Perhaps in the wake of Delta Airlines offering double Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) to their passengers a couple of weeks back, American Airlines just launched their own double miles promotion.

Passengers who register for the promotion have between April 16th and June 15th to qualify for their extra miles, which don't count for award travel, but do count for elite status. That means you only have to fly 12.5k, 25k and 50k miles to earn AAdvantage Gold, Platinum and Executive Platinum status -- a fantastic deal.

What's the big deal with miles if you can't use them for awards? There are myriad benefits to achieving elite status on any airline, from first class upgrades to priority check in and boarding to special customer service lines. If you invest any time in the skies, elite status is definitely worth the investment.

Check out American Airline's guides to elite benefits here for further details on their programs.

To register for the promotion, go to American Airline's promo page and use code AADER.

And my condolences to those of you elite AA members out there who already have status and who's ranks are soon to be diluted with thousands of causal travelers. Now you know what life is like in the Delta/Northwest world.

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