American Airlines has announced a change that will make it a bit harder for members of its AAdvantage loyalty program to earn elite status through co-branded credit card spending.
Under the current rules, holders of the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite MasterCard can receive up to $3,000 in Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs) after spending $25,000 on the card in a calendar year. Cardholders of the AAdvantage Aviator Silver card could earn an additional $3,000 in EQDs by spending another $25,000 within the same year.
Starting in 2019, however, the Aviator Red card will require $50,000 in annual spending to grant the $3,000 EQD benefit. American Airlines says the adjustment is driven by limited interest and use of the previous threshold. Members still have other routes to elite status: for example, spending $12,000 on qualifying travel directly with the airline in a single calendar year can also earn EQDs toward status.
Those who newly applied for and were approved for the Aviator Red card during the second half of 2018 will continue to receive the original spending benefits through 2019.