Please confirm this...

Posted on January 6, 2009 under xn--omr06vg8k1ys.com edit

  • I plan to fly HAM-LHR-SIN-BNE on BA in discounted Y which is 11136 miles each way.If I do the Platinum challenge on this route I think I will earn it after arriving at BNE.Is this right? According to FewMiles homepage I will earn 11136 miles for BNE-HAM plus the PLT bonus of 11136 and if I change the 4x500mls upgrades I will get 10000 additional miles. This would mean that I get 43408 miles for the whole route. Can you please confirm this because I must have made a mistake in my calculations.

    Thanks in advance!!!

    Tim


  • I don't profess to be an expert on this matter but maybe Fewmiles will be able to confirm if my suggestion is valid.

    If you sign up for the Gold Challenge AND the Platinum Challenge at the same time then you would become eligible for the upgrade mileage and a 25% bonus as soon as your Gold status trip posts. I haven't done the math but this would probably give you more overall miles for the trip.


  • i had thought the challenge itself also got elite bonus, but obvious i was wrong.

    then it might make sense that you ask for a comp.
    (i myself got a comp to PLT for some special reason, but i reached explt in June, so that was not dilution :d )


  • I think you're supposed to get the full 100% elite status bonus on your Plat challenge completion flight. (At least, I did...)

    I think they changed it, Fewmiles. I got the 50% difference when I did the Challenge this year, and apparently others have seen the same thing.

    Probably happened when the Challenge was altered to Q-points only.


  • (Dr.) FewMiles knows his stuff... well stated.
    http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starsmilie.gif and a http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif


  • While there's no official data, I don't think you'd be allowed to do both challenges simultaneously since that would represent double-dipping on the Q-points. You are certainly allowed to do them sequentially, Gold Challenge and then Platinum Challenge.

    I suppose the only way to find out is to call AA Customer Service and ask to be enrolled in the Gold Challenge as well. The only thing I'd be afraid of is AA's computer programs automatically wiping your Platinum Challenge Q-point balance to zero once you complete the Gold Challenge.

    If you can double-dip, you'd get ~4,300 extra miles and an extra 7,200k Q-miles toward the e-upgrades.

    If the system doesn't allow double-dipping, you won't complete the Platinum Challenge and you'd need to get an extra 4,217 Q-points.

    It's up to you.


  • Plato90's response is dead on. My associate did the plat challenge a month or so ago. Almost all the mileage was the result of ORD-LHR on AA, connecting to BA on to TLV.

    You've got to love the challenge!


  • Seems like the four segment rule wasn't applied to me. I have only flown AY/QF discount Y this year but got Gold. Didn't know of any challenges at that point... bugger, I'd be plat if I had known!!

    Also it seems like Oneworld discount Y gets you 1 Q-point per mile (I have flown AY M/Q/V and QF O). This is from my statement:

    YTD Elite Qualifying Points 30,583
    YTD Elite Qualifying Miles 30,583

    Does the 100% mileage bonus for plat apply to all OW carriers? If that's the case, I'm tempted to take the challenge next year!

    Best Regards,

    LH747FTL
    Helsinki, Finland


  • Tim2008: To complete the Plat Challenge requires 10000 Q-points.  Since you are flying discounted Y, this translates into 20000 Q-miles, because you earn only 0.5 Q-points/mile flown in discount econo fares.  At least, it's supposed to be this way.  Furthermore, as Plato90s points out, you can't earn any AAdvantage miles (and hence no Q-points) by flying BA on the transatlantic sectors.  If you could post your proposed itinerary (city pairs and base mileage, if known) people will be able to calculate your miles/q-miles/q-points for you.

    Exchanging upgrades for miles gives you bonus miles and bonus miles never count towards status.  The only way one earns qualifying miles/points is by flying on elite status qualifying partners on eligible, paid fares.

    Plato90s also highlighted the minimum 4 AA segment annual rule.  To clarify, this requirement applies to normal AAdv elite qualification or requalification only and does not apply to the challenge.

    FewMiles..

