AA.com re-design: Monday 11/15/2010
Nov 14, 2010, 8:42 am
#91
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
It looks like exactly what the email led me to expect: a cosmetic and organizational change for the better without changing the underlying functionality. If AA tried to redo both the back end and the visual appearance at once, I can't imagine it would have been anything but a disaster.
AA.com has looked like it was from the late 90s since the late 90s, hiding the fact that (IMO) it's long been one of the more functional airline web sites (as evidenced by fairly frequent rants about how terrible AA.com is from folks new to AA on this forum). This makes the site look modern without breaking anything (non-cosmetic) that worked yesterday. I'm glad they didn't try to do more.
My impressions:
These are all minor things, but it now feels like someone has actually sat down and designed the layout of the web site instead of just thrown together every good idea they could think of without fitting the pieces together in an intuitive fashion.
AA.com has looked like it was from the late 90s since the late 90s, hiding the fact that (IMO) it's long been one of the more functional airline web sites (as evidenced by fairly frequent rants about how terrible AA.com is from folks new to AA on this forum). This makes the site look modern without breaking anything (non-cosmetic) that worked yesterday. I'm glad they didn't try to do more.
My impressions:
- Significantly easier to read and find things on the front page. ^
- List of reservations available in a tab on the main page that doesn't require loading a separate page (ie displays instantly when I click the tab). ^
- Feels like much of the front page is taken up with flashy ads (even more so than before).
- "Flight status" labeled as such, instead of the less-intuitive "Gates & Times".
These are all minor things, but it now feels like someone has actually sat down and designed the layout of the web site instead of just thrown together every good idea they could think of without fitting the pieces together in an intuitive fashion.
Nov 14, 2010, 8:56 am
#92
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,317
Reprint boarding pass option is gone (or I can't find it)
Nov 14, 2010, 8:57 am
#93
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,934
Because of this redesign, I found new ways to earn AA miles! 
Under Book Travel, there's a tab for Activities. I can book Danube cruises in Budapest and earn AA miles (beyond just using my AA credit card)? Wow, I never knew that. It was probably hidden somewhere before, but Activities being a tab just like Hotels and Cars made it easy for me to find it only now.
Booking Hotels and Cars on aa.com is uninteresting to me because there are other ways to earn AA miles with those by directly booking those with my favoirte hotel programs and car rental programs. But Activities, I can't earn miles by booking those directly elsewhere that I know of, so to me this does seem useful (from the miles-earning perspective) even though it may have nothing to do directly with booking a flight.
Under Book Travel, there's a tab for Activities. I can book Danube cruises in Budapest and earn AA miles (beyond just using my AA credit card)? Wow, I never knew that. It was probably hidden somewhere before, but Activities being a tab just like Hotels and Cars made it easy for me to find it only now.
Booking Hotels and Cars on aa.com is uninteresting to me because there are other ways to earn AA miles with those by directly booking those with my favoirte hotel programs and car rental programs. But Activities, I can't earn miles by booking those directly elsewhere that I know of, so to me this does seem useful (from the miles-earning perspective) even though it may have nothing to do directly with booking a flight.
Nov 14, 2010, 8:59 am
#94
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT 1MM, HH Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 113
It looks like exactly what the email led me to expect: a cosmetic and organizational change for the better without changing the underlying functionality. If AA tried to redo both the back end and the visual appearance at once, I can't imagine it would have been anything but a disaster.
AA.com has looked like it was from the late 90s since the late 90s, hiding the fact that (IMO) it's long been one of the more functional airline web sites (as evidenced by fairly frequent rants about how terrible AA.com is from folks new to AA on this forum). This makes the site look modern without breaking anything (non-cosmetic) that worked yesterday. I'm glad they didn't try to do more.
My impressions:
These are all minor things, but it now feels like someone has actually sat down and designed the layout of the web site instead of just thrown together every good idea they could think of without fitting the pieces together in an intuitive fashion.
AA.com has looked like it was from the late 90s since the late 90s, hiding the fact that (IMO) it's long been one of the more functional airline web sites (as evidenced by fairly frequent rants about how terrible AA.com is from folks new to AA on this forum). This makes the site look modern without breaking anything (non-cosmetic) that worked yesterday. I'm glad they didn't try to do more.
My impressions:
- Significantly easier to read and find things on the front page. ^
- List of reservations available in a tab on the main page that doesn't require loading a separate page (ie displays instantly when I click the tab). ^
- Feels like much of the front page is taken up with flashy ads (even more so than before).
- "Flight status" labeled as such, instead of the less-intuitive "Gates & Times".
These are all minor things, but it now feels like someone has actually sat down and designed the layout of the web site instead of just thrown together every good idea they could think of without fitting the pieces together in an intuitive fashion.
