The Cool Gift American Airlines Sent To Its Super Secret ‘Concierge Key’ Members
by Gary Leff
Concierge Key is the status that American Airlines gives to its top spending customers and top corporate travel influencers. It became legendary when George Clooney was portrayed as a Concierge Key member on a quest to earn 10 million miles in Up In The Air. The benefits of this status include top priority for upgrades (and no cash copay when spending miles for upgrades); airport escorts and even occasional vehicle transfers on the tarmac; access to Flagship business class lounges (and regular invites to First Class Dining); and a next flight guarantee to ensure they get to their destination.
American usually sends chocolates each year to Concierge Key members. This year’s package is better. A reader generously shared photos of the chocolates and model Boeing 787-9 that they received. The base of the model 787 is personalized with the name of the member.
The gift also contains “an exclusive American Airlines NFT custom made for ConciergeKey members.” So there’s that.
Three years ago the chocolate company that provided American Airlines with the Concierge Key gift published that American had ordered 11,300 of them. That’s consistent with the 10,000 to 15,000 estimate for number of Concierge Key members I’d been using since 2014.
You cannot qualify for Concierge Key with a specific amount of flying or a published amount of spending. Over $50,000 has historically been enough – at least buying a $50,000 ‘AAirpass’ of prepaid travel would come with the status. Spending alone isn’t the only driver. Margins matter more. For instance spending $50,000 and flying 300,000 miles isn’t likely to earn Concierge Key, while there are members spending $45,000 to fly no more than 100,000 miles who will make it.
American has run ‘challenges’ for Concierge Key membership. A targeted fast track has included four spend levels for American Airlines flights that had to be met during a 90 day period. Different members received different amounts, $10,000; $12,000; $14,000 EQDs; $16,000. (Those are annual run rates between $40,000 and $64,000.)
Concierge Key is also given out to decision-makers of big corporate contracts. There are also more than one tier of Concierge Key. There are a handful of members (perhaps a dozen) that are tagged ‘Do Not Miss’ because of their commercial importance to the airline.
