If you’re often jet-setting from Point A to Point B, then you should look into joining a frequent flyer program. Choosing the right one is very important, and it’s not an easy decision to make. The perfect fit depends on a variety of factors, including elite status and its perks.
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In this guide, we’ll cover what each status tier is worth in the American Airlines AAdvantage program, so you can make the call. Is being loyal to American Airlines worth your while?
CITI® / AADVANTAGE® EXECUTIVE WORLD ELITE MASTERCARD®
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has a 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles offer. Make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening to earn this bonus. See our valuation of AAdvantage miles are worth. You’ll easily receive at least $500 in value from these bonus miles.
The card earns 2 AAdvantage miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile for every $1 spent on other purchases.
You’ll receive expected perks like no foreign transaction fees and your first checked bag for free on domestic American Airlines flights. Up to 8 companions traveling with you on the same reservation will also receive this free checked bag perk.
The main reasons travelers choose this $450 annual fee card are:
- Complimentary Admirals Club lounge access
- 10,000 AAdvantage Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) after you spend $40,000 in purchases within the year
American Airlines Elite Status Overview
American Airlines AAdvantage has four elite tiers: Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum. There are two ways to qualify for elite status during the calendar year:
- Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) + Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs)
- Elite Qualifying Segments (EQSs) + Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs)
Elite Qualifying Miles. EQMs are the actual miles you fly on American Airlines and Oneworld partners. It’s calculated by multiplying the mileage of the flight by fare class.
Elite Qualifying Dollars. EQDs are earned based on how much you spend on American Airlines and Oneworld partner tickets. The number fluctuates based on class of service and partner restrictions.
Elite Qualifying Segments. EQSs count how many takeoff-to-landing flight segments you take. For example, a non-stop flight from San Francisco to Miami would earn one EQS. But a flight from San Francisco to Miami with a layover in Dallas would earn two EQSs.
Elite status qualifications for 2021:
| Tier | EQMs | EQSs | EQDs |
| Gold | 20,000 | 20 | $2,000 |
| Platinum | 40,000 | 45 | $4,500 |
| Platinum Pro | 60,000 | 70 | $7,000 |
| Executive Platinum | 80,000 | 95 | $12,000 |
The higher your status, the more benefits you’ll unlock:
| Benefits | Gold | Platinum | Platinum Pro | Executive Platinum |
| Mileage bonus | 40% | 60% | 80% | 120% |
| Upgrades on flights < 500 miles | x | x | x | x |
| Upgrades on flights > 500 miles | x | x | ||
| Preferred/MCE seats | x | x | x | x |
| Checked bags | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Priority airport services | x | x | x | x |
| Drink & snack in Main Cabin | x | |||
| Same-day standby | x | x | x | x |
| Same-day confirmed | x | x | ||
| Waived award- processing charge | x | x | x | x |
| Waived award change & cancellation fees | x | |||
| Priority phone line | x | x | x | x |
| Partner benefits | x | x | x | x |
*For up-to-date information, click here for our source.
American Airlines Elite Status Value
The lowest tier in the American Airlines AAdvantage program is Gold status, which requires 20,000 EQMs or 20 EQSs, plus $2,000 EQDs. To calculate the value of AAdvantage Gold, we used 20,000 EQMs at a cost of $0.125 per mile. So the total spend is $2,500.
Below is a list of AAdvantage Gold perks, along with their estimated values.
40% mileage bonus ($70). Earn 7 miles for every dollar spent on flights. That’s 2 more miles per $1 than members without status. Based on a total spend of $2,500, you’ll earn an additional 5,000 miles (worth $70).
Upgrades on flights less than 500 miles ($50). Get unlimited complimentary upgrades when you fly less than 500 miles. You won’t get to enjoy your upgraded perks for that long, but it’s still better than no upgrade at all. Note: You’ll be prioritized below all other AAdvantage elite members.
Upgrades on flights over 500 miles ($200). Upgrade to First Class on flights over 500 miles in distance by using “500-mile upgrades.” Get four of these upgrades for every 12,500 EQMs you earn. So with 20,000 EQMs, you’ll receive four 500-mile upgrades. Note: You can use these upgrades to bring a companion to the front of the plane with you.
Preferred or Main Cabin Extra seats ($150). Access Preferred seats when you book, or Main Cabin Extra (MCE) seats within 24 hours of departure. This benefit applies to up to eight companion travelers. Note: Domestic MCE seats come with free drinks, including beer, wine and spirits.
Checked bags ($100). Check one bag for free on any American flight. Note: This perk is also available with the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®.
