Jul 25, 2017, 10:25 am
Last edit by: Prospero
How Can I Achieve ConciergeKeySM / "CK" Program
(Concierge Key is by invitation only)
(Concierge Key is by invitation only)
NOTE: For issues relating to services provision for CK members, changes in offerings and all other issues pertaining to current Concierge Key members, please see AA Concierge Key / ConciergeKey / CK members (master thread) thread
"The ConciergeKey Program is an exclusive program that American Airlines has for our very top customers. This is by invitation only and a very exclusive club." (Billy Sanez for AA) You can not apply for CK; you must be nominated and invited. According to member Gino Troian, reviews and decisions ~July, December.
ConciergeKey Services are provided to a select group of VIPs to facilitate travel on AA. The program is offered on an invitation basis only and is targeted at customers who control travel policy for large organizations. Customers who generate a high amount of revenue for AA may also be invited into this program (possibly those who spend upwards of US$60k a year on travel with AA).
Possible ways to gain CK, remembering that as the criteria are not published this is somewhat speculative, based on having several CKs posting here and some members knowing several CKs (in no particular order):
- Arranger of travel with corporate travel contract with AA
- Influencer of travel with Fortune 1,000
- True VIP with significant recognition within an industry or profession
- Air Pass with $60,000 or more prepaid travel
- VFF EXP with high EQD ($75k?) and many high fare flights p.a. on AA
- Nominated by "sales" at AA (may dovetail with immediately above)
- Be sent a targeted "challenge" by AA instead of an invitation (see below)
According to Emily McNutt of The Points Guy, July 19, 2017 (link), AA has selected some high achievers to send a "challenge" type of CK invitation (offer closed 21 Jul 2017).
The offer required the invitee to earn 16,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs) on AA marketed or operated flights within the next 90 days in order to get Concierge Key status; successful completion receive Concierge Key through January 2019.
"According to one FlyerTalk user who was targeted, they have 65,000 EQDs (54,000 on AA-operated flights) and 223,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs)." We don't know if AA will make this offer in the future.
SERVICES: Services provided include airport escorts, Cadillac apron or golf cart transfers, pre-boarding (seems variable, more likely during OSO?); assistance with flight changes, seat changes, and upgrade requests via their own dedicated telephone line. In addition, there is the ability to communicate directly with ConciergeKey associates via a dedicated email address. ConciergeKeySM representatives will also monitor day of travel of ConciergeKey members and will proactively reroute or rebook travel when necessary. ConciergeKey status allows check-in at First Class counters, as well as access to elite lines through security at certain airports. Miles and copay upgrades with copay waived. CK are First in upgrade and reaccommodation Priority, over EP.
ConciergeKey members receive AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, membership to the Admirals Club, international miles upgrades with copayment waived, as well as two additional System-Wide Upgrades (SWU's) as part of CK membership. (From our FlyerGuide AA Wiki page)
CK members have access to Flagship Check-in on any flight. It has been said unofficially CK will have Flagship Lounge access when flying.
As of 1 Jan 2017, Concierge Key members have upgrade requests prioritized over all other tiers: CK members have an upgrade window of (up to) 120 hours (Executive Platinum member's will retain the 100 hour upgrade window). CK members are pre-boarded ahead of other passengers.
Regarding Concierge Key tier benefits coming in 2017, please see: New Concierge Key Benefits for 2017: New CK Elite Status Tier
Boarding Area's AAdvantageGeek's blog shows the card and documents here.
Previous threads:
ConciergeKey AA Premium Service (ARCHIVED)
ARCHIVED: AA Concierge Key / ConciergeKey / CK (2014 consolidated)
Updated 25 Jul 2017 by JDiver
How do I make / making AA Concierge Key / ConciergeKey / CK? (master thread
Aug 14, 2017 | 9:57 am
#106
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NYC, USA
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, Lifetime Platinum, Marriott Titanium, HH Gold
Posts: 10,983
No problem to have a dream. However, you know what they say....if you have to ask, you don't qualify. 
