AA FF Gold Status
Sep 25th, 2003, 08:41 AM
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AA FF Gold Status
Recently became a Gold Member. Do I get a bump to First Class automatically if space is available after Platinum members etc. or do I still need to purchase upgrades for my account.
Sep 25th, 2003, 08:47 AM
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You will need to use upgrades (they give you some and if you need more you have to purchase them). Also you need to request an upgrade ahead of time--you can do it on their website--they will upgrade you 24 hrs prior if room is available. You can always wait till you get to the airport to request an upgrade, but it is less likely to be available then. With this method, I almost always get upgraded in the continental US when I want to.
Sep 25th, 2003, 10:52 AM
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jpg2esq,
Regarding RachelG's statement: "they give you some and if you need more you have to purchase them)."
That is mostly true, however there are conditions to getting the free upgrades.
Once you are Gold, you receive 4 free upgrades (worth 500 miles each) AFTER you have flown 10,000. You continue to receive the 4 free upgrades after every 10,000 miles flown. These upgrades are to be used while you are Gold.
It has to be flying miles. Other miles because of car rental, hotel, long distance telephone, etc. do not count.
You can always purchase upgrades. I believe buying them from the AA website they are $40.00/500 miles. At the airport ticket counter they are $50.00/500 miles.
Curious
Regarding RachelG's statement: "they give you some and if you need more you have to purchase them)."
That is mostly true, however there are conditions to getting the free upgrades.
Once you are Gold, you receive 4 free upgrades (worth 500 miles each) AFTER you have flown 10,000. You continue to receive the 4 free upgrades after every 10,000 miles flown. These upgrades are to be used while you are Gold.
It has to be flying miles. Other miles because of car rental, hotel, long distance telephone, etc. do not count.
You can always purchase upgrades. I believe buying them from the AA website they are $40.00/500 miles. At the airport ticket counter they are $50.00/500 miles.
Curious
Sep 25th, 2003, 11:32 AM
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Curious has it mostly covered, but for one thing. If you purchase a full fare coach, you will automatically get upgraded as an elite member.
Oh, one more. These upgrade stickers are only good in the 50 United States,Mexico,Caribbean,Bahamas,Bermuda and Central America.
Europe, Japan, and South America are excluded. You could use miles and/or VIPOWs for next class upgrade from any published fare on these routes.
Congratulations! This week I qualified for Executive Platinum myself. Can't wait to get my VIPOWs and the new shiny black card.
You will get a welcome letter with a gold card in about 4 weeks, but your status should be reflected in the records, so you could start using any and all of your benefits.
Oh, one more. These upgrade stickers are only good in the 50 United States,Mexico,Caribbean,Bahamas,Bermuda and Central America.
Europe, Japan, and South America are excluded. You could use miles and/or VIPOWs for next class upgrade from any published fare on these routes.
Congratulations! This week I qualified for Executive Platinum myself. Can't wait to get my VIPOWs and the new shiny black card.
You will get a welcome letter with a gold card in about 4 weeks, but your status should be reflected in the records, so you could start using any and all of your benefits.
Sep 25th, 2003, 01:46 PM
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VIPOW= V.I.P. One Way upgrade certificate.Howvere, since all my goodies associated with my elite status are donated to somebody who could actually derive some benefit from them, I dont know the details other than you can use them to upgrade one class of service from the fare you paid.But they are capacity controlled and subject to availability,blah,blah blah,etc....
Sep 25th, 2003, 02:39 PM
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VIPO-(W,03,04?) = free one-way, one class upgrade cert. anywhere AA flies. They are capacity controlled but I never had a problem using them on the flights I wanted. They could be used on any published fare. It comes fom the same inventory as mileage upgrades(C).
They are given free to AAdvantage Executive Platinum members. You get 8 the first time you qualify and 8 more the following March. From that point on you get 8 every year you re-qualify.
They could be gifted to anybody, but not sold/traded. Even so, you will find them for sale on E-Bay. The average price is between $250-$300, depending on the expiration date. If you do buy one from e-bay, don't ever admit to AA that you bought one. Make sure you know the original owner's name and address(it's printed on the cert), just in case the AA agent asks you during check-in, when she's holding the cert.. Always say that you were given the cert for free, because..... well you get the point.
If AA does find out that it was sold/bought they will cancel the buyers upgrade and the sellers AAdvantage account. IMHO, not worth it, but some people do it all the time, although I will admit, AA does not go out of it's way to investigate. They could be gifted, so the agents don't even bother, unless there is something in the computer to alert them that the same persons certs are being used all over the world.
BTW, Beachboi, I do enjoy your posts, and you do provide great airline business info, but, please, let's not pretend here. I know few top tier status holders with AA and UA, and none of them just hand out the VIPOWs or SWUs like it was yesterday news. They are very valuable, and true, I or others may gift few to family or close friends, but there is no way in hell anybody just throws all of them out there for anybody that asks. I will be flying to London in Dec. from TPA(first)to ORD(business) to LHR for $424 R/T, just because I will use 2 of the certs. I don't think you are AA EXP so please let's not pretend you are.
They are given free to AAdvantage Executive Platinum members. You get 8 the first time you qualify and 8 more the following March. From that point on you get 8 every year you re-qualify.
They could be gifted to anybody, but not sold/traded. Even so, you will find them for sale on E-Bay. The average price is between $250-$300, depending on the expiration date. If you do buy one from e-bay, don't ever admit to AA that you bought one. Make sure you know the original owner's name and address(it's printed on the cert), just in case the AA agent asks you during check-in, when she's holding the cert.
. Always say that you were given the cert for free, because..... well you get the point. If AA does find out that it was sold/bought they will cancel the buyers upgrade and the sellers AAdvantage account. IMHO, not worth it, but some people do it all the time, although I will admit, AA does not go out of it's way to investigate. They could be gifted, so the agents don't even bother, unless there is something in the computer to alert them that the same persons certs are being used all over the world.
BTW, Beachboi, I do enjoy your posts, and you do provide great airline business info, but, please, let's not pretend here. I know few top tier status holders with AA and UA, and none of them just hand out the VIPOWs or SWUs like it was yesterday news. They are very valuable, and true, I or others may gift few to family or close friends, but there is no way in hell anybody just throws all of them out there for anybody that asks. I will be flying to London in Dec. from TPA(first)to ORD(business) to LHR for $424 R/T, just because I will use 2 of the certs. I don't think you are AA EXP so please let's not pretend you are.
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