Dec 13, 2012, 3:04 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
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AA is now offering three types of Economy fares via AA.com:
• Choice (fare basis code ends in 1) = Lowest Fare, earn AA miles
• Choice Essential (fare basis code ends in 2) = Change Fee (depends on detailed fare rules), 1 Checked Bag, Group 1 Boarding, Earn AA miles
• Choice Plus (fare basis code ends in 7) = above Choice Essential benefits plus 50% Bonus RDM, Same-Day Flight Change, Same-Day Standby, Premium Beverage, No Change Fee, Earns base miles plus 50% bonus miles
• Business/First as Choice Plus, plus 3 checked bags, No change fee (domestic only), priority baggage delivery at carousel, 50% class of service bonus miles
(Updated 1 Mar 2015)
See this page at aa.com for bundled services.
AmericanAirlines has posted some comments and clarifications in Post 144.
See these related links:
AA.com: Tailor Your Travel | Enhance Your Travel with Combined Features
FT: AA economy fare basis now ends with a number
(lower right wiki corner).AA is now offering three types of Economy fares via AA.com:
• Choice (fare basis code ends in 1) = Lowest Fare, earn AA miles
• Choice Essential (fare basis code ends in 2) = Change Fee (depends on detailed fare rules), 1 Checked Bag, Group 1 Boarding, Earn AA miles
• Choice Plus (fare basis code ends in 7) = above Choice Essential benefits plus 50% Bonus RDM, Same-Day Flight Change, Same-Day Standby, Premium Beverage, No Change Fee, Earns base miles plus 50% bonus miles
• Business/First as Choice Plus, plus 3 checked bags, No change fee (domestic only), priority baggage delivery at carousel, 50% class of service bonus miles
(Updated 1 Mar 2015)
See this page at aa.com for bundled services.
AmericanAirlines has posted some comments and clarifications in Post 144.
(1Mar 2015) The fee for the "choice plus" bundled extra now ranges from $80-80 each way, up from $80.
Choice plus extras are comprised of:
Choice plus extras are comprised of:
- 1 checked bag
- Group 1 Boarding
- No change fee (any difference in fares would still apply; valid for American Airlines operated flights)
- Same-day flight change
- Same-day standby
- Premium beverage on board
- Earn 50% more AAdvantage miles
AA.com: Tailor Your Travel | Enhance Your Travel with Combined Features
FT: AA economy fare basis now ends with a number
aa.com Economy / Coach Pricing Display & Choice Bundles (consolidated)
Dec 13, 2012, 12:37 am
#226
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New England
Programs: American Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 5,638
As for the "Choice" vs "Choice Essential,"
It's not really simple, and it's not a "free bag." They're simply bundling things that they would otherwise sell separately in order to make more money. For example, that $68 RT fee, would come out to $34 one way. That $34 can be broken down into $25 for a bag, and $9 for priority boarding, and no change fee in the unlikely event that you need to change your flight.
It's a genius money grabbing plan since very few people actually pay for priority boarding, or need their flights changed. Basically, they're selling you all this stuff you're never going to use just to check a bag.
It's not really simple, and it's not a "free bag." They're simply bundling things that they would otherwise sell separately in order to make more money. For example, that $68 RT fee, would come out to $34 one way. That $34 can be broken down into $25 for a bag, and $9 for priority boarding, and no change fee in the unlikely event that you need to change your flight.
It's a genius money grabbing plan since very few people actually pay for priority boarding, or need their flights changed. Basically, they're selling you all this stuff you're never going to use just to check a bag.
Dec 13, 2012, 1:08 am
#227
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: HNL
Programs: AA EXP, Global Entry
Posts: 217
who checks 3 bags anyway? I can't imagine many people having a need for this.
Dec 13, 2012, 3:04 am
#228
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,571
Originally Posted by nomaadic
who checks 3 bags anyway? I can't imagine many people having a need for this.
That some people don't want to make changes and don't want to take luggage does not extrapolate out to "not many" wanting to do this. I tend to see a lot of people at airports checking multiple bags in
I would suggest that on quite a few journeys, those not checking any luggage are in the minority
Dec 13, 2012, 3:10 am
#229
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SFO/OAK
Programs: AA EXP 3.4MM, BAEC, UAMP, Skyteam (<10k) HH Gold, IHG Plat, Hertz Gold, GE/TSA TT
Posts: 2,723
One of my non-status colleagues made the mistake of traveling KLM, SFO-AMS-NBO, and was charged $625 in baggage fees, which bags they promptly lost for a whole week after she reached Nairobi !! Naturally they refused to refund the fees.
