anabolism

No credit cards? Oh, the lost miles!

ChicagoPlanesTrains

I know!! However, to take away some of the sting... if you get the companion option and bring someone else along, you get their miles/points/segments just like you had flown twice. Also makes sitting with a co-worker not as painful.

horseguy

That is a great point and a wonderful feature of the program.

It also makes it a snap for a couple to get one of them to requalify for EXP every year. A couple only needs to travel 33,333 miles on a single Aairpass, and that gets the Aairpass holder to EXP. I know of no other way that gets someone to EXP with as little flying.

anabolism

I did not know that, thanks for the info!

newaroundhere

Just a quick note to say that I thought the CK desk did (is doing) a nice job during all the storm disruptions. In addition to thoughtful proactive phone calls to me, I never had to wait more than a few seconds for a person to pick up the phone when I called the desk and they were super helpful in solving problems, protecting me on multiple flights, etc., etc. Nice job, AA.

DrBillAtwood

I had a call from my AAirpass contact at American this week. He said that I could guarantee having Concierge Key continue if I upped my AAirpass contract payment to $30,000 this year ( my AAirpass anniversary is Jan 9). I was actually in CK several years before it was linked to AAirpass at all, but the AAirpass link to CK went from $10k in 2011 to $20k in 2012, to $30k for 2013. I said "no thanks" because I fly lots of international--a good deal of it on OW partners. He said, "wait a minute...looking at your history for 2012 with over 220k miles you may still continue with CK. Nobody knows for sure, but I'll put in a good word for you with the person who decides who gets CK if its not through AAirpass."

That was my most clear conversation about CK with American. CK is usually a pretty the murky world with little clarity about qualification. This year my CK card goes through Feb 28, but some years I have continued to have CK and have not gotten a card at all. The computer connects me there whether I have a card or not. We'll see what 2013 brings.

goldengate

After a year of CK, I think it's OK, but it didn't blow me away. Especially in DFW, the premium personnel are just stretched way too thin. Recently I had a very tight connection due to a mechanical out of SFO and had about 20 mins to catch my next flight which was in a different concourse. I thought for sure there would be a buggy there. Zip, nada, so ran for it and made it with about a minute to spare (also called the CK desk and asked them to phone the gate to let them know I was a "runner"). On another tight DFW connection, the buggy met me at the gate, and the agent pointed to the next gate over and told me to "run for it." ha ha

The phone agents are very good, but I also think the EXP agents are very good, so not necessarily giving CK huge scores on this one. Yes, I hope my status renews, but if it doesn't, I don't think it will be a huge downgrade "just" to be an EXP.

Microwave

I appreciate that there may be valid frequent-traveller-related questions for someone concerned about discrimination in an unpublished airline benefit. Having been the victim of discrimination myself, I can understand exactly how one could raise such questions, and I respect that the motivations for them may be genuine. That said, such topics tend to become divisive quite quickly, and divisive conversations that really play to a more social or political bent don't really fit the remit of the AAdvantage forum. Therefore, absent any specific impact or real-world situation, I'm inclined to ask all parties interested in continuing the the discrimination discussion to take it up in the appropriate OMNI forum. The discussion will not be permitted to continue here.

Posts along this line of discussion which violated FlyerTalk Guidelines & Rules have been redacted or removed.

~Moderator

JDiver

I think many of us have speculated what the possible criteria may be for being selected to Concierge Key status. While those criteria are probably codified, and even reflected by some CRM aspects of AA's software suite, those criteria are not likely to be revealed by AA anytime soon. (Being FTers, some of us will continue to speculate... ) I do suspect one word that could describe a criterion would be "influencer", whether we use it to define a VIP or well-placed person within a high-profile corporation with an AA relationship. .

FXEpilot77

I grilled my AA rep about the criteria the other day, $30k AAirpass spend, as mentioned previously is the new criteria for automatic CK.

Decision maker/influencer was specifically stated as well. Sadly, even with total spend >$30k with a mix of AAirpass and published fares is not guaranteed to be CK (and most likely won't be), and the $30k for AAirpass has to be up front (even within a year, if you renew early or just take the extra 2¢ per mile overage it still doesn't count according to him).

bryenz

I had called into the EXP line a few times in late December to talk to an agent about a family member's ticket booked using my miles - and every time they answered the phone as "Concierge Key." I asked if I was in the program and they professed ignorance, said that occasionally the EXP phones roll over to CK if EXP is busy.

Today was my first flight in about four weeks and I got the gate greet at SFO, welcoming me to the program. I was a little taken by surprise - nothing has come in the mail, no extra 2 SWU's on my account, etc. I'm already a paid member of the AC so that hasn't changed. The CK rep at the gate said that my "status date" was mid-December 2012 and that she wanted to personally meet all the new CK members. Pretty nice if you ask me.

Data point for trying to figure: 2012 flying was 155k EQM (although some are thanks to DEQM) and 180k EQP (same) - a LOT of paid F/J transcons from SFO but absolutely zero international in 2012. Not sure if this was revenue-based or employer-driven.

goldengate

I just got an email from them today saying that I have re-qualified... last year it seemed to be on the same timing as the EXP letters (or a little later) vs. this year seemed more calendar-year driven.

wlciii

Same situation happened to me with the calls to EXP desk going to CK desk. I actually called on Dec 24th and said "what a nice early xmas present from AA" and got the same "sometimes phones roll here."

Hadn't seen extra VIPs post or anything so started to get worried it really was a fluke but just got the "Congratulations on achieving ConciergeKey status" email so guess now it's official.

Several others in my company also got the email today. I had almost 525K EQP but I know of at least one other DFW based flyer from my company who had closer to 200K. (I understand qualification may not be directly based on EQP but those are probably best proxy for revenue we can compare)

Also of note: I had about 250-300EQP in about April or May 2012 and actually wrote a letter requesting CK status that was denied so seems to me there's only one yearly sweep (maybe with a cutoff on numbers?) rather than new people joining the ranks continuously like other "levels."

RealFan

I just received the email as well. 125,000 EQMs and around $50K in total spend. I requalified as a GS at UA too and will likely forego AA in 2013 as 1) I am lifetime platinum and therefore there is nothing left for me to attain and 2) UA's route structure works better for me right now.

That being said, I think AA is a better airline and I am just diversifying my lifetime status on airlines for my retirement in ten years or so

bryenz

You know what's funny - after I posted this, I got the email this evening. Weird how that all works out. Guess it's got to do with the sweeps. It was "signed" by the VP Global Sales - not sure if that's meaningful or not as to how I got into the program, but the more I think about it, the more I think it's got to do with our corporate account. Which is good, in my opinion, they've been making changes to the corp travel program for 2013, messing with the hotel list, and there was a nasty pernicious rumor we'd go to DL as "preferred" this year. If they're putting people on CK we're not moving to Delta this year.