AA Excludes AwardWallet - Mileage Manager
Dec 2, 2011, 3:18 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: LGW/MLA
Programs: AX/Accor/IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond, SPG/Carlson Gold, BA Silver, KM Permanent, JJC (Retd)
Posts: 607
AA Excludes AwardWallet - Mileage Manager
I received this e-mail today. What are American playing at?
It looks like AwardWallet are doing their best to look after their customers, but I don't quite understand the reasons why AA are messing with a good thing.
Ideas?
Dear gnarly,
American Airlines has contacted us and stated that we may not access its website on your behalf and that we may not store any of your American Airlines account data on our servers. As a result, in the coming weeks we will release a browser extension which will enable you to check your balance and still display that balance along with the rest of your loyalty account balances; however, the data, such as your username, password, balance and any other attributes will only be stored in your browser so we will never have access to it. Also, this browser extension will be accessing American Airlines website from your computer and not from our servers. Since we do not have this extension ready yet, please save all of your American Airlines accounts and password in a secure place so that you can enter that data when we release the extension. Here are the accounts that you have stored with AwardWallet today:
Display Name Account Number Owner
American Airlines (Personal) ABCDEF gnarly
American Airlines (Personal) GHIJKL mrsgnarly
Please open this page to print these account numbers along with your passwords before December 4, 2011. In the coming weeks we will release the AwardWallet browser extension to those users who wish to participate in our beta. If you want to be included in the beta, please follow this link: http://awardwallet.com/participateInBeta/
We will send you an email when we are ready for you to participate in the beta. Depending on how many volunteers we have we may not be able to invite everyone to limit the amount of support requests.
Please note that your American Airlines data will be removed from our servers on December 4, 2011. This will not have any impact on your actual American Airlines account or mileage balance.
If you have any questions regarding this email, please read this FAQ first : http://awardwallet.com/faqs.php#34
Also in order to avoid too many redundant emails regarding this matter please post your questions on our forum: http://awardwallet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1567
We apologize for this inconvenience, and we always strive to make AwardWallet the best reward tracking service.
Thank you,
AwardWallet team.
American Airlines has contacted us and stated that we may not access its website on your behalf and that we may not store any of your American Airlines account data on our servers. As a result, in the coming weeks we will release a browser extension which will enable you to check your balance and still display that balance along with the rest of your loyalty account balances; however, the data, such as your username, password, balance and any other attributes will only be stored in your browser so we will never have access to it. Also, this browser extension will be accessing American Airlines website from your computer and not from our servers. Since we do not have this extension ready yet, please save all of your American Airlines accounts and password in a secure place so that you can enter that data when we release the extension. Here are the accounts that you have stored with AwardWallet today:
Display Name Account Number Owner
American Airlines (Personal) ABCDEF gnarly
American Airlines (Personal) GHIJKL mrsgnarly
Please open this page to print these account numbers along with your passwords before December 4, 2011. In the coming weeks we will release the AwardWallet browser extension to those users who wish to participate in our beta. If you want to be included in the beta, please follow this link: http://awardwallet.com/participateInBeta/
We will send you an email when we are ready for you to participate in the beta. Depending on how many volunteers we have we may not be able to invite everyone to limit the amount of support requests.
Please note that your American Airlines data will be removed from our servers on December 4, 2011. This will not have any impact on your actual American Airlines account or mileage balance.
If you have any questions regarding this email, please read this FAQ first : http://awardwallet.com/faqs.php#34
Also in order to avoid too many redundant emails regarding this matter please post your questions on our forum: http://awardwallet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1567
We apologize for this inconvenience, and we always strive to make AwardWallet the best reward tracking service.
Thank you,
AwardWallet team.
Ideas?
Dec 2, 2011, 4:29 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Zurich
Programs: Miles and more Senator, Matmid Silver, AAdvantage GLD, Starwood
Posts: 153
Got the same email.
No clue.
No clue.
Dec 2, 2011, 4:42 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 886
Big 
to AA for this one. As both a loyal AA and AwardWallet customer, this is extremely disappointing and an easy way to destroy customer goodwill. I do hope they reconsider, and I certainly hope this does not become a trend among the airlines.
to AA for this one. As both a loyal AA and AwardWallet customer, this is extremely disappointing and an easy way to destroy customer goodwill. I do hope they reconsider, and I certainly hope this does not become a trend among the airlines.
