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

Q: How do you get elite status on American Airlines?

Starting in 2022, you’ll need to earn Loyalty Points: Gold: 30,000 Loyalty Points Platinum: 75,000 Loyalty Points Platinum Pro: 125,000 Loyalty Points Executive Platinum: 200,000 Loyalty Points

Katie Seemann

- UPDATED: September 22, 2022 |

Travel /
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.

Table of contents

American Airlines AAdvantage Elite Status
- Loyalty Points
- Earning Loyalty Points
How To Earn AAdvantage Elite Status
- How To Check Your Progress Toward American Airlines Elite Status
- Qualification Period vs. Membership Period
AAdvantage Gold Status Benefits
AAdvantage Platinum Status Benefits
AAdvantage Platinum Pro Status Benefits
AAdvantage Executive Platinum Status Benefits
- AAdvantage Million Miler Program
Is American Airlines Elite Status Worth It?
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

American Airlines AAdvantage Elite Status
- Loyalty Points
- Earning Loyalty Points
How To Earn AAdvantage Elite Status
- How To Check Your Progress Toward American Airlines Elite Status
- Qualification Period vs. Membership Period
AAdvantage Gold Status Benefits
AAdvantage Platinum Status Benefits
AAdvantage Platinum Pro Status Benefits
AAdvantage Executive Platinum Status Benefits
- AAdvantage Million Miler Program
Is American Airlines Elite Status Worth It?
Final Thoughts

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.

Loyalty Points

American recently overhauled the AAdvantage program, which changed the way you earn elite status. Gone are Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs), Elite Qualifying Segments (EQSs), and Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs), replaced by a single elite-qualifying metric called Loyalty Points.

Earning Loyalty Points

Now that American Airlines has implemented its updated AAdvantage program, you’ll only earn Loyalty Points instead of EQMs, EQSs, and EQDs. You’ll earn 1 Loyalty Point for each eligible AAdvantage mile you earn.

Here are the ways you’ll be able to earn American AAdvantage Loyalty Points:

Fly on American Airlines, Oneworld partner airlines, JetBlue, and GOL Airlines
Spend on AAdvantage co-branded credit cards, such as the Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
AAdvantage eShopping and AAdvantage Dining portals
SimplyMiles
American Airlines Vacations
Partner hotels and bookings through bookaahotels.com
AAdvantage car rental partners booked through aa.com/car
Cruises booked through bookaacruises.com
Retail partners: Shell, WeWork, Vinesse, FTD, Vivid Seats, NRG Energy, Reliant Energy, Xoom, and Miles For Opinion

AAdvantage members are used to earning redeemable miles based on their elite level and the price they paid for their tickets. Loyalty Points will be earned at the same rates, as shown below:

Status Level	Miles/Loyalty Points Earned
General Member	5 miles/Loyalty Points per $1
Gold	7 miles/Loyalty Points per $1
Platinum	8 miles/Loyalty Points per $1
Platinum Pro	9 miles/Loyalty Points per $1
Executive Platinum	11 miles/Loyalty Points per $1

Hot Tip: Basic Economy tickets are eligible to earn Loyalty Points under the new AAdvantage program.

How To Earn AAdvantage Elite Status

Now, there’s only 1 thing you need to do to achieve elite status with American Airlines: earn Loyalty Points.

American Airlines Elite Status benefits — After earning American Airlines elite status, you’ll enjoy benefits like upgrades that can make your flights more comfortable. Image Credit: American Airlines

These are the requirements to earn American Airlines elite status in 2022:

Qualification	Gold	Platinum	Platinum Pro	Executive Platinum
Loyalty Points	30,000	75,000	125,000	200,000

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. After you sign in, click your name in the top-right corner and then click Account.

You’ll then be able to quickly see your progress in the AAdvantage account view.

AAdvantage account summary screenshot — American’s website makes it easy for you to track your progress toward elite status. Image Credit: American Airlines

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 March 1 to the last day of February the following year. This is the time period you have to earn Loyalty Points. 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 the day you qualify for status or April 1 (whichever comes first) and goes through the following March 31.

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 request on all routes within the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Caribbean, Canada, and Mexico
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

Hot Tip: American Airlines and JetBlue have a reciprocal relationship for passengers flying with each airline. American AAdvantage elite members can now expect benefits such as priority check-in, free checked bags, priority baggage handling, priority boarding, and more when flying JetBlue.

