Help! AA took away my miles (consolidated)

[shoodawg]

redacted

[C17PSGR]

You might try a car rental or something similar. I'm not a frequent traveler on DL but have accumulated 50k in miles over the years. When AA changed to the 18 month rule, I noticed DL had too and that my miles had expired a couple of months before. I then used my DL number on my next car rental which posts quickly. I checked my DL account and confirmed my miles were there again along with 50 miles from the car rental and a new expiration date. In fairness to the OP, I consider myself a "savvy traveler" and didn't pay much attention to the DL change until AA made a change.


By the way, beware of the dormant bank account issue. I have a couple of savings accounts with rainy day funds. I came back from Iraq and discovered one had been turned over to the state of CT for lack of activity. Checking the account on a regular basis is not activity and some states see taking your bank account as a good source of revenue. I reclaimed it but if you don't do so within a set time, its gone forever. And, yes. The bank did send me a letter warning me which either never made it to Iraq or I presumed was junk mail.

[trinity_in_texas]

Originally Posted by suranyi

I only want to comment on the above. I can certainly see how it is possible to be unaware that AA changed it's expiration policy.

I don't give my email address to every company that asks for it. As a matter of fact, I enrolled in Aadvantage so long ago that I didn't even have an email address back then. I happen to have added my email added to my account at some point, so I do get those account summaries, but I easily imagine that someone might not, in which case he wouldn't get those emailed summaries at all. In fact, for a while my account had an old email address, so for months I wasn't getting any summaries at all, and I didn't notice.

If you assume nothing has changed, there's no reason to actively check on the website or by calling.

Finally, as a general member, I never get mailings of any sort from AA.

Ed

*eye roll*

You did this year. Three mass mailings with regard to the expiration policy.
Bet you threw it out with junk mail.
You said it best when you said that you "assume" that nothing has changed.
Would you assume that your deposit's were getting to your bank account? Or would you check?
Right.
My point is this - if you put little value on a reward program - or any program- you're likely to not pay attention. If you don't pay attention, then whatever happens is on you.

[trinity_in_texas]

Originally Posted by skywalkerLAX

Considering how I was treated on my last 3 flights AND the problems with the booking I made last week the answer is easy: It is no incentive for me anymore. I only made the decision to requalify with an additional flight because I am 3k miles short of Platinum and I paid for my AC membership until August. Wouldnt make economical sense to say goodbye AA right now, next qualification period the picture looks certainly different.

The only incentive I see is: Collect for cheap on AA - burn for oneWorld premium awards

Ah, well, guess you'll be Gold next year and then down to regular AAdvantage. But enjoy the upgrades, 100% flight bonus' and expanded seat and award availibility while you have it. if you had issues with your flights, be happy to send you to CR and they'll make up for it. But honestly, does not your positive experiences outweigh?
And correct me if I'm wrong, but how does your AC tie into status, per se? It's paid, right? I admit I don't know much about the AC.

Only you have the power to prevent forest fires..wait, wrong quote. hmm

[trinity_in_texas]

Originally Posted by 777 global mile hound

Welcome to Flyertalk
My apologies for some of the tough love here in the tone of some of the posters.
There is a culture with some Flyertalkers especially the more savvy program users that rules are never to be broken and no exceptions should be made.I don’t happen to be in that group. I look at every case individually and have stepped in to help other posters in the past in a variety of situations over the years.And I hope American might too.

Many of the folks are highly experienced program users on FT and for some time.
They know most of the rules backwards and forward in their sleep.Unfortunatley they can't put themselves in the shoes of someone first getting the details/rules in order of the program and learning most of them. I still make mistakes and learn in the AA program regularly and I have been a member since 1998 and hit three million miles in the program earlier this month.
In fact many American Agents on the elite line quote inaccurate information on the phone too.Even they find knowing all the rules a challnge and some have been there for many years........

If I were you I would be try the approach of asking nicely at Advantage Customer Service at American
(any reservations agent can put you through to that dept)
Tell that individual you plan to make an enormous effort to utilize the program and airline over all others if they would reconsider their actions and consider reinstating them.
The worst they can say is no and you aren't out very much IMO.

You can also consider taking a Visa card with Citibank and earn 20,000 to 25,000 in a little over a month if you really need to get back on track. Of course it would be nice to have those lost miles back too.

Good luck and keep us posted on your outcome. And thanks for your post! It’s a good reminder too for other new folks coming into this forum and also may be caught in a silmilar situation.
Happy Holidays

I believe I already said to call AA and if she had, she'd be posting here that AA is wonderful and gave her miles back. How much do you want to bet she never called AA in the first place?
BTW, no empty promises of loyalty required.

