Should AA separate the loyalty and rewards parts of AAdvantage into two programs?
Since AA has chosen to massively devalue its rewards side of the program, I've become a passive AAdvantage mile user. I'll still use my Citi Executive card for AA purchases, but I otherwise don't use the card other than to keep it around for AC membership purposes.
I do however like the Elite Status side of the program, and as a Platinum member, have been able to get upgrades here and there (ironically, all on the A319 of all planes...), and I do appreciate the OWS benefits on international travel, and the MCE benefits on domestic is great as I can get on and off the plane quickly.
Should AA de-couple the two sides of the program like BA and CX have?
I think it would be better if AA could have two programs, one entirely focused on loyalty and the other focused entirely on rewards.
It's getting quite convoluted now as sometimes when I call into get original routing credit, I keep running into clueless agents who repeat the line "miles are now spend based, so it won't matter at all" and I have to keep explaining to them that I want ORC because it makes a difference in my EQMs and MM miles, and agents keep saying "a mile is a mile" and have no idea about the difference between EQ, RD, and MM miles.