gajs

Background: I’ve got 3.5+MM on AA, and most of them are BIS miles. ~~ I am the guy who flew flight #11 regularly, and could have been on it… but for the hand of God on 9-11-01. ~~ I was on the renumbered flight #25 just 5-6 days later, when there were only 6 passengers and several stranded crew members returning home -- to ghost town airports. I’m the guy who volunteered my services when a fellow passenger had a heart-attack on a trans-con flight and sat with/monitored them as they lay on the floor up in the first class galley, and was offered/promised a 1st class seat on my return trip in thanks for my help, only to be crammed in a center seat red-eye on the return -- due to a snafu and overbooking. [and yes, I got the seat I paid for, nothing more – though I did have an exit row – before the snafu]. I’m the guy who buys my own tickets out of pocket, and who gave my loyalty to AA when 17 years ago, a very kind AA employee seated my then fiancée [now wife] and I together in biz class seats to LHR… when all we had were two coach tickets, several rows apart.

However, now with the reorganization, I feel a lot ‘less love’ lately. Let me explain: when I log on to AA and seek a booking for BOS-LHR, -- I DON’T want to fly BA. I want to fly AA!! [I did log into AA.com, after all]. I don’t want to see BA flights pop up first. I don’t want to see BA flights for less than AA, on AA’s website. I’d like to be able to use [or at least have a chance to use] my SWups on AA metal, and not pay fuel surcharges on BA. -- When I book a connecting flight through LHR, on BA to a European city, I’d like to get a seat that is not the one in front of the exit row that doesn’t recline - especially after a 6-8 hour TATL flight. --- When, this morning, I want to book BOS-HKG-BKK-BOS for a date in January 2013, and I choose the ‘fare by price’ option, and I get 6 responses @+/- $2000, and then proceed to click on each one in succession --- only to get “Fare no longer available” on EVERY one I click … I feel less “loved”. When 3 days ago, returning ORD-BOS and have 14C exit row confirmed since booking it 6 weeks prior, and then get to the airport to find I now have 15E ‘re-assigned’ to me….I am feeling a lot less ‘’loved’’.

When I hear a U-nit1k? cross-over offered ‘my’ Exp status, [when for the last 2 decades it’s been my butt in that seat on AA metal] and then hear them saying they are only using the perks for their parents/child/etc to fly, and thus I’ve missed a chance at an upgrade, I feel less ‘loved’. When I book a TATL that went out in Feb of this year and the agent tells me that they have to take my 2013 SWup instead of my expiring 2012 one -- because I’m coming back on a March date, and then I see 4-5 open biz class seats on the plane - each way, I feel less ‘loved”.

To AA management I’d say: ‘ask me’ some time, in person, what I think about flying AA. Don’t send me surveys that are created to give you ‘traveler opinions’ that fall into preconceived patterns of response. Ask someone who flys. Ask me. Ask the guy or gal next to me. The Clampet’s are going to fly who-ever, and whenever their once a year travel takes them. I’m the guy who sits in your metal tube, and you are alienating me, but more importantly you are going to loose the hundreds and thousands… that are just like me.

Fix it. I am willing to help. Just ask.

Science Goy

I would never use the term "(un)loved" to describe my relationship with AA. In my book that status is strictly limited to friends, family, and the occasional craft IPA. However, my business relationship with AA is highly rewarding.

Also, I find the hypocrisy in these two statements quite amusing ("unearned perks for me but not for thee"):

FWAAA

I feel some of the OP's pain, but I've got some pessimistic predictions: things are going to get worse. A lot worse.

Let's say that AA emerges from Ch 11 on its own. How long do you think Horton is going to continue the long-standing practice of giving each EXP eight systemwide upgrades good on any published fare? IMO, it's been a great ride, but I can see AA joining DL on this one. Especially once the fleet is almost exclusively two-class (with true flat J seats) and not three class.

Or, let's pretend that AA and US combine, and Parker achieves his ultimate fantasy: running AA despite his wash-out from Centreport more than 20 years ago. Does anyone think that the guy who tried to charge his passengers for water will keep the AAdvantage program intact with its current benefits? I don't.

Blumie

That's a nice story. But as a 5 million miler who has been EXP for quite some time, you won't get any sympathy from me. Things change, and not always for the better. I think AA still treats its EXPs pretty well, and I have no plans to look for greener pastures elsewhere. At the end of the day, AA is running a business, and it needs to made tough decisions about which actions are most likely to contribute to its long-term success. Sometimes that means treating EXPs with lots of love, since we provide the airline with a lot of revenue, but other times it means trying to attract new passengers, including UA elites who may be growing disenchanted with their airline. As far as offering BA flights on AA.com, is offering you more options really so bad? You're savvy enough to know to book AA metal so you can use your VIPs, but why is it so terrible that they now offer you the choice to fly BA. In fact, AA made it clear that its agreements with, and ability to sell seats on, BA, IB and JL contributed significantly to its better-than-expected financial performance in the third quarter. Seems like that's a good thing for AA elites, who are invested in the long-term success of the airline.

brp

Really the best answer. We routinely get folks starting threads about how AA are not "loyal" to them anymore despite their "loyalty" to AA. I'm not disagreeing with most of what the OP wrote, but I'll just echo others and say that this is a bad way to look at a business relationship. What if Amazon started to charge sales tax for out-of-state purchases rather than continuing to fight this? It might make economic sense for them to do so.

