How To Get American Airlines Elite Status (and Is It Worth It?)

BY 

Katie Seemann

- UPDATED: April 26, 2021

1. Travel  / 
2. Airlines

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Having elite status with an airline is a great way to earn benefits and perks that make travel more rewarding. American Airlines is one of the main players in the industry and an airline that many of us use often. Its AAdvantage loyalty program has 4 main levels of elite status available — Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum. Earning elite status can be confusing, so we’re going to break it down for you so it’s easy to understand.

In this post, we’ll go over how to earn elite status with American Airlines and discuss whether or not it’s a valuable thing to have.

American Airlines AAdvantage Elite Status

Before we talk about how to get American Airlines AAdvantage elite status, you’ll need to understand some specific terms, so let’s have a quick vocabulary lesson.

Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs)

Elite Qualifying Miles, or EQMs, are based on a percentage of the actual miles flown and can vary based on airline and booking code (Basic Economy is excluded).

The good news is that you’ll earn a minimum of 500 EQMs on each flight (flights under 500 miles will earn 500 EQMs).

Class of service bonus miles, elite bonuses, purchased miles, or any other AAdvantage bonus mileage does not count toward your Elite Qualifying Miles.

EQMs can, however, be earned on credit cards. The following cards will earn EQMs in addition to helping you earn AAdvantage miles:

• Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard®
• AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard® (no longer open to new applicants)

Elite Qualifying Segments (EQSs)

Elite Qualifying Segments, or EQSs, are flight segments you earn on eligible purchased tickets on American Airlines or its partners.

Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs)

Elite Qualifying Dollars, or EQDs, are earned based on the cost of the ticket purchased (base fare plus carrier-imposed fees, excluding government taxes and fees) on American Airlines-marketed flights.

EQDs earned on Oneworld alliance flights are based on the flight distance and fare class purchased, not the actual cost.

Hot Tip: As of January 1, 2021, Basic Economy tickets do not earn EQMs, EQSs, or EQDs.

Earning EQMs, EQSs, and EQDs

Here’s a handy chart to show you how many EQMs, EQSs, and EQDs you can earn on your flights.

Not sure what a booking code is? Check out our guide explaining everything you need to know about airline booking codes.

How To Earn AAdvantage Elite Status

To earn elite status with American Airlines, you’ll need to meet the EQD requirement plus either the EQM or EQS requirement.

Elite Status Qualifications for 2021

There are reduced requirements to earn American Airlines elite status in 2021.

For 2021, the EQD requirement for Platinum Pro, Platinum, and Gold status will be waived if you spend at least $30,000 on net purchases (that post to your account within 2021) with a qualifying AAdvantage credit card.

Hot Tip: As a response to COIVD- 19, all base EQMs, EQSs, and EQDs earned on flights from October 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020, will count toward 2021 requirements.

Standard Elite Status Qualifications

After 2021, here are the standard requirements you’ll need to meet to earn American Airlines elite status.

How To Check Your Progress Toward American Airlines Elite Status

To check your progress toward American Airlines elite status, log on to your AAdvantage account. Then you’ll be able to quickly see your progress in the Account Summary section.

Qualification Period vs. Membership Period

When you’re trying to earn American Airlines elite status, you’ll want to understand the qualification period and the membership period.

The qualification period is January 1 to December 31 of each year. This is the time period you have to earn enough EQDs and EQMs or EQSs. As soon as you qualify for elite status by meeting the requirements, your benefits will be active and they’ll remain active through the next membership year.

The membership year starts on February 1 and goes through the following January 31.

For example, if you complete your elite status qualifications on December 31, 2021, you’d enjoy your status through January 31, 2023.

Bottom Line: To earn American Airlines elite status, you’ll need to meet the Elite Qualifying Dollar (EQD) requirement plus either the Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) or Elite Qualifying Segments (EQSs) requirement. In 2021, these thresholds have been lowered to help you earn status faster.

