Update: I assumed and hoped this would be the case, but a few hours after posting this article my buy up offer once again changed. This time American offered that I pay just $495 to buy up to AAdvantage Platinum Pro Status. This updated offer is more in line with approximately how far away I…
Toward the end of each year AAdvantage members start to realize where they’ll end up at year-end. For many of us this is a good thing. We stop and see that we’ve earned $6,000+ EQD and 50,000 EQM. That puts us above the thresholds to earn AAdvantage Platinum status until Jan 2018. However, many of…
American has made many changes to the 2017 AAdvantage loyalty program. Changes include the reduction of Executive Platinum benefits, transitioning to a revenue based loyalty program, and the addition of AAdvantage Platinum Pro status. Today I’ll introduce American’s new elite status, explain how to qualify, and dive into the benefits offered. Overall, I find the…
This year is shaping up as the best year in my traveling career. I’ve flown on nearly every wide-body aircraft in service today and flown with nearly a dozen different airlines. While it’s always fun to try out new planes and new hard products, I often notice the older generation of aircraft falls by the…
One of the more difficult to use credit card benefits is the American Express Airline of Choice Benefit. The idea is simple enough. It’s a $200 annual credit card members receive to offset travel expenses. The issue is, unlike other cards the benefit is not automatic. In fact card members have to jump through a…
Well, the world as we know it is officially over. Ok fine, maybe things aren’t bad. However, as of today every legacy US Airline offers Basic Economy fares on domestic flights. Today, September 5, 2017, American Airlines launched basic economy fares on nearly every domestic route in the airline’s route network. I first heard the…
One of the questions I get most often these days is “how do I book a cheap flight from a to b?” It’s an interesting question and one that I typically can’t answer. I wish the answer was simple. I wish I could simply say “book on Tuesday” or “book 3 weeks before your scheduled…
This is it. 2017 appears to finally be the year that I earn American Airlines Executive Platinum elite status. Executive Platinum is my white whale. In 2015 I flew over 50,000 miles before June and was well on my way before my life changed forever. My company announced plans to sell to a competitor and…
American Airlines currently has 4 levels of elite status. Those levels from bottom to top are AAdvantage Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum. Each status represents an increase in benefits that compound as you attain each higher level. Today I’ll focus on AAdvantage Platinum status which is the third highest level, but don’t let that…
Los Angeles International Airport is currently undergoing a massive renovation. Thanks to the renovation getting to the terminal is a nightmare. Even worse, American’s mainline flights mostly depart from Terminal 4 which is quite difficult to access due to its location. If you don’t mind walking a bit I’d recommend cutting across the departures road…
