tl;dr—My strategy for chasing airline status is less focused on the benefits I’ll receive from a given airline and more on amassing as many valuable miles as possible while expending the least effort.
For the past few years, I’ve moved away from airline loyalty and focused instead on two things: 1) making the slightest effort possible to attain the most miles and 2) maximizing benefits with a strong airline alliance. My north star in the points and miles game is now a hunt for the most ‘easily redeemable miles at the lowest cost.’ Cost is determined by two things – the actual dollar amount and the expenditure of effort. That is why I’ve qualified for Executive Platinum status with American Airlines for the last few years due to the accessibility of AA’s loyalty point program. As a result, chasing status with more than one airline doesn’t make much sense for how I travel.
As of January 2025, I have 62,001 American Airlines AAdvantage loyalty points, so I’ve got some work to get to 200,000 for Executive Platinum. Since American Airlines’ qualification year goes through February of each year (your loyalty point total resets on March 1), I still have a little less than two months to hit this threshold. As discussed below, this is enough time for me, based on my preferred method for racking up loyalty points. Ok, Let’s jump into it.
How I Prefer to Fly
I’ve made it a point to fly a premium cabin fare whenever possible. Sometimes, that means purchasing the cash fare; other times, that means redeeming the ticket’s miles (or points). In the past, I’ve written about my proclivity for buying miles at a discount (or bonus) to redeem them for a flight. I value traveling in a premium cabin quite highly and am willing to fly any airline that offers a reasonably enjoyable premium cabin experience.
Cathay Pacific’s The Wing Lounge welcomes Oneworld Emeralds – Source: You Are Travel
While I travel frequently, I don’t pretend to be a road warrior. Even after starting blogging, my travels are still trips I want to take, not tied to a job or other business reasons. Accordingly, while I may not travel as much as someone who spends their entire year on the road (or in the sky) and can qualify purely on their revenue flights, I do still travel often, and when I do, it’s great to enjoy top-tier benefits.
Cathay Pacific The Pier offers a swanky reprieve from the terminal – Source: You Are Travel
That’s why I’ve found that playing the American Airlines Loyalty Point game maximizes my ROI when it comes to chasing my Northstar. Indeed, given that there are so many ways to earn loyalty points, most of which don’t require stepping foot on the plane, it’s possible to earn top-tier status with American Airlines—and, as a result, Oneworld Emerald Status—within a matter of weeks, if not days.
Why Status with American Airlines Makes Sense for Me
American Airlines has been my program of choice for the last few years for two reasons:
- Advantage miles are easy to redeem and earn.
- The Oneworld Alliance offers excellent benefits for elites across the globe.
My number one way to earn American Airlines Loyalty points has long been to book hotel stays through AAdvantage Hotels. Each year, I book my first 15 (or so) hotel stays through this platform, and it’s a bit of a triple dip. I put the reservations on my Citi Advantage Executive Card, earning 10X points on American Airlines partners such as Advantage Hotels. Additionally, I get a 10,000 loyalty point boost for holding this card at both the 60,000 and 90,000 loyalty mark. And let’s not forget that on the road to the 200,000 loyalty points needed for Executive Platinum, you are earning actual American Advantage miles, too. Thus, by the time I hit 200,000 loyalty points, I’ve already accumulated at least 200,000 miles, and with all the multipliers and bonuses along the way, it’s generally much more.
All of this without stepping foot on a plane and staying in hotels that I’d need to book anyway. Do I sometimes have to pay more for the hotels through Advantage Hotels than elsewhere? Sometimes, yes. But for 15 nights, that’s a tradeoff I’m willing to take.
Now why is this worth it? Because you can use AA Advantage miles for all sorts of significant redemptions like:
Flying Japan Airlines First or Business Class for as little
JAL Business Class meals and Cabin – Source: You Are Travel
Or Flying British Airways First Class
Or simply flying Flagship First American Airlines.
And before you board, be sure to visit Flagship First Dining.
Conclusion
Airline status is a nice-to-have for me. My main priority is accruing as many easily redeemable miles (for premium cabin fares) as possible. If, as a bonus, I reach a status that offers global airline alliance benefits, I’m all for it. Such has been the case with American Airlines Advantage, and so long as the loyalty point gamification continues into 2025, I’m likely to continue down that path.
If you plan to chase Airline status in 2025, what program will it be with and why?
