For many travelers, flying is nothing more than a way to get from point A to point B as quickly and cheaply as possible.
Especially as air travel has gotten crowded, pushier, ruder, and less predictable, most people want to spend as little time in an airplane as possible. As a result, countless perks, miles and points are left unclaimed.
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Not to mention, many airlines' reward programs are confusing and unwieldy. Each provider has different policies, and unless you're fiercely loyal to one airline and only one airline, collecting the miles necessary to earn enough credits for your next big vacation to Hawaii or Aspen can be a long, arduous process.
Perhaps one of the most confusing rewards programs is American Airlines' (AAL) - Get Free Report. The Fort Worth, Texas, airline routinely changes its rewards program and offers several tiers, which can confound even the savviest of travelers.
In 2022, American introduced its Loyalty Points program, which replaced earlier programs such as Elite Qualifying Miles, Elite Qualifying Dollars and Elite Qualifying Segments. Loyalty Points allowed fliers to earn points whenever they traveled with American, use an AAdvantage co-branded credit card for purchases, or shop at AAdvantage partners.
Later in the fall it rolled out an Instant Status Pass offer, which offers a series of "status challenges." The higher your status, the more bonuses you'd receive, which could then be traded in for free flights and other perks.
If it seems complicated, that's because it is. Which may be partly why American is streamlining its challenges by letting customers buy their way to higher status.
According to new reports, American is sending out emails to members with no status and offering them the opportunity to buy Gold or Platinum status through March 2024 directly. That's even if the customer hasn't flown with the carrier in years.
View From The Wing claims that it may be a targeted offer, but American has been seen offering:
"It's interesting that they're offering payment in miles at one cent apiece, and this could be better for some people than jumping through he hoops of 'Instant Status Pass,'" View From The Wing writes.
"It's also another way that Gold members and one million miler status has become less valuable: Someone with status can redeem 75,000 miles to be above them on upgrade and other wait lists for nearly a year without having earned status themselves."