AAdvantage Platinum Status Benefits

Our guide to the perks and value of AAdvantage Platinum status goes into detail on the benefits and their worth, but here are some of the highlights of this tier:

Automatic upgrade request on all routes within the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Caribbean, Canada, and Mexico
48-hour upgrade window
60% elite mileage bonus
Complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred seats at the time of booking
2 free checked bags
Oneworld Sapphire status

AAdvantage Platinum Pro Status Benefits

Platinum Pro elites are eligible for upgrade and seating benefits and perks at the airport, fee waivers, and alliance benefits. Here are some of this elite level’s highlights:

Loyalty Choice Awards
Automatic upgrade requests on all flights within North America on American Airlines
Complimentary upgrades on Alaska Airlines
72-hour upgrade window
80% elite mileage bonus
Complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred seats
3 free checked bags
Oneworld Emerald status

Hot Tip: Loyalty Choice Awards are extra bonuses for Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members who also fly a minimum number of segments on qualifying airlines. Awards include things like systemwide upgrades, bonus miles, Admirals Club day passes, and more.

AAdvantage Executive Platinum Status Benefits

Executive Platinum is AAdvantage’s highest elite status. We’ve written extensively on this tier’s upgrades and seating options and the airport benefits and alliance-wide perks. Here’s a quick look at the benefits:

Automatic upgrade requests on all flights
100-hour upgrade window
120% elite mileage bonus
Complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred seats
1 free food and 1 free drink item in Main Cabin seats
3 free checked bags
Oneworld Emerald status
Ability to upgrade to first class on Alaska Airlines
Loyalty Choice Awards

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 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: ~$300 (based on approximately $3,000 yearly spend and 7 miles per dollar earned)
Free checked bag: $30 per flight (more if you’re traveling with companions on the same reservation)
Complimentary Preferred and Main Cabin Extra Seats seats: $250 (based on 5 flights 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.

The information regarding the Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Featured Image Credit: American Airlines

Frequently asked questions

How do you get elite status on American Airlines?

Starting in 2022, you’ll need to earn Loyalty Points:

Gold: 30,000 Loyalty Points
Platinum: 75,000 Loyalty Points
Platinum Pro: 125,000 Loyalty Points
Executive Platinum: 200,000 Loyalty Points

How long does American Airlines status last?

After earning American Airlines elite status, your status will be active through the end of the following membership year. A membership year runs from March 1 through February 28. So, if you earn elite status on December 31, 2022, your benefits would be good through February 28, 2024.

Does AA Platinum get lounge access?

AAdvantage Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum members can utilize Admirals Club lounges and other Oneworld lounges on qualifying international flights, regardless of class of service.

If you’d like greater access to Admirals Clubs, consider applying for an AAdvantage Executive World Elite card that comes with a complimentary membership.

What happens when you hit 1 million miles on American Airlines?

After flying 1 million miles on American Airlines, you’ll achieve Million Miler status. This grants you lifetime Gold status plus a few other benefits like bonus miles and upgrades.

Can you buy elite status on American Airlines?

No, you can’t outright buy elite status on American Airlines. However, you can often find “buy up” promotions to help you achieve a higher elite level.

Does American Airlines status match?

American occasionally does status match to other airlines, but, mostly, it offers status challenges, open to anyone regardless of status on another airline.

You can request a status challenge to achieve AAdvantage Gold or Platinum elite levels. You don’t need to hold status with any other airline to request a status challenge, but you will have to pay an upfront fee.

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About Katie Seemann

Katie fell in love with travel during a semester abroad in college spent in Nottingham, England. During that time, she got to see Scotland, Ireland, London, and Amsterdam and knew she wanted to see more of the world. Fast forward to 2015 when Katie discovered the world of points and miles. She jumped in full force and hasn’t looked back. After starting her own blog, Zen Life and Travel, in 2016, she began freelance writing in 2017. In addition to being a contributor to Upgraded Points since 2018, she’s also written for Million Mile Secrets.

Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.

18 comments

Fran Rabuck July 12, 2021

I’m currently about 31,000 miles short of AA Million Miler status. I still have Gold status extended from 2020. No miles this year yet.

Million Miler℠ balance: 969,158
Member since Apr 11, 1988
Award miles:478,068 Expiring on Jan 26, 2022
150,000 Miles to buy or gift
200,000 Miles to transfer

I also have about 23 – 500 mile upgrades.

What’s the best way to get those last miles? I don’t have a AA credit card. I use the Chase Platinum.