Seriously, though, AA has a workgroup whose job involves identifying potential CK members. They are very much on top of it. If you qualify, you would be invited. It is based on annual spend and/or being in a position to affect the travel decisions of others. Think VPs of Travel, CEOs, etc. Also, AA invites some high-profile passengers who might drive traffic to AA, or who will choose AA based on the special privacy/service...celebrities, politicians, etc.
Don't expect it, but then be pleased if you receive an invitation!
Seriously, though, AA has a workgroup whose job involves identifying potential CK members. They are very much on top of it. If you qualify, you would be invited. It is based on annual spend and/or being in a position to affect the travel decisions of others. Think VPs of Travel, CEOs, etc. Also, AA invites some high-profile passengers who might drive traffic to AA, or who will choose AA based on the special privacy/service...celebrities, politicians, etc.
Don't expect it, but then be pleased if you receive an invitation!
Aug 14, 2017 | 10:05 am
#107
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,946
Since I finished school I have regularly flown AA, working my way up the ranked to reach EXP regularly at this point. Moreover, I have brought my entire staff and client base into AA.
Still I have dreams of a Concierge Key -- is there anyone that I can contact to be considered?
THANK YOU!
Still I have dreams of a Concierge Key -- is there anyone that I can contact to be considered?
THANK YOU!
In some instances, you might be emailed a "Challenge" or temporary CK status offer. But it's unlikely you could apply for that, either, and there's only been one so far (see Wikipost)
Please read the Wikipost at the top of the page.
Last edited by JDiver; Aug 22, 2017 at 2:46 pm
Aug 22, 2017 | 1:10 pm
#108
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 1
Maybe this gives us an idea
Did you see July 19, 2017 American launched an invitation only challenge for Concierge Key? Apparently the challenge was to spend 16,000 EQD in 90 days for CK status through Jan 2019. The one guy they talked to that was given the offer had 65K EQD and 223 EQM for this year already!
https://thepointsguy.com/2017/07/aa-...tus-challenge/
https://thepointsguy.com/2017/07/aa-...tus-challenge/
Aug 22, 2017 | 2:50 pm
#109
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,946
Did you see July 19, 2017 American launched an invitation only challenge for Concierge Key? Apparently the challenge was to spend 16,000 EQD in 90 days for CK status through Jan 2019. The one guy they talked to that was given the offer had 65K EQD and 223 EQM for this year already!
https://thepointsguy.com/2017/07/aa-...tus-challenge/
https://thepointsguy.com/2017/07/aa-...tus-challenge/
From what we know,
1) AA chooses whom to target; one can not sign up if not targeted, nor apply.
2) This closed 21 July 2017, somits not an available option at this time.
3) AFAIK, this targeted offer was a first, and we've no idea if AA will repeat it.
Aug 22, 2017 | 7:23 pm
#110
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
If he has already spent 65+K on airfare in just over half a year, then why isn't he already a CK? And that, my friends, illustrates exactly what's wrong with the CK program.
Did you see July 19, 2017 American launched an invitation only challenge for Concierge Key? Apparently the challenge was to spend 16,000 EQD in 90 days for CK status through Jan 2019. The one guy they talked to that was given the offer had 65K EQD and 223 EQM for this year already!
https://thepointsguy.com/2017/07/aa-...tus-challenge/
https://thepointsguy.com/2017/07/aa-...tus-challenge/
Aug 22, 2017 | 7:39 pm
#111
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Jose, CA
Programs: CX Diamond, AA CK (quit 2018), Starwood Platinum, National EXC Elite
Posts: 283
Absolutely, And the reason I moved my $60-70k plus business to CX at the start of this year. Not even a call from AA, asking why. Don't 'publish' a tier and not reveal the criteria. Speakeasy of airline travel, albeit worse. At least you could find the door, and my door was out.
Aug 22, 2017 | 7:51 pm
#112
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,157
Let's assume this is all paid discount J. That means he has actually flown 111,500 miles (2x multiplier for discount J fares)
DFW-LHR RT's are 9500 miles.
