NiceLanding

Likely this is something they've been testing and tuning for a long time. Maybe they keep ratcheting it up to see how far they can go before getting significant pushback from their best customers. In that case, I'd suggest we start pushing back before it gets anywhere near the level at UA.

nickflies

Right. This is why "get over it" is not the correct attitude to have in this situation; this is a case where elites should be vocal because they have a solid business case here, and a good shot at being listened to (whereas it's tougher for things like fare-based UG priority, or even keeping comp EXP UGs, which are weaker business cases).

filelover

I have been 100% this year since I became EP but am waiting on my flight tomorrow even with a few F seats open. Coach cabin is oversold so maybe they are keeping F open to move people up - but am hoping they will upgrade the EPs so the OSs can be accommodated in Y

AAerSTL

Maybe. Plenty of other companies change their policies and procedures it's just part of business. Significant pushback? People on FT think we are representative of most airline consumers but we're not, we are the minority even among elite FFs. Sure many elite FFs are savvy about the intricacies of their programs but some aren't. Has anyone succeeded at taking UA TOD policies viral through social media and interwebs? Outside of FT, most people, even sophisticated and well traveled don't know about TOD and many of the FF schemes. It could happen I suppose though.

lobo411

If a person pays cash for a sticker, then AA has a legal obligation to inform them of the actual terms of use.

nickflies

I don't think anything will happen until a critical mass of EXPs notice that they aren't getting upgraded anymore - and they start walking past 'atypical' FF types in F on their way to Y - and then someone at the office who reads FT tells them what's happening - and they start to write in. So, yes, if this has a real impact on UGs people will figure it out. And their complaint has a valid biz case for AA, which means it has a chance of playing out (again, as opposed to other more real 'entitlements' that people will indeed have to learn to deal with).

You don't have to read FT to know you're sitting in Y when you used to sit in F.

pssteve

It is interesting that the bloggers are ignoring this issue. I thought for sure they would be hitting it like a new high bonus credit card offer considering that so many of them are AA elites.

Often1

1. AA does this. Nothing in the sticker t&c suggests anything. EXP's are freebies, so doesn't matter.

2. That said, this is no surprise. The same sorts of rants are posted on DL, US and UA about "devaluation of elite status." While the mechanics are different, this is all about an infintesimal percentage of pax who think that FT represents anything, and think that they have the market share to shift what all the legacy carriers are shifting to.

3. The fact is that with capacity cuts, improved economy, better corporate deals, more foreign premium travel to the USA and a shift to $ BIS spend as opposed to # miles/sements, the goodies that come with "status" are fewer and far between.

4. Those who say they will jump ship may find an occasional green patch with another carrier, but it won't last. It may also be that a few people who would have flown, will shift to WN and the like or may drive shorter distances, but overall the market won't change in an appreciable way.

It would be far better if AA and the others made clear that these changes are ocurring. Even saying, "shifting economics and competition mean fewer UG's" would be a good thing. But, in the end, there won't be an uprising and there won't be much ship-jumping and, to the extent that there is, there will be those jumping in from UA while others jump out from AA and so on.

nickflies

At this point it's speculation, and making too big a fuss over it could hurt their credibility if it turns out to be a glitch.

JBEagle1000G

AA's really been on their "AA" game with the UA crap.
They'd be incredibly stupid to pull the same shenanigans that pissed off so many UA people.
At least tell people what's going on. From what I understand, that's what P.O'ed the UA folks to begin with. The slight of hand. If AA just said "this is what we're doing and why," their policy shift would be met with much less backlash.

Awaiting their response.

Mark_T

.. and that is the interesting aspect of this one.

A number of other previous claims didn't stand up to closer inspection, but this one appears to have a lot more going for it in terms of verified facts via Jetnet so the comments from AA will be interesting.

ESpen36

Just before it gets lost in the shuffle, let's remind everyone EXP occasionally do have a reason to use stickers: EXPs are required to burn stickers when upgrading companions using their own EXP account. Because EXPs no longer earn stickers, they must purchase them or convert RDMs (the latter of which is a waste of perfectly good RDMs, IMHO).


Note, however, that if the companion is also an AA elite, after the upgrade clears, the hosting EXP can ask a TA/GA/AAngel at an airport to remove the link so that the stickers will come from the companion's own account. I don't remember how we refer to the procedure since I do it so rarely, but there is a specific thing you ask the agent to delete from the PNR to de-link from the EXP's account.

sukn

I have to be honest that when it comes to past examples, I don't find the excuse that just because someone didn't add themselves to the upgrade list until they got to the airport somehow lets AA off the hook on this practice. AA knows very well that there are elites who consistently don't get on any upgrade list until they arrive at the airport (for whatever reason). For example, AA knows there are elites who use corporate booking sites which do not allow for upgrade requests at time of booking. So if they don't call in to request an upgrade, they are not going to be on the list until they check-in online or at the airport.

Saying "too bad" to elites because they didn't add themselves to the upgrade list until after LFBUs were sold seems like a shortsighted practice and an AApologist attitude. (Not that I am accusing you of that)

Not to mention, at the end of the day, there is nothing to be debunked when an elite who wanted an upgrade did not get one, and a non-elite did.

FWAAA

While it's great that your upgrade cleared, it really has nothing to do with the situation presented by the OP. The OP could see that they were #1 on the upgrade list yet their nonstatus traveling companion was offered a TOD while the OP's upgrade did not clear.

Had you checked in a nonstatus companion and found that they were NOT offered a paid upgrade at the same time your upgrades were clearing, that would be some evidence that there were no shenanigans going on.

dopey!

Good job insulting the rest of the flying world, who are willing to cough up the extra money to try it out.