DEQ11: Double EQM/RDM for DFW/ORD-LAX/SFO or ORD-SNA (TX, IL, CA members) EXT TO 6/30
Oct 27, 2011, 4:14 pm
#61
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 325
Man, AA really wants to stick it to VX as much as they can, don't they? Good for them, and us! 
I was just planning an MR for a not-so-FT-ish friend of mine who's PLT is going to be short unless he does an end of year run. Then he shows me this DEQM promo - kaching! ^
I was just planning an MR for a not-so-FT-ish friend of mine who's PLT is going to be short unless he does an end of year run. Then he shows me this DEQM promo - kaching! ^
Oddly, not a peep out of AA regarding matching Spirit on DFW-FLL/ORD/LAS. VX's hard product must be giving AA sleepless nights for some reason that Spirit can't, despite Spirit being larger than VX and with decent coverage in the Northeast, Caribbean and Florida...
Oct 27, 2011, 4:22 pm
#62
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 325
I think Virgin America is making a dent in the Bay Area and AA needs to retain market share, even with the cuts they've made here, and there's limited ways to do that other than with low fares or mileage bonuses. They can't advertise state of the art entertainment systems or cool plane interiors and the ability to order snacks via your seat back screen. ORD and DFW are two markets Virgin America serves from SFO.
Virgin has been advertising locally (I saw a billboard off 101 in downtown San Francisco recently--can't recall the last time I saw an AA billboard), and just this week were rated pretty highly on a survey of those that use social media (lots of techies around here). Last week they had local news coverage about a new training center outside SFO and the hiring of 500 employees each year for the next couple of years. Meanwhile, AA had the Jack the Cat story on local news here. Virgin America is getting a lot of visibility around here. If AA doesn't want to lose market share they need to react.
Virgin has been advertising locally (I saw a billboard off 101 in downtown San Francisco recently--can't recall the last time I saw an AA billboard), and just this week were rated pretty highly on a survey of those that use social media (lots of techies around here). Last week they had local news coverage about a new training center outside SFO and the hiring of 500 employees each year for the next couple of years. Meanwhile, AA had the Jack the Cat story on local news here. Virgin America is getting a lot of visibility around here. If AA doesn't want to lose market share they need to react.
Market share be damned; its PROFITABILITY that AA really needs. These pointless fare wars matching VX aren't doing anything for the bottom line. Besides, if AAdvantage is such a superior means to be rewarded for your business, what is AA exactly afraid of? FF is another key aspect where AA clearly overcomes the sparse FF and network of VX. Isn't that enough?
Oct 27, 2011, 4:23 pm
#63
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,146
And let's be real, they aren't running VX anywhere anytime soon. They just want to make sure Sir Richard doesn't buy another island for himself for Christmas this year.
Oddly, not a peep out of AA regarding matching Spirit on DFW-FLL/ORD/LAS. VX's hard product must be giving AA sleepless nights for some reason that Spirit can't, despite Spirit being larger than VX and with decent coverage in the Northeast, Caribbean and Florida...
Oct 27, 2011, 4:30 pm
#64
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 325
Does anyone think this offer is in any way good for AA?
Given the promotion eligible routes and timing of the promotion, this is unlikely to produce an increase in AA's revenues for 2012. Even if there was a marginal increase in revenues as a result it would be overshadowed by the direct and indirect costs of the promotion.
The double miles aspect will be a major blow to the AA balance sheet, it will be billions of extra AA miles! Those miles are more likely than most to be used on high cost redemptions, since those registered for the promotion tend to understand the value of a mile better than the average customer.
It will likely produce hundreds of thousands of additional transferable SWUs. A sizable portion of those will be used in place of a paid premium seat. Furthermore the residency restrictions exclude and irritate half of AA's well informed customer base, probably including half of their best customers.
I know the theory is that those ineligible will never know what they are missing out on, but dealfinder showed me the promotion too, and my address is definitely ineligible.
Given the promotion eligible routes and timing of the promotion, this is unlikely to produce an increase in AA's revenues for 2012. Even if there was a marginal increase in revenues as a result it would be overshadowed by the direct and indirect costs of the promotion.
The double miles aspect will be a major blow to the AA balance sheet, it will be billions of extra AA miles! Those miles are more likely than most to be used on high cost redemptions, since those registered for the promotion tend to understand the value of a mile better than the average customer.
It will likely produce hundreds of thousands of additional transferable SWUs. A sizable portion of those will be used in place of a paid premium seat. Furthermore the residency restrictions exclude and irritate half of AA's well informed customer base, probably including half of their best customers.
I know the theory is that those ineligible will never know what they are missing out on, but dealfinder showed me the promotion too, and my address is definitely ineligible.
Oct 27, 2011, 4:47 pm
#65
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 325
At the end of the year with EQM needed to hit status, VERY good!
And let's be real, they aren't running VX anywhere anytime soon. They just want to make sure Sir Richard doesn't buy another island for himself for Christmas this year.
Have you ever flown Spirit?! You don't need to run competitive deals to convince people to choose AA over that joke of an airline.
