cal93

I am not going to take a planned trip tomorrow, so I will miss the flight and the return flight. The cost of the flight may not make it worth the change fees. What do you think of have AAdvantage Customer Service giving me credit for the itinerary (original flight credit)?

WChou

No dice. Need to fly to get EQM and RDM from the flight.

QueenOfCoach

There's a reason they are called "Butt In Seat" (BIS) miles.

Your posterior must be in contact with their upholstery.

Spiff

"You'll get nothing and like it." - Judge Smails

JDiver

Missed flight = no Base Miles for you, full stop.

sukn

If what you suggest was possible, people would buy cheap fares from random destinations with no intention of flying just to achieve/maintain/or get a bump in status.

Sorry, no dice.

sendbillmoney

I think it would be wonderful if I got to do it, but the rest of you shouldn't be allowed to.

Seriously, do you see any airline opening this can of worms? Everyone cranking out EXP the first week of January on unflown O fares while kicked back in their Barcaloungers? I'm not seeing it.

Pedro M

Remember to cancel the flight before departure time if you expect any credit left over after the change fees. Al least you will have a credit you can apply towards a future flight.

ExpatExp

I've often wondered about this. Would it really be so bad if you received miles for unflown flights? After all, you are paying, and they are saving a little bit of fuel� Even the example of buying a lot of O fares in January seems like it wouldn't be a problem. If they're being offered for sale, then AA is happy to give EQM or EQP for them, right? What difference does it make if you are on the flight or not, so long as you have paid?

There is probably some way to take advantage of the system that I am not grasping

choijw

+1 isn't it just like buying miles with cash? just like AA sells miles to cc companies, etc.

gemac

AA sells redeemable miles to us, also, normally at $0.025 per mile. AA does not sell EQM to us. If AA allowed this, they would be undercutting their price on redeemable miles and throwing in the EQM for free. Unfortunately, AA is not as stupid as many FT members wish they were.

booji

OP, if the miles are valuable to you, you should call AA res and tell them to hold the ticket; that you don't intend on flying on that particular date. The ticket is valid for up to 1 year, so you can just go and find dates when the same fare class is available and you are free, and move the flight to that date. You would only be responsible for the change fee at that point.

ExpatExp

Interesting. If AA offered that ability, it wouldn't change my spend or my travel patterns at all. I already fly enough to make EXP every year, so it would be silly to buy flights I didn't plan to take.

If you did look at flights as EQM equivalents, what would a benchmark cost be? Close to 2.5 � per mile?

DillMan

+1

Perhaps it wouldn't help you. It wouldn't help me either. It would, however hurt all of us. Picture a mid-level executive making the following calculus if AA sold EQM/EQP:

1.) He flies 6 times a year for tradeshows and can't make elite status with these miles.

2.) He sometimes buys discounted F flights @ $2k each roundtrip for these trips. $12,000 total if all flights are purchased in F. Let's say normally he buys 3 in F and 3 in Y for our argument.

3.) Hmmm, now he can buy EXP for $2500 (100,000 miles x $0.025/mi).

4.) Those same 6 flights (since he books in advance presumably) would cost $500 each in coach.

5.) $500 x 6 = $3000 + $2500 = $5500 a year with complimentary EXP upgrades. That's better than 3 cash F flights @ $2k each = $6k and 3 Y flights $@ $500 each = $1500 giving us $7500 for all 6 flights. So for $2,000 less ($7500 - $5500) he gets F on ALL his flights.

....of course now he can also upgrade coworkers and, most importantly, his family on his vacation trips. The downside for us, though, is more EXP competition. Instead of this guy filling F seats on 3 r/t flights a year because he paid for them he's now filling F seats on 6 r/t flights a year plus whatever personal travel he has.

In other words, this would equate to a heaping order of sadness soup with a side of teardrop potatoes.

ExpatExp

Ah yes ok. That makes sense. I suppose those of us who make EXP through our normal flying patterns are lucky we don't have to worry about having enough EQMs.