ARCHIVE: Concierge Key AA Premium Service
Oct 27, 2009, 5:48 pm
#211
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: UA 1k, AA lifetime Gold, Marriott lifetime plat
Posts: 173
$19k certainly is a lot of money, but when you consider that a SINGLE full fare F ticket (JFK-LHR) can, depending on the time of year, run anywhere between $14k and $20k, you might understand where AA stands in their evaluation of candidates.
That being said, AA SHOULD recognize that while the person who brings in hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue might need a little more care in a program like CK, the person who buys $19k worth of tickets should receive a level of care that they do not currently enjoy.
That being said, AA SHOULD recognize that while the person who brings in hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue might need a little more care in a program like CK, the person who buys $19k worth of tickets should receive a level of care that they do not currently enjoy.
Also, CK might be a 2-step process (nomination + flight pattern review), but it sounds like others here have experienced either / or. E.g. someone could be nominated and receive CK, but rarely fly. Conversely, someone could fly a lot (or influence a lot) and get CK without any formal company nomination.
Oct 27, 2009, 6:13 pm
#212
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: St. Croix, USVI
Programs: AAdvantage Executive Platinum & Million Miler. Hilton Diamond
Posts: 915
AAirpass holders were given CK about a month ago. They told my boss that they were going to try this out for a while to see how it goes. This likely solves problems where you need AAirpass specific help outside of business hours (AAirpass is only open during business hours).
Sean
Sean
Oct 28, 2009, 12:10 pm
#213
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: AA EXP 2.5 MM, AA Concierge Key
Posts: 320
AAirpass holders were given CK about a month ago. They told my boss that they were going to try this out for a while to see how it goes. This likely solves problems where you need AAirpass specific help outside of business hours (AAirpass is only open during business hours).
Sean
Sean
Oct 28, 2009, 12:54 pm
#214
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NYC, USA
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, Lifetime Platinum, Marriott Titanium, HH Gold
Posts: 10,968
AAirpass holders were given CK about a month ago. They told my boss that they were going to try this out for a while to see how it goes. This likely solves problems where you need AAirpass specific help outside of business hours (AAirpass is only open during business hours).
Sean
Sean
Do you mean that ALL holder of an AAirpass now are CK members?
Sounds like there is now a firm price tag on CK. Of course, I don't see pricing information on AAirpass.com, but I'm guessing that's because AA wants to negotiate the terms with each customer.
Does anybody know what it typically costs to buy certain blocks of AAirpass miles? Are we talking tens of thousands of $? Hundreds of thousands?
Oct 28, 2009, 1:11 pm
#215
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: UA 1k, AA lifetime Gold, Marriott lifetime plat
Posts: 173
http://www.flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/AAirpass_(AA)
Last edited by dstan; Oct 28, 2009 at 7:45 pm Reason: repaired dangling parenthesis in link
Oct 28, 2009, 7:25 pm
#216
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Are you sure ALL AAirpass holders were granted CK status? I personally suspect not, but those with sufficient buying documentation could always call AAirpass and ask. (I have it on some reasonable authority it was some, not all.)
AAirpass holders were given CK about a month ago. They told my boss that they were going to try this out for a while to see how it goes. This likely solves problems where you need AAirpass specific help outside of business hours (AAirpass is only open during business hours).
Sean
Sean
Last edited by JDiver; Jan 8, 2013 at 2:58 pm Reason: tpoey
Oct 31, 2009, 10:36 am
#217
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: UA 1MM 1K AA PLT SPG Gold HH Gold
Posts: 128
To what extent is CK a factor in consideration between switching bet/ UA and AA
I have been UA GS for the third year now, and have added AA this year since it is more convenient for some destinations from BOS. I'm so far at about 130K EQP on AA (got EXP in July). Most of my biz flights are international in C, to both Asia and Europe. I've been thinking about giving AA more business, but so far have been mostly buying the dirt cheap tickets on AA, out of the following considerations:
1. I find that AA EXP seems to be enough for me to get upgraded almost whenever I want (using evips for international trips or not using anything for domestic ones);
2. I doubt that UA 1K will be enough to get me upgraded every time I want, especially for BOS-SFO, the route that I fly the most and the route with a lot of 1Ks and UGS. Thus retaining UGS seems to be desirable.
3. I fear that I might not be able to get a CK invitation anyway, given that I have allocated at least 50K full fare miles (mostly in C) to UA. Beyond the CK, there is no other reward from AA for my purchasing expensive tickets.
Therefore, since 1) AA CK is an invitation only program, and 2) nobody knows for sure how to get that invitation, and 3) my employer doesn't really have a strong relationship with AA to nominate me for the CK, and 4) I am not a celebrity, my decisions is to stay with where I am (UA GS and AA 1K). I will not go out of my way to give UA more of my business, beyond the 50K threshold (there is no use for me to get more SWUs), neither do I think it would be worth paying AA more than the cheap fare for the potential invitation for CK (I know I will probably not get it anyway, given the discussion in this thread, and given my understanding that CK is more based on influence on other peopls' travel rather than your own revenue contribution). So, as long as AA keeps the membership of CK sufficiently low, so that my EXP status does not get too diluated, I will be content with the success rate of my upgrades on AA and will not try to change anything.
1. I find that AA EXP seems to be enough for me to get upgraded almost whenever I want (using evips for international trips or not using anything for domestic ones);
2. I doubt that UA 1K will be enough to get me upgraded every time I want, especially for BOS-SFO, the route that I fly the most and the route with a lot of 1Ks and UGS. Thus retaining UGS seems to be desirable.
3. I fear that I might not be able to get a CK invitation anyway, given that I have allocated at least 50K full fare miles (mostly in C) to UA. Beyond the CK, there is no other reward from AA for my purchasing expensive tickets.
