If you fly with American Airlines and its partners, you may have American Airlines elite status.
In early 2022, American AAdvantage has updated the way members achieve elite status. Following these modifications, Loyalty Points remain the only criterion you should concentrate on as you aim for a particular elite status tier within the program. American Airlines AAdvantage program.
Here’s everything you should understand regarding the American Airlines elite status and ways to acquire it.
What does American Airlines elite status entail?
American Airlines' elite status offers benefits to AAdvantage members who engage with the program and its partners. In contrast to most airline loyalty programs where traveling is mainly required to achieve status, American AAdvantage allows you to accumulate Loyalty Points towards elite status via various non-travel-related activities such as shopping, eating out, and using co-branded credit cards. American Airlines credit cards .
You can achieve each level of American Airlines elite status by gathering a specific number of Loyalty Points within an eligibility year that spans from March 1st until the last day of February. The elite status attained due to the Loyalty Points collected by the conclusion of February remains effective until the end of the subsequent March.
Related: Final tactics for achieving American AAdvantage elite status
The American Airlines elite status levels
You will discover four established levels of American Airlines elite status that you can achieve by gathering Loyalty Points throughout the year beginning every March 1st.
- Gold : 40,000 Loyalty Points
- Platinum : 75,000 Loyalty Points
- Platinum Pro : 125,000 Loyalty Points
- Executive Platinum : 200,000 Loyalty Points
Along with these levels, there’s also an exclusive tier, invite-only Concierge Key status However, American AAdvantage does not provide any particular criteria for achieving this status.
As you achieve various Loyalty Point milestones, you will accumulate Loyalty Point Rewards. Once you've gathered 15,000 Loyalty Points during the 12-month qualifying window starting from March 1st, you can choose your initial reward.
Related: Your roadmap to achieving American Airlines Million Miler status
What steps are needed to achieve American Airlines elite status?
In order to achieve American Airlines elite status, you have to accumulate the necessary amount of Loyalty Points within every 12-month qualifying period starting from March 1st. To be specific, you will require earning 40,000 Loyalty Points for Gold level, 75,000 for Platinum, 125,000 for Platinum Pro, and an impressive 200,000 for Executive Platinum throughout each respective qualification term.
We have a full guide to earning Loyalty Points . But, in short, you'll earn two types of American Airlines miles: base and bonus. And while both base and bonus miles are redeemable, base miles also give you Loyalty Points. So, each time you earn a base mile with American AAdvantage, you'll also earn a Loyalty Point.
You can earn American AAdvantage base miles through many different activities. Here's a noncomprehensive list of some ways you can earn base miles (and hence Loyalty Points):
- Flights sold by Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia and JetSmart : Earn base miles based on your ticket's base fare and carrier-imposed fees.
- Flights sold and operated by other Oneworld airlines or Gol Airlines : Accumulate basic miles according to the flight length and the pricing tier of your ticket.
- AAdvantage eShopping portal : Accumulate basic miles when you click through the AAdvantage eShopping portal Before buying from specific stores.
- SimplyMiles : Earn base miles when you enroll in select SimplyMiles offers with participating merchants and then make eligible purchases.
- AAdvantage Dining : Earn base miles when you use an enrolled card to pay at participating AAdvantage Dining restaurants, bars and clubs.
- Hotels : Earn base miles when you book hotels through AAdvantage Hotels or credit Hyatt, Marriott or IHG stays to AAdvantage
There are many other ways to earn American Airlines miles Still, make sure to verify if you’re accumulating base miles or bonus miles before getting overly enthusiastic about the number of Loyalty Points you will receive. Bask Bank mileage accounts is one instance of an action that accrues solely bonus miles — consequently, no Loyalty Points are awarded.
Related: Be cautious: There are 9 instances where you will not accrue American Airlines Loyalty Points, despite earning miles.
Benefits of American Airlines Elite Status
The American Airlines elite status offers several valuable perks. Below is an overview of some key advantages, which vary depending on your tier level.
Upgrades and better seats
Elite members of American Airlines have access to free upgrades from Main Cabin or premium economy to the subsequent cabin class (either business or domestic first) on certain flights operated and marketed by American Airlines.
These enhancements are limitless and automatically triggered, yet they depend on availability and pertain solely to flights inside North America. These improvements encompass reward tickets and may extend to an accompanying traveler sharing your flight.
