DEQ11: Double EQM/RDM for DFW/ORD-LAX/SFO or ORD-SNA (TX, IL, CA members) EXT TO 6/30
#152
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,535
Cheers.
#153
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,528
Read a little further back -- it was a response to a previous post where he somehow derived "4x miles" from "they double the EQMs"
Oops! Typo on my part. Thanks.
Oops! Typo on my part. Thanks.
#154
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 7,710
This is hard to explain in words, (it uses a lot of almost true statements that would look great as solid lines on a chart).
The demand created by this promotion is for low and medium fares, because demand and loads on these routes have been relatively heavy without the promo we can conclude these fares would sell out with or without the promo. The demand for the higher fares that will buy up the last few confirmed seats is essentially unaffected by the offer (EQP vs. EQM, high $/RDM ratio...).
The extra passengers and revenue generated by the promo merely displaces other low to medium fare passengers who will end up on other carriers or routes. Furthermore the passengers being displaced are more likely to be connecting at LAX, ORD or DFW to other higher margin AA flights, suggesting the promo may reduce overall network revenue.
AA should not get a statistically significant revenue bump from the promo and may suffer a drop in revenue. The cost of the benefits virtually insures a net loss from the promo.
The demand created by this promotion is for low and medium fares, because demand and loads on these routes have been relatively heavy without the promo we can conclude these fares would sell out with or without the promo. The demand for the higher fares that will buy up the last few confirmed seats is essentially unaffected by the offer (EQP vs. EQM, high $/RDM ratio...).
The extra passengers and revenue generated by the promo merely displaces other low to medium fare passengers who will end up on other carriers or routes. Furthermore the passengers being displaced are more likely to be connecting at LAX, ORD or DFW to other higher margin AA flights, suggesting the promo may reduce overall network revenue.
AA should not get a statistically significant revenue bump from the promo and may suffer a drop in revenue. The cost of the benefits virtually insures a net loss from the promo.
#155
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 305
How often does AA check accounts for the double eqm promos? Say I do a qualifying r/t the third week of December and AA doesn't check for the double eqm promo until midway January 2012. Will the double eqms post for the previous year or apply towards the 2012-2013 count?
I'm just worried that if they don't sweep the accounts before the years end, this may all be worthless towards my current milage count for status in 2012.
I'm just worried that if they don't sweep the accounts before the years end, this may all be worthless towards my current milage count for status in 2012.
#156
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: Fabulous on one of the US carriers..
Posts: 11,878
#157
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador, AA EXP
Posts: 2,704
But discriminating based on region is not protected. But this promo is a *bit* less restrictive. Illinois residents can, for example, to the SFO-DFW-SFO promo.
I'm lucky to benefit from this promo. But I do feel it should be open to everyone.
#158
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,148
1. The true costs of the benefits to AA is very, very low.
2. Let's use an example... say there's someone who's been PLT all year and are 7K miles short of hitting PLT for the current year. They've already been "exhausting" AA for their PLT benefits in 2011. So they are thinking "I'm not going to plan some trip just for the heck of it - too costly." Then, boom, this DEQM shows up. They shell out $200 for a R/T ticket in 1-2 days traveling and are back as PLT the next year. They are buying stickers, using stickers, using miles+copays for upgrades, flying AA more than others.
So in this specific instance, are the "benefits" AA is giving up to this individual for staying PLT really more than $200? I doubt it.
#159
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ATL
Programs: AA GLD 1MM DL PLT
Posts: 351
While many of the arguments sound plausible, the fact is that this is now the second time AA has run this same promotion. One can imagine two possibilities: (A) that it didn't work the first time and AA is so completely unimaginative (admittedly not impossible) that they keep trying the same thing or (B) it was successful and therefore merits being run again. The fact that AA has been running different DEQM promotions for a few years now suggests that they've figured out how best to utilize them.
#160
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ATL
Programs: AA GLD 1MM DL PLT
Posts: 351
I see what you're trying to posture here with the calculations, and they are sound calculations. However, I don't find them very valid on the whole.
1. The true costs of the benefits to AA is very, very low.
2. Let's use an example... say there's someone who's been PLT all year and are 7K miles short of hitting PLT for the current year. They've already been "exhausting" AA for their PLT benefits in 2011. So they are thinking "I'm not going to plan some trip just for the heck of it - too costly." Then, boom, this DEQM shows up. They shell out $200 for a R/T ticket in 1-2 days traveling and are back as PLT the next year. They are buying stickers, using stickers, using miles+copays for upgrades, flying AA more than others.
