134 Miles

Let this be a lesson to you.

Start a spreadsheet right now. On the top row, put in the amount of EQMs you have right now. Then, in subsequent rows, list flights you plan to take (broken up into segments), along with the mileage you'll earn for each segment. Include mileage from double EQM promos and class-of-service bonuses.

What happens if you don't do that? You end up 134 miles short.

I flew a ton in the last month or so, during which time AA was running a double-EQM promo. Instead of logging all my flights on a spreadsheet, I "eyeballed" it. I was expecting AA to do a "computer sweep" at the beginning of October, dumping everyone's double EQMs into their accounts. (The promotion says that the double EQMs will post within "6-8 weeks of flying." Last time around, they posted all the miles in "sweeps" that happened at the beginning of each month during the promotion.)

So I figured that my double EQMs would post around the beginning of October. I have a flight on October 7, a redeye from LAX to JFK. My "eyeball" math told me that when the double EQMs posted, I'd have just enough miles to push me over 100,000 EQMs, thus making me Executive Platinum. I wanted all those EXP perks for my redeye to JFK (like not having to use stickers for an upgrade).

The sweep happened, as expected, a few days ago. And I was left with...

99,836 Elite Qualifying Miles.

Now I have to wait 'til after my roundtrip to New York (I'm flying back just a few hours later, not long enough for the miles to post) to finally become an AA EXP.

Even worse? I tried booking a quick MR, LAX-SFO. The problem? I called AA, and they told me that the miles wouldn't post soon enough, and I wouldn't be an EXP in time for my flight to JFK.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.