Nov 14, 2010, 9:17 am
#95
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Austin
Programs: AA EXP +2MM- LT PLT! HH Diamond
Posts: 6,087
Haven't had enough time to review all of the new site, but basically they replaced the left hand NAV with a header NAV. Wow!(not really)
Nov 14, 2010, 9:19 am
#96
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Plat
Posts: 699
Also it seems to actually remember my aadvantage number!!
Nov 14, 2010, 9:20 am
#97
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 229
My beefs.... although nothing has changed from the past.
Once you navigate away from the home page, I wish that when you click on the Reservations tab, I wish that My Reservations would be listed first even though it isn't alphabetical, same with AAdvantage. Account Details should be first IMO.
It seems odd to see elements from the old page mixed within the new format. I guess they didn't want to change it up too much.
Once you navigate away from the home page, I wish that when you click on the Reservations tab, I wish that My Reservations would be listed first even though it isn't alphabetical, same with AAdvantage. Account Details should be first IMO.
It seems odd to see elements from the old page mixed within the new format. I guess they didn't want to change it up too much.
Nov 14, 2010, 9:51 am
#98
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: A few
Posts: 5,499
is it just me or does it not work in firefox at all?
works fine on safari
nothing major to write home about
works fine on safari
nothing major to write home about
Nov 14, 2010, 9:54 am
#99
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EXP, HYATT DIA
Posts: 276
No meaningful improvements whatsoever. Once you get passed the homepage, it's completely unchanged. Couldn't even can the auto-remember-me right.
There's a tab on the front page for upcoming reservations, which is a good idea, but you still need to go through the ridiculous sign-in process, which renders it worthless. In fact, now you have to go to the log-in tab to log in, which adds another step to the process.
Nov 14, 2010, 10:21 am
#100
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: SAV,JAX
Programs: AA-LT Gold 1.2MM ,DL, Marriott LT TITANIUM; HH Gold, AMEX PLT
Posts: 495
It appears to be working very slowly. Or is it me?
Nov 14, 2010, 10:26 am
#101
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: FLL -> Where The Boyars Are
Programs: AA EXP 1.7 M, Hilton Gold, Hertz 5*, AARP Sophomore, 14-time Croix de Candlestick
Posts: 18,669
With one exception, I can see everything fine in Firefox - on the home page, left half, the words and radio button for "One Way" are superimposed on the words and radio button "Round Trip + Hotel". I'm also using Firefox 3.6.12. The overlap does not occur on Chrome or IE.
One good thing is that, when you are changing options in the Round Trip selection screen (for example, to try a different departure date to see if the far drops), it doesn't seem to always revert to "Schedule" - for my few tests just now, it seemed to stay where I wanted it to stay selected, on "Price".
As for the "remember me" selection on the log in screen, I'm pleased that they did not change it. Any kind of log in screen to a secure account should always default to not remembering - airline sites especially, as they are more likely to be accessed on public computers more often than other kinds of sites. For example, the log in page for my primary financial institution (credit union) doesn't even offer a "Remember Me" option, and that's a good thing.
One good thing is that, when you are changing options in the Round Trip selection screen (for example, to try a different departure date to see if the far drops), it doesn't seem to always revert to "Schedule" - for my few tests just now, it seemed to stay where I wanted it to stay selected, on "Price".
As for the "remember me" selection on the log in screen, I'm pleased that they did not change it. Any kind of log in screen to a secure account should always default to not remembering - airline sites especially, as they are more likely to be accessed on public computers more often than other kinds of sites. For example, the log in page for my primary financial institution (credit union) doesn't even offer a "Remember Me" option, and that's a good thing.
Nov 14, 2010, 10:36 am
#102
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,518
As for the "remember me" selection on the log in screen, I'm pleased that they did not change it. Any kind of log in screen to a secure account should always default to not remembering - airline sites especially, as they are more likely to be accessed on public computers more often than other kinds of sites. For example, the log in page for my primary financial institution (credit union) doesn't even offer a "Remember Me" option, and that's a good thing.
Nov 14, 2010, 10:37 am
#103
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA Plat Pro 1.4M, SPG Lifetime Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 210
it looks different but i'll need to play around with it to determine if different is also better (for me).......do like the tabs though....
Nov 14, 2010, 10:44 am
#104
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA LTPLT UA1P Hilton Dia Marriott Plat
Posts: 1,183
Still can't book EVIPS on-line. Can't book a OW award.
Nov 14, 2010, 10:52 am
#105
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: LA,NYC
Programs: AA-EXP 2.8 MM,UA-GS 1.3 MM,DL-PL,HH-DM,LH-SEN,Bonvoy-GL
Posts: 296
Is it just me? I find that the new site is "freezing" in IE every so often 