Clarification: no more Priority Access for non-elite Credit Card Holders
Dec 21, 2012, 7:22 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
Clarification: no more Priority Access for non-elite Credit Card Holders
My wife is a non-elite with the Citibank Aadvantage card. AMR just sent an email, advising that such customers have been getting Priority Access by mistake, system will be corrected, revert to Group 1 after the first of the year. As a LT Gold, it is nice to see AMR maintaining SOME differentiation from credit card holders.
Dear xxxx,
As a valued Citi® / AAdvantage® cardmember, we want you to have the best travel experience possible. We would like to call your attention to a recent clarification in how we display one of the features of your card.
Priority Boarding with Group 1 Privileges1 is one of the valued travel benefits of your card which enables you to board the plane at the beginning of the general boarding process. Since the launch of the new
Citi® / AAdvantage® card, the American Airlines boarding pass has incorrectly displayed this benefit as PriorityAAccessSM*,which includes access to dedicated check-in and security lanes, in addition to priority boarding.
Going forward, for tickets booked or changed after November 14, 2012, the cardmember boarding passes will display Group 1 to designate this priority boarding benefit. We also hope you are able to continue to enjoy the other benefits of your Citi® / AAdvantage® card.
Thank you for flying with us, and we hope to see you soon
Dear xxxx,
As a valued Citi® / AAdvantage® cardmember, we want you to have the best travel experience possible. We would like to call your attention to a recent clarification in how we display one of the features of your card.
Priority Boarding with Group 1 Privileges1 is one of the valued travel benefits of your card which enables you to board the plane at the beginning of the general boarding process. Since the launch of the new
Citi® / AAdvantage® card, the American Airlines boarding pass has incorrectly displayed this benefit as PriorityAAccessSM*,which includes access to dedicated check-in and security lanes, in addition to priority boarding.
Going forward, for tickets booked or changed after November 14, 2012, the cardmember boarding passes will display Group 1 to designate this priority boarding benefit. We also hope you are able to continue to enjoy the other benefits of your Citi® / AAdvantage® card.
Thank you for flying with us, and we hope to see you soon
Last edited by diver858; Dec 21, 2012 at 7:48 pm
Dec 21, 2012, 8:47 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 79
Just got the same email. 
No status for me. Just got the card. I guess it's back in line with the rabble!
No status for me. Just got the card. I guess it's back in line with the rabble!
Dec 23, 2012, 6:18 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL Plat, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 7,487
I'm glad they are finally fixing this bug; boarding has been getting out of control, particularly on flights when instead of separately calling Plats, they just call PriorityAAccess. Sometimes it seems like the majority of passengers then try to board.
Dec 23, 2012, 7:10 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: ROC/NYC/MSP/LAX/HKG/SIN
Posts: 3,212
My wife is a non-elite with the Citibank Aadvantage card. AMR just sent an email, advising that such customers have been getting Priority Access by mistake, system will be corrected, revert to Group 1 after the first of the year. As a LT Gold, it is nice to see AMR maintaining SOME differentiation from credit card holders.
Dear xxxx,
As a valued Citi® / AAdvantage® cardmember, we want you to have the best travel experience possible. We would like to call your attention to a recent clarification in how we display one of the features of your card.
Priority Boarding with Group 1 Privileges1 is one of the valued travel benefits of your card which enables you to board the plane at the beginning of the general boarding process. Since the launch of the new
Citi® / AAdvantage® card, the American Airlines boarding pass has incorrectly displayed this benefit as PriorityAAccessSM*,which includes access to dedicated check-in and security lanes, in addition to priority boarding.
Going forward, for tickets booked or changed after November 14, 2012, the cardmember boarding passes will display Group 1 to designate this priority boarding benefit. We also hope you are able to continue to enjoy the other benefits of your Citi® / AAdvantage® card.
Thank you for flying with us, and we hope to see you soon
Dear xxxx,
As a valued Citi® / AAdvantage® cardmember, we want you to have the best travel experience possible. We would like to call your attention to a recent clarification in how we display one of the features of your card.
Priority Boarding with Group 1 Privileges1 is one of the valued travel benefits of your card which enables you to board the plane at the beginning of the general boarding process. Since the launch of the new
Citi® / AAdvantage® card, the American Airlines boarding pass has incorrectly displayed this benefit as PriorityAAccessSM*,which includes access to dedicated check-in and security lanes, in addition to priority boarding.
Going forward, for tickets booked or changed after November 14, 2012, the cardmember boarding passes will display Group 1 to designate this priority boarding benefit. We also hope you are able to continue to enjoy the other benefits of your Citi® / AAdvantage® card.
Thank you for flying with us, and we hope to see you soon
Dec 27, 2012, 8:45 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: United Silver, AA, Delta, Marriott, Hyatt.
