American Airlines Adds Seat “Coupons” for Flyers
Joe Cortez April 08, 2019
Loyal American flyers will soon have a new way to get a free seat selection before their flight. The carrier confirms that “seat coupons” are coming, which passengers can earn over time and will be a compliment to their current loyalty membership.
American Airlines AAdvantage flyers will gain the opportunity to earn seat selection fee waivers with the airline as part of a larger loyalty strategy for the Fort Worth-based carrier. The airline confirmed in an e-mail to FlyerTalk that “seat coupons” will soon be available to passengers.
“Customers have asked for more ways to interact with the AAdvantage program…Last year, we launched our new platform and set the stage to bring new rewards to our customers like Admirals Club day passes, Flagship Lounge passes and now seat coupons,” a spokesperson for the carrier told FlyerTalk. “Customers can now benefit from a free preferred or Main Cabin Extra seat when they earn a seat coupon.”
First reported by the blog View from the Wing, the seat coupons may be earned by members of the loyalty program. When a coupon is granted or gifted, it will appear in their digital wallet for redemption at the time of booking, when viewing their reservation, or during check-in.
Once the program fully rolls out, there will be four versions of seat coupons AAdvantage flyers can collect: domestic preferred seats, domestic any main cabin seat, system-wide preferred, or system-wide any main cabin seat. While the domestic and system-wide preferred seat coupons are limited, the domestic and system-wide main cabin seat coupons may be redeemed for any seat, including those in Main Cabin Extra.
The airline has not announced when the program will go live to the general public, or under what criteria AAdvantage members will earn free seat coupons. It is also unknown if the seat coupons will be offered alongside miles as part of a credit card promotional offer.
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I think it's kind of a nice effort by AA from the way it's presented. There is very little threat to elite privileges of picking MCE seats by people who rarely fly (they aren't elite level status) and who have to "save up" a coupon for once in a blue moon "redemption" to a preferred or MCE seat. Let's people have something to shoot for that might make their journey a little nicer, and in practice won't be a threat to me. Jeez.
So for now 99 dollars a year I have a platinum AA card and I keep getting moved further and further to the back of the line when buying a ticket. It used to move me to group 1 priority, now anyone with a hang nail gets to go in before me. 26 years a customer and I'm treated worse than baggage. That free bag is only good on domestic flights. There is no list of who to shop with to get extra miles. I've been paying for the extra room seats and always someone gets moved up for free. People sitting in the back get on before me and take up the overhead space at the front because they don't want to carry their bag to their seat. So I get on with front seat and the bins are full. Bag must match seat or be tossed. Got yelled at recently by an FA because I didn't do what she wanted fast enough. Forget the fact she still had have the plane to board. The couple next to me actually commented on how restrained I was that I didn't give her a what for. Somewhere in the bowls of AA is my complaint letter. I've been a passenger since planes had propellers. I got your seat coupon right here. Over 4 million miles flying I show you a seat or two.
azmojo - "cost them nothing" There would be an opportunity cost as it prevents them from collecting fees for those seats.
How much "loyalty" is required to get these? That seems to be taking seats away from the loyal flyer who have the status that would normally get them these seats free
A coupon for something that costs them nothing.