Originally Posted by
JDiver
Sorry, but $15k spend really gets you nothing extra beyond your status entitlement on AA.
Those of us, myself included, who have been grousing over the “sardine can” configuration AA is introducing with the MAX 8 and extending to the 737-800 might be slightly placated by the fact AA is NOT emulating BA - which is eliminating seat recline in Economy / Euro Traveller for flights under four hours.
Oh I do get it, but I bristle at the "pay for it" comments. I think I am paying for it. I'm certainly not a 1x/year cheapest fare flyer. (And what I do get that is priceless is great treatment at SFO where so many people know me by now.)
Most of 2018 travel is on Alaska/Virgin so far, but that's due to the city pairs more than anything. I think the business travel will get me to AS MVP Gold. I won't make AA EXP for sure. I started a new business and won't have the time for the leisure travel I would need to get EXP. It'll be weird after so many years.
My conclusion is that denser cabins with few amenities and ancillary fees everywhere have resulted in much better profits, so all the grumbling in the world isn't likely to change much of anything. I haven't been reading FT much of late, to be honest, but I saw something on the 737MAX and wondered what people thought. Not much of surprise here.