Dec 13, 2012, 5:17 am
#230
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 993
I will repeat my question:
Does this mean one have to buy only one way fares in order to have some functionality like old system? Any disadvantage to buying two one way tickets instead of a round trip ticket?
Does this mean one have to buy only one way fares in order to have some functionality like old system? Any disadvantage to buying two one way tickets instead of a round trip ticket?
Dec 13, 2012, 6:07 am
#231
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: AUS / DXB
Programs: BA Silver | AA LT Gold | EY Silver | Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 1,838
Not all fares are one-way eligible, especially in international markets. And you would pay the change fee twice if changing your one-way ticket.
Dec 13, 2012, 6:19 am
#232
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 1,570
One disadvantage is that on at least some of the itineraries, the few I checked, the round trip price is less than the total of the same 2 flights purchased as one ways.
My note to the AA rep (in addition to the sorting issue and the inability to see all fares on one page - how hard is that?, and the randomness of the fare order, and the increased time it takes to search for fares) is this:
I feel like, in effect, I am being asked to pay more for the no-change-fee option (the only one that would interest me) than a non-status customer. I have already "paid" for the ability to take free bags and to priority board and to standby same day and to have a premium beverage by purchasing enough tickets to obtain status. Now, in order to get no change fee, I have to pay for them again.
(As an aside, I wonder how Citi feels about these new options. First their product became less attractive because miles from charges stopped counting toward million miler status, now people can get the free bag and priority boarding that their revised card offers when they purchase the no change fee option. There has to be a group out there for whom this makes the Citi AA card less valuable.)
Last edited by Ord Liza; Dec 13, 2012 at 6:23 am Reason: add
Dec 13, 2012, 7:39 am
#233
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: New York, NY, USA
Programs: BAGold; AA3MMPlat; UA1MMGold; FBGold; MarriottAmb; AccorPlat; HHGold; ICPlatAmb; HyattDiscoverist
Posts: 4,378
I really liked the old AA booking pages and I hate these. I'll try using multicity/booking by schedule--thanks for the hint.
As an EXP, for me booking by phone in and of itself entails no additional cost, but as I frequently use promo codes, it is a more expensive option.
As an EXP, for me booking by phone in and of itself entails no additional cost, but as I frequently use promo codes, it is a more expensive option.
Dec 13, 2012, 8:39 am
#234
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Anywhere I need to be.
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold, NEXUS, GE, ABTC/APEC, South Korea SES, eIACS, PP, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 16,046
I really liked the old AA booking pages and I hate these. I'll try using multicity/booking by schedule--thanks for the hint.
As an EXP, for me booking by phone in and of itself entails no additional cost, but as I frequently use promo codes, it is a more expensive option.
As an EXP, for me booking by phone in and of itself entails no additional cost, but as I frequently use promo codes, it is a more expensive option.
Dec 13, 2012, 8:41 am
#235
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Anywhere I need to be.
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Especially since I have a program that doesn't work on Macs and I'm not returning to Internet Exploder ever again (except if I have to play Tetris Battle during the latest bug issues with Chrome)
Dec 13, 2012, 9:02 am
#236
Join Date: May 2001
Location: is everything...but...
Programs: dont matter anymore...
Posts: 3,019
--Chrome on a Mac user..
Dec 13, 2012, 9:53 am
#237
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: DFW/STL
Programs: AA EXP, AA Admirals Club, Marriott PLT Premier, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 762
I realize this is beating a dead horse.. but to have a round trip fare while selecting the leg out and then on the return finding options that are -$x, included, positive $x is absurd, unnecessarily complex & stupid.
I feel like just booking 2 one ways is the best way to go about it.
I feel like just booking 2 one ways is the best way to go about it.
Dec 13, 2012, 9:55 am
#238
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: LAX; AA EXP, MM; HH Gold
Posts: 31,789
Completely Craptacular. 
Dec 13, 2012, 10:11 am
#239
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: AA LifeTime PLT (2.982 MM, But 3MM+ Total), HHonors GOLD, IHG AMB
Posts: 787
Dec 13, 2012, 10:16 am
#240
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: AA LifeTime PLT (2.982 MM, But 3MM+ Total), HHonors GOLD, IHG AMB
Posts: 787
Did anybody notice that when you click for more details on the new fare descriptions, the matrix that pops up has a row at the very bottom called "Systemwide Upgrade Eligible". Sounds like this could be a precursor to only certain inventory classes being eligible for SWUs. Yikes.
Spock Seat.