Priority airport services ($100). Utilize priority check-in, security and boarding at the airport. While not the most valuable benefit, these services are helpful when you’re on a time crunch.
Same-day standby ($75). If you want to go on standby for an earlier or later flight, you don’t have to pay the $75 fee. We’re guessing you won’t use this perk often. But if you change your plans frequently, feel free to bump up the value of this benefit.
Waived award-processing charge ($75). You won’t have to pay the $75 processing charge on award tickets booked within 21 days of departure. Again, we’re assuming you’re not going to use this benefit often.
Priority phone line ($50). While not the best perk, getting priority access to customer service can be helpful should you experience weather issues or other problems.
Partner benefits ($25). Enjoy Oneworld Ruby status, which provides priority check-in and standby on Oneworld partner flights.
The second tier in the American Airlines AAdvantage program is Platinum status, which requires 40,000 EQMs or 45 EQSs, plus $4,500 EQDs. To calculate the value of AAdvantage Platinum, we used 60,000 EQMs at a cost of $0.125 per mile. So the total spend is $7,500.
Below is a list of AAdvantage Platinum perks, along with their estimated values.
60% mileage bonus ($315). Earn 8 miles for every dollar spent on flights. That’s 3 more miles per $1 than members without status. Based on a total spend of $7,500, you’ll earn an additional 22,500 miles (worth $315).
Upgrades on flights less than 500 miles ($125). Same perk as AAdvantage Gold, but we calculated more frequent utilization. Also, Platinum upgrades have priority over Gold, so you’re more likely to clear.
Upgrades on flights over 500 miles ($480). Same perk as AAdvantage Gold. With 60,000 EQMs, you’ll receive sixteen 500-mile upgrades. Again, you’ll have priority over Gold members.
Preferred or Main Cabin Extra seats ($350). Same perk as AAdvantage Gold, but we calculated more frequent utilization.
Checked bags ($200). Check two bags for free on any domestic American flight. Note: This perk is limited to 50 pounds per bag.
Priority airport services ($250). Same perk as AAdvantage Gold, but with priority baggage delivery as well.
Same-day standby ($150). Same perk as AAdvantage Gold, but we calculated more frequent utilization.
Waived award-processing charge ($75). Same perk as AAdvantage Gold.
Priority phone line ($100). Same perk as AAdvantage Gold, but we calculated more frequent utilization. Plus, Platinum phone agents are slightly more knowledgeable.
Partner benefits ($150). Enjoy Oneworld Sapphire status, which provides priority check-in and standby (offered to Gold members) as well as priority boarding and lounge access when traveling internationally on Oneworld partner flights. Note: This includes American Airlines Flagship lounges when departing or connecting to a same-day international flight in any class.
The third tier in the American Airlines AAdvantage program is Platinum Pro status, which requires 60,000 EQMs or 70 EQSs, plus $7,000 EQDs. To calculate the value of AAdvantage Platinum Pro, we used 90,000 EQMs at a cost of $0.125 per mile. So the total spend is $11,250.
Below is a list of AAdvantage Platinum Pro perks, along with their estimated values.
80% mileage bonus ($630). Earn 9 miles for every dollar spent on flights. That’s 4 more miles per $1 than members without status. Based on a total spend of $11,250, you’ll earn an additional 45,000 miles (worth $630).
Upgrades on flights less than 500 miles ($250). Same perk as AAdvantage Platinum, but we calculated more frequent utilization.
Upgrades on flights over 500 miles ($800). Enjoy unlimited, free upgrades on flights that are eligible for 500-mile upgrades.
Preferred or Main Cabin Extra seats ($525). Same perk as AAdvantage Platinum, but we calculated more frequent utilization.
Checked bags ($250). Same perk as AAdvantage Platinum, but we calculated more frequent utilization.
Priority airport services ($375). Same perk as AAdvantage Platinum, but we calculated more frequent utilization.
Same-day standby and flight change ($225). Same perk as AAdvantage Platinum, but you can also make free same-day flight changes.
Waived award-processing charge ($150). Same perk as AAdvantage Platinum, but we calculated more frequent utilization.
Priority phone line ($150). Same perk as AAdvantage Platinum, but we calculated more frequent utilization.
Partner benefits ($225). Same perk as AAdvantage Platinum, but we calculated more frequent utilization.
The top tier in the American Airlines AAdvantage program is Executive Platinum status, which requires 80,000 EQMs or 95 EQSs, plus $12,000 EQDs. To calculate the value of AAdvantage Executive Platinum, we used 120,000 EQMs at a cost of $0.125 per mile. So the total spend is $15,000.