American will start processing these upgrades at different times depending on your American Airlines elite status tier. Executive Platinum members may have their complimentary upgrade cleared as early as 100 hours before departure, Platinum Pro members as early as 72 hours, Platinum members as early as 48 hours and Gold members as early as 24 hours.
American Airlines prioritizes upgrades — including complimentary upgrades, mileage award upgrades and systemwide upgrades —as follows:
- The AAdvantage status tiers include (Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro, Platinum, followed by Gold).
- Type of upgrade (handled independently until at the airport, where systemwide upgrades and mileage award upgrades come before complimentary upgrades)
- 12-month rolling Loyalty Points (updated daily)
- Booking code
- Date and timestamp of the inquiry
American Airlines Elite members—and up to eight companions flying on the same itinerary—can choose Preferred seating at no additional cost when they book their flight or even after, depending on seat availability. ThesePreferred seats offer regular legroom but are situated in prime spots across the economy class section.
Additional legroom seats offering up to six extra inches can be reserved at no cost by AAdvantage elite members — as well as their up to eight travel companions booked on the same trip — depending on seat availability. Nevertheless, AAdvantage Gold members must wait until they check in to secure these complimentary seats, assuming they are still available.
Mileage bonuses
Elite members of American Airlines receive a mileage bonus according to this schedule for traveling on qualifying routes:
- Gold : 40%
- Platinum : 60%
- Platinum Pro : 80%
- Executive Platinum : 120%
The mileage bonus is considered part of the base miles, allowing you to accumulate Loyalty Points accordingly. Consequently, higher-tier AAdvantage elite members can more readily achieve a particular American Airlines elite status level through their flights compared to someone holding a lower-tier or no AAdvantage status.
Benefits at the airport
Elite AAdvantage members receive priority service during check-in, security checks, and boarding prior to their American Airlines flights whenever possible. More specifically, Executive Platinum members get to board first as part of Group 1, followed by Platinum Pro members in Group 2, then Platinum members in Group 3, and finally Gold members in Group 4. Generally, being among these early boarding groups typically ensures sufficient room remains in the overhead bins for personal luggage.
Elite AAdvantage members receive preference when trying to stand by for an alternative American Airlines flight on the same day of travel, including moving to a later departure time, provided they are traveling to, from, or within the U.S., Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Executive Platinum and Platinum Pro members—as well as their travel companions within the same booking—can take advantage of free same-day guaranteed flight modifications with American Airlines when traveling to or from the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, and the Caribbean, along with routes between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR).
AAdvantage elite members also enjoy complimentary checked bags when flying American Airlines: Gold members get their first checked bag free, Platinum members get their first two checked bags free, and Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members get their first three checked bags free. Best of all, this checked baggage allowance is also offered to up to eight passengers traveling with the status member on the same reservation.
Other benefits
American Airlines elite status offers a variety of other perks, including the following:
- Perks on Alaska Airlines Complimentary availability-based access to Premium Class seating and first-class upgrades
- Oneworld status Gold receives Oneworld Ruby status, Platinum earns Sapphire status, and both Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum achieve Emerald status.
- Benefits of Executive Platinum status in Economy Class Executive Platinum members flying in the Main Cabin can enjoy a free alcoholic drink and a snack (consisting of any food item available for purchase in the economy class on that particular flight) when American Airlines offers full drinks service.
Loyalty Point Rewards
Ultimately, even though Loyalty Point Rewards are not linked to American Airlines elite status, they are connected to particular Loyalty Point thresholds that you will naturally achieve as you advance towards AAdvantage elite status.
Here’s a glimpse of the Loyalty Point Rewards you might select as you work towards achieving the 200,000 Loyalty Points needed for Executive Platinum status:
- 15,000 Loyalty Points Group 5 boarding for the current membership year along with a selection of either 1,000 Loyalty Points, five Preferred seat coupons, or Priority privileges and Group 4 boarding for trips (you can also opt for a customized luggage tag featuring your name as part of the 2025 membership benefits).
- 60,000 Loyalty Points Avis Preferred Plus status along with a 20% loyalty point bonus on expenditures through American Airlines Vacations, SimplyMiles, AAdvantage eShopping, AAdvantage Dining, and AAdvantage Hotels for a duration of six months.
