AAdvantage complimentary elite to May 15, register by Jan 25 (targeted).

American Airlines AAdvantage sent out emails to select members last week for complimentary elite status through May 15, 2019 when you register for an elite challenge. These are targeted member offers.

I received an email on January 8 offering me complimentary Platinum Pro elite, normally requiring 75,000 EQM and $9,000 EQD. This offer requires registration by January 25, 2019, then you have until May 15 to meet the goals of your specific offer.

This offer provides complimentary Platinum Pro elite membership through May 15, 2019.

To maintain Platinum Pro elite through January 31, 2020 

• $2,400 Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQD)
• 20,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQM)
• Complete EQD and EQM requirements by May 15, 2019 on tickets for flights operated or marketed by American, American Eagle, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Japan Airlines between the date registered for challenge and May 15.

My 2018 flight year ended with $1,177 EQD and 6,370 EQM in American Airlines AAdvantage. Last week’s flights London Gatwick LGW – Fort Lauderdale FLL – Dallas DFW – San Jose SJC earned 351 EQD and 3,490 EQM, but those EQD and EQM don’t count toward my challenge.

I purchased two tickets in 2018 with flight segments I credited to AAdvantage.

• British Airways ticket San Jose to Amsterdam spending $416.
• American Airlines San Jose to London $537.
• I earned most of my $1,177 EQD from the less expensive British Airways deep discount economy ticket based on EQD calculation of 5% of flight miles on an Economy O class ticket.

I held AAdvantage Executive Platinum in 2016 through a challenge offer I completed in Fall 2015. Then AAdvantage went revenue-based and I dropped to Platinum in 2017. I had no elite status with AAdvantage in 2018 and concentrated more of my airline spend with Star Alliance tickets and flights credited to Aegean Miles+Bonus.

I spend nowhere near the $3,000 EQD required for even low level AAdvantage Gold elite with my annual airline ticket spend spread across many airlines and alliances.

Still, nice to have elite status, even if in name only.

Now back to my real flight plans for earning Aegean Gold and Star Alliance Gold elite for 2019 with a cheap $370 SAS Scandinavian flight to the Nordic countries and a $250 trip to Greece with Aegean and Olympic Airlines.