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American Airlines AAdvantage® members who are falling short of requalifying for their desired elite tier now have a new (and costly) option to keep their status through March 31, 2027. The carrier has rolled out targeted buy-up offers allowing eligible customers to purchase the next level of status without earning additional Loyalty Points.
Under the loyalty program’s current elite structure, members earn status based on Loyalty Points accumulated from flying, credit card spend, and partner activity between March 1st and the last day of February the following year. The 2025–2026 qualification year ends on February 28th and American is using buy-ups as a bridge for flyers who otherwise would downgrade on March 1st.
Buy-ups are accessed by logging into American’s promotion page and are tailored to each member’s status and progress. Members can only buy up one status level above what they have already qualified for this year. For example, a Platinum Pro® member who has only requalified for Gold® would be offered a buy-up to Platinum® and not back to Platinum Pro®. Likewise, an Executive Platinum® who has only earned enough for Platinum® would receive a Platinum Pro® offer. ConciergeKey® cannot be purchased for any amount through this program.
Pricing varies widely depending on how close a member is to the next threshold. Members within a narrow gap may see comparatively low offers payable in cash or AAdvantage® miles, while others may receive higher prices reflecting a larger Loyalty Points deficit. Status updates are typically applied within five business days after purchase. The buy-up cost does not count as Loyalty Points and is non-refundable.
American is positioning the promotion as a way to retain frequent flyers while maintaining the integrity of the Loyalty Points system. This is something the airline has leaned heavily into as one of the industry’s most monetizable status models. For travelers who are just shy of requalification, the buy-up may be a practical tradeoff. For others, it’s a premium convenience at a premium price.
The offer remains valid beyond the qualification cutoff to give members time to see whether additional flying or credit card earnings close the gap before resorting to a buy-up.
Anthony’s Take: As with most targeted loyalty promos, value varies case by case and frequent flyers will need to weigh the cost against the benefits that come with another year of elite status. Upgrades are tough, but a buy-up could make sense if checked bags, lounge access, and accelerated miles earning outweigh the cost.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