IME, there is nothing for AA to "fix" in this regard. Of, if there is, why do you assume that "fixing" things will go toward showing more love, rather then less? They're trying to fix things as a for-profit business, not in the warm and fuzzy part of the relationship with us. Where those coincide, cool. Where they don't, we all have to deal with it, and learn to work within the new system.

When X visibility went from 100 hours to 24 hours, and then to zero one could either whine about it, or learn to work with it (or both ).

Threads like this will not change anything. Yet they keep appearing when someone feels dissed.



(By the way, I think you meant to say Clampets and lose. If you do plan to write to AA about this sort of thing, best to clean up the writing).

Cheers.

fishferbrains

I get the emotional attachment that many of us have to AA. I spend a lot of time justifying the extra time and money I spend flying on hub/spoke routings to maintain my status/benefits. Up until now it's been worth the pain; but I too am at a cross-roads in my allegiance.

The "new" AA (whatever form that might be) might consider a customer engagement initiative to listen to their most valued customers in a collaborative BUSINESS-oriented initiative.

Let me be clear - Nobody needs a self-serving meet and greet of those who just want more for free. There are many of us who run multi-million dollar enterprises. There are many of us managing business far smaller. We get that AA needs to make money; and there are changes in the FF program that are needed to accomplish that objective.

We ARE here to help. Is AA willing to listen?

All American Flyer

My understanding is that EXP benefits have gotten better not worse over the past few years. Domestic upgrades are now free and don't require 500-milers. SWUs can now be used on any fare (unlike before 2008 I believe).

That's not to say some things haven't gotten worse but it does seem like AA has actually made things better not worse

Science Goy

It depends on your own reference point, of course. For some EXPs who were previously happy to pay for stickers and higher SWU-eligible fares, the expansion of these benefits to lower-paying customers (and resulting higher competition for upgrades) might be seen as a degradation of the program.

ORD-TGU

I see no difference of EXP treatment. I am happy as is. True things could be better, could also be worse, but that is the case for most things in life. Read United forum and learn how an airline can truly screw you.

AeroWesty

Clampetts

carlosdca

Are you kidding me? LOL
What a dramatic and unnecesary long post.
I have summarized in a more user friendly format your complaints:

1. BA flights popping up on aa.com & SWUs
2. Choosing BA seats on intra-european flights part of an AA itinerary.
3. “Fare no longer available” issue
4. Last minute seat re-assignments on domestic AA
5. 1K UA gives upgrade to relative who trumps AA EXP
6. Using Expiring SWU right at the end of February.


Did I miss any?

Number 5 does not make sense, and I will get to it.

As for the rest, ALL of them are known issues that probably have NOTHING to do with the reorganization. These issues have been going on forever and in fact, every single one of these issues has a thread here on this forum. The topics have been covered to death. Each of these problems have a solution, very simple solutions!!!

And here is a condensed version of my knowledge for all of them:

1. BA flights popping up on aa.com & SWUs
Choose the option to show AA only. As for the codeshares, click "view all" and it will take you a couple of "pages down" or "scroll down" to find the AA flight. 15 seconds task.

2. Choosing BA seats on intra-european flights part of an AA itinerary.
Go to BA.com with your AA record locator and pick a seat there. 2 minutes task.

3. “Fare no longer available” issue
This is a problem of systems not talking to each other. Searching by schedule will give you a price, or call the EXP desk who will be GLAD to help you and give you lots of love.

4. Last minute seat re-assignments on domestic AA
This happens all the time but not very often. Does that one time occasion that it happens irks anyone as hell? Sure. But is not very common is it?

5. 1K UA gives upgrade to relative who trumps AA EXP
This does not make sense at all. Non-elites don't have priority and you will trump them on the upgrade priority list if using the same instrument.

6. Using Expiring SWU right at the end of February.
Hang up and call again. If asked appropriately agents can usually handle this. Especially if we are talking about one day after the SWU expiration date. Hang up and call again.
Aren't you a seasoned EXP? You should know all these!

Antarius

Your second statement indicates that your "loyalty" is maintained due to the perks received from status and benefits. It seems to be a functioning symbiotic relationship - Why is there an emotional attachment?

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

Like any other business, AA will need to do what it needs to do to maximize revenues and profits and remain in the ballpark with its competitors. I'm in the camp that one of the legacy carriers will at least try to turn earning status solely on fare code or dollars spent. Now whether that legacy is successful in doing so is another matter. However, you can bet if one is successful they all will do it.

As far as FAs, GAs, AC staff, and TAs. I have found no difference since the Chapter 11 filing and the bad apples tend to be rare. Sure, the pilots might be another story but they will never be serving you a meal or trying to reroute you when weather hits.

brp

Even better. Correct punctuation and correct spelling

Cheers.

LoneStarSteeler

I have to admit that I was feeling a lot like our thread initiator here, after putting in just over 82K BIS so far this year given all of the shennanigans that have been going on I was not feeling great. My earlier post abou my latest ordeal was Exhibit A (post #15):

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...s-mia-dtw.html

So I am VERY happy to report that last week I got a call from a very nice lady in Kreeger's office about the incident, asking specifcally what happened and what they could do better. After a very pleasant exchange she thanked me for my time and offered a $500 voucher for my troubles. I told her flat out that making it right and listening to their EXP's is why I'm loyal, but that they need to continue to earn my business and my fellow flyer's business every day.

Anyone else have any positive EXP specific stories? Don't want to tread into the all kudos thread - looking specifically for what they're doing for the EXP's...