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Ah, the joys of airline elite status. Who doesn’t enjoy the benefits of complimentary upgrades, free checked bags, early boarding, fee waivers, and priority assistance when things go wrong?
But what if you need or want to change airlines? No one looks forward to giving up that VIP treatment and starting over again from scratch with a new airline.
Fortunately, it may not be necessary to start from scratch — another airline just might want your business and be willing to match your existing elite status or offer you an opportunity for a “shortcut” to elite status.
You don’t even need elite status with another airline to participate in American’s “Instant Status Pass” challenge — it’s a “pay to play” shortcut offered to meet qualifications for its AAdvantage Gold or Platinum status levels.
Unlike other airlines that offer status matches, American does not publish the specific requirements for these challenges. In fact, different flyers may even receive different offers.
To help you sift through the maze of the American AAdvantage status challenge, in this article we’ll provide you with an overview of the challenge, how much you should be paying, tips on how to complete the challenge, and just about everything else you need to know.
Let’s get started and see if an American Airlines status challenge is right for you.
If you have elite status with an airline, you can request that another airline you don’t have status with match your current status for a limited period of time.
Most airlines, such as Alaska, Delta, and United, will match your current status and then require you to complete a “challenge.” This challenge may consist of flying a specific number of miles or flight segments in order to extend your granted status beyond the length of the challenge, which usually lasts 90 days, however, there are different variations of what a status challenge consists of, and American’s version is very unique.
American Airlines does not status match at all — it offers only a status challenge. And it requires you to pay a fee upfront for participating in that status challenge.
You might wonder who would pay for such an opportunity. But because the challenge offers immediate status (for a price), anyone who has American Airlines flights coming up might want to make their travels a bit more comfortable and ante up.
Think about it this way: for the cost of 1 trip, a traveler may be able to parlay the challenge into a year or more of elite status while they work on qualifying for future status.
Let’s learn more about how the AAdvantage status challenge program works.
Hot Tip: For more clarification on this general topic, you can check out our piece — The Ultimate Guide to Airline Status Matches/Challenges.
Anyone who wants to obtain status with American Airlines can request to participate in a status challenge. Having status with another airline’s frequent flyer program or having upcoming flights booked with American is not required.
In order to participate in a status challenge with American, you cannot currently hold status you’ve earned from a previous AAdvantage challenge.
If you have upcoming trips planned on American, signing up for a status challenge can make sense, since you’ll receive plenty of benefits. For example, here are the benefits of the middle and lowest tier:
| AAdvantage Gold | AAdvantage Platinum |
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Additional benefits include priority airport check-in and security, priority boarding, and discounted Admirals Club membership.
American Airlines does not publish a formal status challenge program — it changes based on the person enrolling. With that said, we know a lot about the program from data points of flyers who have requested and/or completed a status challenge.
You will have to pay a fee to participate in the status challenge, and then incur an additional cost if you want to enjoy status during the challenge. Some flyers may be targeted for a free status match.
Subsequently, you’ll need to earn enough Loyalty Points within a 4-month period.
What status you’re striving for all depends on how many Loyalty Points you earn in the first part of this promotion. Once you enroll, you’re given 4 months to earn as many Loyalty Points as you can, either by flying, spending on an eligible credit card, or any other means.
When you enroll, you’ll be given whatever tier you enroll under upfront, meaning you can enjoy the benefits immediately. To keep that status for an additional 4 months (so, 8 in total) you need to earn as follows:
If you earn the required amount of points, you’ll be allowed to keep that status for 4 additional months. During that second 4-month period, you’ll need to earn a second amount of Loyalty Points, similar to the amount in the first phase. Do that, and you’ll be allowed to keep your status for an additional 4 months (a total of 1 year). To keep status for the following year, you’ll need to earn the third phase of Loyalty Points, likely equal to those in the first 2 phases.
If you want a high tier of status, you need to earn that amount of Loyalty Points during the first phase, as you won’t be able to “increase” your status during the second or third phases, however, you will be given a soft landing to a lower tier if you don’t quite make the Loyalty Points of the status you’re aiming for.
The status challenge is all based on Loyalty Points, so theoretically you never need to step foot on a plane to complete this challenge. For Gold, you could spend $10,000 on an eligible American Airlines co-brand credit card and still complete the challenge that way. Of course, you can also fly to earn Loyalty Points as well.
The easiest way to enroll will be to call AAdvantage customer service at 800-882-8880. Your American app may also show an enrollment option under the promotions section, though certain flyers will be targeted for various things, so you may want to call AAdvantage to see your full offerings.
There may be a cost to enroll, and typically in years past, this was around $200. This time around, American hasn’t published any specific costs, and this will vary greatly on your history, what status you’re going for, and other demographics.
Bottom Line: While we know the general parameters of the status challenge with American Airlines, you’ll need to contact AAdvantage customer service to confirm your personal offer.
Once you’ve completed your status challenge and continue to fly on American Airlines, you may want to elevate your elite status to an even higher level with an American Airlines AAdvantage-branded credit card, such as the Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®.
Access to Admirals Clubs, tons of added benefits, and a way to spend towards elite status make this a great option for American Airlines loyalists.
The Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is a go-to card thanks to its exclusive perks and benefits for people who love to fly American Airlines. With a complimentary Admirals Club membership, free checked bags, inflight discounts, and the ability to earn Loyalty Points for every $1 you spend, there is plenty to love about the card.
With the AAdvantage Executive World Elite card, you’ll enjoy VIP treatment and benefits, including:
AAdvantage frequent flyer miles add up quickly because of the generous sign-up bonus and the fact you’ll be earning double miles on American Airlines purchases.
This Citi card serves as a perfect compliment to having elite status, but you’ll want to review all the best American Airlines branded credit cards to see which is a fit for you.
Bottom Line: If you travel frequently on American Airlines and want valuable perks and lounge access, the AAdvantage Executive World Elite card is an obvious choice for benefits far beyond elite status.
Here are a few more details to be aware of before you get started on your status challenge:
Before you jump into a status challenge, you’ll want to make sure the cost is worth it. There are some cases where it may make sense, including if:
If you do plan to continue flying with American Airlines and go on to qualify for elite status, you’ll want to review the annual requirements.
A status challenge, or status match, is an airline program whereby you can request a shortcut to qualify for an airline’s elite status.
The American Airline’s AAdvantage program status challenge is set for a 4-month period, and you must achieve Loyalty Points requirements during that time. Following this 4-month period, you’ll be required to earn additional Loyalty Points in additional 4-month chunks.
Once the requirements are met, your status is granted and usually valid until the end of the status year. American also requires you to pay a fee to participate in a status challenge.
American Airlines will consider you for a status challenge even if you do not have current elite status with another airline.
It does help to have an upcoming American Airlines itinerary booked, but flyers can be approved without status or an itinerary booked.
How much you pay for a status challenge with American depends on your desired tier level, and various demographic data.
American Airlines does not normally offer a free elite status challenge.
However, it has been known to send out offers to AAdvantage elite members for free status challenges, mostly for year-end qualification purposes to boost the member to the next elite level.
It has also offered free challenges for some AAdvantage credit cardholders.
Some flyers may be targeted for a free challenge and do not need to pay, though you will find out if you are targeted by calling AAdvantage customer service.
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Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.
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