- 100,000 Loyalty Points : Enjoy Avis President's Club membership along with a 30% increase in loyalty points from your expenditures through American Airlines Vacations, SimplyMiles, AAdvantage eShopping, AAdvantage Dining, and AAdvantage Hotels for half a year (this will also grant you access to World of Hyatt Discoverist status). starting in March 2025 )
- 175,000 Loyalty Points A selection between two systemwide upgrades , 5,000 loyalty points, 20,000 bonus miles (25,000 if you possess an AAdvantage credit card), six Admirals Club a one-day pass, a travel credit worth $200 (which increases to $250 should you possess an AAdvantage credit card), a contribution towards carbon offsets (transitioning to sustainable aviation fuel for your booking during the 2025 membership period), a charitable gift of $250 to a chosen non-profit entity, dual awards of AAdvantage Gold status, plus either 35,000 AAdvantage points redeemable toward a Mastercard Priceless Experience (this option only applies if you hold an AAdvantage credit card) or World of Hyatt Explorist tier status beginning in March 2025.
If you accumulate 250,000 Loyalty Points or more within your 12-month qualifying period starting from March 1, you have the option to choose extra Loyalty Point Rewards. Explore the AAdvantage Loyalty Point Rewards for details. page For additional information about these high-threshold levels.
Related: Why (and how) am I achieving AAdvantage Platinum Pro Elite status instead of aiming for AAdvantage Executive Platinum?
Could using a credit card assist in achieving American Airlines elite status?
Owning an American Airlines co-branded credit card significantly aids in achieving American Airlines elite status. While the welcome and spending bonuses offer extra miles—these do not contribute to Loyalty Points—you still accrue 1 Loyalty Point for every dollar spent using most AAdvantage credit cards. Thus, utilizing your card for various transactions allows you to increase your Loyalty Point total effectively. achieve American Elite status solely through credit card spending .
If prioritizing Admirals Club membership is important to you, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees It is an excellent choice. However, I prefer the AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Silver Mastercard® — which I got by upgrading my AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® — because it allows me to earn up to 15,000 extra Loyalty Points once I reach certain spending targets during my status qualifying period. Sadly, Citi will assume management of the Barclays AAdvantage card portfolio. In 2026 and presumably transform the Aviator cards into distinct AAdvantage offerings.
The data regarding the Aviator Red and Aviator Silver cards has been gathered separately by The Points Guy. Please note that the specifics of these cards presented here were not examined or supplied by their issuing entity.
Is achieving American Airlines elite status really worthwhile?
Holding American Airlines' elite status can be beneficial for certain travelers. Since 2016, I have maintained either Platinum Pro or Executive Platinum tier due to my appreciation of the domestic upgrades, complimentary checked baggage waivers, expedited check-in lanes, and Oneworld Emerald privileges offered at these levels.
However, upon reassessing my priorities regarding American Airlines elite status, I have solely focused on striving for it. qualify for Platinum Pro In recent times, I concluded that the additional benefits of Executive Platinum weren't worth the extra expense compared to Platinum Pro.
It’s crucial to evaluate the extent of your usage for AAdvantage benefits and the expense associated with achieving American Airlines elite status. Should you naturally attain this status via frequent flying, it would probably be worthwhile. However, if accumulating enough Loyalty Points requires substantial effort elsewhere—like utilizing the AAdvantage eShopping mall or making specific purchases—it might not justify the investment. AAdvantage credit card , there's a trade-off involved in doing this.
Ultimately, if you plan to utilize your American Airlines elite status benefits sparingly or require just one particular perk, assess whether you might achieve your goals by purchasing tickets in higher cabins or by applying for an additional credit card.
Related: What credit card do you recommend using for American Airlines trips?
Bottom line
American Airlines provides four distinct elite status levels that travelers can achieve by amassing Loyalty Points: Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum. Each tier comes with benefits such as Priority seating, free standby upgrade opportunities on flights operated by American Airlines, along with additional privileges from participating Oneworld alliance carriers when applicable.
If you frequently fly with American Airlines, British Airways or Iberia on expensive paid fares or spend a significant amount on American Airlines credit cards or when shopping through the AAdvantage eShopping portal, you'll likely find it easy and worthwhile to earn American Airlines elite status. Otherwise, it's smart to consider whether the value you'll get from American Airlines status is worth the cost you'll incur to earn it.
Editorial disclaimer: The views shared here belong solely to the author and do not represent the opinions of banks, credit card issuers, airlines, or hotels. These organizations have neither reviewed nor provided their endorsement for this content.
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