I'm going to be about 8k miles short of requalifying, partly because I flew NRT-SFO-NRT on JAL (to pour salt in the wound, it was full fare Y) a month before JAL joined OneWorld. I credited the miles to my AA account, but emailed customer service a couple of weeks ago to see if they would consider giving me EQMs for that flight.
They declined, but did say:
Alex
Interesting ... it's the first time that I've seen the "points over miles" bias explicitly acknowledged.
thanks so much guys for all your answers. I wil defenitely look into trying to fly before year end, but if not, I will call American and maybe tell them to evaluate my travels since my husband and I travel mainly business and first class full fare every year on transatlantic routes with all oneworld partners. Since my husbands company usually pays for it, we have the option of purchasing the tichets with other airlines that either comp us or offer us better deals. Maybe this would work. Any comments?
Programs: AA EXP-1.6MM, Hilton Diamond, ManU & Chicago Bears #1 Fan
Posts: 9,797
Quote:
Originally Posted by beita
thanks so much guys for all your answers. I wil defenitely look into trying to fly before year end, but if not, I will call American and maybe tell them to evaluate my travels since my husband and I travel mainly business and first class full fare every year on transatlantic routes with all oneworld partners. Since my husbands company usually pays for it, we have the option of purchasing the tichets with other airlines that either comp us or offer us better deals. Maybe this would work. Any comments?
Something doesn't add up???
You fly full fare F/J and last year you had 47K MILES? If that's correct then you should have been WAY OVER the Plat qualification on POINTS.
btw, rules are rules and making threats of leaving the airline because they won't make an exception in your case hardly ever works, especially with ~45K miles per year. If you're serious about your threat, not just bluffing, then start looking at other airlines/alliances because IMHO AA will tell you the same thing.
I did not mean in any way making threats. I was just asking if airlines look at your flying and how much you spend in order to make the desition to comp on status. We flew this year 6 economy flights within the us. and one Pacific circle explorer in first class and no, we havent quite made it yet. Since we have maintained our status mainly on points, (money spent) which is obviously important to the airlines since they make it available by giving you 1.50 for First class, I was wondering if I had any BETTER chance to being comped since we make trips like this every year.
Programs: AA EXP-1.6MM, Hilton Diamond, ManU & Chicago Bears #1 Fan
Posts: 9,797
Quote:
Originally Posted by beita
I did not mean in any way making threats. I was just asking if airlines look at your flying and how much you spend in order to make the desition to comp on status. We flew this year 6 economy flights within the us. and one Pacific circle explorer in first class and no, we havent quite made it yet. Since we have maintained our status mainly on points, (money spent) which is obviously important to the airlines since they make it available by giving you 1.50 for First class, I was wondering if I had any BETTER chance to being comped since we make trips like this every year.
that's not what you said in your OP.
regardless, at the end of the day it's still 50K miles or points or 60 segments for Plat.
You fly full fare F/J and last year you had 47K MILES? If that's correct then you should have been WAY OVER the Plat qualification on POINTS.
btw, rules are rules and making threats of leaving the airline because they won't make an exception in your case hardly ever works, especially with ~45K miles per year. If you're serious about your threat, not just bluffing, then start looking at other airlines/alliances because IMHO AA will tell you the same thing.
Heh, heh its never fails its seems every December some of AA's BEST CUSTOMERS ... you know the ones that are really keeping the airline alive, but by astroke of bad luck just fail to qualify and they all seem pretty confident that threatening to go over to the competition will must assuredly get AA to comp status in perpetuity.
sorry if I translated my statement wrong from Spanish to English. I was just trying to pose a question so that hopefully somebody might answer. I am sorry I have angered some of you or maybe even made you laugh but I guess obviously I am not as experienced that is why I look here for advice. I have read in other posts that for example (and please dont take this wrong) airlines want to keep you flying with them, that is why they allow the Gold/Platinum challenge. I have also read that some airlines might even comp you on status even if you havent flown with them if you can prove you will give at least the same business to them. So maybe my wording was off but my intention was different.
Programs: AA EXP-1.6MM, Hilton Diamond, ManU & Chicago Bears #1 Fan
Posts: 9,797
Quote:
Originally Posted by beita
sorry if I translated my statement wrong from Spanish to English. I was just trying to pose a question so that hopefully somebody might answer. I am sorry I have angered some of you or maybe even made you laugh but I guess obviously I am not as experienced that is why I look here for advice. I have read in other posts that for example (and please dont take this wrong) airlines want to keep you flying with them, that is why they allow the Gold/Platinum challenge. I have also read that some airlines might even comp you on status even if you havent flown with them if you can prove you will give at least the same business to them. So maybe my wording was off but my intention was different.
Everything you say is somewhat correct but, you already were given an option to buy back status once. You can't do challenges every year to retain status(would that be fair to the poor schmuck that has to actually fly?). Airlines are not going to give away status on some promises.
After the airline allows to gain status "cheaply" once, you can't expect the airlines to do it again and again. It wouldn't be fair to their other loyal customers. What would be the point of having benchmarks if airlines made exceptions year after year?
That's all I was trying to explain to you. At some point you need to have your behind in the seat for the required miles, points or segments if you like the benefits of status.
Just wanted to add that every year it was offered, the terms stated that it was for (Butt in Seat miles) Plats and Golds that failed to earn the status in the previous year.
Not exactly...
I received an offer this April to renew PLT even though I qualified for PLT through a challenge in April 2006 that granted status through Feb 2007. I was also nowhere near re-qualifying in 2006 - not even for GLD (which I soft-landed to) as I took the decision to go for OW Emerald on British Airways instead (which I now have).
Interesting response. I guess I will try to fly the remaing of the miles before year end and will keep you posted if I cant and American sends the offer again.
Wow - I'm impressed. You got a responsive answer that does not appear to be canned. This would never happen on UA.
Nope...sorry. I got that same letter two years ago when I tried to get comped for renewal. They do have some good writers...it does sound fresh....but straight from the can
