Bartolo

Many of you are much more experienced with all of this than me. A question: Am I correct in thinking that with 1MM or higher, the spend requirement won't apply? My understanding is that 1MM confers "lifetime" status which would be unaffected by miles/spend. Am I missing something?

keitherson

They will be changing the Altitude million-miler program.

It is now called the Altitude million-dollar program, and only those who have spent $1,000,000 AQD are eligible.

swedish_canadian

I understand where AC is coming from but I would have thought they had done it differently.

I think for many it's a sort of identity crisis happening. For the longest time you were told flying 100k and you were the airlines most valued customer. With every letter and package AC pointed out how valuable you were to them.
By being a frequent flyer by segments or miles it was implied that you were contributing to AC's bottom line.
Now it is more geared towards "biggest spender" instead of "frequent flyer". Yes both are required but so many on here now are not their most valued customer anymore. If I had stopped flying as much I'd feel ok with losing status , but being demoted from SE due to money might be though for many.

For me personally it was all for fun and a game. Trying to get as far as possible for as little money and fly business. Of course I understand they would like to not give me much, but I'm also ok when these changes happen.

What differs the most from SE and E75 is the concierge and the upgrades.
Why would they not have kept the 100k miles and called all of those SE, but made the upgrade instrument based on AQD. Earn X amount of upgrades after spending Y amount of money.
By doing that the flight requirement would be given since you would have to fly AC metal to earn any upgrades.

I think more SE would have been eager to open up their wallet a little if there was a greater choice. Spend money and receive upgrades. Spend little money on AC or other airlines and use our lounge since that just requires Star Alliance Gold.

The outcome would have been about the same but fewer people would feel less angry since that SE card seems to be linked to many fliers identity.

Just my thoughts.....

cairo604

You're forgetting IKK with no YQ... this is probably the most valuable benefit IMO.

sweden05

1MM confers lifetime Elite 50K status, and apparently that remains unchanged (for now). If you want to reach 75K or 100K then of course the AQD spend requirements will still apply. Until you hit 3MM and achieve lifetime 100K...

PB53x11

This change puts me in a conundrum. I am SE but barely snuck in for 2015 (around 101k), in more comfortably for 2016 (around 115k miles), but 2017 might be a challenge, with the $20k requirement. I'm pretty sure I would qualify by spend for 2016, had it existed, much less certain about 2015. (Actually, the conundrum existed previously, but the spend requirement exacerbates it.)

As noted by cairo604, the savings/access for AE is a significant value to me (in addition to upgrades).

My strategy has been to book vacation flights using points for my wife and two kids and cash for myself (flex or low business) so I'll get points and make SE status. Usually two family trips a year, plus another solo trip or two (my wife's a saint). But my current strategy means I'm hoarding some points for future use. If I make SE, I'm happy with my strategy (notwithstanding ongoing devaluations). If I don't make SE for 2017, I would be better off using the points for my own tickets as well; AE points have much less value for non-SE's. But I don't know, in part because I don't know my spend (as AC calculates it).

For 2016, I think I'll have to stick with the strategy - especially because I'd already booked the flights for one family and one solo vacation. But I'll regret it if I don't make SE because of the spend requirement!

mmYULe75K

hi PB53x11,
Your not the only one who snuck in during the 2015 year.
I also just made it in with 103,000.

The $20,000 minimum does not affect me as I basically only travel in North America. Average fare that I pay is around $1,000 return. (Yes, I always seem to book last minute and never shop around!)

What is screwing me this year is the fact that there is no longer the 500 mile minimum. So far this year, I lost 7,952 miles (you only get 314 miles YUL-YYZ, 250 miles, YUL-YOW, 166 YUL-Newark).

If they would have a SE level at 75AQS, 75,000AQM & $20,000AQD then I would be in for 2016

Well, back to 75K level for me in 2016. And, I'll be shopping around more next year too since I do not see a difference between the 75K & 50K levels!

Safe travels my friends.

ABG

I didn't follow all your posts back and forth about code shares.... but your 4984.00$ fare to NAP over Christmas is really $3045.00 booking AC and LH apart, everything in P class, all seg available.


AC 876P 29DEC YYZFRA SS1 2125 1110 +* TU/WE E
LH 334P 31DEC FRANAP SS1 1050 1245 * TH E
LH1931P 05JAN NAPMUC SS1 0620 0800 * TU E
AC 847P 05JAN MUCYYZ SS1 1150 1505 * TU E

YTO AC X/FRA LH NAP 744.00PRCT88 LH X/MUC AC YTO 744.00PRCT88
NUC1488.00END ROE1.32509
FARE CAD 1972.00 TAX 25.91CA TAX 25.00SQ TAX 11.70DE TAX
59.70OY TAX 62.60RA TAX 2.40EX TAX 9.20HB TAX 12.10IT TAX
1.10MJ TAX 5.00VT TAX 3.25RC TAX 856.00YQ TOT CAD 3045.96

1900$ difference is not worth the AQM on FRA-NAP-MUC

canadiancow

So I got some clarification about flight passes. Regardless of what they say about "base fare" and "carrier surcharges", if you buy a flight pass, there are two figures shown. The FP price, and "total taxes". The entire FP price counts as AQD (prorated, per credit, as you fly).

I had assumed it worked this way, but now I'm positive.

That gets me more than halfway to the AQD threshold. Now all I need is EYWv5

Diabeetus

They can rename it EYAQD.

Adam Smith

Shocking! I knew AC overpriced codeshares, but WOW!

Diabeetus

I wonder if it would have made more sense and cause less outrage if AC simply did a couple of things:

All levels had a $0.20/mile spend minimum too.

AQD can only be earned on AC metal, but include taxes. This would have taken care of IT and codeshare issues.

YYT82

That's the reason I don't book codeshares, even if they earn me AQD next year. There are just so many disadvantages with codeshares that make them unattractive: no online check-in, no seat selection, no upgrades.

My flying pattern next year, even without booking codeshares, will clear $20K AQD no problems, so I will not put myself in a disadvantaged position.

YYT82

I actually have no problems with the spread between the levels, the only thing I have issues with is the AQD being strictly on AC metals or AC codeshares. I would be more fine with it being AC metals or AC 014 stock tickets. I HATE CODESHARES!

AA_EXP09

So? UA/AA/AS offers no YQ on ALL airlines (except BA)