If you’re a Premier member on United (Silver, Gold, Platinum, 1K) and would like to experience the benefits of status on American, now is your chance. While American usually offers status matching through challenges that require flying a certain number of points (combination of fare class and distance) in 90 days, they’re now offering a direct status match for UA fliers discontent after the merger and the problems it brought.
As noted in this thread on Flyertalk, here are the details:
Call AA at 1-800-882-8880. They will send you an email that will detail the required documentation to process the match:
In order to proceed, please provide us with documentation reflecting the Premier level that you hold with United Airlines.
Please send us the following documentation. Simply “Reply” to this message, and for prompt service, do not change the subject line:
- A copy of your dated elite membership card reflecting your name and Premier status level for the 2012 Membership Year (.pdf, .tif, .jpeg, .bmp formats, not to exceed 1MB). Alternatively, you could send a copy or screen shot of your most recent account summary, reflecting your name and Premier status level (.pdf, .tif, .jpeg, .bmp formats, not to exceed 1MB).
- Your AAdvantage number and phone number
Once your documentation is accepted, you will receive an email within10 days confirming your new AAdvantage elite status, which will be valid through February 28, 2013. Your credentials will follow in 3-5 weeks. Please note the following status equivalents:
- AAdvantage Gold® membership for Premier Silver
- AAdvantage Platinum® membership for Premier Gold or Premier Platinum
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum® membership for Premier 1K
It’s important to note how significant this offer is in two ways:
- On UA, Premier Golds and Platinums get a 50% and 75% mileage bonus, respectively. With the match to AAdvantage Platinum that bonus is 100%. That’s double the bonus for Golds and a third more for Platinums.
- American Airlines very rarely offers a direct match to Executive Platinum. This should be considered a limited time offer, as it’s not likely to be repeated anytime soon.
If you’re a UA flier you should jump on this. There’s nothing to lose, and you get to experience what life on the other side of the fence is like without having to start from the bottom. Take it from me – my UA Premier Platinum will expire this year and I won’t miss it a bit. Flying American is a night and day difference in terms of service and professionalism, and the benefits of Executive Platinum status are consistently useful for this frequent flyer.
Hi Mr. Getting Status,
What is the email that I can send to AA for status match? I have a gold status with United and I am thinking to switch to American soon. Also I am using Aegean for Star Alliance gold for next year. Could you reply to my email please? Thanks!
Laurent – please re-read the post. You need to *call* American Airlines. They’ll send YOU an email that has a control number unique to you in the subject which you then reply to with attachments.
Is this valid if you’re already aa gold? I’d like to get matched to platinum
hi do you get 8 systimewide passes
Karlyn – I believe so, you simply need to call and ask.
Thalha – nothing I’ve read about this indicates that SWU’s are included, simply the status.
Any chance they’ll do the same for a Delta match. I’ve wanted to try AA but having status with Delta every year holds me back. Already FO for next year so it’s hard to change.
I just called American at the number above and they said they are not offering matching status.
Any others getting the same response?
Jim – I’m not sure. Probably never hurts to ask!
Carol – The typical answer for American Airlines is that if you don’t get the answer you’re looking for, call back until you do. While polite, courteous and effective most of the time, their customer service is *wildly* inconsistent.
I just called, they emailed me, I replied with a screenshot of my online MP statement, showing my Premier 1K status and I’m on my way…It’s worth a phone call
I jumped on this. I needed a reason to switch as I had considered it in the past but didn’t want to fly as a kettle and AA didn’t have a credit card with a free bag (they’ve since changed this).
This makes the change easier.
I live in a city with a major AA maintenance base so the bigger motivator for me to switch is bigger planes and AA flies big planes to Tulsa all the time.
I’m still a little perturbed at UA for changing the segment #’s for UA 1k from 100->120. This screwed me over as I hit 105 segments last year and would be matching to AA EXP..
I’ll suck it up as a Plat and work my way to EXP in 2013. I don’t think I’ll fly enough to make it and don’t live in an DEQM state.
Luckily, I still have 6 500 mile certs left so I can use those