[trinity_in_texas]

Originally Posted by Landing Gear

Why are you proud of the AAdvantage program? Are you Tom Plaskett?

Reincarnated. As most know, I am an employee. A lowly pee on that tries to shed small light on big dark places. :P

[PDX_Roy]

Originally Posted by shoodawg

So, based on much of the sentiment here, we wouldn't have issues with a 12-month policy would we?

60 days would not be a problem.

[7Continents]

What a long thread that boils down to 3 points:

If you value your miles, check your account every so often.
If you make a boo-boo most feel AA gives you a shot at a band aid
If neither of the above points works, it's your bad and we don't feel sorry for ya!

[trinity_in_texas]

Originally Posted by 7Continents

What a long thread that boils down to 3 points:

If you value your miles, check your account every so often.
If you make a boo-boo most feel AA gives you a shot at a band aid
If neither of the above points works, it's your bad and we don't feel sorry for ya!

Well said and thank you!

Bet the OP never looks at any of this.

[milksheikh]

Originally Posted by 7Continents

If you make a boo-boo most feel AA gives you a shot at a band aid

Some feel that that band aid is the ReAActivate program.

[suranyi]

Originally Posted by trinity_in_texas

*eye roll*

You did this year. Three mass mailings with regard to the expiration policy.
Bet you threw it out with junk mail.
You said it best when you said that you "assume" that nothing has changed.
Would you assume that your deposit's were getting to your bank account? Or would you check?
Right.
My point is this - if you put little value on a reward program - or any program- you're likely to not pay attention. If you don't pay attention, then whatever happens is on you.

I agree that if you want to know what's going on in an account, you would pay attention. I know about the change in policy because I pay attention to the news, for example.

But I assure you that I never receive ANY snail mail from AA. I don't know why, but it's true.

Not everyone goes out of his or her way to get information about their accouts, and it's possible that all ways AA tried to contact the OP failed. That's all I'm saying. Obviusly, it means the person wasn't paying a lot a lot of attention, so it wasn't a high priority, but I'm just saying it's POSSIBLE. I didn't say it wasn't largely his fault anyway.

Ed

[trinity_in_texas]

Originally Posted by milksheikh

Some feel that that band aid is the ReAActivate program.

AA isn't stupid. As long as you take action within a short period of time, you can get miles back easily. Without reaactivate.
Reaactivate is a good idea, imho. If your short, it's a great way to get the award you're almost at. If you're simply buying back all your miles, not such a great deal. But it's an out.

[777 global mile hound]

I just stepped in and saved two accounts my Uncle who is a clueless about programs and my Dad. They have both heard of expiration dates and never read the limited stuff sent to them.It usually gets tossed. Neither of them uses the internet as hard as it is to believe. They are from another generation that just doesn't care.
I purchased my dad a computer 5 years ago.What a waste

And who knows probably these are the kind of accounts AA depends on expiring. Folks that rarely use them and have miles sitting around for over a deacde.When I remind other family members at the holiday gatherings I usually here thanks I totally forgot...........And yet when I follow up with them they still haven't walked the walk
Sometimes I make them take action while I am on the phone with them!
In the case of my Uncles Delta account the miles were set to turn into a pumpkin on the 31rst of this month

So I suspect he has another 18 month shelf like thanks to the dining program he doesn’t even know he is in. Just maybe he will understand it one day.
He is a worldwide translator of books into a variety of other languages. Unfortunately programs aren’t one of the languages he speaks.
Thankfully for him it’s the only one I know besides English.
And I don’t speak that one so well either
Just read my posts

If I was in a position and lost my miles I would negotiate with my airline and promise them a very strong ROI for the reinstatement and hope they might be interested in doing so. Even though the rules are clearly written out there.

Can anyone ever remember seeing an email from a loyalty program warning you your account is about to expire?One that isn't spam

[Landing Gear]

Originally Posted by trinity_in_texas

Reincarnated. As most know, I am an employee. A lowly pee on that tries to shed small light on big dark places. :P

The "stick out your tongue" symbol does not do much to earn respect for airline employees.

[JDiver]

Unless... the poster forgot to update their snail-mail address for their AAdvantage account, and then, it's possible to receive nothing (though the US Postal Service Dead Letter office did receive their messages.)

Not paying attention, like any other human behavioral characteristic, is generally consistent across the board - miles, e-mail and snail mail address, and who knows what else?

Originally Posted by trinity_in_texas

*eye roll*

You did this year. Three mass mailings with regard to the expiration policy.
Bet you threw it out with junk mail.
You said it best when you said that you "assume" that nothing has changed.
Would you assume that your deposit's were getting to your bank account? Or would you check?
Right.
My point is this - if you put little value on a reward program - or any program- you're likely to not pay attention. If you don't pay attention, then whatever happens is on you.