Earning and redeeming AA miles / upgrading on BA/IB; BA fuel surcharge (Oct 1, 2010)
Oct 1, 2010, 7:10 am
#46
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mostly AUS or rural England
Programs: BAEC redundant Bronze, AAdvantage Lifetime PLT, CO, WN, B6
Posts: 6,526
Not how I read it from the upgrade table. It shows 12.5k to upgrade to PE and 12.5 k to upgrade to business from premium economy for North America to Europe ( http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/pr...rades/main.jsp )
Seems a reasonable deal for upgrading to business
Seems a reasonable deal for upgrading to business
Oct 1, 2010, 7:20 am
#49
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
With my flying pattern, I'm very pleased with these changes.
I'll earn redeemable miles faster, and I'll hit EXP much faster (I'm going to get there, for the first time, at the end of November this year, but had BA been awarding miles at these rates all year, I'd have got there in June.)
The award changes don't impact me that much - I typically redeem miles once a year, for two business class tickets to Australia (ex UK) so these changes will make the tickets very slightly more expensive.
It still looks like it's easier for a economy flying UK based person, it's much easier to get to EXP than BA Gold. But, it now looks like a non-UK flyer will get BA Gold much faster than AA EXP. For us UK based flyers, BA Executive Club only makes sense if you fly in premium cabins.
I'll earn redeemable miles faster, and I'll hit EXP much faster (I'm going to get there, for the first time, at the end of November this year, but had BA been awarding miles at these rates all year, I'd have got there in June.)
The award changes don't impact me that much - I typically redeem miles once a year, for two business class tickets to Australia (ex UK) so these changes will make the tickets very slightly more expensive.
It still looks like it's easier for a economy flying UK based person, it's much easier to get to EXP than BA Gold. But, it now looks like a non-UK flyer will get BA Gold much faster than AA EXP. For us UK based flyers, BA Executive Club only makes sense if you fly in premium cabins.
[If it weren't for the AA EXP systemwide upgrades, my use of AA's program would plummet as a result of these changes and my use of BA's program would take its place (to some degree) -- not sure that AA would care even if large volumes did this, given the government-enabled collusion allowed to AA and BA.]
For AA customers, an AA redemption using BA-operated flights means higher fuel surcharges and more government taxes, while BA redemptions remain as is (for now) excepting the additional way around fuel surcharges (by using BA miles for AA flights)?
Oct 1, 2010, 7:27 am
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,481
Oct 1, 2010, 7:31 am
#52
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,049
Q. When will a "From Economy to Premium Economy" vs. a "From Economy to Business" upgrade apply?
A. The award needed is based on the itinerary and the cabin configuration of the flights you wish to upgrade. If the longest flight segment you wish to upgrade has a Premium Economy cabin, the "From Economy to Premium Economy upgrade applies.
So on BA flights which have a Premium Economy cabin you will not be able to upgrade form Economy to Business, you would have to buy a Premium Economy fare and upgrade from there.
Oct 1, 2010, 7:33 am
#53
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Cote d'Ivoire
Programs: OW Emerald - HH Diamond
Posts: 3,417
So, it seems the only upside for AA flyers is earning miles on BA/IB when putting down the $$.
Miles redemption, not so much. No need to keep that chart handy.
Miles redemption, not so much. No need to keep that chart handy.
Oct 1, 2010, 7:33 am
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
Cheers.
Oct 1, 2010, 7:37 am
#55
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mostly AUS or rural England
Programs: BAEC redundant Bronze, AAdvantage Lifetime PLT, CO, WN, B6
Posts: 6,526
Also, all the notes etc. seem to suggest you can't upgrade discount WT+ fares (BA's T bucket) using AA miles, but (again, unless there's a nasty surprise lurking) you can still upgrade BA 'T' fares using BA miles, which generates sigh of relief amongst BAEC members.
Oct 1, 2010, 7:41 am
#56
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,481
I believe GUWonder was referring to earning elite status bonus miles on BA, which used to be possible until a year or 2 ago.
Oct 1, 2010, 7:41 am
#57
Join Date: May 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, UA 1K, Marriott/SPG Platinum Elite
Posts: 774
It's funny how a few days people were speculating that the only thing this joint venture accomplished is that all of AA's flights to LHR would be empty. Now i'd venture to say the exact opposite. AA's flights to LHR will have all the AA elites plus the BA elites who now get to come to the US without paying $300 for a coach "award" ticket and even more for a premium class award ticket.
And even though I go SFO-LHR a few times per year, I'll stick with AA instead of the non-stop on BA cause I want to be able to use the SWU.
Oct 1, 2010, 7:44 am
#58
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: New York, NY, USA
Programs: BAGold; AA3MMPlat; UA1MMGold; FBGold; MarriottAmb; AccorPlat; HHGold; ICPlatAmb; HyattDiscoverist
Posts: 4,378
Oct 1, 2010, 7:45 am
#59
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Posts: 102,095
I was refering to how AA elites were earning elite bonuses (i.e. good toward award ticket redemptions) for BA flights that would credit to AA accounts.
Oct 1, 2010, 7:46 am
#60
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 161
Upgrades are a joke.
However for your average flying-economy-to-Europe PLT type this is not so bad. Unless you are going somewhere major, you connect. Connecting AA-BA in LHR is something I do many times a year. Now, we have the option of BA-BA with exactly the same earning and elite bonus. Differences would be:
BA-BA vs AA-BA
+ Better lounges BA in the US
+ NO BUS AT LHR!!!
+ Free booze on board
+ Shorter MCT at LHR (60 vs 120 minutes)
- Pay for exit row seat
So, other than the exit row seat issue, why take AA as a PLAT? Obviously Golds lose the elite bonus, and EXPLATS loose the ability to use EVIPS but PLATS don't really seem to lose anything.
However for your average flying-economy-to-Europe PLT type this is not so bad. Unless you are going somewhere major, you connect. Connecting AA-BA in LHR is something I do many times a year. Now, we have the option of BA-BA with exactly the same earning and elite bonus. Differences would be:
BA-BA vs AA-BA
+ Better lounges BA in the US
+ NO BUS AT LHR!!!
+ Free booze on board
+ Shorter MCT at LHR (60 vs 120 minutes)
- Pay for exit row seat
So, other than the exit row seat issue, why take AA as a PLAT? Obviously Golds lose the elite bonus, and EXPLATS loose the ability to use EVIPS but PLATS don't really seem to lose anything.