American Airlines introduce AAdvantage Pass

American Airlines has just introduced AAdvantage Pass, providing instant loyalty status and other perks.

AMERICAN AIRLINES BOEING 777-223 N750AN (MSN 30259)

AAdvantage Pass purchasers will be awarded AAdvantage Gold status, which is the program's entry status level. They also receive 100,000 AAdvantage miles and 15,000 AAdvantage loyalty points.

AAdvantage Gold status is typically obtained through the accrual of 40,000 loyalty points, through purchases of fights and use of a co-branded American Airlines credit card. Gold status perks include priority check-in and boarding, a free checked bag, complimentary preferred seat selections, upgrades when available within 24 hours of departure, and 40% accrual bonuses for miles and loyalty points.

Experts value AAdvantage miles at about 1.5 cents each, so 100,000 bonus miles come to roughly $1,500. That means you’re paying around $3,500 for AAdvantage Gold status plus 15,000 Loyalty Points. Dropping that much on Gold status and a few extra points seems steep, especially without added perks, and I doubt it’ll appeal to many. 

The math just doesn’t add up—you’d probably get more value putting that money toward perks you’d otherwise gain with Gold, like booking first class outright or buying a lounge membership. For most travelers, the benefits of Gold over a basic co-branded credit card are pretty minimal.