Great news for American Airline Elites! I just received the following email from Bridget Blaise-Shamai, President of AAdvantage Loyalty Program, regarding American Airlines elite status:
As an American Airlines AAdvantage® Executive Platinum member you are among our most loyal customers and we want you to know how much we value your choice to fly with us. As you experience reduced travel opportunities due to the coronavirus, we’re doing all we can to ensure you receive all the benefits of your status on future travel with us — when the time is right for you. Over the next few weeks we are:
Extending AAdvantage® elite status and systemwide upgrades
If your current elite status expires on January 31, 2021, we’ll automatically extend it until January 31, 2022. You’ll continue to enjoy all the benefits that come with your status. Additionally, we’ll extend the expiration date for any systemwide upgrades in your account currently set to expire on January 31, 2021 until July 31, 2021.
Lowering elite qualification requirements
You’ll be able to requalify for Executive Platinum status in 2020 with lower Elite Qualifying Dollar (EQD), Elite Qualifying Mile (EQM) and Elite Qualifying Segment (EQS) requirements, and earn additional systemwide upgrades.
Lowering Executive Platinum rewards levels
We’re lowering the levels required to earn your Executive Platinum choice rewards for 2020 to 90,000, 120,000 and 150,000 EQMs.
Introducing earn toward Million MilerSM status with credit card spend
For all eligible Citi® / AAdvantage® and AAdvantage® Aviator credit card products, as well as select AAdvantage® credit cards outside the U.S., every dollar spent on net purchases that post to your AAdvantage account between May 2020 and December 2020 will count as one mile toward Million MilerSM status.
You’re behind every decision we make at American Airlines. Your ability to earn status as you look forward to travelling again is important to us. We appreciate your support and do not take your business for granted. For additional information about these updates and more, please visit www.aa.com/programupdates.
My take
This is great news and it was expected as they’re following the lead of Delta Air Lines and United. It would have been nice if they extended the systemwide upgrades for a full year instead of six months but it’s better than nothing. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens with the virus because if they don’t find a vaccine or a treatment or a way to rapidly test passengers, I just don’t see a lot of people flying.
Here’s a list of airlines and hotel reward programs that have extended elite status.
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