    ------------------
    .................[ FlyerTalkers' Resources on the Web (http://fewmiles.tripod.com/index.html#1)]
    [ Unofficial Guide to AAdvantage (http://fewmiles.tripod.com/AA/index.html#1)] [ Unofficial oneworld Info Desk (http://fewmiles.tripod.com/oneworld/index.html#1)]


  • Thanks for your very fast responses!!!

    This would be my itinerary:
    HAM-LHR BA 967 500 miles minimum
    LHR-SIN BA 7310 6748 miles op by QF
    SIN-BNE BA 7352 3818 miles op by QF
    BNE-SIN BA ? 3818 miles
    SIN-LHR BA ? 6748 miles
    LHR-HAM BA ? 500 miles minimum

    So I think I would be PLT after my arrival in Germany.But what would be my mileage?
    I know that the exchange of upgrade voucher do not count towards elite status but I would exchange them just for the base miles.That is how my calculation was made above.

    Tim


  • The "simultaneous challenge" thing has never been confirmed and I don't think you're supposed to be able to it this way.

    I think you're supposed to get the full 100% elite status bonus on your Plat challenge completion flight.  (At least, I did...)

    So, here's my revision of Plato90s' calculations (please excuse my formatting, I'm trying to get the columns to line up):

    Case 1 - Full Y ticket

    base mi/Q-pts/bonus mi/mi tw upgd/status/flight
    0500/0500/0000/0000/ADV HAM-LHR
    6748/6748/0000/0000/ADV LHR-SIN
    3818/3818/3818/3818/PLT SIN-BNE (completes challenge)
    3818/3818/3818/3818/PLT BNE-SIN
    6748/6748/6748/6748/PLT SIN-LHR
    0500/0500/0500/0500/PLT LHR-HAM
    22132/22132/14884/14884 total:

    (base) Q-miles = 22132
    Q-points = 22132
    bonus miles = 14884
    total miles = 37016
    miles towards upgrades = 14884 (4 earned upgrades, could be exchanged for 10k more bonus miles)

    Case 2 - Discount coach ticket

    base mi/Q-pts/bonus mi/mi tw upgd/status/flight
    0500/0500/0000/0000/ADV HAM-LHR
    6748/3374/0000/0000/ADV LHR-SIN
    3818/1909/0000/0000/ADV SIN-BNE
    3818/1909/0000/0000/ADV BNE-SIN
    6748/3374/6748/6748/PLT SIN-LHR
    0500/0500/0500/0500/PLT LHR-HAM
    22132/11566/7248/7248 total:

    (base) Q-miles = 22132
    Q-points = 11566
    bonus miles = 7248
    total miles = 29380
    miles towards upgrades = 7248

    I seem to get different numbers than did Plato90s... uh oh!

    FewMiles..

    ------------------
    .................[ FlyerTalkers' Resources on the Web (http://fewmiles.tripod.com/index.html#1)]
    [ Unofficial Guide to AAdvantage (http://fewmiles.tripod.com/AA/index.html#1)] [ Unofficial oneworld Info Desk (http://fewmiles.tripod.com/oneworld/index.html#1)]


  • if you are refering to the aa plat challenge, doesn't the mileage have to be on aa?


  • Just want to say thank you for beeing so helpful!!!

    Tim


  • The 25% (GLD) or 100% (PLT and EXP) elite status bonus applies to all flights on elite status qualifying carriers.  These are AA, all its oneworld partners, and AS (with the usual disclaimer that you have to be on a paid fare in an eligible fare class -- see Unofficial Guide / Tools / Fare code charts).  This is a significant plus of AAdvantage over UA's Mileage Plus, where you earn elite status bonus on UA flights only and not on Star Alliance partner flights (at least it was this way the last time I checked).

    FewMiles..

    ------------------
    .................[ FlyerTalkers' Resources on the Web (http://fewmiles.tripod.com/index.html#1)]
    [ Unofficial Guide to AAdvantage (http://fewmiles.tripod.com/AA/index.html#1)] [ Unofficial oneworld Info Desk (http://fewmiles.tripod.com/oneworld/index.html#1)]


  • Tim,

    If what you said is correct, then I believe you'll earn PLT on your return to LHR. The challenges are Q-point dependant, so you need 10k Q-points for PLT. Given that you're on a discount Y fare, you'll earn half Q-points for each mile, so you should cross the 10k point threshold somewhere on your SIN-LHR or LHR-HAM segments.


