rumor : new upgrade co-payment effective 01dec04

 
Old Oct 5, 2004, 12:39 pm
  #76  
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The part confuses me is 90,000 miles for a business class award ticket to Europe. But now, one could easily end up spending 50,000 miles + $500 + $600+ for an economy ticket upgraded. To me-- the non-differentiation between "discount" and "deep discount" fares in assessing this fee is something that will have to be revisited (at least I hope so.)
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Old Oct 5, 2004, 12:43 pm
  #77  
 
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I think I'm going to cry. I have quite happily given AA ever shred of my FF business in exchange for a generous FF program and upgrades into mediocre J class with usually broken seats on international flights and some ok food. This move is certainly going to prompt a run on 31 AB HJ.

I'm losing my UA status this year and now I'm kicking myself for remaining so blindly loyal. Coming from NYC, AA is never the most convenient option, but I have stuck with them. Now it's going to be much harder for me to justify not flying CO/DL as much as I used to grimace.
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Old Oct 5, 2004, 12:45 pm
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Originally Posted by polkacat
On a personal level, this really sucks. Although I have enjoyed using miles to upgrade Transatlantic, it's not worth $250 on TOP of miles for me to do it. I'd rather keep that $250 to spend at my destination
My thoughts exactly!

Originally Posted by polkacat
On a big picture level, I agree that AA is slowly carving away all of the features (MRTC, upgrades) that differentiate AA and Aadvantage from other airlines and FF programs. While no one feature may be the deciding factor for ALL flyers, at this rate, they're managing to eliminate one deciding factor after another....
Again, i agree. I live in ATL - a Delta stronghold - yet have managed to requalify for Plat on AA due to my willingness to fly connections and MRs because of the ability to upgrade int'l using miles w/o a fee and MRTC. If I lose these 2 key benefits, Delta will start getting more and more of my business
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Old Oct 5, 2004, 12:46 pm
  #79  
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Originally Posted by JonNYC
The part confuses me is 90,000 miles for a business class award ticket to Europe. But now, one could easily end up spending 50,000 miles + $500 + $600+ for an economy ticket upgraded. To me-- the non-differentiation between "discount" and "deep discount" fares in assessing this fee is something that will have to be revisited (at least I hope so.)
I guess they could always make those 90K award impossible to get....while they are a roll....

Guess we gotta wait and see tomorrow. I really hope AA took a measured approach to this, as they have in the past with changes, and that these fees are only going to apply to the deep discounted fares.
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Old Oct 5, 2004, 12:47 pm
  #80  
 
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I often go out of my way to fly AA and make PLT (and then some...I'll be at 77K this year), but the primary use for my miles is int'l upgrades. If this comes to pass, I'll fly enough miles to make GLD (for elite security lines, Group 1), but after that, I'll fly on price alone. Most likely, I'll start accumulating miles on UA again (PHL direct, SYD direct, more flights to ORD, IAD, etc).

Again, like most posters have asked, why not just raise the mileage req or do what FWAAA suggested? For some fares, the $500 "upgrade tax" is more than the fare itself...which I realize is AA's point (fares are super low), but again, there are other less abrasive options.
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Old Oct 5, 2004, 12:47 pm
  #81  
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Some thoughts:

1. The change to the upgrade scheme was inevitable - AA's switch to a 2-cabin model on many longhaul flights means that the airline can no longer treat J as a glorified Economy, and must readjust its business model to get business class fares occupying business class seats. Nearly every other predominantly 2-cabin major longhaul carrier has similarly restrictive upgrade rules - anyone thinking that AA would be any different was out of touch with this industry reality.

2. I fully expect AA to revamp its J cabins within the next 6-12 months. However, it makes good sense from a business standpoint to realign the J cabin revenue stream PRIOR to making the investment in the new product.

3. As is the case with most things, fleeing to UA will only prove to be a temporary reprieve - UA is also planning to rollout a new J cabin (and will probably eliminate F on its 763s as well), and will therefore likely abolish its international upgrade welfare state as well.
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Old Oct 5, 2004, 12:49 pm
  #82  
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Originally Posted by JonNYC
The part confuses me is 90,000 miles for a business class award ticket to Europe. But now, one could easily end up spending 50,000 miles + $500 + $600+ for an economy ticket upgraded. To me-- the non-differentiation between "discount" and "deep discount" fares in assessing this fee is something that will have to be revisited (at least I hope so.)
Perhaps by increasing the 90k award to, say, 130k?

