jad6421

Really poor marketing on AA's part. I have been an AAdvantage member since 1982; have 7 million miles in the program; EXP for the last 6 years; already requalified this year, with 130k points to date (and over 100k miles); 5+ trips to NRT in full fare business class this year; a serious influencer on travel for my company; and no invite. Good news is Delta extended an invite...bottom line is AA made it very easy to become a Delta fan...something wrong with that type of marketing.

The Saint

I'm shocked. Have you written in to tell them that you're a bit of a big deal? TRSKWYA.

I'm prepared to boycott AA until they relent and provide you with the recognition you so clearly deserve. Do keep us updated.

pauleeepaul

WADR you clearly don't understand what this program is.

Check with your corporate travel mgmt dept/person- it is possible they received an invitation from AA to nominate some number of people for CK based on your company's volume with AA- that is how the program works. It is also possible you didn't make that cut.

Your current year individual flight statistics, WADR, are not so significant.

bbkenney

You also need 1,000 posts on FT.

oklAAhoma

In addition to what others have posted, your point-to-miles ratio is no big deal either.

(By my calculations, if you flew full fare all the time, with 130K points, your mileage balance should be somewhere around 86.7K. "[O]ver 100k miles" indicates that some of your travel is on cheaper fares. Additionally, as an EXP for only 6 years, my guess is that quite a few of those 7mm you claim are credit card miles. Sorry to break it to you, but you neither unique nor special in AA's eyes. I'm sure your mama still loves you, though. )

Btw - welcome to FlyerTalk.

tl18

I am one of the people who have received the ConciegeKey, I am not a movie star or other big wig, nor do i travel in business except when i upgrade. I fly around 25 times a year to Europe splitting between AA and UAL. UAL have had the Global Service for a number of years and I love it, they are really on top of everything especially when I am in the air and things change. Although i do laugh from time to other when a timid GS rep comes back to economy class looking for me to thank me for flying UAL. So far my experience with CK is fantastic. One of my mileage vacation tickets had its flight changed, when I called the Plat Exec desk they claimed they could do nothing to help ( my flight had been changed from 3.55 PM to 7.25 AM). CK changed it no problems and no questions asked.

I am not sure how to qualify for CK but in the past GS has been based on spending USD 50 K on refundable or changeable tickets

oklAAhoma

Welcome to FT.

Next time try calling the Exec Plat desk, you might have more luck.

fixedwingflyer

If only because I don't want The Saint to cancel his two trips this year (DCA-ORD?), might I suggest you actually take his advice? The first move would be to talk to your travel department at work. Most, but not all, CK invites seem to happen via that route. If that doesn't work, try writing AA with a full explanation of why you deserve it. If no help is offered there, seek out the CK rep at your home airport and talk with them.

That said, I do think you're making a bit much of this. I've been in CK for a long time now and I don't think it's worth getting that upset about. It's certainly a nice service, but it's simply not the end of the world if you're not a member. If you want to move to Delta, that's fine, but I wouldn't expect them to throw rose petals in front of you either.

The Saint

Tsk, tsk. Many more than two! And all of them in paid F. So based on revenue per km, I should probably be welcomed by a marching band scattering those rose petAAls.

MikeBOS

For those upset about not being invited, my experience is that the service is not worth much. I got an invite in May, and have been CK since June 1. In that time the only effect I've seen is that on two flights to London they called me up and asked me if I wanted to pre-board. Aside from that, zero difference from EXP.

And I had two flights cancelled >24 hours ahead (don't ask me why, this was really weird, both BOS-DFW), and they were of absolutely no help in rebooking. When the flights cancelled, AA autobooked everyone onto the remaining flights that day, filling them all. They booked me at a time that wouldn't work for a meeting I was attending (both times), and the CK desk wasn't able to do anything to reroute me -- my only option was getting a refund, which I took, both times, and rebooked on Delta. I was on a paid F fare (YUP) on one of those trips, BTW, and they rebooked me in coach (at the time that didn't work).

I would say you're not missing much. Compared to the difference between PLT and EXP, the different between CK and no CK is negligible.

laperk1028

CK is worth A LOT! Been CK since it's inception and almost weekly, they save me! (re-booking quickly into first class on the next flight, finding lost bags, etc). They are amazing. It's really the ONLY good thing about AA, but it keeps me flying AA.

horseguy

Seriously, you need to join the Aairpass program. I just priced a full fare business class ticket ORD-NRT, and it was $12800. If that was flown on an Aairpass, it would have cost about $8000. You did that five times? That would have saved you almost $25,000 right there. Plus, AA seems to make it much easier to get CK if you are an Aairpass member.

The Saint

The Saintly One spied a CK member of staff at MIA on Sunday awaiting a delayed departure with her two charges.

A fellow traveller - an EXP I do believe - was so visibly excited at seeing this rare beast that he was taking pictures of her with his iPhone (surrepticiously).

They appear to me to be the equivalent of BA Special Services, indeed they almost wear the same outfit and carry the same kit. If so, they're very handy to have around when things go wrong.

Score8

I've had a slightly better experience, but it has failed in its consistency on my behalf. I have had rebookings where the agent at the AC said 'no dice' and didn't know what I was talking about when I asked if they could call the Concierge Key desk. I had to go to a different agent (and ultimately call myself) in order to get the yield management type of flight adjustment. I have found the LHR staff inconsistent in their ability to help due to their supposed 'capacity' issues (meaning they were too busy). It's been good, but not great.

dfwflyguy

I am flying American for last 5 years( all years qualified as EXP). I approximately spend 50 K on tickets per year. Some of them fully refundable tickets.

Is there a standard threshold that AA has to get the CK ?