Posts: 432
Any other Citi/AAdvantage cardholders get this email?
Dear Clay_C.
As a valued Citi® / AAdvantage® cardmember, we want you to have the best travel experience possible. We would like to call your attention to a recent clarification in how we display one of the features of your card.
Priority Boarding with Group 1 Privileges is one of the valued travel benefits of your card which enables you to board the plane at the beginning of the general boarding process. Since the launch of the new
Citi® / AAdvantage® card, the American Airlines boarding pass has incorrectly displayed this benefit as PriorityAAccess,which includes access to dedicated check-in and security lanes, in addition to priority boarding.
Going forward, for tickets booked or changed after November 14, 2012, the cardmember boarding passes will display Group 1 to designate this priority boarding benefit. We also hope you are able to continue to enjoy the other benefits of your Citi® / AAdvantage® card.
Thank you for flying with us, and we hope to see you soon!
As a valued Citi® / AAdvantage® cardmember, we want you to have the best travel experience possible. We would like to call your attention to a recent clarification in how we display one of the features of your card.
Priority Boarding with Group 1 Privileges is one of the valued travel benefits of your card which enables you to board the plane at the beginning of the general boarding process. Since the launch of the new
Citi® / AAdvantage® card, the American Airlines boarding pass has incorrectly displayed this benefit as PriorityAAccess,which includes access to dedicated check-in and security lanes, in addition to priority boarding.
Going forward, for tickets booked or changed after November 14, 2012, the cardmember boarding passes will display Group 1 to designate this priority boarding benefit. We also hope you are able to continue to enjoy the other benefits of your Citi® / AAdvantage® card.
Thank you for flying with us, and we hope to see you soon!
I should add that even being downgraded to Group 1, I am throughly satisfied that I am more than getting my money's worth for the higher annual fee on this card with the free checked bag and bonus miles on purchased tickets.
Dec 27, 2012, 8:47 pm
#6
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Ah, yes, they are extending "enhancements" to credit cards now. Of course, if Priority Access is a defined benefit, some of us could call it "bait and switch"; if it is not, they had some programming errors they are now taking care of.
Dec 27, 2012, 8:58 pm
#7
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: United Silver, AA, Delta, Marriott, Hyatt.
Posts: 432
Oh well, I guess I should have savored the one time it did get me through security at ORD a minute or two faster.
Dec 27, 2012, 10:46 pm
#8
Senior Moderator and Moderator: American AAdvantage & TravelBuzz
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 10,417
Thread merged with existing discussion on the same topic/email. Thanks! 
/Moderator
/Moderator
Dec 27, 2012, 10:50 pm
#9
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: United Silver, AA, Delta, Marriott, Hyatt.
Posts: 432
Dec 27, 2012, 10:52 pm
#10
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: ASE
Programs: UA 1MM, AA1MM PLTPRO, Hertz PC, National EXC, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton/Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,357
This is great news. Clearly, AA is moving in a direction that actually values their elites and high-revenue customers...quite the opposite from UA.
Dec 27, 2012, 11:48 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Everywhere
Programs: AA EXP - 3.7MM, Bonv LIFETIME Titan, HH Dmd, Hyatt Glob., Priority Clb Dmd, Ntnl Exec El., Sixt PLT
Posts: 1,680
Anyway, there is little value in Priority AAccess if half of the plane has AA Citibank credit cards in their pockets.
Dec 28, 2012, 12:46 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SNA/LAX
Programs: AA EXP, Go Bears!
Posts: 233
I always wondered about this "benefit", as I have (non-status) coworkers with the AA card that were getting Priority AAccess.
However, wouldn't any non GLD/PLT/EXP still gain Priority AAccess via TSA Pre-Check if they were Global Entry qualified?
However, wouldn't any non GLD/PLT/EXP still gain Priority AAccess via TSA Pre-Check if they were Global Entry qualified?
Dec 28, 2012, 6:52 am
#13
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 446
I'm glad they are finally doing something to help out the GLD members. At this point half the plane seems to board with priority aaccess, and I don't think I've ever heard the agent call GLD boarding separately.
Dec 28, 2012, 8:31 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,247
Nope, you don't actually get Priority AAccess, however in airports using security lines where precheck is merged with the elite line (such as DFW) you are allowed to go into the elite line if you have precheck but don't have priority aaccess.
I'm glad they are finally doing something to help out the GLD members. At this point half the plane seems to board with priority aaccess, and I don't think I've ever heard the agent call GLD boarding separately.
I'm glad they are finally doing something to help out the GLD members. At this point half the plane seems to board with priority aaccess, and I don't think I've ever heard the agent call GLD boarding separately.
Glad that they are fixing this. Before I became EXP, I was on several flights where they called Priority Access after FC/EXP, causing a stampede. This should be good for both PLT and GLD.