In addition to generous mileage earning for the charter flight, American Airlines has two separate offers for participants: bonus miles for flying on American between now and the charter flight itself, and an ultra-relaxed status challenge offer for folks who are elite members of another loyalty program.
Here are the terms and conditions for the American Airlines bonus offers (.pdf) made to MegaDO participants.
First, bonus miles for flying roundtrips through January 13.
Earn up to 55,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles for round trip travel flown on American Airlines, American Eagle or AmericanConnection® between October 9, 2011, and January 13, 2012.
Each roundtrip earns a successively bigger bonus. One roundtrip is 1000 miles, two roundtrips is 2000 more, three roundtrips is 3000 more… up to 10,000 bonus miles for the 10th roundtrip (and 55,000 total bonus miles earned).
Open jaw trips are eligible, one-ways (including two one-ways that would constitute a roundtrip but booked as separate reservations) are not.
That’s great and all, and I love bonus miles. But that’s not the offer that’s most generous, and has my own mouth watering.
Normally, American Airlines offers fast track to Gold and Platinum status, fees range from $120 – $200 to participate, and challenges are based on elite qualifying points meaning you either had to buy high fare tickets or fly twice as many miles as otherwise required.
MegaDO participants who have elite status in a competing airline have much lower than usual qualification rules for a challenge.
- There’s no fee.
- It’s based on miles flown, not points.
- Gold is just 5000 miles, Platinum 10,000, and Executive Platinum 20,000
- This can even be used to re-qualify for status (an existing American Executive Platinum who is also a United 1K could use this to maintain their Executive Platinum status)
Travel between October 9 and January 13 will count, even flights taken before you register for the challenge. Of course, you are only eligible to challenge the status level that you have in a competing program (e.g. a United 1K can challenge to American Executive Platinum, a Delta Silver can challenge to American Gold).
This offer alone is enough to make me really glad I’m going on the trip. A single trip to Asia plus a cross-country trip could make Executive Platinum. Or four cross-country roundtrips and a Florida trip. I may finally make the jump over to American AAdvantage, and though I’ve previously written that I plan to cross the 3 million lifetime miles threshold on the charter flight I’m tempted to drop some hotel points into my AAdvantage account right now, get 3 million miles and the accompanying 4 international upgrade certificates in order to make my quest for Executive Platinum that much more comfortable.
I’ve already priced it, and depending on the hubs you can route through, it only takes 2 trips to LHR to qualify for EXP.
and that is from the east coast
So I’m guessing that 75K level status on some airlines (cough US Platinum) will only garner AA Platinum? Would this be worth it to me? I’m not even 100% sure I’m going for OWMD booking tomorrow – so if AA Platinum is worth it that may sway me.
The terms and conditions state:
“Offer is valid only for confirmed oneworld MegaDo participant”
Ok, I know i’m late to the game here, but can you please explain how I become a “confirmed” member of MegaDO?
My searches on Google have been fruitless.
Thanks
@zale registration opens up tomorrow 10/27 at 12 EST
Remember that “base miles” on AA don’t have a 500-mile minimum like EQM do, so you need to fly 20,000 actual miles.
The NICE part is that it’s retroactive to the launch party on October 9th.
Will Delta Plat Medallion = AA Exec Plat for Status match?? Any insight???
So only base miles count toward the challenge of 20k? Class of service bonus eqm do not count toward that threshold, thus business class is the same as coach for challenge purposes?
Just as caution, re. fast track challenge, the TOC states
“To qualify, base miles must be earned for travel on purchased, published fare tickets on American Airlines, American Eagle or the AmericanConnection® carrier marketed and operated flights…Flights operated by our codeshare partners or other AAdvantage participant carriers are not eligible for this promotion.”
A trip to Asia would likely involve one or more codeshare..
@Sam thanks.. I was htinking NRT, PVG (though not PEK because of Visa cost… PVG allows visa-free transit)
Wow, the elite status offer is really nice. It will be perfect for me to do this at owmegado II next January as my Delta platinum expires:-)
Sigh… EXP is only until 2013. I was really hoping for a reason to fly 20k BIS miles in 13 days to retain my EXP until 2014. 😉
Gary- do the EVIPS come with Exec Plat? Assume yes, but just want to confirm.
EXP, here I come 😉
I would have loved this match (as a DL Diamond), but with the holidays in there, it would be difficult to get from 0 (where I am now) to 20k…. wish you had 90 days from today(not 50ish).
@The Points Guy it’s my understanding that past Executive Platinum challenges have delivered eVIPs upon successful completion. They don’t say this one will not / that this one will mean less than standard EXP benefits. Although it’s a good and fair question and I haven’t posed it directly. Hard to imagine they won’t provide full benefits which include eVIPs.
It’s like 78 days from now in addition to retroactive counting of travel for the past couple of weeks. Easiest offer I’ve ever seen American make..
Now that American has just announced double EQM’s between SFO/LAX and ORD/DFW, would this qualify (fly half as much on this route)? Or does it have to be actual BIS miles?
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