American Airways elite standing: What it’s and methods to earn it

Should you fly with American Airways and its companions, you might have American Airways elite standing.

In early 2022, American AAdvantage revamped the way you earn elite standing. After these modifications, Loyalty Factors are the only metric you could give attention to when striving for a selected elite standing tier within the American Airways AAdvantage program.

Here is what you want to find out about American Airways elite standing and methods to earn it.

What’s American Airways elite standing?

American Airways elite standing provides perks to AAdvantage members who work together with this system and its companions. In contrast to airline loyalty packages through which flying is the first exercise wanted to earn standing, American AAdvantage helps you to earn Loyalty Factors towards elite standing via many actions unrelated to journey, together with buying, eating and spending on cobranded American Airways bank cards.

You may earn every American Airways elite standing tier by accumulating a set quantity of Loyalty Factors through the elite-qualification 12 months that runs for 12 months from March 1 via the top of February. The standing you have earned based mostly on the Loyalty Factors collected by the top of every February shall be legitimate via the top of the next March.

Associated: Final-minute methods for incomes American AAdvantage elite standing

American Airways elite standing tiers

You may discover 4 revealed tiers of American Airways elite standing which you can earn by way of accumulating Loyalty Factors through the 12 months beginning every March 1:

• Gold: 40,000 Loyalty Factors
• Platinum: 75,000 Loyalty Factors
• Platinum Professional: 125,000 Loyalty Factors
• Government Platinum: 200,000 Loyalty Factors

Along with these tiers, there’s additionally the unique, invite-only Concierge Key standing. Nevertheless, American AAdvantage does not publish any particular necessities for this standing.

You may additionally earn Loyalty Level Rewards as you attain particular Loyalty Level thresholds. You may earn your first Loyalty Level Rewards alternative after incomes simply 15,000 Loyalty Factors inside the 12-month qualification interval following March 1.

Associated: Your information to American Airways Million Miler standing

Learn how to qualify for American Airways elite standing

To qualify for American Airways elite standing, you could earn the required variety of Loyalty Factors throughout every 12-month qualification interval following March 1. As mentioned, you will have to earn 40,000 Loyalty Factors for Gold standing, 75,000 for Platinum, 125,000 for Platinum Professional and 200,000 for Government Platinum every qualification interval.

We now have a full information to incomes Loyalty Factors. However, in brief, you will earn two sorts of American Airways miles: base and bonus. And whereas each base and bonus miles are redeemable, base miles additionally offer you Loyalty Factors. So, every time you earn a base mile with American AAdvantage, you will additionally earn a Loyalty Level.

You may earn American AAdvantage base miles via many various actions. Here is a noncomprehensive record of some methods you’ll be able to earn base miles (and therefore Loyalty Factors):

• Flights bought by Aer Lingus, American Airways, British Airways, Iberia and JetSmart: Earn base miles based mostly in your ticket’s base fare and carrier-imposed charges.
• Flights bought and operated by different Oneworld airways or Gol Airways: Earn base miles based mostly on flight distance and the fare class of your ticket.
• AAdvantage eShopping portal: Earn base miles once you click on via the AAdvantage eShopping portal earlier than making purchases with choose retailers.
• SimplyMiles: Earn base miles once you enroll in choose SimplyMiles presents with taking part retailers after which make eligible purchases.
• AAdvantage Eating: Earn base miles once you use an enrolled card to pay at taking part AAdvantage Eating eating places, bars and golf equipment.
• Accommodations: Earn base miles once you guide inns via AAdvantage Accommodations or credit score Hyatt, Marriott or IHG stays to AAdvantage

There are lots of different methods to earn American Airways miles. Nevertheless, verify whether or not you are incomes base or bonus miles earlier than you get too enthusiastic about what number of Loyalty Factors you will earn. Bask Financial institution mileage accounts are one instance of an exercise incomes solely bonus miles — therefore, no Loyalty Factors.

Associated: Watch out: 9 instances you will not earn American Airways Loyalty Factors, even for those who earn miles

American Airways elite standing advantages

American Airways elite standing comes with some helpful advantages. Here is a take a look at among the most noteworthy advantages, together with how they differ by standing tier.

Upgrades and higher seats

American Airways elite members get complimentary upgrades from Predominant Cabin or premium economic system to the subsequent class of service (enterprise or home first) on choose American-marketed and -operated flights.

