Much has been revealed about AA award and miles changes and it is disturbing to many. I am taking action as best I can and I hope others do to. Maybe the airline will listen to the voices of the masses. Maybe not. Please help try by writing to them something like what I have said below, ASAP!
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From:
-Me
-AA FF #
-date.
to:
American Airlines Customer Relations
Department
P.O. Box 619612
Mail Drop 2400
Dallas Forth Worth Airport, TX 75261-9612
To whom it may concern,
I received some rather disturbing news concerning changes to the AAdvantage program. Whether ample time was provided to notify everyone of this change or not, I think it is a bad move on the airline's part. You are going to be charging $100 to customers who make changes to an award ticket and I think that is very wrong. Only certain elite-status members will be able to avoid this fee when choosing certain tickets. This makes the awards many of us use become rather worthless in my opinion. We are forced, by the number of newly imposed restrictions on the awards, to work harder for the same basic product. What have we gotten in return?
I think the best part about choosing loyalty and earning miles in your company has been the flexibility of award use. American Airlines has been known to be one of the best carriers for redemption of awards, but apparently, this has gone to AA's proverbial head. Yet, this is precisely why many people I know chose your airline. Even the most commonly desired and basic awards have been much easier to set up for most people, until now.
My goals of travel include repeating a wonderful Hawaiian vacation using miles. Over time, I will once again earn enough for travel for my family. If my plans should alter, I hope to use miles as I always have but without fear of steep charges for changes to the flight. That already happens on paid flights! We enjoyed flying American on our last major trip but this news makes me consider choosing other options to get to my destinations of choice. It now feels like I am being penalized for attempting to cash in on what I have been rightfully earning and building up to.
Part of my desire to build miles had to do with the fact there ARE no fees when using them if one books in advance (I have never liked the fees for booking closer to the flight date, but that's another story). When using an award ticket, if a date or time needs to change, I knew I could still fly according to my new plans without worrying about any extra costs. Now I'll have much less incentive to do the leg work that comes with earning miles! Does this reaction not alter my 'loyalty' in itself?
Please consider changing your new rule back to the way it was-and should be, or I will have to look elsewhere for my travel needs. I am certain others will follow.
Sincerely,
me.
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...and now, maybe I will have to use my AA mile awards to fly on ALASKA instead of the original plan to do it the other way around! I hate fees but this one takes the cake. I can also consider converting all AA miles to HHilton and be done with them. I will maybe tell my fam to do the same thing.
Everyone please write to them today. I just did. I called and the woman who answered actually agreed that it was not so cool. This affects us all whether you are platinum or not. I am Gold but still don't mind economy seating. Surely if we let them do this new fee, eventually it will hit all classes of travel and award bookings! It is therefore up to us to stop it!
thanks.
MM
You can also fax your letter (not toll free) to:
817-967-4162