So in this specific instance, are the "benefits" AA is giving up to this individual for staying PLT really more than $200? I doubt it.
1. The true costs of the benefits to AA is very, very low.
2. Let's use an example... say there's someone who's been PLT all year and are 7K miles short of hitting PLT for the current year. They've already been "exhausting" AA for their PLT benefits in 2011. So they are thinking "I'm not going to plan some trip just for the heck of it - too costly." Then, boom, this DEQM shows up. They shell out $200 for a R/T ticket in 1-2 days traveling and are back as PLT the next year. They are buying stickers, using stickers, using miles+copays for upgrades, flying AA more than others.
So in this specific instance, are the "benefits" AA is giving up to this individual for staying PLT really more than $200? I doubt it.
But regardless of the logic behind it all, I imagine at this point, AA knows what they are doing here.
#161
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Austin TX
Programs: AA PLT, ICH Plat
Posts: 1,965
Would gig-jfk-dfw-sfo-dfw-gig qualify?
#162
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,602
#163
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: NorCal
Programs: Back to AA EXP for 2018 after 1 year on worthless Plat Pro
Posts: 161
This is hard to explain in words, (it uses a lot of almost true statements that would look great as solid lines on a chart).
The demand created by this promotion is for low and medium fares, because demand and loads on these routes have been relatively heavy without the promo we can conclude these fares would sell out with or without the promo. The demand for the higher fares that will buy up the last few confirmed seats is essentially unaffected by the offer (EQP vs. EQM, high $/RDM ratio...).
WRONG. I just rebooked a DFW SFO leg at a higher fare to take advantage of DEQM.
The extra passengers and revenue generated by the promo merely displaces other low to medium fare passengers who will end up on other carriers or routes. Furthermore the passengers being displaced are more likely to be connecting at LAX, ORD or DFW to other higher margin AA flights, suggesting the promo may reduce overall network revenue.
AA should not get a statistically significant revenue bump from the promo and may suffer a drop in revenue. The cost of the benefits virtually insures a net loss from the promo.
The demand created by this promotion is for low and medium fares, because demand and loads on these routes have been relatively heavy without the promo we can conclude these fares would sell out with or without the promo. The demand for the higher fares that will buy up the last few confirmed seats is essentially unaffected by the offer (EQP vs. EQM, high $/RDM ratio...).
WRONG. I just rebooked a DFW SFO leg at a higher fare to take advantage of DEQM.
The extra passengers and revenue generated by the promo merely displaces other low to medium fare passengers who will end up on other carriers or routes. Furthermore the passengers being displaced are more likely to be connecting at LAX, ORD or DFW to other higher margin AA flights, suggesting the promo may reduce overall network revenue.
AA should not get a statistically significant revenue bump from the promo and may suffer a drop in revenue. The cost of the benefits virtually insures a net loss from the promo.
Your situation is only your situation. Please do not speak for the rest of us who found this offer very, very attractive, are changing actual travel behaviors as result and will be delivering addition net new revenue to AA this quarter (and next year! see below) as result.
Additionally, by "making it" to EXP this year, that means my 2011 travel plans will almost ALWAYS prefer AA as my carrier. Why? The EXP complimentary upgrades and 8 eVIP segments. That is likely going to mean $10,000 of net new revenue to AA in 2012 where I would have been otherwise tempted to fly VIX and/or Southwest on many of the same routes. That is not going to happen in 2012.
Do you better understand now why they do this?
#164
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,148
More importantly, having and maintaining status breeds loyalty. Maybe some people have been flirting with Virgin (or have had a drop in business travel), and are at risk now of losing their status and dropping out of AA's ecosphere forever, because Virgin is in fact quite competitive for non-status travelers. This will allow them to keep their status, and thus stick with AA for many years to come.
Getting status (whether PLT or EXP) only makes you want to keep that status - which is a strong definition of loyalty. ^
#165
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 7,710
To other posters:
The portion of the promotion running through March 2012 should reduce 2012 mileage runs cancelling the effect of the part in 2011.
I have given AA management the benefit of the doubt up until now, but their recent promotions and route cancellations have been completely uncoordinated.