Below is a list of AAdvantage Executive Platinum perks, along with their estimated values.
120% mileage bonus ($1,260). Earn 11 miles for every dollar spent on flights. That’s 6 more miles per $1 than members without status. Based on a total spend of $15,000, you’ll earn an additional 90,000 miles (worth $1,260).
Upgrades on all short- and medium-haul flights ($1,500). Enjoy unlimited, free upgrades, including award tickets. You’ll also be given priority on the upgrade list.
System-wide upgrades ($1,400). Receive four system-wide upgrades (SWUs) when you reach Executive Platinum status. Use these to upgrade any paid ticket (not including Basic Economy) on American for up to three segments. SWUs can be transferred to friends and family members, even if they’re not traveling with you.
Preferred or Main Cabin Extra seats ($625). Same perk as AAdvantage Platinum Pro, but we calculated more frequent utilization.
Checked bags ($350). Check three bags for free on all American flights. Note: This perk is limited to 70 pounds per bag.
Priority airport services ($500). Same perk as AAdvantage Platinum Pro, but we calculated more frequent utilization.
Same-day standby and flight change ($450). Same perk as AAdvantage Platinum Pro, but we calculated more frequent utilization.
Drink and snack in Main Cabin ($50). If you can’t get the upgrade, you’ll at least enjoy a drink and snack for free in the Main Cabin.
Waived award-processing charge ($150). Same perk as AAdvantage Platinum Pro.
Waived award change and cancellation fee ($300). Don’t pay the $150 fee when you change airline, award type, origin or destination on an award ticket. The fee is also waived if you need to cancel the award and redeposit your miles.
Priority phone line ($250). Same perk as AAdvantage Platinum Pro, but with much more personalized support.
Partner benefits ($350). Enjoy Oneworld Emerald status with access to First- and Business-Class lounges, plus extra baggage allowance and the same benefits as Platinum Pro members.
Is American Airlines Elite Status Worth It?
Given the value estimates above, is American Airlines elite status worth pursuing? That answer is really up to you. Below are a few questions that will help you make your decision:
- Does American Airlines fly to where you want to go? Elite status isn’t worth pursuing if you don’t fly with the airline, or its partners, regularly. Check American’s service from your home airport and see how easily you can get to your choice destinations.
- Do the benefits matter to you? It doesn’t make sense to work towards the next status tier unless there are perks that are worth the extra push.
- How often do you travel? If you don’t fly often, then pushing hard for a higher status isn’t worth it. Status benefits only apply when you travel. So if you don’t use your perks, the value of your status isn’t much.
- Do you prioritize price and convenience? Will you use your preferred airline even when it’s not the cheapest? Or the most convenient? In other words, would you book an American flight with one stop over a cheaper, nonstop flight with Delta? If you’re not willing to trade in price and convenience for loyalty perks, then American Airlines elite status probably isn’t worth it for you.
- Could you get the same perks with a credit card? The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® includes your first checked bag free on domestic flights, preferred boarding and a 25% discount on inflight food and beverages. The The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® comes with Admirals Club membership, as well as all the benefits you’d get from the Platinum Select card.
Our Methodology
Our analysis on the value of American Airlines elite status is just one way to calculate status worth. Each person places their own value on each benefit. One might always pay to sit in front of the plane, so they won’t put much value on complimentary upgrades. Another might only travel within the United States, so lounge access internationally won’t be worth much to them. As such, feel free to fiddle with the numbers we used until they make sense to you.
Our value estimates are based on the perks you would enjoy after having already achieved status and qualifying each year thereafter. If you’re new to the AAdvantage program, you won’t get any benefits from the first 25,000 miles before you unlock Gold status.
In order to tie in values to status benefits, we need to determine a certain amount of flying and a corresponding amount of spending. For all our analyses on elite status, we assumed the following:
- You earned 20% more elite-qualifying miles than the minimum required for that status level.
- You spend an average of $0.125 per elite-qualifying mile.
Like we’ve stated before, feel free to adjust our numbers to match your travel patterns. If you only travel domestically, you’re probably spending less than $0.125 per mile. And if you’re paying for international First Class travel on a regular basis, you’re likely spending much more.
For this particular analysis, we value AAdvantage miles based on our most recent valuations, which is $0.14 apiece.
Bottom Line
Elite status is a surefire way to make your travel experience more rewarding and less stressful. But if the perks don’t match your travel patterns, then it might not make sense to pursue status with that loyalty program.
After reading this post, we hope you have a better idea of how much each American Airlines elite status benefit is worth at each tier. And we hope this information helps with your decision on whether or not you’ll be pursuing AAdvantage elite status.
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