
To earn instant rewards with American Airlines, you need to meet the requirements for their status challenge. This involves flying a certain number of flights within a set timeframe.
The status challenge is open to eligible AAdvantage members who have not met the requirements for elite status in the past year. You can check your eligibility on the American Airlines website.
To qualify, you'll need to earn the required number of elite-qualifying miles or segments within a specific timeframe, which is typically 90 days. The exact requirements vary depending on your current status level and the elite status you're targeting.
By completing the status challenge, you can earn instant rewards like priority check-in, extra baggage allowance, and upgraded seats.
Here's an interesting read: Track Passport Speed Post Status
What Is a Status Match?
Many travelers are familiar with the concept of status matching, but what exactly is it? Status matching is when an airline matches your current elite status with another airline for a limited period of time.
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Most airlines, such as Alaska, Delta, and United, will match your current status and then require you to complete a challenge.
The challenge may consist of flying a specific number of miles or flight segments to extend your granted status beyond the challenge period, which usually lasts 90 days.
American Airlines is unique in that it doesn't offer status matching at all, instead, it offers a status challenge.
For your interest: Order Status Awaiting Fulfillment
AAdvantage Challenge
You can request to participate in a status challenge with American Airlines, regardless of your current status or loyalty with other airlines. Anyone can sign up for a status challenge, but you can't currently hold status earned from a previous AAdvantage challenge.
To participate, you'll need to contact AAdvantage customer service to confirm your personal offer. This is because the status challenge details are tailored to your individual situation.
The AAdvantage Instant Status Pass program requires you to complete challenges in three consecutive phases, each lasting four months, to earn status for a year. The Loyalty Points required for each phase are as follows:
You can drop to a lower elite tier throughout the Instant Status Pass challenge, and the standard oneworld elite perks will apply during the challenge period.
AAdvantage Challenge Eligibility

To be eligible for an American Airlines AAdvantage Status Challenge, you don't need to have status with another airline's frequent flyer program or upcoming flights booked with American.
Anyone can request to participate in a status challenge, but you can't currently hold status earned from a previous AAdvantage challenge.
You can drop to a lower elite tier throughout the Instant Status Pass challenge, which means you can adjust your goals as you go.
The eligibility requirements for an Instant Status Pass promotion are that you can only receive one every 24 months.
Here are the thresholds for the first four-month period of the Instant Status Pass challenge:
Submitting a Request
To submit a request for the AAdvantage Challenge, you'll need to contact AAdvantage customer service. They'll be able to confirm your personal offer and guide you through the process.
The general parameters of the challenge are well-known, but specific details may vary. American Airlines' customer service team will provide you with the information you need to move forward.
You can initiate contact with AAdvantage customer service to inquire about the status challenge request. Be prepared to discuss your personal situation and preferences.
American Airlines' Instant Boarding Pass
American Airlines' Instant Status Pass is a great way to fast-track to one of the four AAdvantage status tiers. You can enjoy the benefits of your nominated status tier immediately, but you'll need to earn a set number of Loyalty Points over the next four months to extend it.
The required Loyalty Points vary depending on the status tier you're aiming for, with AAdvantage Gold status requiring 13,000 points, AAdvantage Platinum status requiring 25,000 points, AAdvantage Platinum Pro status requiring 42,000 points, and AAdvantage Executive Platinum status requiring 67,000 points.
If you overachieve the required Loyalty Points in the first phase, you'll be upgraded to a higher status in the next phase. The second phase also lasts four months and involves the same challenge.
American's Instant Pass Program Eligibility
If you're an elite member of competing airline programs, you're likely to find American's Instant Status Pass program most appealing.
You can request an Instant Status Pass promotion on American's website, but be prepared to wait at least four weeks for customer service to review your submission.
To be eligible, you must not have completed a similar promotion in the past two years.
The program is currently open to members of Delta SkyMiles, JetBlue TrueBlue, Southwest Rapid Rewards, and United MileagePlus elite programs, with status mapping over as per the following chart:
Additionally, AAdvantage members may be targeted for Instant Status Pass promotions through the "Promotions" tab of their AAdvantage account, or if they're enrolled in the American AAdvantage & World of Hyatt partnership and have elite status with Hyatt.
AAdvantage Instant Pass Basics
American Airlines' Instant Status Pass program is a unique way to earn elite status with the airline. It's not your average status challenge, where you earn status for a year after completing a challenge within a few months. Instead, the Instant Status Pass requires you to complete challenges in three consecutive phases, each lasting four months.
To participate in the Instant Status Pass, you need to meet the Loyalty Points requirements for each phase. The requirements vary depending on the elite status tier you're aiming for. Here's a breakdown of the Loyalty Points needed for each phase:
You can earn status in chunks of four months, and you'll receive the standard oneworld elite perks, including oneworld Sapphire and oneworld Emerald benefits. If you don't meet the Loyalty Points requirements, you'll drop to a lower elite tier for the next four months.