And let's be real, they aren't running VX anywhere anytime soon. They just want to make sure Sir Richard doesn't buy another island for himself for Christmas this year.
Have you ever flown Spirit?! You don't need to run competitive deals to convince people to choose AA over that joke of an airline.
Spirit may, over the longer term, be an even bigger threat than VX to AA. Compared to AA, they have a much younger fleet, are way ahead in the ancillary fee game, have a decent presence ex FLL to LatAm and the Caribbean mirroring AA's MIA hub, and now feel confident they can encroach into AA's hubs in ORD and DFW. I feel they will eventually be well positioned to slap AA in the face the way Southwest did in SJC.
But getting back to why AA has enacted/extended this EQM promotion, while slapping a residency restriction on it? To me, they have noticed an erosion in their point-to-point business in these markets. Its obvious seeing the number of carry ons with AA Plat luggage tags in VX cabins. And perhaps they are worried.
Oct 27, 2011, 4:53 pm
#66
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
Oct 27, 2011, 4:53 pm
#67
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 7,710
Agreed, I've never benefited from a DEQM or other significant promotion from AA and I am reevaluating my carrier for 2012. It's disheartening to see others given equal or better benefits for 1/2 or 1/3 of the loyalty.
The following is an OT rant/explanation:
Several months ago I switched to AA, because they had the best program, a decent network and had been good in the past. Since then they've eliminated half the routes out of BOS, and eliminated my chance at lifetime status.
For 2011, I will earn 117k AA EQM by flying 120k bis miles on AA/OW almost all of it in coach. Plus another 20-25k miles on other carriers before I made the switch. 2012 looks like it may involve a bit more travel. I still love AA miles, but it seems like the only destinations where AA should be used out of BOS are LAX, ORD, DFW, MIA, HNL, OGG, PVG and PEK. I can requalify for EXP with those routes and crediting my BA flights to AA... but it's getting really tough to book anything else on AA.
I'm not sure this promotion is really going after VX as much as UA.
The following is an OT rant/explanation:
Several months ago I switched to AA, because they had the best program, a decent network and had been good in the past. Since then they've eliminated half the routes out of BOS, and eliminated my chance at lifetime status.
For 2011, I will earn 117k AA EQM by flying 120k bis miles on AA/OW almost all of it in coach. Plus another 20-25k miles on other carriers before I made the switch. 2012 looks like it may involve a bit more travel. I still love AA miles, but it seems like the only destinations where AA should be used out of BOS are LAX, ORD, DFW, MIA, HNL, OGG, PVG and PEK. I can requalify for EXP with those routes and crediting my BA flights to AA... but it's getting really tough to book anything else on AA.
I'm not sure this promotion is really going after VX as much as UA.
Oct 27, 2011, 5:01 pm
#68
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
Oct 27, 2011, 5:21 pm
#70
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA EXP; HH Diamond
Posts: 191
Having this itinerary booked through aa.com's "multiple city" booking option:
outbound LAX->SFO->ORD
return ORD->LAX
Is this considered a R/T and qualified under the T/C of this promotion? Thanks a lot.
outbound LAX->SFO->ORD
return ORD->LAX
Is this considered a R/T and qualified under the T/C of this promotion? Thanks a lot.
Oct 27, 2011, 5:27 pm
#71
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,146
+1 here as well. Traveling cheap is traveling smart.
The assertion that just because you are not able to benefit from the bonus offer, therefore it makes it hard to stomach as others are, is weakly debated on here quite often.
I think it's great that there are fliers out there like you who book well over 100K BIS miles each year. More power to you. Getting into the marginal game of estimating other people's value or loyalty to an airline, however, is speculative at best. Changes to the MM program should make high-mileage fliers like you and others very happy, I hope.
There's more than one way to skin a cat.
I think it's great that there are fliers out there like you who book well over 100K BIS miles each year. More power to you. Getting into the marginal game of estimating other people's value or loyalty to an airline, however, is speculative at best. Changes to the MM program should make high-mileage fliers like you and others very happy, I hope.
There's more than one way to skin a cat.
Oct 27, 2011, 5:32 pm
#72
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA PPro, 1MM
Posts: 505
Rebooking?
I already have an ORD-SFO itinerary booked for next month. If I were to change the flight (swallowing the change fee), the ticket would be reissued. Would it count for the promo?
Oct 27, 2011, 5:42 pm
#73
Join Date: May 2009
Programs: AA EXP HH GOLD EY GOLD
Posts: 340
Great AA....while I sit in DFW for my long MR to Amman, but I can always requalify for 2013 begining 1/1/12.
I love me some SFO.
Good promo.
I love me some SFO.
Good promo.
Oct 27, 2011, 5:54 pm
#74
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Austin TX
Programs: AA PLT, ICH Plat
Posts: 1,965
Since I am still sleep deprived-- Does AUS-DFW-SFO-DFW-AUS qualify?
Oct 27, 2011, 5:54 pm
#75
Join Date: Mar 2006
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K, F9 Elite, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,319
GRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!! 
I just booked an ORD-SFO trip for December two days ago!!!!
This was quite unexpected...
I just booked an ORD-SFO trip for December two days ago!!!!
This was quite unexpected...