AAdvantage Dynamic Air Awards for Elites [to be discontinued 1 April 2014]
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 10,947
AAdvantage Dynamic Air Awards for Elites [to be discontinued 1 April 2014]
Looks like AA is rolling out a new redemption program fro AAdvantage Elites, called Dynamic Air.
https://www.useaamiles.com/air/
Thanks to the tip off on Traveling Better.
http://www.travelingbetter.com/forum...5143#post35143
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MODERATOR'S NOTE
AA's webpage describing Dynamic Air Awards can be found here: http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/dynamicair.jsp
AmericanAirlines has also posted the following downthread:
dstan
AA Forum Co-Moderator
https://www.useaamiles.com/air/
Thanks to the tip off on Traveling Better.
http://www.travelingbetter.com/forum...5143#post35143
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MODERATOR'S NOTE
AA's webpage describing Dynamic Air Awards can be found here: http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/dynamicair.jsp
AmericanAirlines has also posted the following downthread:
Hello FT'ers,
Looks like you already discovered our new award option – way to be on the ball! For those who are interested, here are the full details.
As a continuation of our 30th anniversary celebration, we're excited to introduce new Dynamic Air awards exclusively for our elite status members (Gold, Platinum and Executive Platinum). With this new award, you can use your miles to book any Economy Class seat on any flight for travel within the U.S. 48 for fewer miles than what's required for an AAnytime award. It might even be fewer miles than our traditional MileSAAver award! The number of miles needed is based on applicable published fares. As fares vary so will the amount of miles required. There are no black-out dates or inventory restrictions. If there’s a seat available for sale with cash, you can use your miles instead.
However, as some of you have noted, there are a few limitations (here’s where the fine print comes in)… these awards are only available for Economy Class seats on flights within the U.S. 48 and once booked, these awards can’t be changed. Except for our Exec Plats, cancellations will incur a mileage reinstatement fee.
But don’t worry, you’re still able to book MileSAAver and AAnytime awards. Now, you’ll just have an additional option when redeeming miles for travel.
You’ve asked for more flexibility with your miles and we’re listening. I encourage you to check out this new award type and I’m interested to hear what you think. You can book these awards and also learn more at AA.com/DynamicAirAwards.
Maya Leibman
President – AAdvantage Loyalty Program
Looks like you already discovered our new award option – way to be on the ball! For those who are interested, here are the full details.
As a continuation of our 30th anniversary celebration, we're excited to introduce new Dynamic Air awards exclusively for our elite status members (Gold, Platinum and Executive Platinum). With this new award, you can use your miles to book any Economy Class seat on any flight for travel within the U.S. 48 for fewer miles than what's required for an AAnytime award. It might even be fewer miles than our traditional MileSAAver award! The number of miles needed is based on applicable published fares. As fares vary so will the amount of miles required. There are no black-out dates or inventory restrictions. If there’s a seat available for sale with cash, you can use your miles instead.
However, as some of you have noted, there are a few limitations (here’s where the fine print comes in)… these awards are only available for Economy Class seats on flights within the U.S. 48 and once booked, these awards can’t be changed. Except for our Exec Plats, cancellations will incur a mileage reinstatement fee.
But don’t worry, you’re still able to book MileSAAver and AAnytime awards. Now, you’ll just have an additional option when redeeming miles for travel.
You’ve asked for more flexibility with your miles and we’re listening. I encourage you to check out this new award type and I’m interested to hear what you think. You can book these awards and also learn more at AA.com/DynamicAirAwards.
Maya Leibman
President – AAdvantage Loyalty Program
AA Forum Co-Moderator
Last edited by JDiver; Aug 2, 2011 at 10:47 am
#2
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA LT PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,564
Interesting...although more interesting is the fact that at least some award tickets will require more miles come August 6th. Not sure I saw that mentioned before.
#3
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PSP
Programs: AA Plat4Life 3.9mm, UA, BA, Intergalactic Spacelines
Posts: 129
Nice Find. I'll have to run a bunch of dummy routes to see what's going to open up for AA elites.
#4
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: RBKC
Programs: AA EXP and Eurostar Carte Blanche
Posts: 3,846
Here's the AA link:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/dynamica...tle=dynamicair
Hmm. Economy only, not changeable, only bookable online, "US mainland" only, and (if I understand correctly) mileage cost is ≤ AAnytime. Doesn't sound like anything I will ever use.