These upgrades are limitless and routinely requested however are based mostly on availability and solely apply to flights inside North America. The upgrades embrace award tickets and also can apply to a companion touring with you on the identical flight.

American will begin processing these upgrades at completely different instances relying in your American Airways elite standing tier. Government Platinum members might have their complimentary improve cleared as early as 100 hours earlier than departure, Platinum Professional members as early as 72 hours, Platinum members as early as 48 hours and Gold members as early as 24 hours.

American Airways prioritizes upgrades — together with complimentary upgrades, mileage award upgrades and systemwide upgrades — within the following order:

• AAdvantage standing tier (Government Platinum, Platinum Professional, Platinum after which Gold)
• Sort of improve (dealt with independently till on the airport, the place systemwide upgrades and mileage award upgrades come earlier than complimentary upgrades)
• 12-month rolling Loyalty Factors (up to date every day)
• Reserving code
• Date and time of the request

Members with American Airways elite standing — and as much as eight passengers touring with you on the identical reservation — can choose Most popular seats with none further charges throughout reserving or anytime after reserving (based mostly on availability). Most popular seats have customary legroom however are situated in additional fascinating areas all through the economic system cabin.

Predominant Cabin Additional seats with as much as 6 inches of further legroom are additionally obtainable to AAdvantage elite members — and as much as eight companions touring with you on the identical reservation — free of charge (based mostly on availability). Nevertheless, AAdvantage Gold members must wait till check-in to pick these seats freed from cost (if obtainable).

Mileage bonuses

American Airways elite members get a mileage bonus as follows when flying on eligible flights:

• Gold: 40%
• Platinum: 60%
• Platinum Professional: 80%
• Government Platinum: 120%

The mileage bonus is handled as base miles, so you will additionally earn Loyalty Factors. As such, it is simpler for higher-tier AAdvantage elite members to qualify for a selected American Airways elite standing tier based mostly on flights than a traveler with lower-tier or no AAdvantage standing.

Advantages on the airport

AAdvantage elite members take pleasure in — when obtainable — Precedence entry at check-in, safety and boarding earlier than American Airways flights. Particularly, Government Platinum members board in Group 1, Platinum Professional in Group 2, Platinum in Group 3 and Gold in Group 4. Boarding with any of those teams often means there’s nonetheless house within the overhead bin to your carry-on suitcase.

AAdvantage standing members additionally get precedence when standing by for a distinct American Airways flight on the identical day of journey (and might standby for a later flight the identical day) when flying to, from or inside the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Government Platinum and Platinum Professional members — and companions in the identical reservation — can take pleasure in complimentary same-day confirmed flight modifications on American when flying to or from the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada and the Caribbean, and between New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) and London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR).

AAdvantage elite members additionally take pleasure in complimentary checked luggage when flying American Airways: Gold members get their first checked bag free, Platinum members get their first two checked luggage free, and Platinum Professional and Government Platinum members get their first three checked luggage free. Better of all, this checked baggage allowance can be provided to as much as eight passengers touring with the standing member on the identical reservation.

Different advantages

American Airways elite standing presents quite a lot of different perks, together with the next:

• Perks on Alaska Airways: Complimentary space-available entry to Premium Class seats and first-class upgrades
• Oneworld standing: Gold will get Oneworld Ruby, Platinum will get Sapphire, and Platinum Professional and Government Platinum get Emerald
• Government Platinum perks in Predominant Cabin: Government Platinum members touring within the Predominant Cabin can take pleasure in a complimentary alcoholic beverage and a snack (which incorporates any meals merchandise provided on the market within the economic system cabin on that flight) on American Airways flights with full drink service

Loyalty Level Rewards

Lastly, though Loyalty Level Rewards aren’t tied to American Airways elite standing, they’re tied to particular Loyalty Level milestones that you will inherently meet as you progress towards AAdvantage elite standing.

