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Changes to American Airlines & US Airways Elite Status Qualification Requirements

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You’ll have new targets to reach to get American Airlines elite status in 2015, and the upgrade process will change.

American Airlines changes elite status requirements, combines programs with US Airways Traveling Well For Less

American Airlines & US Airways are combining loyalty programs

 

American Airlines & US Airways elite status requirements

Currently, to reach elite status with American Airlines you have to earn:

  • Gold = 25,000 miles or points or 30 segments
  • Platinum = 50,000 miles or points or 60 segments
  • Executive Platinum = 100,000 miles or points or 100 segments
American Airlines elite status qualification levels Traveling Well For Less

Current American Airlines elite status qualification requirements

 

With US Airways, you have to earn:

  • Silver = 25,000 miles or 30 segments
  • Gold = 50,000 miles or 60 segments
  • Platinum = 75,000 miles or 90 segments
  • Chairman’s = 100,000 miles or 120 segments
US Airways elite status qualification levels Traveling Well For Less

Current US Airways elite status qualification levels

 

2 Changes to American Airlines & US Airways elite status qualification

But on January 1, 2015, new elite status qualifications go into place for both American Airlines and US Airways.

You can rest easy because the changes are relatively minor.

1. 3 tier system

American Airlines’ 3 tier elite system will remain intact.

This is great news for American Airlines elite members, but not for US Airways elite members.

US Airways Platinum elite members will “drop” to Platinum status or have to fly more to reach Executive Platinum status.

2015 American Airlines & US Airways Elite qualification requirements Traveling Well For Less

More segments are required for Executive Platinum elite status with American Airlines & US Airways

 

2. Increase in segments

If you qualify for Executive Platinum elite status by segments, you will have to fly 120 segments to maintain your elite status.

This is an increase of 20 segments over the current 100 segment requirement for Executive Platinum status.

Accounts will be combined (matched)

Your American Airlines miles and US Airways miles will be combined (or matched) in the second quarter of 2015.

American Airlines miles rules

US Airways miles will become American Airlines miles.

If you only have a US Airways account, your US Airways miles will be automatically transferred to American Airlines miles.

If you have both an American Airlines account and US Airways account, your accounts will have to be matched in 2015.  Details on how to match accounts haven’t been released yet, but I imagine it will be a relatively easy process.

Combining or matching American Airlines and US Airways accounts Traveling Well For Less

American Airlines & US Airways miles will be combined (matched) in 2015

 

Your elite status will be based on the highest elite status reached.

Here are some examples from American Airlines:

Elite status based on segments:

After combining your 30 American Airlines segments and 34 US Airways segments flown in 2014, you have a total of 64 flown segments.  64 segments qualifies you for Platinum status through February 2016.

Your elite status for March 2016 to February 2017 is based on your 2015 flights.

So if you fly 15 American Airlines segments and 17 US Airways segments in 2015, your total is 32 flown segments.  32 segments qualifies you for Gold status through February 2017.

Combining American Airlines & US Airways miles

Highest elite status level prevails = Platinum status through February 2016

 

Elite status based on miles:

Your combined 15,000 American Airlines elite qualifying miles and 10,000 US Airways elite qualifying miles flown in 2014 means you have 25,000 elite qualifying miles.  25,000 elite qualifying miles gets you for Gold status through February 2016.

If you fly 25,000 American Airlines elite qualifying miles and 25,000 US Airways elite qualifying miles in 2015, you’ll have 50,000 elite qualifying miles.  50,000 elite qualifying miles gets you Platinum status through February 2017.

elite qualification based on combined American Airlines & US Airways miles Traveling Well For Less

Your combined American Airlines & US Airways elite qualifying miles can get you a higher elite status

 

Upgrades

While American Airlines system influenced elite status qualifications, when it comes to upgrades, US Airways reigns supreme.

However, the upgrade procedure will be different on both airlines until the end of 2015.

2 Changes to upgrades on American Airlines

The 500 mile sticker upgrade process on American Airlines and how far in advance upgrades are confirmed remains the same. But there are 2 key changes:

1. You won’t have to check the box

The upgrade process will be automatic.  So no more having to check the upgrade box.  All upgrades will be auto-requested for elite status members.

This is great for Executive Platinum members because all domestic upgrades are free, but I can see where it will become an issue for Gold and Platinum members when 500 mile sticker upgrades are involved.

2. Free upgrades on flights less than 500 miles

You don’t have to use 500 mile stickers to upgrade on flights less than 500 miles.

If you’re Gold or Platinum members, you can save your 500 miles stickers for when it really matters: flights to Hawaii, the Caribbean, Mexico, Bermuda, Bahamas, and Central America.

500 mile upgrades on American Airlines Traveling Well For Less

Auto-requested upgrades and free upgrades for flights less than 500 miles

 

US Airways elites will be given 500 mile upgrade stickers based on their elite qualifying flights.

Change to upgrades on US Airways

The only change to the upgrade procedure on US Airways will be when upgrades are processed: upgrades will be confirmed closer to departure.

US Airways elite members will have to sweat it out a bit longer to find out if their upgrades have cleared.

  • Gold = 2 days prior to departure
  • Platinum = 3 days prior to departure
  • Executive Platinum = 4 days prior to departure
500 mile upgrades on US Airways Traveling Well For Less

No 500 mile upgrade stickers needed on US Airways

 

System Wide Upgrades (SWUs)

Executive Platinums will continue to earn 8 system wide upgrades (swus). So far no changes to how system wide upgrades will be applied.

Overall, the changes aren’t too drastic.

US Airways Platinums, however, aren’t going to be happy that they are losing their elite tier. But American Airlines Golds and Platinums will be happy that they can upgrade for free on flights under 500 miles.

It will be interesting to see if it’s harder for SWUs to clear now that there will be more elites.

How do you feel about the changes to American Airlines & US Airways elite qualifications and upgrade system?

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