Now, what about these rumors about mileage awards increasing?
http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/dynamica...tle=dynamicair
Hmm. Economy only, not changeable, only bookable online, "US mainland" only, and (if I understand correctly) mileage cost is ≤ AAnytime. Doesn't sound like anything I will ever use.
Now, what about these rumors about mileage awards increasing?
#5
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Austin
Programs: AA P4L, WN, BA, DL, UA, HHonors, IHG
Posts: 3,485
Not changeable, and reservations can't be put on Hold...not appealing to me.
#6
Moderator: Coupon Connection & S.P.A.M
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Louisville, KY
Programs: Destination Unknown, TSA Disparager Diamond (LTDD)
Posts: 57,946
"Economy Class only"
Well, no need to worry about these...
Well, no need to worry about these...
#7
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: AUS TUS
Programs: AA PLT, UA GLD
Posts: 993
it's basically guarantees no worse than AAnytime. I tried a flight tomorrow $1120 and it's asking for 49000 miles + $10, i.e., you save 1000 miles. strangely on the friday return it can only show one flight.
tried another flight way out and it's about 1.37c/mile.
tried another flight way out and it's about 1.37c/mile.
#8
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: OKC-DFW
Programs: EXP- finally
Posts: 136
"AAdvantage elite status members can book a Dynamic Air award for as few as 10,000 miles one-way or 20,000 miles round-trip"
so 10,000 miles difference for a economy ticket. Meh. A loser thought this up.
so 10,000 miles difference for a economy ticket. Meh. A loser thought this up.
#9
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: AUS TUS
Programs: AA PLT, UA GLD
Posts: 993
for others they probably would think the savings of miles vs. possible schedule change, but then, if they buy normal non-refundable ticket it's $150 fee for changing schedule, same as the amount for re-depositing miles.
#10
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Texas
Programs: AA EXP, UA Premier Plat, Alaska MVP Gold, HHonors Diamond, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,053
12.5K MileSAAver x2 = 25K, so you can save up to 5K
25K AAnytime x2 = 50K, so you can save up to 30K
More importantly, it's based on the published fare, not the miles, so as the price changes so will the redemption level. As an example, compare AUS-JFK with AUS-DEN for December 17th.
#11
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: AUS TUS
Programs: AA PLT, UA GLD
Posts: 993
it could be really good for some cheap flights, if there're no savers available: instead of paying 50,000 for anytime, you may only pay 20 some thousand.
#12
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: 14,509
Okay, so I found a flight cheaper than a regular saver award: DFW-MSY roundtrip on Wednesdays in September. Dynamic price 22K miles + $5. Saver price 25K miles + $5. Cash price $86 each way, $186 all-in.
22K miles to save $181 is about 0.8 cents/mile return. That's pretty poor. Plus compared to the regular award, I lose the ability to put it on hold, and to make free changes: that's significant.
Unlike many here, I do sometimes use miles for domestic travel, and since flights from DFW are all short, it's rarely worth it to burn the extra miles for F. But my threshold is high, tickets have to be expensive before I'll use miles instead of buying.
If this ratio of miles to cash cost is typical, it's hard to see when this would ever be worthwhile.
22K miles to save $181 is about 0.8 cents/mile return. That's pretty poor. Plus compared to the regular award, I lose the ability to put it on hold, and to make free changes: that's significant.
Unlike many here, I do sometimes use miles for domestic travel, and since flights from DFW are all short, it's rarely worth it to burn the extra miles for F. But my threshold is high, tickets have to be expensive before I'll use miles instead of buying.
If this ratio of miles to cash cost is typical, it's hard to see when this would ever be worthwhile.
#13
Join Date: Mar 2006
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K, F9 Elite, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,319
I'm a little afraid that this new 'dynamic' system is a cloak for just a new tier, ala SkyPesos where you can't find much of any availability at the 25k level anymore. Really disconcerting if AA goes that route. I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt, but seeing what happened at DL gives you a little pause, no?
#14
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA LT PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,564
I'm a little afraid that this new 'dynamic' system is a cloak for just a new tier, ala SkyPesos where you can't find much of any availability at the 25k level anymore. Really disconcerting if AA goes that route. I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt, but seeing what happened at DL gives you a little pause, no?
#15
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 226
Definitely seems like a low value program intended to wipe out liability on the books. I tried a SFO-MIA non-stop, where it wanted 24K miles vs. the same seat available on Saver for 12.5K. I predict Saver award availability will drop as a result of this.