Originally Posted by
dbart
CNN did an article about travel a few months back and one of the topics was that many of the airlines are more willing in this down economy to status match. The airlines generally see it as winning over a valued customer. If you are smart about it and keep pushing them (in a polite and professional manner) you might be able to get a status match.
I'd take the advice here on FT rather than a generic article on CNN any day.
Yes, there are a few reports of status matches on AA, usually involving large corporate accounts. Other than that, AA has stood pretty firm with challenges. I don't think being "smart about it" and "keep pushing them" is going to do much good for most travelers.
And yes, I understand you can always ask.