Therefore, since 1) AA CK is an invitation only program, and 2) nobody knows for sure how to get that invitation, and 3) my employer doesn't really have a strong relationship with AA to nominate me for the CK, and 4) I am not a celebrity, my decisions is to stay with where I am (UA GS and AA 1K). I will not go out of my way to give UA more of my business, beyond the 50K threshold (there is no use for me to get more SWUs), neither do I think it would be worth paying AA more than the cheap fare for the potential invitation for CK (I know I will probably not get it anyway, given the discussion in this thread, and given my understanding that CK is more based on influence on other peopls' travel rather than your own revenue contribution). So, as long as AA keeps the membership of CK sufficiently low, so that my EXP status does not get too diluated, I will be content with the success rate of my upgrades on AA and will not try to change anything.
Oct 31, 2009, 11:43 am
#218
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 9,916
I have been UA GS for the third year now, and have added AA this year since it is more convenient for some destinations from BOS. I'm so far at about 130K EQP on AA (got EXP in July). Most of my biz flights are international in C, to both Asia and Europe. I've been thinking about giving AA more business, but so far have been mostly buying the dirt cheap tickets on AA, out of the following considerations:
1. I find that AA EXP seems to be enough for me to get upgraded almost whenever I want (using evips for international trips or not using anything for domestic ones);
2. I doubt that UA 1K will be enough to get me upgraded every time I want, especially for BOS-SFO, the route that I fly the most and the route with a lot of 1Ks and UGS. Thus retaining UGS seems to be desirable.
3. I fear that I might not be able to get a CK invitation anyway, given that I have allocated at least 50K full fare miles (mostly in C) to UA. Beyond the CK, there is no other reward from AA for my purchasing expensive tickets.
Therefore, since 1) AA CK is an invitation only program, and 2) nobody knows for sure how to get that invitation, and 3) my employer doesn't really have a strong relationship with AA to nominate me for the CK, and 4) I am not a celebrity, my decisions is to stay with where I am (UA GS and AA 1K). I will not go out of my way to give UA more of my business, beyond the 50K threshold (there is no use for me to get more SWUs), neither do I think it would be worth paying AA more than the cheap fare for the potential invitation for CK (I know I will probably not get it anyway, given the discussion in this thread, and given my understanding that CK is more based on influence on other peopls' travel rather than your own revenue contribution). So, as long as AA keeps the membership of CK sufficiently low, so that my EXP status does not get too diluated, I will be content with the success rate of my upgrades on AA and will not try to change anything.
1. I find that AA EXP seems to be enough for me to get upgraded almost whenever I want (using evips for international trips or not using anything for domestic ones);
2. I doubt that UA 1K will be enough to get me upgraded every time I want, especially for BOS-SFO, the route that I fly the most and the route with a lot of 1Ks and UGS. Thus retaining UGS seems to be desirable.
3. I fear that I might not be able to get a CK invitation anyway, given that I have allocated at least 50K full fare miles (mostly in C) to UA. Beyond the CK, there is no other reward from AA for my purchasing expensive tickets.
Therefore, since 1) AA CK is an invitation only program, and 2) nobody knows for sure how to get that invitation, and 3) my employer doesn't really have a strong relationship with AA to nominate me for the CK, and 4) I am not a celebrity, my decisions is to stay with where I am (UA GS and AA 1K). I will not go out of my way to give UA more of my business, beyond the 50K threshold (there is no use for me to get more SWUs), neither do I think it would be worth paying AA more than the cheap fare for the potential invitation for CK (I know I will probably not get it anyway, given the discussion in this thread, and given my understanding that CK is more based on influence on other peopls' travel rather than your own revenue contribution). So, as long as AA keeps the membership of CK sufficiently low, so that my EXP status does not get too diluated, I will be content with the success rate of my upgrades on AA and will not try to change anything.
Dec 3, 2009, 5:17 pm
#219
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: London
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Plt
Posts: 2,607
Aside from the card in the mail, is there any sign you've gotten Concierge Key, either by email or when logged into aa.com?
Dec 3, 2009, 6:48 pm
#220
Join Date: May 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EX PLT
Posts: 1,428
when the red coat meets you on the jetway and walks you to your connecting flight--that can be a sign you have made the CK level. Or you're an unattended minor
Dec 3, 2009, 7:02 pm
#221
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: London
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Plt
Posts: 2,607
Dec 3, 2009, 7:18 pm
#222
Join Date: May 2008
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 23
I first received a letter telling me I was invited to join the CK program and that I should go to aa.com and enter a special code to accept the invitation (similar to entering the code for double EQMs). Then a few weeks later I received my welcome packet with membership card.
Interesting thing to note is that my CK membership runs June 1 to May 31... not the Feb ending date of the AAdvantage program. I'm not sure what this says about the qualification period (ie spend period) but I would guess it is not following a calendar year (but that's wild speculation on my part).
Also, my small firm does not do a ton of business with AA - nor am I a celebrity/vip... but I do spend a lot on intl'l J with AA. Or at least I did... stupid economy...
Dec 3, 2009, 7:18 pm
#223
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: JFK/LGA
Programs: AA EXP/5 MM, BA Blue Bayou, HH LT Diamond
Posts: 5,828
Dec 4, 2009, 2:48 am
#225
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: London
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Plt
Posts: 2,607
Wirelessly posted (Blackberry8700c: BlackBerry9700/5.0.0.344 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/120)
Awesome thanks for this guys. I'm expecting a letter per our corp travel agent but haven't gotten it yet. Excited!
Awesome thanks for this guys. I'm expecting a letter per our corp travel agent but haven't gotten it yet. Excited!