PSA: AAdvantage changes
 

Normally wouldn't post re another mileage program here, but since there are a lot of threads here where people debate whether to jump ship from Aeroplan/Altitude to other programs...

AAdvantage has just sent emails announcing changes effective next March.

• Earning on AA tickets becomes revenue based, matching United Mileage Plus
• Increases in redemption levels for long-haul international destinations
• Redemption levels will be higher for departures from Canada vs the US48

Implications/speculation for people here:

1. The grass is a bit less green on the other side of (one) fence...
2. ...though probably more green for high-spend flyers
3. AA miles *A loyalists may have incidentally accumulated have been devalued
4. Suspect likelihood that Air Canada will follow and eventually make mileage earning revenue based has increased

Mods feel free to delete if not appropriate - and if that doesn't happen folks replying pls keep discussion to aspects relevant for Aeroplan members (comparison, etc.)

Air Canada won't follow suit on this, because they've already done much more cutting on both the aeroplan miles and the AQM through their Tango fares earning rates, especially domestically.

I know it isn't a thorough search, but generally random poking around has shown this to be a typical situation. YVR-YYZ - Generally the fare portion (excluding taxes) is between $250 and $300 each way in Tango, and between $400 and $450 in Flex. These are with reasonable lead time, not last minute or holiday. Under a revenue system like the US, AC would be giving out 2500 AE miles for round trip in Tango ($500 x 5) to their general members and up to 5500 miles for SE. Instead, they give 1040 for the round trip today in Tango regardless of status.

(For Flex, under a revenue model they would give 4000 miles round trip to non-status under a revenue model, and that's about what you get under the current model. For elites, it would be more miles under a revenue model, so no benefit to AC there either)

AND, they do that for both AE and AQM. In the US, the revenue model applies only to the redeemable miles; status miles are still based on mileage plus COS.

This is consistently true in the domestic market, I haven't looked much at the international. But, the bottom line is that AC has already accomplished (a long time ago) what the US airlines just did with their revenue model. And actually worse.

Exactly! It still baffles me why many people can't see this. And for those who think AQS should be de-valued - you can't redeem AQS.

To me AC has already left the US airlines far behind in making Altitude a revenue based program.

Sorry but this is the AC forum and those wanting to learn more about or discuss the changes AA is making are encouraged to head to the FT AA forum.

Regards,

tcook052
AC forum moderator