Instant Pass Program

American Airlines' Instant Status Pass program is a unique way to fast-track to one of their elite status tiers. It's divided into three phases, each lasting four months, and requires earning a set number of Loyalty Points to progress.
The program is available to those who have elite status with competing airline programs, such as Delta SkyMiles, JetBlue TrueBlue, Southwest Rapid Rewards, and United MileagePlus. You can also be eligible if you've been targeted for Instant Status Pass promotions by visiting the "Promotions" tab of your AAdvantage account or if you have elite status with Hyatt through the American AAdvantage & World of Hyatt partnership.
To participate, you'll need to complete challenges in each phase, earning 13,000 Loyalty Points for AAdvantage Gold, 25,000 for Platinum, 42,000 for Platinum Pro, and 67,000 for Executive Platinum. If you overachieve, you can upgrade to a higher status in the next phase.
Here's a breakdown of the Loyalty Point requirements for each phase:
Keep in mind that you can drop to a lower elite tier throughout the Instant Status Pass challenge, and the standard oneworld elite perks will apply during the Instant Status Pass period.
Worth It?
The Instant Status Pass is only worth it if you're committed to flying American Airlines over a long period of time.
Earning status via partner airlines is an option, but it makes more sense to focus on American Airlines if you're going to be flying with them frequently.
If you have the opportunity for a free status challenge, it's a great idea to go for it, especially if you don't currently have status with American or other Oneworld airlines.
Don't worry if you don't reach the challenge thresholds - it's not a huge loss, and you can always try again in the future.
However, if you plan to take a challenge in the future, it might not be worth paying for it this time around.
Paying for Status
You can request an Instant Status Pass offer from American Airlines, but you might need to pay a fee to start the challenge. The fee size is determined by American Airlines and can be around USD400 (~AU$600) to start a Platinum challenge.
To get your status match from Delta or United, you'll need to fill out a contact form and attach a screenshot of your 2022 status and earned miles. Those who earned their status through a match or promotion, or lifetime members, are not eligible.
The fee for an Instant Status Pass is based on undisclosed factors, including your current elite status and date of application. This means the fee can vary significantly from person to person.
Paying for an Instant Status Pass can be a viable option if you don't fit the published criteria for a status challenge. American Airlines offers this option at its discretion, although having elite status with a competitor or a lot of travel planned with American might increase your chances of receiving an offer.
Bottom Line
American Airlines' status challenge is a great way to boost your elite status, but it's essential to understand the rules and requirements.
The challenge requires 12 segments in 90 days, which is a relatively achievable goal for frequent flyers.
You can earn segments by flying on eligible flights and credit them to your American Airlines account.
The challenge is a great option for those who have a few trips planned within the 90-day window.
If you complete the challenge, you'll earn elite status, which comes with perks like priority check-in, upgraded boarding, and more legroom.
Having elite status can make a big difference in your travel experience, especially during peak travel seasons.
By completing the challenge, you'll also get a head start on earning elite qualifying dollars and segments for the next year.
This can be especially beneficial for those who plan to travel frequently in the upcoming year.
Overall, American Airlines' status challenge is a great opportunity to boost your elite status and enjoy the benefits that come with it.
Earning Elite Status
To get AAdvantage Gold status, you'd need to spend around USD8,000 on flights, assuming you're starting from scratch and not earning any Loyalty Points from other sources.
Flying partner airlines can be a more accessible way to earn status with American Airlines for Australians, but crediting to AAdvantage doesn't make sense in most cases.
Spending USD200,000 on a US credit card could get you Executive Platinum, but that's a lot of credit card spend.
Crediting a Japan Airlines "I" Class flight from Sydney to Tokyo Haneda to AAdvantage would earn you 12,092 Loyalty Points, which is around 30% of the way to AAdvantage Gold status.
American Airlines elites qualify for complimentary upgrades on AA-operated domestic flights, a benefit you wouldn't get by crediting to Qantas Frequent Flyer.
The Deal
You can get instant elite status with American Airlines for four months by participating in their status challenge. This means you'll have a head start on earning status without having to wait for the usual qualification period.
To qualify for the challenge, you need to meet the earning targets set by American Airlines. If you don't hit the targets, you'll revert back to your original status, so it's essential to make sure you can meet the requirements.
One benefit of the challenge is that you get to enjoy the perks of elite status immediately, even if you haven't yet earned enough points to qualify. This can be a significant advantage if you know you'll be flying frequently in the coming months.
Here's a rough estimate of the costs and benefits involved:
- $200 for the gold challenge
- Potential earnings of 67k in 4 months
- Instant elite status for 4 months
- Reverting back to original status if targets aren't met
Keep in mind that none of your earnings so far this year count towards the challenge, so you'll need to start from scratch.
Sources
- https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/airlines/american-airlines-status-match/
- https://onemileatatime.com/guides/american-status-match/
- https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/american-airlines-instant-status-pass/
- https://atxjetsetter.com/post/american-aadvantage-instant-status-pass/
- https://frequentmiler.com/american-airlines-offering-status-challenge-based-on-earning-loyalty-points/
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