Earning and redeeming AA miles / upgrading on BA/IB; BA fuel surcharge (Oct 1, 2010)
Oct 1, 2010, 1:55 am
#16
Join Date: May 2001
Programs: AA PLT 2MM, LH SEN *, HH Gold
Posts: 3,075
Huh? If American's top-tier customers haven't switched to Star Alliance already because of the non-earning/non-burning/non-upgrading situation that prevailed until yesterday, why would today's announcement make them switch?
Oct 1, 2010, 2:06 am
#17
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: London
Posts: 878
http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/pa...ishAirways.jsp
We can now earn 100% on discount economy ^
TATL redemptions are great, but with fuel surcharge
We can now earn 100% on discount economy ^
TATL redemptions are great, but with fuel surcharge
Oct 1, 2010, 2:10 am
#18
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
It has the potential to eliminate all, most or some of the value of intra-European and European-originating award tickets in coach and, less so, in the higher classes of service.
to this aspect which is increasingly putting AA's program into the DL way of operating DL SkyMiles.
to this aspect which is increasingly putting AA's program into the DL way of operating DL SkyMiles.
Last edited by GUWonder; Oct 1, 2010 at 2:15 am
Oct 1, 2010, 2:28 am
#19
Join Date: May 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, UA 1K, Marriott/SPG Platinum Elite
Posts: 774
i just called AA. a round-trip ticket from SFO to LHR would have $265 in fuel surcharges, not to mention the taxes and other fees. that's ridiculous. guess i'll stick with AA for award travel in coach now. bummer about them not taking the SWU's though.
Oct 1, 2010, 2:30 am
#20
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Ireland
Programs: AA PLT 2MM, IHG Plat
Posts: 3,566
Around $430RT in fuel surcharges in J/F LHR-SFO if I'm reading the chart correctly, and that's without those dreadful UK departure taxes. Compare that to the $33 TOTAL I just paid for a Cathay business award ticket to Shanghai. I can see where I'll be using my miles (won't be BA).
Those dreadful UK departure taxes will be paid no matter who you're flying with. I won't be flying to/from the West Coast but if the increased flexibility means I can now take a TATL flight on the day I want in BA F (I don't plan to redeem in BA J) without using additional day(s) in vacation time then approx US$150 each way is a price I'll pay.
Oct 1, 2010, 2:33 am
#21
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
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Due to goverment allowances for airline collusion by AA/BA/IB, your chances of avoiding the fuel surcharges will be lower than they would otherwise be if the government did not enable this collusion for AA/BA/IB.
Oct 1, 2010, 3:04 am
#22
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 2,691
What I can't work out is whether we have to pay the BA fuel surcharge on all BA flights, or just Transatlantic ones.
Previously we have been able to redeem on the vast majority of the BA route network outside of North America and have not had to pay a surcharge. I would be very disappointed if this was now a global change just because of the new TATL deal.
Previously we have been able to redeem on the vast majority of the BA route network outside of North America and have not had to pay a surcharge. I would be very disappointed if this was now a global change just because of the new TATL deal.
Oct 1, 2010, 3:11 am
#23
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
What I can't work out is whether we have to pay the BA fuel surcharge on all BA flights, or just Transatlantic ones.
Previously we have been able to redeem on the vast majority of the BA route network outside of North America and have not had to pay a surcharge. I would be very disappointed if this was now a global change just because of the new TATL deal.
Previously we have been able to redeem on the vast majority of the BA route network outside of North America and have not had to pay a surcharge. I would be very disappointed if this was now a global change just because of the new TATL deal.
Oct 1, 2010, 3:44 am
#24
Join Date: May 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, UA 1K, Marriott/SPG Platinum Elite
Posts: 774
the biggest disappointment of this seems to be that it will cost you 25K miles + $350 just to upgrade to their crappy premium economy. i think they offered me the option at the gate of upgrading to premium economy for $300 anyway. regardless, it's literally almost the same thing as coach. a tiny tiny bit more space and absolutely no difference in service level. i think they were also offering upgrades to business for $900. i'd rather pay $550 more and save the 25k miles and go to business. actually, i'd rather just do neither of the above and stay in coach. 
Oct 1, 2010, 4:24 am
#25
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: New York, NY, USA
Programs: BAGold; AA3MMPlat; UA1MMGold; FBGold; MarriottAmb; AccorPlat; HHGold; ICPlatAmb; HyattDiscoverist
Posts: 4,378
the biggest disappointment of this seems to be that it will cost you 25K miles + $350 just to upgrade to their crappy premium economy. i think they offered me the option at the gate of upgrading to premium economy for $300 anyway. regardless, it's literally almost the same thing as coach. a tiny tiny bit more space and absolutely no difference in service level. i think they were also offering upgrades to business for $900. i'd rather pay $550 more and save the 25k miles and go to business. actually, i'd rather just do neither of the above and stay in coach.
At first glance, seems a mixed blessing. I haven't been using AAdvantage miles for BA redemptions, so the fuel surcharge doesn't have much impact for me, but I recognize it's a loss for many AA flyers. I am glad to have the option to earn on BA TATLs and at least to have the choice to burn on BA TATLs if I'm willing to pay the surcharge.
Oct 1, 2010, 4:28 am
#26
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,049
Should make the BA elites happy, I can't see me ever redeeming AA miles on BA again.
Virtually nothing of benefit to me there at all sadly.
Virtually nothing of benefit to me there at all sadly.
Oct 1, 2010, 4:46 am
#27
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: A few
Posts: 5,499
Basically the ability to earn AA on BA flights, and redeem with fuel surcharge. Absolutely no shockers here at all. I'd almost started believing SWU's would be usable but that I think was clearly a figment of the collective FT speculative imagination 
I am fine with these changes, nothing major but now if I end up on BA either flying or because I want to redeem the option is there.
I am fine with these changes, nothing major but now if I end up on BA either flying or because I want to redeem the option is there.
Oct 1, 2010, 4:48 am
#28
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That's how I read it too, even as I was trying to hold out a little hope that it would only hit if the longest segment on an itinerary was BA-operated.
I've gained nothing from this AA change -- rather AA's change is stripping value out of the AA miles I've accumulated (and this is just for starters in terms of devaluation).
I've gained nothing from this AA change -- rather AA's change is stripping value out of the AA miles I've accumulated (and this is just for starters in terms of devaluation).
Oct 1, 2010, 5:03 am
#29
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
the biggest disappointment of this seems to be that it will cost you 25K miles + $350 just to upgrade to their crappy premium economy. i think they offered me the option at the gate of upgrading to premium economy for $300 anyway. regardless, it's literally almost the same thing as coach. a tiny tiny bit more space and absolutely no difference in service level. i think they were also offering upgrades to business for $900. i'd rather pay $550 more and save the 25k miles and go to business. actually, i'd rather just do neither of the above and stay in coach.
Seems a reasonable deal for upgrading to business
Dave
Oct 1, 2010, 5:04 am
#30
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 90
I haven't seen anyone point out an obvious benefit for elites.
"Effective October 1, 2010, AAdvantage Executive Platinum members and AAdvantage Platinum members will earn elite status bonus miles for British Airways flights."
Things are not all bad..........
"Effective October 1, 2010, AAdvantage Executive Platinum members and AAdvantage Platinum members will earn elite status bonus miles for British Airways flights."
Things are not all bad..........