Originally Posted by
Often1
If there's anything more proprietary than marketing data, I'm not sure what it is. People who get targeted offers fit ascertainable criteria of people whom marketing research shows are likely to spend or increase spend if they are brought into the AA fold.
If AA's data shows that people with incomes over $150K who fly Eastbound on Tuesdays, will spend 20% more if they receive a short-term 10% discount, that's who gets it.
But it's harder for a company to get marketing data from its competitors, no?
So I, as a leisure traveler only, get those same 10% (even 15%) discounts, just because AA cant' tell the difference between me not flying at all and me flying some other airline. (And further, can't tell why I'm doing either.) So they assume I might be able to be steered back to them by such a discount.
The only way I've ever gotten to EXP is with double/triple EQM promos on mileage run type fares (some of those actual mileage runs, some not). AA has serious marketing research problems if they think I'm one of their very best customers simply because I'm EXP!
Btw, while some hotels do, AA has never asked me for any flight "is this for business or personal"? Do they know that I never fly for business???