I expect to use these miles later in 2022 with wife and family for retirement.

I also have 500 EQD from AA posted as a promo in my account.

Reply
- Jarrod West July 13, 2021
  
  Hi Fran,
  
  Well, for the most part, the best/easiest way to earn the miles needed to reach AA Million Miler status is by flying with American or one of its Oneworld partners. I also highly recommend you either earn, or redeem, some of your AA miles prior to January 26th, 2022 so that they don’t expire on you, as you definitely don’t want to lose all of those AA miles.
  
  Reply
  - Gene R February 8, 2022
    
    Hello there! First time here. Been looking for another group other than TPG. Does UP have a FB group? Do you know what happens if I hit 120k EQM’s first before the 12K EQD’s required for Exec Plat? I’m now a Plat Pro and doing mileage run this month to hit $12k EQD. I have around 100K EQM’s now. With my mileage run, I’m going to hit 120k EQM before hitting the 12K EQD.
    Does anybody has had this situation? Did you get 4 total choice awards? 2 for qualifying for EP and 2 for hitting 120K EQM’s.
    
    Reply
    - Jarrod West February 8, 2022
      
      Hi Gene,
      
      We sure do! https://www.facebook.com/groups/LevelUpTravel We’d love you have you join us there.
      
      As far as I am aware, I believe you would only receive 2 choice awards in your situation. But let me know if you find out otherwise!
      
      Reply
Tom August 2, 2021

If you buy 1,000 miles for a nominal amount your miles will not expire.

Reply
Doug September 30, 2021

so when you see these credit cards give 60000 miles, does this go in your EQM’s account?

Reply
- Jarrod West October 1, 2021
  
  Hi Doug,
  
  Usually, the miles you receive from a card sign up bonus are just redeemable miles, they do not also count at EQM’s.
  
  Reply
Carol October 24, 2021

Hi There. I’m hoping to get your advice on how I can get to Gold on American this year. I am needing 2,501 more Miles (EQMs). My Progress to Gold (YTD):
3,235 Dollars (EQDs); Minimum: 2,000 Dollars (EQDs)
17,499 Miles (EQMs); (Minimum: 20,000 Miles (EQMs)
16 Segments (EQSs); Minimum 20 Segments (EQSs)
I have a trip planned that leaves December 31st 2021 and returns January 5th 2022. Will my return flight count toward Gold since I will be returning in 2022? If not, do you have any advice on the best route for me to obtain Gold? Thank you!

Reply
- Jarrod West October 27, 2021
  
  Hi Carol,
  
  The first leg of your trip will count towards your status since the flight will depart and land in 2021, but the return flight will not. Safe travels!
  
  Reply
  - Ayan Owens December 10, 2021
    
    I thought with the change to the new loyalty points system, all activity in January and February of 2022, will count in the previous years qualifying numbers?
    
    Reply
    - Jarrod West December 13, 2021
      
      Hy Ayan,
      
      Yes, you’re correct. It seems that you can in fact double-dip in January and February.
      
      Reply
      - meg December 14, 2021
        
        Does anyone understand if you earn status by Dec 31st, on American Airlines, does it last the whole of 2022? and if you don’t earn it until Feb 2022, does it last for the rest of 2022?
      - Jarrod West December 15, 2021
        
        Hi Meg,
        
        If you earn status before December 31st it will last through 2022, if you don’t earn it until February then it will still last through 2022.
Paul February 21, 2022

I’m less than 800 EQMs from hitting platinum pro status. Would it make sense for me to use my AA credit card to get to this level prior to the change on the 28th or will it matter? It seems like it will be harder to get the same perks after the change over.

Reply
- Jarrod West February 22, 2022
  
  Hi Paul,
  
  If you want to have Platinim Pro status through February of 2023, then I would definitely try to earn the 800 EQMs before the 28th.
  
  Reply
Bryan March 1, 2022

This page really needs to be updated or not claim that it is 2022 information

Reply
- Christine Krzyszton March 1, 2022
  
  Hi Bryan. The 2021 qualification period for American Airlines elite status ended yesterday, February 28th. The new qualifying information for 2022 is included in the article. With the overlap in qualification periods, both options were included in the article as a reference for those who were still working on their 2021 qualification and those working on 2022.
  
  Reply
Mike B August 14, 2022

Basically American is saying , “If you want to fly up front, you WILL use our credit card for all your charges.”

Reply

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