Dec 18, 2015, 12:53 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Prospero
American Airlines ConciergeKeySM / "CK" Program (by invitation only)
(Includes Executive Platinum status and Admirals Club membership)
NOTE: For questions such as "How can I get Concierge Key?" or "This is my spend: will I get CK?" Please refer to the How do I make / making AA Concierge Key / ConciergeKey / CK?thread
Also see AA Concierge Key invitations / renewal for 2019 status (out early 12/2018).
13 Apr 2020: AAdvantage extends CK status is extended automatically until Jan 31, 2022.
"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)
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).
Services provided include airport escorts and 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.
ConciergeKey is now a distinct elite tier, above Executive Platinum. ConciergeKey benefits include 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.CK members have access to Flagship Check-in on any flight, and CK will have Flagship Lounge access when flying a OneWorld airline.
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 will board 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
Please: do respect members' privacy by refraining from asking for overly personal information and details relating to ConciergeKey membership or nomination. If your question receives no response, consider the member chooses not to reply, as is his/her right.
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 18 Aug 2019 by ikwia to reflect CK being a distinct elite tier and to clarify the FL access requirement
Updated 25 Jul 2017 by JDiver
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Sep 8, 2016, 11:15 am
#1
surftb15
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,900
AA Concierge Key / ConciergeKey / CK members lounge (master thread)
Originally Posted by JSSAUCE
I think what is missing is the profit they make off of you. I believe JonNYC has posted several times that profitability comes into play. Just a thought as to why.
What score is that called again?
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Sep 8, 2016, 11:23 am
#2
prw555
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Jose, CA
Programs: CX Diamond, AA CK (quit 2018), Starwood Platinum, National EXC Elite
Posts: 283
Originally Posted by surftb15
What score is that called again?
Helix I believe.
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Sep 8, 2016, 11:31 am
#3
surftb15
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,900
Originally Posted by prw555
Helix I believe.
Thanks. Is this a pure profitability model or are there other factors at work?
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Sep 8, 2016, 11:53 am
#4
prw555
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Jose, CA
Programs: CX Diamond, AA CK (quit 2018), Starwood Platinum, National EXC Elite
Posts: 283
Originally Posted by surftb15
Thanks. Is this a pure profitability model or are there other factors at work?
Not sure on that one, but would guess so.
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Sep 8, 2016, 12:56 pm
#5
Score8
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: Bonvoy Amb; AA EXP
Posts: 1,136
Originally Posted by prw555
I had a twitter spat last night with AA, asking for review of my account for CK ;
2015 ; 261k EQM and $63k spend
2016 ; 267k EQM to date and 357k EQM forward looking with booked tix. $55k spend including booked tix.
I was essentially blown off. "we value you" but there is no way to reach out to CK, "if they value you" they will contact you. ....
I'm sure there are a couple of other more subtle reasons you could be denied. Here's a fun one: I was a CK for a while with nearly six digit spending annually - almost exclusively business and first. But, after two years of having it, my travel department (large corporation) made a deal with AA to capture all of the CK assignments and then gave them to themselves and senior execs.
LowValueCustomer likes this.
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Sep 8, 2016, 11:51 pm
#6
oysterhead43
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: BNA
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 766
Originally Posted by Score8
after two years of having it, my travel department (large corporation) made a deal with AA to capture all of the CK assignments and then gave them to themselves and senior execs.
Were they also kind enough to "provide you" with a corporate credit card so they could earn the points too? So nice of them.
LowValueCustomer likes this.
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Sep 9, 2016, 7:50 am
#7
Score8
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: Bonvoy Amb; AA EXP
Posts: 1,136
Originally Posted by oysterhead43
Were they also kind enough to "provide you" with a corporate credit card so they could earn the points too? So nice of them.
They were! How did you know?
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Sep 12, 2016, 1:06 pm
#8
krazieman
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: US
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, Starwood Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,020
One of my friends just got CK 2 months of ago after flying monthly DFW-Zurich on full fare J for work. He didn't even know what it was. He was surprised when he kept being asked to board first. I would totally get more use out of it 
bbriscoe34, Emmett Ervin and LowValueCustomer like this.
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Sep 13, 2016, 8:38 pm
#9
profdestiny
Join Date: Sep 2016
Programs: American, United
Posts: 1
Forcing Concierge Key?
Not sure it's possible. I had 100K elite qualifying miles (eqm) by Q1. Called AA Executive Liaisons to request Concierge Key. They said they have no influence.
I had 200K eqm's by Q3, called again, they said they would put in a word, but no action. (Above 200K there is nothing more to gain by flying AA)
My company, who books a lot of AA business, called on my behalf. Still nothing.
