FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - The impact of the A319 on loyalty
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Old Mar 9, 2018, 3:15 pm
  #7  
wetrat0
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: USA
Programs: Chase Sapphire Reserve, WFBF
Posts: 1,573
The LUS 319 had 12F/112Y. The new AA 319 has 8F/18Y+/102Y. Effectively, AA traded off 18 MCE seats for 4 F and 10 Y. It's not hard to imagine that the money they get from being able to sell 18 MCE seats is worth it especially when you consider that the last 4 F seats would almost always be given as free upgrades.

What effect will the A319 have on loyalty? Very little because loyalty has really been lost already. Most people buy based on price and schedule. I have been AA elite for almost a decade. Nonetheless, I just bought a ticket on DL that will involve 20,000 butt-in-seat miles, but only earn 4000 RDM (the 20,000 MQM are useless because I don't have enough MQD to qualify for any status). I bought it because DL's partners could get me halfway around the world for about a thousand bucks and in the most reasonable amount of time. AA wanted 2x the price with some crazy connections. At this point I am more loyal to my travel credit card (CSR) than to any airline.
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