Well, I finally hit 2,000,000 AA miles which means that I now have lifetime Platinum status.
American Airlines is the only airline in the world that counts all earned miles towards million miler/lifetime elite status! Every other airline only counts actual flight miles to attain lifetime elite status.
I joined the AA program in 2002, hit 1,000,000/Lifetime Gold in 2007, and now have over 2,000,000 miles!
So, What’s in your wallet? 🙂
When you hit 1,000,000 you get 8 500-mile domestic upgrade stickers if you live in North America, or 4 one-way international upgrades certificates if you live outside North America.
When you hit 2,000,000 AA miles you get 4 one-way international upgrades regardless of where you live.
As the lifetime program is completely undocumented, it is liable to change at any time. There have been rumors for some time now that AA wants to go to actual flight miles for lifetime status, but lacks the technology to go back and see how every member actually earned their miles.
For now all miles earned, whether by flying, opening credit cards, or transfers from Starwood, count towards lifetime status. Even if you spend miles, your lifetime counter does not decrease.
You can check your own progress towards lifetime status on AA.com where it lists your total program miles to date.
I got a kick out of the first line of the congratulatory letter, “When you first became a million miler, you may not have thought about the next threshold…” Well they obviously don’t know their customer too well do they? 😉
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27 Comments On "AAdvantage Lifetime Platinum!"
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congrats! For someone who is 19 and just starting to fly to other places, i.e. yeshiva, family, israel, which airline do you recommend to try and accumulate as many miles at as possible. That probbably wasn’t so clear, but basically which airline do you feel has the best rewards program?
how much credit do you have with all those aa credit cards. It must be like 200000 dollars
First of all Mazel Tov!
Second, are those really all your cards? I was told that, thats kind of bad for your credit?
Please share insight! Thank you
I see you haven’t finished all that fiber one yet!
Mazal tov! Now you got to work on Mimi.
WOW. Congrats Dan. How did you manage to track all of those credit cards??
Show Off!
🙂
Congrats!
Considering you sold your soul to Continental years ago, this is impressive!
we actually earned over 1 million miles & they told us were not elligible bec they werent all from actual flights flown
how did you do it? explain please
I just became a million miler yesterday for AA so I have gold status for life now it took just over two years. The second million I don’t think is gonna come easy at all, espacially since credit card companies are really extending new credit!
Dan, what other great benefits come with it? My father has almost 3 mil. and has very few benefits! (preferred check-in,no luggage fees)
cogratulation Dan, from the guy who needs 180,000 miles to hit 7 MILLION AA miles. Thats a lot of luggage tags. We still don’t get free access to the Admirals club.
Yes Steve, that may not get you free access to Admirals, but Im sure a man like you has never had any issues getting around that problem….
dan do you actually have to have those million miles in your account or could you spend them and they just care about you having earned a million miles into your account
@david:
There’s no clear-cut answer, it all depends on where you live and what features you’re most interested in.
For me, it’s Continental by a long shot, but that answer will be different for everyone.
As far as credit card spending though the Starwood AMEX wins by a mile.
@aw:
Only 3 are active, but between them my Citi credit line is about 200K.
@Nate:
They’re mine, all mine!
And my credit score is excellent.
They just don’t want you to do what I did!
@eehlye:
Ugh, I won’t touch that stuff. Definitely not my department.
@dg:
Already started-and she came into the marriage without a single credit card!
@AsherO:
It’s hard to say exactly, but with each credit card I’ll charge 10K (of coins or other ways of charging money) giving me 45K total miles from opening the card and meeting spending thresholds.
I don’t think I’ve stepped on a AA plane since flying to Brazil (on miles of course) in 2007! The last mileage earning AA ticket would probably be from my 2006 AA mileage run!
@yaakov:
AA does not and cannot differentiate between flight and other miles. I’m having a hard time believing that you hit 1MM and are not Gold.
@a tomim:
Did you miss the picture?
@Reader:
Nicely done!
@Zero:
AA Platinum gets you:
Pre-reserve exit rows, double miles on flown flights, free bags, upgrades clear at 72 hours, First class check-in line, priority boarding, free business class lounge access on int’l flights, free drink and snack on AE, OneWorld Sapphire.
@dg:
Indeed AAdmirals AAcess isn’t that hard to secure for free…
@bobo:
They just care that you earned that many, you can spend all you want, or even transfer them back and forth between certain programs and they get counted again for each time they’re transferred back!
Dan,
What programs can be used to transfer back and forth the aa points to artificially raise the cummulative points?
@Mikeoracle:
There are a number, but you’ll take a huge hit, for example
1 AA = 2 HH
1 AA = .5 DC
35K DC = 41K AA
1 HH = .15 AA
Dan, hook me up with the Admirals club
I don’t see the Centurion card in the picture.
Dan, can you please help me:
I’m twenty years old, and want to start earning miles, but dont know how!
whats the first step i should take?
How can i get admirals club for free?
@dg:
Indeed AAdmirals AAcess isn’t that hard to secure for free…
DAn,
please tell us how we can do this?
thank you
Hey dan, I am looking to earn some big miles. Do you have any ideas for me
Dan,
This is pasted straight off of my AA account.
Program to Date Miles 650,959
So what you are saying is all I need as another 349,041 and I get the lifetime gold?
@JohnR:
Yes
@david:
WELL DAVID, IM JUST 18 YEARS OLD, AND LIVING ACTUALLY IN SOUTH AMERICA. I JUST TURNED PLATINUM THIS YEAR AFTER FLYING IN AND OUT THE US AND ASIA. I AM ALSO ONE MILLION MILLER SINCE 2006, MY FAMILY LIKES TO VACATION A LOT.
SO MY ADVICE IS TO STICK TO AA…. YOU GET ENTRANCE TO ADMIRALS CLUB, UPGRADES, PRIORITY ACCESS, A LOT AND I MEAN A LOT OF BONUS MILES, ACTUALLY IF YOU HIT PLAT/EXPLT YOU GET 100% BONUS OF THE BOOKING FARE YOU PURCHASED, IN OTHER WORDS, FLIGHT FROM MIA TO JFK ROUND TRIP NORMALLY YOULL GET 2180 MILES, INSTEAD YOU EARN 4360… DO THE MATH FOR ALL THE FLIGHTS A YEAR, AND EASLY YOU CAN PAY OFF YOUR HOLIDAYS OR YOUR FAMILIES ONLY BY MILES!
GOOD LUCK