Apparently the old adage "Never say never" is ringing true once more: American Airlines is offering some customers the ability to status match to their top (published) tier status, Executive Platinum. The airline generally does not permit such so the news that it is available has some customers previously loyal to other carriers – namely United Airlines – looking more closely at the American offerings.That said, it is not an easy match to hit.
For one thing, American really does challenges, not matches. You cannot simply trade in the old status for new and reap the benefits all year long. Of course, if you really are a high value customer switching airlines – the real purpose of having a status match available – then you’re flying enough to finish the challenge anyways, right? Maybe.
Completing the Executive Platinum challenge requires earning 25,000 Elite Qualifying Points (EQP) in a 90 day span. The catch, of course, is that the EQPs are earnt at different rates based on the fare paid. The cheapest fares only earn at 50% of miles flown which means 50K miles in a 90 day span. I’ve done that a few times and it is definitely possible, but not necessarily recommended unless you REALLY want to make that switch. Oh, and you do have to pay some additional cash to participate in the challenge.
So, yeah, it appears possible, but likely a smart move only for folks with a lot of travel paid for by someone else coming up.
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