This probably would be bad news to some, but for most of here it's a big MEH.
Buying a bottle of Coke from a 7-Eleven with an AA-linked credit card keeps the miles alive. If a person can't do that, then so be it.
Does 7-Eleven participate in iDine (Rewards Network)?
The only "AA-linked" cards I am aware of are:
Citi AAdvantage Credit
Citi AAdvantage Debit
These products carry an annual fee.
Does 7-Eleven participate in iDine (Rewards Network)?
The only "AA-linked" cards I am aware of are: Citi AAdvantage Credit
Citi AAdvantage Debit
These products carry an annual fee.
(Yes, there are transfer options as well)
Citi AAdvantage Credit Bronze does not carry a fee.
Could be, and good point - but iirc we've seen people here do rants on losing 100k+ miles even when it was 36 months. And though I haven't checked, with some programs people can spend increments of miles on magazines and such - I imagine AA has to pungle up some kind of money to pay for those at some point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by martin33
given the way miles are accounted for, the savings can't mainly be in reduction of liability. the accounts that get expired, for the most part (loud exception threads on FT duly noted), would be low-balance accounts not even having enough miles to claim a free coach domestic trip. the overhead of servicing them is mainly what would be saved.
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Interesting info. You're right that this probably has little to no effect on the balance sheet. I am curious roughly how many miles AA really does have outstanding right now.
I will give AA some credit here in that they are giving customers six months to book an award to use up these miles or find a way to have qualifying activity. I think this is much more fair than the way DL just wiped out some older accounts with no notification.
To take a point made by others here further, if AA gives you 6 months to do *something* (anything) with miles and you either choose not to or don't notice the change over a period of 6 months, you probably weren't going to use them anyway.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FWAAA
But not all miles are reflected on the balance sheet as a liability. Here's how AA accounts for earned mileage liabilities:
This change in policy will likely affect very few accounts that had a realistic chance of accumulating 25k miles, and thus will probably not have any material effect on the "on-the-books" liabilities.
I'm skeptical that an 18 month expiration policy will have any real effect on anyone, other than serving as a "gotcha" for the really infrequent flyer. The really infrequent flyer who doesn't have a Citi AAdvantage card, that is.
WN's marketing is so good that a lot of people think they're the cheapest even when they are not. I'm sure it's one of the reasons you have to go to WN's website to book online and not Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, etc.
I have a friend who used to work for Orbitz back in the early days and the main reason why WN fought it so much is that it would enable consumers to have a side-to-side fare comparison. In those instances, WN doesn't always come out the cheapest, and when it does, there are often 1-2 connetions involved.... ick!
WN's marketing is brilliant because Joe and Paula Punchclock immediately turn to Southwest went they want to fly because they want to fly "for cheap".
Thank you, OP, for posting. Now I'll have to monitor my family's accounts more closely because they more frequently fly on my miles.
For once, I wish AA would offer a new benefit instead of incrementally taking services away. First on my list is Spic-and-SpAAn, AA clean airplanes and restrooms.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rrgg
This is the same problem with Delta's change.
To resolve the problem, AA could say the new policy will begin 18 months from today. However I doubt it.
Or, just say that, under the new policy, effective immediately any activity will automatically extend your mileage expiration 18 months from that date (instead of the 36 months it used to do). If your current expiration date is more than 18 months from now, it doesn't change. Don't bother expiring everyone's miles now and going back on previously indicated expiration dates. Just don't extend them further, and let them dribble off if they don't have activity.
To do it the way it's being done just seems unnecessarily unfriendly IMO.
(1) Would AA notify pax (close to the expiration date) that miles will be forfeited from inactivity? [As an EXP this doesn't apply to me as I fly often, but it would apply to others.]
(2) From my reading of NW's rules, if no ADDITIONS occur in a 36 month period miles will be forfeited.
(3) Nearly all airlines have a way of adding miles from non-flying activity, diniing, shopping etc. So keeping the account active is not that difficult IF you know that you must do so.
Interesting info. You're right that this probably has little to no effect on the balance sheet. I am curious roughly how many miles AA really does have outstanding right now.
Probably can't get that sort of info (unless you're Randy Petersen), but there are some interesting public stats out there:
For once, I wish AA would offer a new benefit instead of incrementally taking services away. First on my list is Spic-and-SpAAn, AA clean airplanes and restrooms.
