No more free snacks/drinks for Platinum / PLT on American Eagle (as of 6/1/11) ???
May 28, 2011, 10:28 am
#16
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: ROC/NYC/MSP/LAX/HKG/SIN
Posts: 3,212
Back to the topic, depreciation of GLD/PLT would just make the airline much less appealing to the competitors.
May 28, 2011, 10:33 am
#17
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: GSO
Programs: AA-PLT/Lifetime
Posts: 1,187
I certainly agree with soccerpapi on this -- it's annoying enough whenever I connect to AE after flying from FRA in J but then to drop this little perk (admittedly one that's hit or miss) for PLATs, well, it's more than a little insulting.
May 28, 2011, 10:59 am
#18
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador, AA EXP
Posts: 2,704
That's the benefit of an unpublished benefit. They have an excuse when it's taken away, to argue that it was never there in the first place.
May 28, 2011, 11:08 am
#19
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Texas
Programs: AA EXP, UA Premier Plat, Alaska MVP Gold, HHonors Diamond, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,053
May 28, 2011, 11:39 am
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 10,949
Connecting from Business to AE still entitles you to this benefit.
May 28, 2011, 11:52 am
#22
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL Platinum, AA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Radisson Premium
Posts: 6,638
May 28, 2011, 1:03 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 10,949
how is it with the self described benefits why are you the #1 complainer and extend reular threats to flee to Delta or other airlies? You are a loud complainer yet a frequent customer, theses are at odds. Any insight you an share?
May 28, 2011, 1:09 pm
#24
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: GSO
Programs: AA-PLT/Lifetime
Posts: 1,187
May 28, 2011, 1:28 pm
#25
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 3,267
Money: Any object or record (a sticker) that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services (an upgrade) and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context (AAdvantage). The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past, a standard of deferred payment.
pay: 2. to give over (a certain amount of money--stickers) in exchange for something (an upgrade): He paid twenty dollars for the shirt.
May 28, 2011, 2:30 pm
#26
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Texas
Programs: AA EXP, UA Premier Plat, Alaska MVP Gold, HHonors Diamond, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,053
Not free by any definition:
Money: Any object or record (a sticker) that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services (an upgrade) and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context (AAdvantage). The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past, a standard of deferred payment.
pay: 2. to give over (a certain amount of money--stickers) in exchange for something (an upgrade): He paid twenty dollars for the shirt.
Money: Any object or record (a sticker) that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services (an upgrade) and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context (AAdvantage). The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past, a standard of deferred payment.
pay: 2. to give over (a certain amount of money--stickers) in exchange for something (an upgrade): He paid twenty dollars for the shirt.
There is no cost to me to earn or use stickers. They are, by definition, FREE:
"Adverb: Without cost or payment: "ladies were admitted free"."
May 28, 2011, 2:35 pm
#27
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MHK
Programs: AA Exec Plat - some level of status in IHG, Marriot & HIlton
Posts: 1,516
This is a little disappointing. Although, I wasn't offered the free drink most of the time, I did ask once or twice & was never turned down. It definitely makes taking Eagle acceptable for me if I can get a free drink. In fact, I was starting to book Eagle intentionally through ORD instead of mainline through DFW when traveling to destinations where the time/cost of either option was about the same. After this change, I will go back to mainline through DFW as option 1.
May 28, 2011, 2:38 pm
#28
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 3,267
Free. I pay NO extra money to earn the stickers. I pay the cheapest fare, which is the same whether or not I'm in AAdvantage, and whether or not I have enough status to earn stickers.
There is no cost to me to earn or use stickers. They are, by definition, FREE:
"Adverb: Without cost or payment: "ladies were admitted free"."
There is no cost to me to earn or use stickers. They are, by definition, FREE:
"Adverb: Without cost or payment: "ladies were admitted free"."
Does that make cash free?
May 28, 2011, 2:48 pm
#29
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Texas
Programs: AA EXP, UA Premier Plat, Alaska MVP Gold, HHonors Diamond, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,053
You're creating a false dilemma. In your example I perform work for cash, thus cash is earned.
In my example, I pay cash for a product (travel to a destination) and receive a benefit (upgrade vouchers) as a benefit without altering the price or product.
To be closer to your example, it's the same as paying someone to mow my lawn (paying for work) vs. paying someone to mow my lawn who offers me coupons such that when I accumulate enough I can choose to cash them in to have the hedges trimmed, too, at no additional charge and with no additional requirements or cost at any point in the process vs. me simply obtaining the lawn mowings that I [would have] paid for anyway.
Bottom line? AA does not charge me any more, there's an accrued benefit of tangible value, and I can use it without additional cost (assuming I'm still going to travel) or I can not use it - either way there is no cost associated with either choice.
That, by definition (no cost to acquire something of value, namely a better seat) is free.
May 28, 2011, 3:59 pm
#30
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Signatures
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: London, England
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, National Exec, AA EXP Emeritus
Posts: 9,765
To those for whom this benefit was so important as to take your business to another airline, would United Express or Delta Connection provide free drinks in Y to 1Ps or GMs? I'm not being a jerk, I really don't know. I have two good friends that are 1Ps on UA and neither are aware of such a perk, although one of them also didn't know about lounge access on international flights either so... their knowledge is not exhaustive.