Ambraciot

UA and DL haven't realized revenue increases from cutting back their programs, why would AA be able to?

eponymous_coward

There are some customers the airlines don't mind "firing", and I suspect that if you really are providing high-margin business to AA, they will work at making things more cushy for you in the months and years ahead. It's the FTer "turn my mileage runs into lie-flats, caviar and Krug" crowd that's likely to gnash their teeth and rend garments.

The fact that low-end elite status basically is the equivalent of the owning the branded credit card at most airlines (and some hotel chains) kind of says something...

DL's doing well enough to pay dividends on DAL, and has delivered enough growth and revenue that they've actually decided to push into a new hub (SEA), something AA and UA haven't done in a good long while. Are you saying their model's unsustainable?

SeriouslyLost

As others have said in other threads, it's a matter of choosing the best available option. Right now, if AA do to their partner rates what they've done to their own rates, then AS becomes a better proposition for me. I'm certainly not saying that they will remain so going forward.

coswellnc

Better yet...as others have pointed out in various threads contact Citi (for AA) or Barclays (for US) and tell them how unhappy you are with these changes and want to know how to cancel your credit card. I doubt as individual FF's we have the power to change anything but I'll bet Mr. Parker will take a call from Citi or Barclays if they call him to chat about all these folks thinking about canceling their credit cards. Just a thought.

Reindeerflame

United, anyone?

Cloud1Heavy

DP has pretty much told you/us that he could cAAre less about us. Please understand that not giving advance notice for these changes is beyond any insult any frequent customer of any business could receive.

Ambraciot

I'm saying their unit revenues and load weren't helped by the cuts to their FF program, excluding an accounting trick their profits are no higher than before the change and they've been losing market share on core routes, which encouraged them to move excess capacity to other markets like SEA. That's not quite the same as saying it's unsustainable, but it's unclear if their current strategy has strengthened their fundamental position.

dcdavido

I going to wait and see, but it doesn't bode well. After the US and American West merger, Doug Parker went the low-cost route (even the ticket symbol was changed to LCC for low cost carrier). He took out the domestic IFE, tore out most of the FC seats in the 321s and 757s, got rid of meals, glassware and bottles of water. All in the name of trying to compete with Southwest.

My hope was that US would become AA - a true full service airline. Rather, we're already seeing a downward slide. I am a refugee from Jeff's Continental takeover of UA. I don't think he meant to be to put UA into a nose-dive, he just didn't know any better. It was like "customer service", that's not the way we do things at CO. That costs money. Jack the baggage fees and cut the service - that's what makes an airline work. So he's left running an airline by spreadsheet.

Is American headed down the same path?

miamigrad

From my perspective, unfortunately, it would appear so. I was hopeful that the merger would allow AA to set itself apart from the other US carriers in all aspects of the airline. Instead, I personally think that this doesn't bode well for AAdvantage members.

True AA frequent flyers, and premium cabin customers, might be pleased with forthcoming changes (cabin upgrades, new planes, new services offered at the airport, etc.) But, for those that are simply chasing miles without giving substantial amount of revenue to the airline, well... I suspect that the loyalty/frequent flyer world as we knew it is over. IMHO, airlines will cater to premium customers and high revenue/profitable customers. For everyone else, AA will look and be like all other airlines.

This is just my uneducated, devalued $0.02

UA Fan

This will all sound like chump change once AA implements the revenue based earn and burn to go one step ahead of DL and implements YQ on all awards.

tonytifao

It's not just their program. Prices have increased, the ability to hold a reservation for 24 hours within 7 days, FF program devaluation. This will likely increase their revenue in the near future, at the same time when loyal customers will jump ship or shop for cheaper fares and ditch FF addiction.

Ambraciot

UA announced cuts to their program about a year ago which just came into effect for 2014, they also just announced their 1st quarter 2014 results:
Costs and industry average prices are up, UA clearly did worse than airlines that did not cut their FF programs; correlation does not prove causation, but it kind of suggests it.

sinanju

Considering the volume they have to deal with, I'm not sure any other method would work.

aafreq

It's TIME....
TO POST BOMB the government morons who dismissed this from happening
To the traveling public that they were "entrusted" to protect..

[email protected]

The only way to 'fight' a corporation is to deny them subsistence to exist...

PainCorp

A number of people here have suggested DL or UA as a result of a change to the FF programs. My question to you is, what did DL and UA both just do to their programs, and in scale compared to what AA just did, AA did nothing.