Dec 2, 2011, 4:48 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,049
From a corporate standpoint I would have to judge any 3rd party that requires my customers to provide their login and password details as a security risk.
Given the number of recent high profile failures to maintain proper security of such details it is a not unreasonable stance for any company to take that they cannot knowingly permit a 3rd party over whom they have no control to act as an intermediary using what should be secure information not disclosed to others.
Given the number of recent high profile failures to maintain proper security of such details it is a not unreasonable stance for any company to take that they cannot knowingly permit a 3rd party over whom they have no control to act as an intermediary using what should be secure information not disclosed to others.
Dec 2, 2011, 6:03 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold but PlatPro thanks to LPs
Posts: 4,439
If Award Wallet's security is compromised and your miles are stolen, where are you going to go for replacement miles? American Airlines, that's who. They will be in the position of being asked to replace miles for customers who disclosed their user names and passwords to a third party.
Dec 2, 2011, 6:08 am
#6
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
If I understand this, the browser extension will store your login info locally, and after that, AwardWallet should still display AA balances as before. If so, that seems reasonable, and a heck of a lot better than Southwest, which blocks AwardWallet from accessing thei website at all.
The only hassle will be if you access AW from a different computer, you'd need to re-enter the pw.
The only hassle will be if you access AW from a different computer, you'd need to re-enter the pw.
Dec 2, 2011, 6:36 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: mountains of western NC
Programs: Life, Love and Laughter
Posts: 8,539
I just wrote AAdvantage a letter saying what a poor decision this was and that they are driving me away as a customer by this.
I hope others will write AAdvantage and let me know you are unhappy with this decision. If enough people complain, they may change their policy.
I hope others will write AAdvantage and let me know you are unhappy with this decision. If enough people complain, they may change their policy.
Dec 2, 2011, 6:42 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
I think it's worth the effort, but I also think it's unlikely to have much good. I use an app called Trip Tracker to consolidate all flights & hotels. AA still do allow it, but Southwest pulled out a while back for the same reasons stated here. I called and wrote, and it's in the "we'll send it to the appropriate department" phase. I expect nothing. There are simply not enough people to make them do anything about it. The number of people truly bothered by something like this is small.
Also, since their concern of security is actually valid in this case (wonders do happen
) that also makes it harder to get them to change.
FYI, something similar came up already with a different site:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...miles-com.html
Cheers.
Also, since their concern of security is actually valid in this case (wonders do happen
) that also makes it harder to get them to change.FYI, something similar came up already with a different site:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...miles-com.html
Cheers.
Last edited by brp; Dec 2, 2011 at 7:28 am
Dec 2, 2011, 8:45 am
#9
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Texas
Programs: AA EXP, UA Premier Plat, Alaska MVP Gold, HHonors Diamond, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,053
I wrote AA an open letter and posted it on my blog when they made this decision, which first affected GoMiles.
This is a horribly irritating decision that makes no sense in terms of customer satisfaction. Please let AA know of your discontent, either by emailing them or by commenting on my blog (which AA reads, including Maya herself).
This is a horribly irritating decision that makes no sense in terms of customer satisfaction. Please let AA know of your discontent, either by emailing them or by commenting on my blog (which AA reads, including Maya herself).
Dec 2, 2011, 9:25 am
#10
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: ACC
Programs: AAdvantage, MIleagePlus, Skywards
Posts: 395
Will other aggregators be next? What about Yodlee??
Dec 2, 2011, 9:32 am
#11
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Texas
Programs: AA EXP, UA Premier Plat, Alaska MVP Gold, HHonors Diamond, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 2,053
Dec 2, 2011, 11:02 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,049
... and to be honest, it is both sensible and reasonable to do so.
Sites that offer consolidated services requiring login information from multiple different vendors are a wonderful target for those with malign intent.
Why bother trying to crack AA or another single target when there are sites out there that will have multiple sets of login information for each user?
Sites that offer consolidated services requiring login information from multiple different vendors are a wonderful target for those with malign intent.
Why bother trying to crack AA or another single target when there are sites out there that will have multiple sets of login information for each user?
Dec 2, 2011, 11:03 am
#13
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
Kudos to AwardWallet for providing to find a way around it^
Dec 2, 2011, 12:08 pm
#15
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Boston-Atlanta Metropolitan Axis
Posts: 208
I agree with the sentiment posted on this board before, that AA is doing this because they want to control your ability to view your miles and other account information so that they can advertise to you in the process.