  • Plato,

    Isnt it also true that on Challenges, any OW carrier you use you earn 1:1 miles? I think it is only on AA where you earn .5:1 discount, 1:1 Y fare, etc.
    So Tim2008, you will make Plat on the first half of your trip alone. The Plat bonus, i believe goes into effect once you hit Plat.
    As for exchanging miles, i do not believe you get status points for the exchange if that is what you were asking.

    -Eli


  • Strange... when I did my challenge, it had already changed to Q-points only. I think one is supposed to get the full elite status bonus on the challenge completing flight, but the computer often gives you only half. The way it's supposed to be is:

    Gold challenge Z-points = 25% of base miles on challenge completing flight. Sometimes shows up as 12.5%, but is supposed to be the full 25%. Plat challenge Z-points (no status to PLT) = 100% of base miles. Sometimes shows up as only 50%, but you're supposed to get the full 100%. Plat challenge G-points (GLD to PLT) = 100% of base miles (if they don't separately credit you with the regular 25% Gold elite bonus) or 75% of base miles (if the challenge completing flight also came with the 25% Gold elite bonus). Sometimes people get 62.5% total bonus (the average of 25% and 100%), but again, you're supposed to get the full 100%.

    For the GLD Challenge completing flight, you're supposed to receive the full 25% GLD elite status bonus. Same goes for a PLT Challenge completing flight -- you should get the full 100%. When you reach GLD or PLT the "normal" way, that's what you get and the same should apply to the challenges.

    FewMiles..


  • So what you really should do is enroll in both the Platinum and Gold challenges simultaneously. Then, assuming the 1:1 Q-points to Q-miles ratio on BA, you would qualify for Gold on the LHR-SIN leg. This would give you an extra 474 bonus miles on the SIN-BNE leg (average of gold bonus and plt bonus instead of the average of the PLT bonus and 0) and allow you to count the SNE-BNE miles toward e-upgrades (since you would already be gold). To those who know more: would this work?

    -JS


  • Given that the Platinum Challenge is officially undocumented, it's not entirely clear. But I think the rule is that all you need are Q-points, and BA non-transatlantic flights earn AA Q-points.

    The only requirement for AA metal I know of is the yearly 4-segment minimum.


  • There are 2 possibilities. If your flights are counted as full-fare Y-class by AA, then you'd make PLT on the SIN-BNE flight. The mileage does like this

    HAM-LHR BA 967 500 miles (no bonus)
    LHR-SIN BA 7310 6748 miles (no bonus)
    SIN-BNE BA 7352 3818 miles (1909 miles)
    BNE-SIN BA ? 3818 miles (3818 miles)
    SIN-LHR BA ? 6748 miles (6748 miles)
    LHR-HAM BA ? 500 miles (500 miles)

    This assume you have no AA status right now, so you'd get 50% bonus [1/2 * (100% PLT bonus - current bonus 0%)] on your challenge completing flight.

    You end up with 39,607 miles, plus 4 e-upgrades because only flights after you are PLT count toward e-upgrades. So total mileage after trading in upgrades is 49,607 miles.

    --------------------

    If AA counts these as discount coach fare classes, then you complete the challenge on you SIN-LHR flight. The mileage goes like

    HAM-LHR BA 967 500 miles (no bonus)
    LHR-SIN BA 7310 6748 miles (no bonus)
    SIN-BNE BA 7352 3818 miles (no bonus)
    BNE-SIN BA ? 3818 miles (no bonus)
    SIN-LHR BA ? 6748 miles (3374 miles)
    LHR-HAM BA ? 500 miles (500 miles)

    You end up with 26,006 miles and no e-upgrades because you haven't flown 10k miles as an elite.

    Again, both cases assumes you have no current AA status.







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