PLT CHALLENGE BONUS - which flight

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BeeGee

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Aug 16, 2006
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Hello all,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

Having read all of the wisdom within this community, I decided to apply this knowledge for work flights that I had last week: Sydney - Boston return, in Business Class, with Qantas and American Airlines.

Having read all 20+ pages of the sticky "AA Platinum Challenge - Tips", instead of putting all of the points into my Qantas Bronze account, I decided to be another AA Candy Thief. :)

I phoned AA Customer Service in July to ask to do a Platinum Challenge commencing 1 August.

Having now returned back to Sydney, I've visited the AA web site and here are the details of my activities:

Date Transaction Description* Mileage Bonus Total
STARTING BALANCE 0
08/12/06 QANTAS AIRWAYS 8 J LAX SYD 7,487 9,359 16,846
08/12/06 QANTAS AIRWAYS 3000 J BOS LAX 2,611 3,264 5,875
08/08/06 PLT CHALLENGE BONUS-REG MEMBER 0 2,611 2,611
08/08/06 QANTAS AIRWAYS 3015 J LAX BOS 2,611 653 3,264
08/08/06 QANTAS AIRWAYS 11 J SYD LAX 7,487 1,872 9,359
07/29/06 INTL ESUMM OPT-IN BONUS 0 1,000 1,000
TOTAL MILES POSTED 20,196 18,759 38,955
ENDING BALANCE 38,955

Status: PLATINUM
Member Since: Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Last Activity Date: 08/12/06
Mileage Summary
Summary Date: Aug 2006
Program to Date Miles: 38,955
YTD Elite Qualifying Points: 30,296
YTD Elite Qualifying Miles: 20,196
YTD Elite Qualifying Segments: 4
Miles Towards Elite Upgrades: 12,709
Miles with Expiration Deferred Through 8/12/09: 38,955
Upgrade Account Balance: 0
Total Available Award Mileage + 38,955


My first flight, SYD-LAX, earned 7,487 Elite Qualifying Points + 50% for Business Class (3,744) = 11,231 EQP.

So lucky me reached the 10,000 EQP requirement on the first leg. :)

I therefore expected the PLT CHALLENGE BONUS to be 7,487 seeing as this was the flight that transitioned me from Regular to Platinum status.

I also expected that the LAX-BOS leg would earn 2,611 base miles + 0.25% business class bonus + 100% platinum bonus = 2,611 + 653 + 2,611 = 5,875.

That's not what has happened though, as you can see from the details above.

The PLT CHALLENGE BONUS has been applied to my LAX-BOS flight.

I've called AA Customer Service in the US and spoken to a CS Agent plus her supervisor. Both are telling me that the system has correctly calculated my bonuses.

The supervisor insisted that when on a challenge, the flight that achieve the Platinum status is NOT the one that is used for the PLT CHALLENGE BONUS miles. It's the first flight that is taken where you are Platinum at the start of the flight.

Because this Platinum challenge is undocumented, I couldn't show her any evidence to support my view that it's the transition flight that's used for the PLT CHALLENGE BONUS miles.

I'm well aware that the sticky "AA Platinum Challenge - Tips" states several times that it's the transition flight that earns the PCB miles but I didn't wish to refer here to this site for fear of her reporting this site to superiors and this challenge being removed from future candy thiefs.

Therefore all I could say to her was that I was aware of friends who had successfully performed the Platinum challenge and had received the PCB miles on their transition flight.

The AA Customer Service Supervisor was very friendly and said that if I could provide her with AA Aadvantage numbers that supported my claim, she'd have my account updated accordingly "as a one-off'. She stated that there was no threat of these friends having their mileage adjusted - she just needed to see proof of flights where the PCB miles were earned on the transition flight.

Therefore, I'm hoping that those of you who have earned the PCB miles on their transition flight to Platinum could get in touch (maybe PM would be safest?) and assist me with my goal of having my PCB miles recalculated for the SYD-LAX flight. It's 7,487 miles that are at stake here!

Thank-you very much.

BG.

P.S. Thank-you to all for the wisdom that's here. If I had used Qantas for these flights, I'd only now be QF Silver. As it is, I'm now AA Platinum until Feb 2008, which is fantastic.
 
That certainly is odd. It's been, as far as I can tell, the universal experience that the bonus is applied to the qualifying flight. Mine certainly was.

Whether it's a new policy or just a misapplication of the existing one is impossible to know. As you say, since it's undocumented you have no ammo to use against them.

All I can suggest is giving it one more go, and call customer service again. If that's unsuccessful I guess you'll just have to accept it, secure in the knowledge that you're still way ahead of where you would have been if you had stuck with QFF.

Anyway, congrats on the Plat, and welcome to AFF.
 
The reason the AA computer thinks the LAX-BOS flight is the challenge flight is due to some confusion cause by the different timezones. Your SYD-LAX flight would have a scheduled departure time of 13:25, while the LAX-BOS flight has a scheduled eparture time of 12:51 on the same day.

