Dec 13, 2012, 3:04 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
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AA is now offering three types of Economy fares via AA.com:
• Choice (fare basis code ends in 1) = Lowest Fare, earn AA miles
• Choice Essential (fare basis code ends in 2) = Change Fee (depends on detailed fare rules), 1 Checked Bag, Group 1 Boarding, Earn AA miles
• Choice Plus (fare basis code ends in 7) = above Choice Essential benefits plus 50% Bonus RDM, Same-Day Flight Change, Same-Day Standby, Premium Beverage, No Change Fee, Earns base miles plus 50% bonus miles
• Business/First as Choice Plus, plus 3 checked bags, No change fee (domestic only), priority baggage delivery at carousel, 50% class of service bonus miles
(Updated 1 Mar 2015)
See this page at aa.com for bundled services.
AmericanAirlines has posted some comments and clarifications in Post 144.
See these related links:
AA.com: Tailor Your Travel | Enhance Your Travel with Combined Features
FT: AA economy fare basis now ends with a number
(lower right wiki corner).AA is now offering three types of Economy fares via AA.com:
• Choice (fare basis code ends in 1) = Lowest Fare, earn AA miles
• Choice Essential (fare basis code ends in 2) = Change Fee (depends on detailed fare rules), 1 Checked Bag, Group 1 Boarding, Earn AA miles
• Choice Plus (fare basis code ends in 7) = above Choice Essential benefits plus 50% Bonus RDM, Same-Day Flight Change, Same-Day Standby, Premium Beverage, No Change Fee, Earns base miles plus 50% bonus miles
• Business/First as Choice Plus, plus 3 checked bags, No change fee (domestic only), priority baggage delivery at carousel, 50% class of service bonus miles
(Updated 1 Mar 2015)
See this page at aa.com for bundled services.
AmericanAirlines has posted some comments and clarifications in Post 144.
(1Mar 2015) The fee for the "choice plus" bundled extra now ranges from $80-80 each way, up from $80.
Choice plus extras are comprised of:
Choice plus extras are comprised of:
- 1 checked bag
- Group 1 Boarding
- No change fee (any difference in fares would still apply; valid for American Airlines operated flights)
- Same-day flight change
- Same-day standby
- Premium beverage on board
- Earn 50% more AAdvantage miles
AA.com: Tailor Your Travel | Enhance Your Travel with Combined Features
FT: AA economy fare basis now ends with a number
aa.com Economy / Coach Pricing Display & Choice Bundles (consolidated)
Sep 6, 2013, 11:21 pm
#526
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 6,769
Yes, that's true. If you purchase a Choice ticket, then decide you don't want it, you can cancel and purchase another Choice ticket. You're paying an upcharge to get Choice anyway, so it's like a refundable ticket, except you don't get your money back into the original source of payment, but are forced to get another Choice ticket. It's not bad in my opinion if you fly AA quite a bit and want the flexibility of a refundable ticket.
Sep 7, 2013, 11:57 pm
#527
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 591
Is domestic first class the same as choice plus or does that have a change fee?
Sep 8, 2013, 3:50 am
#529
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 591
Sorry I meant, Can domestic first class fares be refunded to an AA credit like choice plus or does it carry the high change fee?
Sep 8, 2013, 9:39 am
#530
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Anywhere I need to be.
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold, NEXUS, GE, ABTC/APEC, South Korea SES, eIACS, PP, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 16,046
Feb 27, 2014, 11:15 am
#531
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: BOS
Programs: AA-EXP, Marriott-Ti, IHG-P
Posts: 108
Surprise!
I didn't see any recent comments in this thread or any newer threads addressing what I believe to be some major (unwanted) changes to the Choice bundles. Could it just be me?
Starting some weeks ago I started noticing the price of Essentials and Plus creeping up. At first it was just $10/round trip (for the exact same flights in the same inventory two weekends apart in April BOS-ORD r/t I was seeing $78/98 (essentials/plus) for the first weekend and the "expected" $68/88 for the second). But the descriptions of the bundles was the same as I've been used to (with the annoying caveat that First at times includes no change fee and at times does not - and you need to watch like a hawk to know for sure).
Starting this week I've been seeing ~$60 essentials and $160 Plus! And the benefits for Essentials are effectively ZERO. It appears it only waives a bag fee and provides Group 1 boarding for folks who might not already get it.