So that's roughly 12 RTs in discount J.
Now take those 12 trips and divide by $54K. That's $4,500 per RT.
It would be easy to argue that kind of spend is EXP spend, not CK spend.
Also, how do we know all this person's flying wasn't loaded into Q1/2?
CK is a more complex loyalty reward than "I spent over $50K!".
Aug 23, 2017 | 8:31 am
#114
Suspended
Join Date: May 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Diamond, AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Explorist, HHonors Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 7,344
The other day at LGA there was this lady camped out ready to be the first one to board in the priority lane. When they announced CK boarding she seemed confused (no one boarded), then when Group 1 was announced she approached the GA with her BP to be scanned and asked what CK was and the GA's response just made me chuckle: "It's Executive, Executive, Executive" and left it at that 
Aug 24, 2017 | 11:01 pm
#115
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Not sure yet
Programs: Marriott - Lifetime Platinum Premier, AA - CK
Posts: 263
Current situation....
EQD - 52k
EQM - 248k
EQS - 97
Exoecting to close the year at ~75k EQD and ~375k EQMs (not considering the also frequent domestic flights through year end).
Would be nice to see a late Christmas present to start 2018!
EQD - 52k
EQM - 248k
EQS - 97
Exoecting to close the year at ~75k EQD and ~375k EQMs (not considering the also frequent domestic flights through year end).
Would be nice to see a late Christmas present to start 2018!
Aug 25, 2017 | 2:08 pm
#116
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: FL400
Programs: DL 360, Marriott Ambassador, AA Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 123
As JonNYC mentioned upthread, it is about member profitability and not just spend.
You could be spending $50K a year on flights to Europe on Y and discount J, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you're extremely profitable.
Instead, try and calculate what your spend to distance ratio is on AA metal (and AA codeshare flights). Having done that if your spend is close to $50k AND your spend per mile is >$0.50 per mile, then you have a fair case to make.
You could be spending $50K a year on flights to Europe on Y and discount J, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you're extremely profitable.
Instead, try and calculate what your spend to distance ratio is on AA metal (and AA codeshare flights). Having done that if your spend is close to $50k AND your spend per mile is >$0.50 per mile, then you have a fair case to make.
Aug 25, 2017 | 6:16 pm
#117
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: UA 1K and PP, AA Plat (3MM, former CK), Marriott Ambassador and LTT, Hilton Gold, Uber One
Posts: 1,381
Aug 26, 2017 | 4:29 pm
#118
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: FL400
Programs: DL 360, Marriott Ambassador, AA Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 123
While I am not sure what AA uses, actual flown miles would make a lot more sense to me than EQMs. EQMs are pretty meaningless in this context due to the various multipliers.
While, I don't know specifically why I was given CK (whereas others on this forum with similar spend were not), I am willing to bet it has something to do with my year round $1,000 RTs within the midwest i.e. less than 300 miles each way. From an EQM perspective, I barely made EXP.
While, I don't know specifically why I was given CK (whereas others on this forum with similar spend were not), I am willing to bet it has something to do with my year round $1,000 RTs within the midwest i.e. less than 300 miles each way. From an EQM perspective, I barely made EXP.
Aug 26, 2017 | 9:21 pm
#119
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 792
Got an email from an AA Exec Liaison (?) from AA Customer Service saying she put a note in my account and would contact me upon completing 300K miles, which I find strange. She wrote "your account will be reviewed at that time to determine how to thank you further for your business."
Is this a hint of CK? Would I just be getting additional SWUs? Thanks in advance.
Is this a hint of CK? Would I just be getting additional SWUs? Thanks in advance.
Aug 26, 2017 | 9:35 pm
#120
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Got an email from an AA Exec Liaison (?) from AA Customer Service saying she put a note in my account and would contact me upon completing 300K miles, which I find strange. She wrote "your account will be reviewed at that time to determine how to thank you further for your business."
Is this a hint of CK? Would I just be getting additional SWUs? Thanks in advance.
Is this a hint of CK? Would I just be getting additional SWUs? Thanks in advance.