I just applied for and easily received Premier 1K status matching on United. Sorry that I won't be flying AA the rest of this year. Told AA I would do this several times through the year.
At this point I haven't figured out who to call to "twist their arm". Not sure it's possible. Would have stayed loyal to AA if they had given me Concierge Key.
Do you have any ideas on what else to try?
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Sep 13, 2016, 8:41 pm
#10
surftb15
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,900
EQM have nothing to do with it, it has to do with some sort of magic score called HELIX I believe. There is even a big variation in spend if you read the CK thread.
I got it after sending AA a tweet, but that doesn't seem likely for most.
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Sep 13, 2016, 8:46 pm
#11
rjw242
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
Originally Posted by profdestiny
At this point I haven't figured out who to call to "twist their arm". Not sure it's possible. Would have stayed loyal to AA if they had given me Concierge Key.
Do you have any ideas on what else to try?
Welcome to FT. CK as I understand it is really a "don't call us, we'll call you" type of status -- and frankly, if you're trying to throw your loyalty weight around to get CK, you're probably not the type of customer AA wants to give it to. Also, 200K EQM doesn't necessarily mean anything. $200K per year, over a period of multiple years, most certainly does. 
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Sep 13, 2016, 8:54 pm
#12
JDiver
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Originally Posted by profdestiny
Not sure it's possible. I had 100K elite qualifying miles (eqm) by Q1. Called AA Executive Liaisons to request Concierge Key. They said they have no influence.
I had 200K eqm's by Q3, called again, they said they would put in a word, but no action. (Above 200K there is nothing more to gain by flying AA)
My company, who books a lot of AA business, called on my behalf. Still nothing.
I just applied for and easily received Premier 1K status matching on United. Sorry that I won't be flying AA the rest of this year. Told AA I would do this several times through the year.
At this point I haven't figured out who to call to "twist their arm". Not sure it's possible. Would have stayed loyal to AA if they had given me Concierge Key.
Do you have any ideas on what else to try?
Unfortunately, you didn't search for the existing thread. The Wikipost at the top of the page shares the information you need, so we have merged your query here. /Moderator
There's no amount of EQM that will grant you Concierge Key - certainly not earning a relatively paltry 100 k or 200 k EQM, nor how much business your company gives AA.
If you are the influencer of travel for your company, if you spend at least upward of $60,000 on mostly premium travel (bandied about, but there are no published thresholds for CK), you might be invited.
Sorry for your unrealistic expectations; there is no way to "twist AA's arm" to grant you CK at your apparent level of flying, expenditure or ability to influence others' travel on AA. Enjoy UA. Sincerely.
Last edited by JDiver; Sep 13, 2016 at 8:59 pm
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Sep 13, 2016, 11:37 pm
#13
jmappleby
Join Date: May 2014
Location: PHL and beyond
Programs: AA CK, Marriott Platinum, Hertz PC
Posts: 247
Originally Posted by JDiver
Unfortunately, you didn't search for the existing thread. The Wikipost at the top of the page shares the information you need, so we have merged your query here. /Moderator
There's no amount of EQM that will grant you Concierge Key - certainly not earning a relatively paltry 100 k or 200 k EQM, nor how much business your company gives AA.
If you are the influencer of travel for your company, if you spend at least upward of $60,000 on mostly premium travel (bandied about, but there are no published thresholds for CK), you might be invited.
Sorry for your unrealistic expectations; there is no way to "twist AA's arm" to grant you CK at your apparent level of flying, expenditure or ability to influence others' travel on AA. Enjoy UA. Sincerely.
Whilst this might be true, I think AA is suffering because there is a group of customers who travel 2x or 3x EXP, but don't get additional "loyalty benefits", and feel disenfranchised.
That group seems to look at CK as the next step up from EXP, and are frustrated if they don't get it.
There have been various hints that the program is changing in 2017 to address this. Hopefully that addresses the needs of that group.
In the meantime, UA appear to be doing a good job of offering a program that suits those customers. Good for them.
Emmett Ervin likes this.
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Sep 14, 2016, 6:03 am
#14
rjw242
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
Originally Posted by jmappleby
In the meantime, UA appear to be doing a good job of offering a program that suits those customers. Good for them.
If UA is siphoning off customers who throw a tantrum about not being offered the status to which they believe they're entitled, I don't know if it'll be good for UA in the long run. Good for us, though.
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Sep 14, 2016, 8:12 am
#15
nrr
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291
From reading several posts here and the "eliteness"
of CK status, I assume CK's, as one of their perks, get to wear a special GOLD CROWN.
Emmett Ervin likes this.
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