Just call back and hopefully get a different customer service rep. Explain the time change and the fact that even though the LAX-BOS flight has an earlier departure time on the same date, it was actually taken after the SYD-LAX flight. They should be able to adjust manually. The SYD-LAX flight certainly should be the qualifying flight and also receive the challenge bonus miles.

Note that if you had been booked onto the AA flight number for the LAX-BOS flight, you would have been booked into A class and received the same in-flight experience (domestic F seat and service) but would have received 50% cabin bonus instead of the 25% bonus for business class.
 
Alan and NM,

Thank-you for your prompt and helpful replies.

The problem that I have is that the CS Supervisor said she'll update my record with the info that I've to be calling in with a AA FF Number of a friend that shows the qualifying flight into Platinum receiving the Bonus Miles.

Therefore, I'm going to wait a little longer to see if some kind soul does get in touch to provide their AA FF Number that I can use to support my claim.

re the timezone causing confusion about what was the first leg, whilst I can see how this could be the problem, the Supervisor that I spoke to was adamant that it is the first flight after reaching Platinum that receives the Bonus, not the flight that takes me over the 10,000 EQP line. So calling in to mention timezones, doesn't change the fact that I'm still trying to get the Bonus Miles applied to the qualifying flight, which she wasn't agreeing to. And as this is an undocumented challenge, this turns into something that is hard for me to push her further on. Hence why she asked me to supply supporting evidence of others that have received their Platinum bonus on their qualifying flight . . .

re the AA flight number receiving 50% cabin bonus, thank-you for this tip. I had been that preoccuppied on doing the challenge that I overlooked this. I'll bear it in mind for the future.

Anyway, I'm well aware that despite this possible stuff-up over the Bonus Miles, I'm well ahead using AA instead of QF as my main FF account as I now have AA Platinum status until 02/08 and this was achieved from only one trip! Am just trying to have the "cherry on the cake" by receiving a further 7,000+ miles credited to my account!

Have an economy SYD-BNE trip next month on QF. Can't wait to flash my lovely new AA Platinum card at Business Class check-in and also use it to allow entry into the hallowed Qantas Lounge. :)

Regards,
BeeGee.
 
I have spoken to AA about the account; hopefully will be dealt with in a day or 2

Dave
 
BeeGee said:
Therefore, I'm going to wait a little longer to see if some kind soul does get in touch to provide their AA FF Number that I can use to support my claim.
You have PM
BeeGee said:
re the timezone causing confusion about what was the first leg, whilst I can see how this could be the problem, the Supervisor that I spoke to was adamant that it is the first flight after reaching Platinum that receives the Bonus, not the flight that takes me over the 10,000 EQP line.
What the supervisor was saying just does not make sense. Once the Plat challenge is completed, you are then Platinum status, and so all subsequent flights will earn the Status Bonus automatically and there is no need to include a special line entry in your AA account for the fist flight after completion. The supervisor was just trying to find a way to explain what the system had done without really knowing how the system works.
 
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Woo Hoo !!!!

Have just looked at my AA account on their web site, and it now contains this entry:

08/08/06 PLT CHALLENGE BONUS-LTD MEMBER 0 7,487 7,487

I've not received any phone-call or e-mail from AA. This entry has just "magically" appeared. I believe it is a result of Dave Noble speaking to AA. I have not contacted AA to share NM's information.

Thank-you all so much for the assistance that you have given to me.

The end result is my flights have generated 45,000+ points and Platinum status with AA, instead of 25,000+ points and Silver status with QF.

In the end, a very successful AA candy theft! :)

I hope future candy thieves have as much success (without these hassles).

Regards,
BG.
 
BeeGee said:
I've not received any phone-call or e-mail from AA. This entry has just "magically" appeared. I believe it is a result of Dave Noble speaking to AA. I have not contacted AA to share NM's information.

Thank-you all so much for the assistance that you have given to me.

The end result is my flights have generated 45,000+ points and Platinum status with AA, instead of 25,000+ points and Silver status with QF.

In the end, a very successful AA candy theft! :)
.


The person I spoke to did say that they would probably just add it rather than call; good to see the speediness at which they did it. 45,000 pieces of candy sounds quite good. Enjoy your new status

Dave
 
Good to hear it was all resolved in an appropriate way. Well done Dave Noble for going in to bat for BeeGee.

Now you're even closer to whatever fuel-fineless redemption candy you have your eye on, BeeGee!
 
Dave,

This post does not effect me as I am not in AAdvantage or completeing a candy theft as yet, but to see someone go out of their way to help someone else, especially a newbie is great.

You and some of the other wise men (sorry people) have been a great help to me in the past, but I think this deserves a round of applause. It is people like you that make this FF board so popular and helpful.:D

reggie
 
Dave, I have had the same experience - have reached Platinum but qualifying flight did not get bonus.

Can you share your wisdom as to what I should say when I call AA?
 
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