I'm not sure I agree with you about the need to differentiate between deep discount and higher-fare tickets.

The price of those tickets reflects (or is supposed to reflect) how much you are willing to pay to get there. If you plan ahead, generally, you pay much less than if you wait til closer to departure time. Those who book close to departure time can presumably pay more. Price discrimination, pure and simple.

If the upgrade fee is reduced (or waived) for higher economy fares, that reduces the revenue premium that AA is already able to extract from those who don't plan as far ahead.

If anything, AA should probably consider charging several hundred dollars more to upgrade from higher-economy fares than from deep discount fares, capitalizing on its already-proven abilities to practice successful price discrimination. If you're willing to pay more for your ticket than someone who bought weeks or months ago, maybe you're willing to pay more to upgrade, as well.
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Old Oct 5, 2004, 12:49 pm
  #83  
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Originally Posted by LLZ
I'm just disappointed in this. If AA were to only apply this to the lowest fares, G Q N S, AND they are indeed were going to revamp their J class, then it's not so bad.
I dunno. The last thing I'd want to see on AA is a HoKeY type lottery....
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Old Oct 5, 2004, 12:53 pm
  #84  
 
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Last Summer, AA stated the AA program was way to generous and with a new round of mangers in place, the changes are starting to happen. Do not be suprised when they start only giving out 1/2 mile of discounted fares.
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Old Oct 5, 2004, 12:53 pm
  #85  
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AA better enhance their J product if they want to charge this fee
CO, BA, and VS J is far better than anything AA offers. With the $500 surcharge, you could easily book into WT+ on BA and upgrade to CW on a transatlantic flight. So for upgraders willing to pay the premium, it's far better to fly with BA or CO.

How many of us look completely stupid now to the friends we've switched over to AA?
I think I converted about 8-9 colleagues, got them on PLT challenges, mainly from CO. And now they have to pay to upgrade as well?

This will probably end up decreasing AAs revenue
For family and friends I'd usually upgrade them to J on international flights using the 50K miles for Christmas and birthday presents. Now spending 25K miles AND $500, that's getting expensive! What it's probably better to do now is just gift them a couple of free domestic r/t tickets, which would deprive AA of revenue it would have already gotten anyhow.

If this change affects VIPOWs, the complimentary domestic upgrade policy, or using stickers to HNL I'm switching to another carrier
Probably BA trans-Atlantic exclusively and maybe UA domestically and to Asia, using a status match in 2005.

Overall, these changes have shaken my view of American Airlines and frequent flier programs in general
What is the point of being loyal to an airline if they can make all kinds of changes like this? Now it's pay to upgrade, no more MRTC.... What differentiates AA from any other airline??

Maybe it's time for a new hobby-- my gf is always telling me we should get our pilot's licenses or learn to sail. Everytime she sees contrails in the sky she's like, "Look, Charles there goes your money!" If I knew as much about the stock market and mutual funds as I do about frequent flier miles, well.... Maybe it's time to start reading the book she gave me for my birthday-- Mutual Funds for Dummies.

Last edited by CharlesMD; Oct 5, 2004 at 12:59 pm
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Old Oct 5, 2004, 12:54 pm
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Well at least the employees will have an easy time getting into F or J
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Old Oct 5, 2004, 12:59 pm
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Originally Posted by MrMan
Well at least the employees will have an easy time getting into F or J
LOL. The real impetus for this policy change is to make more room for complete non-revs
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Old Oct 5, 2004, 1:04 pm
  #88  
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Originally Posted by CharlesMD
Maybe it's time for a new hobby-- my gf is always telling me we should get our pilot's licenses or learn to sail. Everytime she sees contrails in the sky she's like, "Look, Charles there goes your money!" If I knew as much about the stock market and mutual funds as I do about frequent flier miles, well.... Maybe it's time to start reading the book she gave me for my birthday-- Mutual Funds for Dummies.
What's this??? A doctor that isn't tied to his broker with an umbilical cord You're spending waaay too much time with your patients CharlesMD
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Old Oct 5, 2004, 1:07 pm
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Originally Posted by platboy
LOL. The real impetus for this policy change is to make more room for complete non-revs
Not to mention the need for the coach FA's to reserve the last 3 rows for themselves. Now they can just go to the coffins in F to browse the latest Vanity Fair
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Old Oct 5, 2004, 1:10 pm
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curious -- is/was AA the last major carrier offering int'l mileage upgrades off of any fare (with or with out a co-pay?)
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