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
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)
#91
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 447
But since you have to pay the fee upfront, you need to be someone who changes flights every other flight to make it worth it, because paying $68 twice almost makes up for the $150 (standard change fee cost) that you would have to pay if you wanted to make a change; you know, standard "self-insurance" argument.
#93
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 447
That being said, I don't know why you'd ever opt for the $68 over the $88 given the mileage bonus. Maybe AA is hoping for unsavvy non-frequent flyers to pull benefits from the $68, because their marginal benefit from the $88 would seem to be less.
#94
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 6,769
Actually, I just thought of something. When you change your ticket using the Choice Essential/Plus privilege, does it stay as Choice Essential/Plus? This could be a differentiator from the self-insuring $150 change fee option. Every time you make a change, you pay $150 in the old case, but with Choice, maybe you can keep making changes (into same fare flights) without paying a cent beyond the $68.
#96
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: DFW/STL
Programs: AA EXP, AA Admirals Club, Marriott PLT Premier, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 762
Sooo confused
#97
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 6,769
Some people don't care about mileage accumulation.
#98
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
This is confusing.
In Amadeus I can only see standard fare classes and have no option to add on these options...
When will this be added to GDS for sale?
I don't see many new fare basis either.
In Amadeus I can only see standard fare classes and have no option to add on these options...
When will this be added to GDS for sale?
I don't see many new fare basis either.
#99
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
Hilarious to see the airline who told us that bundles were inherently bad (like being forced to pay for hot water with the hotel room rate without having a choice to pay for it separately ... or was that bags with airline tickets?) is now introducing ... bundles.
#100
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA PLT 3MM
Posts: 1,135
Remember the big deal last year or the year before when AA wanted to drop GDSs? One of the reasons they used was that going directly to their own application interface would allow them more flexibility in selling add-on products. Perhaps this is what they were referring to.
#101
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,511
Cheers.
#102
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
Remember the big deal last year or the year before when AA wanted to drop GDSs? One of the reasons they used was that going directly to their own application interface would allow them more flexibility in selling add-on products. Perhaps this is what they were referring to.
I'm sure it will all be clear soon -- I can guarantee that Sabre, Amadeus and Galileo are all looking at this move very closely.
#103
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SAN/BOS/HNL
Programs: AA EXP, Qantas, Hawaiian
Posts: 87
New (confusing and kludge) website, new terminology & pricing schema...all rolled out 2 weeks before the winter holiday season? Seems like a bit of beta testing, a calendar, and some common sense might have helped the PR for this "enhancement." (where's the icon for dope-slap?)
#104
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
Agree that's consistent from AA's profit maximization point of view (increasing total revenues by charging $25 for a bag that costs them, on the margin, an extra $1 or $2), but not with their public statements when they launched their bag fees that basically said that bundling is inherently evil per se.
#105
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 6,769
New (confusing and kludge) website, new terminology & pricing schema...all rolled out 2 weeks before the winter holiday season? Seems like a bit of beta testing, a calendar, and some common sense might have helped the PR for this "enhancement." (where's the icon for dope-slap?)
I assume the Essential part affects the whole itinerary, even if you only selected it for the return.