Public evidence of possible changes to Million Miler Program?
Apr 21, 2011, 4:19 pm
#151
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP 1.5MM, Asiana Club Silver, KE Morning Calm, Hyatt Platinum, Amtrak Select
Posts: 7,161
I want this AND the ability to accrue additional MM qual miles from other sources as long as they don't exceed this amount. That way the program is capped, but encourages activity with these partners. This solves the complaint of being able to accrue miles without ever having set foot on a plane.
Under your example, you're asking for something like a 200k limit so that you can put in 80k flown miles + 80k in PLT elite bonuses + additional 40k from other sources.
Then what incentive would an EXP have who actually flies more than 100k mi per year? If it's capped at 200k, that loyal EXP won't earn anything more than 200k no matter how much more he flies over the 100k mark.
Activity with other partners like eShopping, Dining, and credit cards are a way to earn redeemable miles so that you can use them for award flights, not as an incentive to be a loyal AA flier.
A MM qualification should be an incentive to reward the most frequent fliers who actually step foot on the plane and fly somewhere. It should not be a reward to those who buys thousands of Healthy Choice brands or do multiple 75k-100k Citicard signup bonus churns.
You'd be surprised how much businesses pay for stuff. What's keeping a hotel business owner who has a CitiAAdvantage VISA Business card to charge $67,000 on flowers as an actual business expense for stuff like weddings, thank yous to his/her employees, or even tidying up the hotel?
Last edited by kebosabi; Apr 21, 2011 at 4:28 pm
Apr 21, 2011, 4:20 pm
#152
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL Platinum, AA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Radisson Premium
Posts: 6,638
Apr 21, 2011, 4:25 pm
#154
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hertz President's Circle, Admiral's Club
Posts: 125
I have to disagree as adding a cap system won't be fair to those who actually fly a lot on AA.
Under your example, you're asking for something like a 200k limit so that you can put in 80k flown miles + 80k in PLT elite bonuses + additional 40k from other sources.
Then what incentive would an EXP have who actually flies more than 100k mi per year? If it's capped at 200k, that loyal EXP won't earn anything more than 200k no matter how much more he flies over the 100k mark.
Activity with other partners like eShopping, Dining, and credit cards are a way to earn redeemable miles so that you can use them for award flights, not as an incentive to be a loyal AA flier.
A MM qualification should be an incentive to reward the most frequent fliers who actually step foot on the plane and fly somewhere. It should not be a reward to those who buys thousands of Healthy Choice brands or do multiple 75k-100k Citicard signup bonus churns.
Under your example, you're asking for something like a 200k limit so that you can put in 80k flown miles + 80k in PLT elite bonuses + additional 40k from other sources.
Then what incentive would an EXP have who actually flies more than 100k mi per year? If it's capped at 200k, that loyal EXP won't earn anything more than 200k no matter how much more he flies over the 100k mark.
Activity with other partners like eShopping, Dining, and credit cards are a way to earn redeemable miles so that you can use them for award flights, not as an incentive to be a loyal AA flier.
A MM qualification should be an incentive to reward the most frequent fliers who actually step foot on the plane and fly somewhere. It should not be a reward to those who buys thousands of Healthy Choice brands or do multiple 75k-100k Citicard signup bonus churns.
I"m not proposing any cap on miles that could be earned. I'm hoping that they (instead of not allowing partner miles) cap them so that they are not allowed to exceed BIS or EQM. Got it?
How could you possibly interpret that I was asking them to cap the amount of MM qualifying miles that you could receive from actually flying on their planes?
Apr 21, 2011, 4:26 pm
#155
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 317
Why not? AA generates revenue from the sale of miles, presumably it made business sense up until now. These mileage programs are a huge moneymaker for airlines.
Apr 21, 2011, 4:28 pm
#156
Moderator: Alaska Mileage Plan
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,319
Citibank is a strategic financial partner of AA. It would not surprise me, at all, if its mileage awards receive some preference in any new MM scheme.
Apr 21, 2011, 4:31 pm
#158
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,934
I can't even begin to make a complete list of precedents in other areas, but:
Citi credit card spend AA miles are capped yearly, but not if you're AA elite.
You have to pay baggage fees, but not if you're AA elite.
You can only redeem for certain awards if you have 25000 miles or more in your account, but not if you're AA elite.
Etc.
Etc.
Apr 21, 2011, 4:31 pm
#159
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP 1.5MM, Asiana Club Silver, KE Morning Calm, Hyatt Platinum, Amtrak Select
Posts: 7,161
No, but I know that you're angry because you're seeing the possibility that you won't get to enjoy the bennies.
Apr 21, 2011, 4:32 pm
#161
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hertz President's Circle, Admiral's Club
Posts: 125
I have a Citi MC and a Citi Amex. I got a 35K miles bonus from one this year and a 75K bonus from from the other. Between the 2 cards, I'll also get about another 100-120K miles/year in $ for $ spend (if they continue to count as they have historically). This ability to count/accrue these has my sights on making 1MM and LT Gold in under 2 years from now.
Apr 21, 2011, 4:33 pm
#162
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,434
I’m pretty much cool with a two-tiered MM qualification system as it’s quite absurd that a person can just charge $2 million on an miles earning credit card or buy $67,000 worth of flowers at 1-800-flowers.com (@ 30 mi/$) and obtain AA LT PLT without ever stepping foot on a plane as it stands now.
Apr 21, 2011, 4:37 pm
#163
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hertz President's Circle, Admiral's Club
Posts: 125
Agreed on the post above about allowing more sources of miles to count based upon status level. That would for sure incentivize folks to fly and make status in order to accrue "extra" miles counting towards MM qualification from hotels, rental cars, AAdvatage dining/shopping and CC spend.
I would be very happy with this as someone that will easily be making/maintaining Platinum by early to mid-Summer each year.
Apr 21, 2011, 4:38 pm
#164
In Memoriam
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Always on vacation
Programs: aa exp - spg gold - Hyatt Diamond - HH Gold
Posts: 6,007
Due to a few cardiac events among Fters the title has been changed to reflect the fact that there has been no formal announcement.
~moderator
~moderator