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AA considering selling double RDMs, charging for online reward bookings

AA considering selling double RDMs, charging for online reward bookings

 
Old Jan 29, 2010, 9:43 pm
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by sbm12
Every now and then a ridiculously boring government document reveals some interesting nuggets of data. Last March AA sent a letter off to the IRS requesting taxation guidance on 39 specific types of transactions. Among them were these two:
  • Service P allows Members to purchase “bonus” Miles (i.e., double or triple miles) on certain flights to be credited to the Member’s Account. Currently, this service is occasionally offered to members free of charge on a limited-time basis. However, Taxpayer is preparing to offer Service P for a fee.
  • Service CC allows Members to redeem Miles for the purchase of air transportation on Taxpayer’s website. At the time this letter ruling request was issued, Taxpayer was not charging a fee for Service CC. Taxpayer is, however, contemplating implementation of a fee for this service. The fee would be charged at the time of ticketing.
As I look around the web, I find this document on the IRS website, http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-wd/1002004.pdf which appears to contain the entire text the portion of which you quote.

What is your source for believing that the redacted airline is American?
Landing Gear is offline  
Old Jan 30, 2010, 1:28 am
  #17  
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Originally Posted by nonesuch flyer
I am probably a slow learner (I am not very good at interpreting bureaucrat speak that this seems to be written in)... but is what AA is saying that in future they would charge a fee for DBLEQM promotions or that you could choose to do DBLEQM whenever you wanted but that you would have too pay for it? Is this really a step towards allowing people to buy elite status? I assume that these are all trial baloons that they are floating? Do any of the competitors to AA have anything equivalent to these options?
I saw no mention of elite qualifying miles, except for the post indicating the miles would count toward lifetime elite status. AA already lets you pay more for more elite qualifying points, simply by buying higher fares.
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Old Jan 30, 2010, 8:51 am
  #18  
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Originally Posted by Pizzaman
Every time I've looked at UA Award Accelerator, it's been a horrible deal. That being said, if I found myself running short at the end of the year for EXP requal, I could see the value in paying for some so I could stay home with my wife and daughter.
No indication that they would be EQMs. Almost certainly just RDMs.
Originally Posted by Landing Gear
As I look around the web, I find this document on the IRS website, http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-wd/1002004.pdf which appears to contain the entire text the portion of which you quote.

What is your source for believing that the redacted airline is American?
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyl...ecked_lug.html

AA admits it according to that article. Sorry I didn't include that in my post on this half the story; I did include it on the previous post I made discussing the baggage fees.
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Old Jan 30, 2010, 11:21 am
  #19  
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Originally Posted by sbm12
The first is similar to UA's Award Accelerator and not all that revolutionary. CO also does something similar with their Extra Mile promo every year.

The second would be a bit more drastic.
The second being charging for redeeming miles for awards online: Didn't Delta have such a fee last year (which it has since gotten rid of), $5 or something?

And when was that relative to the March 2009 date of the quoted letter?

If it was already after Delta had done that (or if it was after AA had learned Delta was considering doing it), then it doesn't seem drastic to me either. Just evaluation of a copycat move (like with the first, which is also possibly similar to an extra miles purchase that you could add to NW/KL flights bought on nwa.com for many years, dunno if DL has carried that over or not).
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Old Jan 30, 2010, 12:39 pm
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by sdsearch
The second being charging for redeeming miles for awards online: Didn't Delta have such a fee last year (which it has since gotten rid of), $5 or something?
Actually, AA introduced a $5 fee for booking an award ticket online back in 2008 but it didn't stay around for long (just a few months IIRC):

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...e-dropped.html
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Old Jan 30, 2010, 4:59 pm
  #21  
 
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Originally Posted by sbm12
No indication that they would be EQMs. Almost certainly just RDMs.
Chuckle, have tons of RDMs. Doubt I would pay anything more for additional RDMs. Now, my father, on his quest to 2MM, probably would.
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