

 

[v8Statesman]

I had believed if you stated the challenge June or earlier than it would be to 2013; if July or after then 2014.

That was my understanding too. I was going to start it June 16 (that was the date I was read) so I could have until 2014 just incase my exp plans don't work.


Sent from my Telstra iPhone using the Australian Frequent Flyer application.

 

[wandering_fred]

I think explanation of the challenge terms are correct.

Note though that the annual qualification (ie flying started in calendar 2012) will follow the standard AA rules.
100K EQM or 100K EQP or 100 flights

So your 10K EQP to satisfy the challenge could generate more than 10K EQM or perhaps as few as 6667 EQM. Either case would carry forward for the standard annual qualification.

Best wishes on the BIS flying for the remainder of the year

Without too much wandering

Fred

 

[v8Statesman]

So your 10K EQP to satisfy the challenge could generate more than 10K EQM or perhaps as few as 6667 EQM. Either case would carry forward for the standard annual qualification.

All the flying will be in I class with 2 small 173mi flights booked Y. So I guess I'll qualify with 6,667 EQM.




Sent from my Telstra iPhone using the Australian Frequent Flyer application.

 

[serfty]

Update: Fees and Airlines

As of July 2012 AA have widened the carriers on which a challenge may be completed.

UPDATE: As of July 2012, flights marketed and operated by certain partners will also be eligible to earn points that count toward the completion of a Challenge: British Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines and Qantas. (Cathay Pacific is notably missing.) The specific language from the challenge confirmation says "And now you have more opportunities to complete your Challenge because points earned on qualifying flights on American Airlines, American Eagle, the AmericanConnection® carrier, British Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qantas and their eligible codeshare flights count toward your Challenge."

Note the fee for a Platinum Challenge is US$240, the Gold Challenge fee is US$120.

See here for more: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-platinum-challenge-mileage-earning-8595.html

(as posted earlier)

 

[vitagen]

If you do yupp fares do they count towards the plat challenge at the first class rate?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using AustFreqFly

 

[serfty]

If you do yupp fares do they count towards the plat challenge at the first class rate?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using AustFreqFly

Yes they do - generally book into P/A/I/Y class which all earn 1½ EQP per mile. As always carfully check the fare bucket each segment books into before completing your booking.

See here: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-platinum-challenge-mileage-earning-8595.html

 

[joeborgo]

Hi Serfty,

So let me get this straight. If I fly from Perth to Lax (9318 miles), do another flight of 700 miles in economy and hey presto I have aa platinum status? Is that correct?

Regards
Joe

 

[serfty]

Hi Serfty,

So let me get this straight. If I fly from Perth to Lax (9318 miles), do another flight of 700 miles in economy and hey presto I have aa platinum status? Is that correct?

Regards
Joe

Read this thread: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-platinum-challenge-mileage-earning-8595.html and check the links to AA and QF earning tables. Where a booking class is not mentioned for an airline then it will not earn anying for travel on that airline.

QPoints (aka EQP)are the go.

Where they are earned they are earned at varying rates of ½, 1 and 1½ per earned Redeemable Mile (RDM's) depending on the booking class. Where Discount economy fares on Qantas earn RDM's with AAdvantage, they earn at ½ per mile travelled, so, for example, O class EQP are earned at ¼ per mile (½x½).

All revenue AA flight Numbers should earn. With QF flight numbers, revenue N, Q & E will not earn.

PER-SYD-LAX on QF in O class will earn at ½, so 2325 would be garnered one-way.

 

[joeborgo]

Thanks Serfty

So to sum up, for ease of calculations lets say Per-Lax is 10000 miles. If I travel in J I will earn 12500 miles which equal 18750 qualifying miles??

Regards
Joe

 

[serfty]

Fly in 10000 miles J class on QF or AA and AAdvantage will credit 10000 base RDM + 5000 Bonus RDM and 15000 EQP - I've updated this post to clarify: http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-platinum-challenge-mileage-earning-8595.html

 

[pagingjoan]

To return to topic, I am part way through an AA Platinum Challenge, but now back in Oz and won't be back in the US until just after the end of the three month period of the challenge. I need around 2.3K EQPs to make the Platinum target, and they will have to be earned on QF flights over the next few weeks, before I head off to Europe. (Would prefer the Europe flights to go to QFF requal.)

Do I assume that the QFF points translate directly - on the advertised formula for classes etc, of course - to AA EQPs? That is, would the standard earn of 1250 each way for a J flight, MEL-SYD, do the trick? And would it be possible to book a JASA, then direct the points earn to AA?
I may be way off track on this, and I realise that it is a very recent change that allows the points to be earned on QF, but would appreciate advice from anyone who can interpret the scant information available on this aspect.

 

[Kangol]

Do I assume that the QFF points translate directly - on the advertised formula for classes etc, of course - to AA EQPs? That is, would the standard earn of 1250 each way for a J flight, MEL-SYD, do the trick?

And would it be possible to book a JASA, then direct the points earn to AA?

I'm not too sure on your first question but I understand that the minimum points guarantee (of 1250 in J) only applies when crediting to QFF.

To answer your second question, a JASA in U booking class will not credit to AAdvantage:

Qantas

Looking at the above page and from what I can deduce, a MEL-SYD of 439 miles as determined by the QFF calculator in booking classes CDIJ (not U) will earn 439*1.5 EQPs (658.5) - I could be wrong though (someone please correct me if so).

https://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/do/dyns/initialPointsEarned

 

[pagingjoan]

I'm not too sure on your first question but I understand that the minimum points guarantee (of 1250 in J) only applies when crediting to QFF.

To answer your second question, a JASA in U booking class will not credit to AAdvantage:

Qantas

Looking at the above page and from what I can deduce, a MEL-SYD of 439 miles as determined by the QFF calculator in booking classes CDIJ (not U) will earn 439*1.5 EQPs (658.5) - I could be wrong though (someone please correct me if so).

https://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/do/dyns/initialPointsEarned

Thank you, Kangol. What you suggest does confirm my more pessimistic conclusion. (Don't know why I couldn't find the first link you've given me, so thanks for that, in particular.)

Back to the drawing board before I decide which flights to credit to AA within the next couple of weeks.

 

[kempvet]

yes, think that you are correct and the flight in J SYD-MEL should earn 658.5 EQPs. Probably he would need at least 4 of these flights to qualify. I knocked off the platinum challenge in the US a few months ago for less than $700US for the entire 10000 EQPs. Using anything other than AA in the USA and Caribbean can be an expensive way even to complete the few points, the 2.3K EQPs which the OP needs, as this example demonstrates.

You could in theory go LAX-MIA-SJU (and stay a few days) and return F and J using AA and get the 10000 EQPs. Sure beats having to fly multiple routes to get there when trying to get SCs and status with QF.

 

[pagingjoan]

Back in Oz, alas, Kempvet. And heading to Europe shortly. (Flights already in place.)
So need the residual EQPs from Oz flights.

 

[joeborgo]

Hi Kangol

So a JASA booking is in U class and cant be used for the platinum or gold challenge? Was not aware of that.

Thanks

 

[Kangol]

Hi Kangol

So a JASA booking is in U class and cant be used for the platinum or gold challenge? Was not aware of that.

Thanks

Yes.

https://www.qantas.com.au/fflyer/dyn/program/classTypes

From what I understand, xASA tickets are advantageous only if you credit the earn to QFF.