This is a major devaluation of the program for me. I carefully picked Choice, Essentials, or Plus on a trip-by-trip basis based on whether I guess I'd need to make a change and whether or not I'd want SDFC. Now Essentials is completely valueless to me (why even offer it if I'm logged in as an elite??) and the cost of Plus makes buying it to hedge much more difficult. I was happy to pay $88 to hedge against changes with some frequency. I will only pay $160 if I know for certain that I will need to make a change.
Also I read some of the agency rules posted at AA.com and it appears you can no longer move between products on a reissue. For instance I have previously bought a Choice fare and needed to make a change - for which I pay a change fee without objection - but I know there's a decent chance that I'll need to change again, so I ask EXP to book the new reservation in Essentials or Plus (and pay the extra fare for the bundle) to protect against future change fees. I've also made a last minute change to an Essential or Plus ticket knowing I would make no further changes but also moving to a higher fare; in those cases I've asked EXP to price the new flights without a bundle to decrease the fare difference I was paying out of pocket. According to the rules I read, these sorts of changes will no longer be permitted.
I wonder what happens to all my existing itineraries? I have four future ticketed itineraries that include Essentials or Plus. There is a very good chance that I will want to change some of them; and possibly cancel some altogether. I assume I'm OK to make changes (to Essential) itineraries previously booked and will not face a change fee. But I'm curious about what happens if I cancel completely. In the past I would be able to take the full value of that ticket and apply it to any future itinerary, even if I chose to book the new one in vanilla Choice. I'm sadly anticipating some quite unpleasant conversations for these ticketed itineraries.
Are others seeing these changes? Am I missing the silver lining and there's actually some good news here? Am I possibly misunderstanding something?
I'd love others' thoughts.
Starting some weeks ago I started noticing the price of Essentials and Plus creeping up. At first it was just $10/round trip (for the exact same flights in the same inventory two weekends apart in April BOS-ORD r/t I was seeing $78/98 (essentials/plus) for the first weekend and the "expected" $68/88 for the second). But the descriptions of the bundles was the same as I've been used to (with the annoying caveat that First at times includes no change fee and at times does not - and you need to watch like a hawk to know for sure).
Starting this week I've been seeing ~$60 essentials and $160 Plus! And the benefits for Essentials are effectively ZERO. It appears it only waives a bag fee and provides Group 1 boarding for folks who might not already get it.
This is a major devaluation of the program for me. I carefully picked Choice, Essentials, or Plus on a trip-by-trip basis based on whether I guess I'd need to make a change and whether or not I'd want SDFC. Now Essentials is completely valueless to me (why even offer it if I'm logged in as an elite??) and the cost of Plus makes buying it to hedge much more difficult. I was happy to pay $88 to hedge against changes with some frequency. I will only pay $160 if I know for certain that I will need to make a change.
Also I read some of the agency rules posted at AA.com and it appears you can no longer move between products on a reissue. For instance I have previously bought a Choice fare and needed to make a change - for which I pay a change fee without objection - but I know there's a decent chance that I'll need to change again, so I ask EXP to book the new reservation in Essentials or Plus (and pay the extra fare for the bundle) to protect against future change fees. I've also made a last minute change to an Essential or Plus ticket knowing I would make no further changes but also moving to a higher fare; in those cases I've asked EXP to price the new flights without a bundle to decrease the fare difference I was paying out of pocket. According to the rules I read, these sorts of changes will no longer be permitted.
I wonder what happens to all my existing itineraries? I have four future ticketed itineraries that include Essentials or Plus. There is a very good chance that I will want to change some of them; and possibly cancel some altogether. I assume I'm OK to make changes (to Essential) itineraries previously booked and will not face a change fee. But I'm curious about what happens if I cancel completely. In the past I would be able to take the full value of that ticket and apply it to any future itinerary, even if I chose to book the new one in vanilla Choice. I'm sadly anticipating some quite unpleasant conversations for these ticketed itineraries.
Are others seeing these changes? Am I missing the silver lining and there's actually some good news here? Am I possibly misunderstanding something?
I'd love others' thoughts.
Mar 6, 2014, 11:14 am
#532
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: BOS
Programs: AA-EXP, Marriott-Ti, IHG-P
Posts: 108
I confirmed with several EXP AAgents that these changes are real and - for now - permanent. One AAgent said he "hated them" and encouraged me to write to Customer Relations. I sent a nice note from the website and got a wonderful reply within hours.
The reply from AACR parroted the OLD rules for Bundles assuring me both Essentials and Plus had a change fee waiver, etc., etc.
I wrote back that I thought she was a few weeks out of date, and the conversation devolved into silliness. She wrote back quickly that the change was to "enhance" our experience and align with USAir.
UGH.