AAdvantage Gold Status Benefits

We’ve written at length about the benefits and value of AAdvantage Gold status so we’ll just touch on the highlights here:

• Automatic upgrade requests on flights 500 miles or less
• 24-hour upgrade window
• 40% elite mileage bonus
• Main Cabin Extra seats at check-in if available
• Complimentary Preferred seats
• 1 free checked bag
• Oneworld Ruby status

AAdvantage Platinum Status Benefits

Our evaluation of the perks and value of AAdvantage Platinum status goes into more detail on the benefits and their worth, but this elite level includes:

• Automatic upgrade requests on flights 500 miles or less
• 48-hour upgrade window
• 60% elite mileage bonus
• Complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred seats
• 2 free checked bags
• Oneworld Sapphire status

Hot Tip: Gold and Platinum elite members will receive 4 500-mile upgrades for every 12,500 EQMs earned during each membership year (February 1 to January 31). American Airlines’ 500-mile upgrades can also be purchased for $40 per upgrade. These can be used for upgrades on flights shorter than 500 miles or as partial payment toward upgrades for flights that are longer than 500 miles. 500-mile upgrades are valid for upgrading from the Main Cabin to the next class of service.

AAdvantage Platinum Pro Status Benefits

We have 2 guides covering Platinum Pro’s upgrade and seating benefits and perks at the airport, fee waivers, and alliance benefits, which include:

• 1 elite choice award
• Automatic upgrade requests on all flights
• 72-hour upgrade window
• 80% elite mileage bonus
• Complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred seats
• 2 free checked bags
• Oneworld Sapphire status (this will change to Oneworld Emerald status in early 2021)

Hot Tip: Elite choice rewards are extra bonuses for the highest AAdvantage elite members. Platinum Pro members can choose 1 reward and Executive Platinum members can choose 2. Rewards include things like systemwide upgrades, bonus miles, Admirals Club passes, flight discounts, and more.

AAdvantage Executive Platinum Status Benefits

Executive Platinum is AAdvantage’s highest elite status and we have articles focused on upgrades and seating options and the airport benefits and alliance-wide perks. These benefits include:

• 2 elite choice awards
• Automatic upgrade requests on all flights
• 100-hour upgrade window
• 120% elite mileage bonus
• Complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred seats
• 3 free checked bags
• Additional rewards starting at 120,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs)
• Oneworld Emerald status

Hot Tip: A fifth, unpublished, status level exists within the AAdvantage program called ConciergeKey. This invitation-only status doesn’t have published specific requirements and is reserved for the top-tier of spenders and influential travelers.

AAdvantage Million Miler Program

AAdvantage Million Miler status grants lifetime American Airlines Gold status plus other additional benefits like bonus miles and upgrades after reaching 1 million miles.

Miles for the Million Miler program are calculated based on 2 criteria:

• The actual distance flown on American-marketed flights
• Base miles earned for flights on eligible American Airlines partners

After reaching 1 million miles on American Airlines, you’ll earn lifetime Gold status and 35,000 bonus AAdvantage miles. When you reach 2 million miles flown on American Airlines, you’ll earn lifetime Platinum status and 4 one-way system upgrades. After that, you’ll earn an additional 4 one-way system upgrades for each additional million miles flown.

Bottom Line: There are 4 levels of elite status within the American Airlines AAdvantage program — Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum. A fifth level, ConciergeKey, is invitation-only and doesn’t publish membership requirements. In addition, if you fly at least 1 million miles, you’ll be a part of the Million Miler program, earning you Gold status for life.

Is American Airlines Elite Status Worth It?

Determining whether or not an airline’s elite status is worth it is somewhat subjective, but that’s not going to stop us from breaking it down to help you determine the value you can get from American Airlines status.

For this analysis, we’ve evaluated the minimum standards for Gold status only, since it’s the base-level tier. According to our extensive analysis of the value of American Airlines Gold status, you can get upwards of $1,000 in value if you’re a frequent flyer who knows how to use your benefits.

Here’s a quick look at the estimated value you can get from just some of the American Airlines Gold status benefits:

• 40% mileage bonus: $90 (based on the minimum $3,000 yearly spend)
• Free checked bag: $30 per flight (more if you’re traveling with companions on the same reservation)
• Complimentary Preferred seats: $160 (based on 4 round trip flights per year)
• Complimentary Main Cabin Extra seats: $116 (based on 2 cleared upgrades per year)

These numbers are a conservative estimate based on just a few benefits and can dramatically increase based on your flying habits.

Final Thoughts

If you fly American Airlines often, earning elite status is something you’ll definitely want to consider. Many benefits that come with American Airlines elite status are geared at making your flights more comfortable, like Preferred seating and upgrades. Plus you’ll earn points faster and save money with benefits like free checked bags.