Here is a take a look at the Loyalty Level Rewards you would select as you progress towards the 200,000 Loyalty Factors required for Government Platinum standing:

• 15,000 Loyalty Factors: Group 5 boarding for the membership 12 months plus a alternative of 1,000 Loyalty Factors, 5 Most popular seat coupons or Precedence privileges and Group 4 boarding for a visit (a collectible baggage tag personalised together with your title will even turn out to be an possibility for the 2025 membership 12 months)
• 60,000 Loyalty Factors: Avis Most popular Plus standing and a 20% Loyalty Level bonus on spending with American Airways Holidays, SimplyMiles , AAdvantage eShopping, AAdvantage Eating and AAdvantage Accommodations for six months
• 100,000 Loyalty Factors: Avis President’s Membership standing and a 30% Loyalty Level bonus on spending with American Airways Holidays, SimplyMiles , AAdvantage eShopping, AAdvantage Eating and AAdvantage Accommodations for six months (you will additionally unlock World of Hyatt Discoverist standing beginning in March 2025)
• 175,000 Loyalty Factors: A alternative of two systemwide upgrades, 5,000 Loyalty Factors, 20,000 bonus miles (25,000 when you’ve got an AAdvantage bank card), six Admirals Membership one-day passes, a $200 journey credit score ($250 when you’ve got an AAdvantage bank card), carbon offset (altering to sustainable aviation gas for the 2025 membership 12 months), $250 donation to a choose nonprofit group, two items of AAdvantage Gold standing, 35,000 AAdvantage miles towards a Mastercard Priceless Expertise (solely obtainable when you’ve got an AAdvantage bank card) or World of Hyatt Explorist standing (obtainable beginning March 2025)

Should you earn 250,000 Loyalty Factors or extra throughout your 12-month qualification interval following March 1, you’ll be able to choose further Loyalty Level Rewards. Try the AAdvantage Loyalty Level Rewards web page for extra particulars on these high-threshold tiers.

Associated: Why (and the way) I am incomes AAdvantage Platinum Professional elite standing and never going for AAdvantage Government Platinum

Can a bank card assist earn American Airways elite standing?

Having a cobranded American Airways bank card is extraordinarily useful if you wish to earn American Airways elite standing. Though the sign-up and class bonuses present bonus miles — which will not offer you Loyalty Factors — you will earn 1 Loyalty Level per greenback spent with most AAdvantage bank cards. This implies you’ll be able to increase your Loyalty Level steadiness as you employ your card for purchases and even qualify for American elite standing from bank card spending alone.

Should you worth getting Admirals Membership entry, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Government World Elite Mastercard® (see charges and costs) is a superb alternative. However I just like the AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Silver Mastercard® — which I acquired by upgrading my AAdvantage® Aviator® Crimson World Elite Mastercard® — because it lets me earn as much as 15,000 further Loyalty Factors after I meet particular spending thresholds inside my standing qualification interval. Sadly, Citi will take over the Barclays AAdvantage card portfolio in 2026 and sure convert the Aviator playing cards into its personal AAdvantage merchandise.

The knowledge for the Aviator Crimson and Aviator Silver playing cards has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.

Is American Airways elite standing price it?

American Airways elite standing is price it for some vacationers. I’ve held Platinum Professional or Government Platinum standing since 2016 as a result of I worth the home upgrades, waived checked bag charges, Precedence check-in strains and Oneworld Emerald standing these tiers present.

However, after reconsidering what I worth in American Airways elite standing, I’ve solely strived to qualify for Platinum Professional lately. Briefly, I made a decision the incremental worth of Government Platinum over Platinum Professional did not justify the additional prices I would incur to earn the upper standing.

It is necessary to think about how a lot you will use your AAdvantage perks and the price of incomes American Airways standing. Should you’ll organically earn American Airways standing via flights, then it is possible price incomes. However for those who’ll need to earn a major variety of Loyalty Factors via different means, similar to utilizing the AAdvantage eShopping portal or spending on an AAdvantage bank card, there’s a possibility price to doing so.

Lastly, for those who’ll solely use your American Airways elite standing perks sometimes or solely want a selected perk, take into account whether or not you will get what you search via reserving premium-cabin fares or making use of for a brand new bank card.

Associated: Which bank card do you have to use for American Airways flights?

Backside line

American Airways presents 4 elite standing tiers you’ll be able to earn by accumulating Loyalty Factors: Gold, Platinum, Platinum Professional and Government Platinum. These tiers supply perks together with Most popular seating, complimentary space-available upgrades on American Airways and Oneworld perks on choose accomplice airways.

Should you continuously fly with American Airways, British Airways or Iberia on costly paid fares or spend a major quantity on American Airways bank cards or when buying via the AAdvantage eShopping portal, you will possible discover it simple and worthwhile to earn American Airways elite standing. In any other case, it is good to think about whether or not the worth you will get from American Airways standing is price the associated fee you will incur to earn it.