Hang on to your wallets - $50 co-pay increase for mileage upgrades, effective Oct 1st
Aug 6, 2008, 11:15 am
#46
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NYC, USA
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, Lifetime Platinum, Marriott Titanium, HH Gold
Posts: 10,967
Aug 6, 2008, 11:28 am
#47
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Exec Plat; UA Plat
Posts: 435
Will this $50 fee be in addition to the "award fees" for upgrading with miles less than 21 or 7 days before departure? Those fees have always seemed particularly unfair, especially if you are buying a more expensive ticket closer to departure, or if the upgraded seats weren't available until the 21- or 7-day window had passed.
Is there any info on which "discount economy fares" they are referring to when it comes to domestic travel?
http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?...ardChanges.jsp
Is there any info on which "discount economy fares" they are referring to when it comes to domestic travel?
http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?...ardChanges.jsp
Aug 6, 2008, 11:40 am
#48
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
Programs: AA PLT (2.9+ MM), HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG PLT
Posts: 10,161
Pretty much everything except Y and B.
Aug 6, 2008, 1:09 pm
#49
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Denver, Colorado
Programs: DEN: WN or UA, AA LT Gold, VIA Preference Preferred
Posts: 1,550
IMO, the 15k one way domestic upgrade is (was) by far the most effective use of FF miles, and it is available even if one is not an elite.
Now
to AA for beginning dilution.
However, this change will probably result in fewer mileage upgrades, leaving more seats for other elite upgrade methods, thereby obtaining mostly ^ from FT posters.
Now
to AA for beginning dilution.However, this change will probably result in fewer mileage upgrades, leaving more seats for other elite upgrade methods, thereby obtaining mostly ^ from FT posters.
Aug 6, 2008, 1:38 pm
#50
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Duluth, GA
Programs: AAdvantage PLT, AA 2MM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,268
IMO, the 15k one way domestic upgrade is (was) by far the most effective use of FF miles, and it is available even if one is not an elite.
Now to AA for beginning dilution.
However, this change will probably result in fewer mileage upgrades, leaving more seats for other elite upgrade methods, thereby obtaining mostly ^ from FT posters.
Now
to AA for beginning dilution.However, this change will probably result in fewer mileage upgrades, leaving more seats for other elite upgrade methods, thereby obtaining mostly ^ from FT posters.
Aug 6, 2008, 1:38 pm
#51
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: AA PLT (2MM-- thank you FT!), UAL, DL, AF, BA
Posts: 853
Aug 6, 2008, 2:39 pm
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
Programs: AA PLT (2.9+ MM), HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG PLT
Posts: 10,161
LAX to JFK: 2475 miles, 5 hrs 30 min. hours, 15K miles + 50.00 copay
BOS to LHR: 3265 miles, 6 hrs. 30 min., 25K miles + 350.00 copay
In comparison, it makes the transcon seem like quite a deal to me.
Aug 6, 2008, 2:48 pm
#53
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 63,618
Add $700 in co-pay, and you're looking at about a $2,300 ticket if the base was ~$600, not that unusual for high traffic routes like JFK-LHR.
That's not far from just buying the business class ticket.
Mileage upgrades make more sense if you're coming from the west coast, but less if you're flying to a city served by partner airlines since the final leg won't be upgradeable.
Aug 6, 2008, 2:51 pm
#54
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Duluth, GA
Programs: AAdvantage PLT, AA 2MM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,268
IMO, the 15k one way domestic upgrade is (was) by far the most effective use of FF miles, and it is available even if one is not an elite.
Now to AA for beginning dilution.
However, this change will probably result in fewer mileage upgrades, leaving more seats for other elite upgrade methods, thereby obtaining mostly ^ from FT posters.
Now
to AA for beginning dilution.However, this change will probably result in fewer mileage upgrades, leaving more seats for other elite upgrade methods, thereby obtaining mostly ^ from FT posters.
Flying to continental Europe (CDG, BRU, MAD) from pts other than NYC/BOS involves much more flying, and IMHO is therefore a better use of miles converting to upgrades. Of course the value increases with the longer flights TPAC.
Aug 6, 2008, 2:59 pm
#55
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 63,618
Yes, but you've picked one of the shortest TATL's to compare to a transcon. Perhaps this was intentional or even the point of the reply?
Flying to continental Europe (CDG, BRU, MAD) from pts other than NYC/BOS involves much more flying, and IMHO is therefore a better use of miles converting to upgrades. Of course the value increases with the longer flights TPAC.
Flying to continental Europe (CDG, BRU, MAD) from pts other than NYC/BOS involves much more flying, and IMHO is therefore a better use of miles converting to upgrades. Of course the value increases with the longer flights TPAC.
Aug 6, 2008, 3:26 pm
#56
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
Programs: AA PLT (2.9+ MM), HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG PLT
Posts: 10,161
Aug 6, 2008, 3:33 pm
#57
Moderator: Alaska Mileage Plan
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 12,318
Executive Platinum, as we know it today, was introduced in 1998. I was asked to join invitation-only EXP in 1997. "Top Platinum" existed no more than two years prior to that.
Aug 6, 2008, 4:42 pm
#58
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: AA 1MM
Posts: 3,182
Good point, not to mention the 1.25xRDM vs. 1.0, and 1.5xEQM vs. 0.5 for buying the biz ticket ($35 for the RDM, and whatever you value the EQM at), plus whatever you value convenience / availability at, you just about break even.
Aug 6, 2008, 4:54 pm
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 10,067
AA wasted no time in updating the award chart.
http://www.aa.com/aa/pubcontent/en_U...#upgradeAwards
http://www.aa.com/aa/pubcontent/en_U...#upgradeAwards