May 22, 2013, 3:23 pm
Last edit by: JY1024
AA has confirmed that there will be no "soft landings" (whereby elite members will drop a maximum of one elite level regardless of miles flown) for 2014:
To clarify, the Soft Landing policy will be going away at the end of the year.
However, this does not change how an AAdvantage member can earn Elite status. If you currently hold Executive Platinum status (through February 28, 2014), but only earn enough Elite qualifying miles to qualify for Gold status by December 31, 2013, then you will receive the status that you meet the criteria for (as opposed to receiving a soft landing exception to Platinum status), which would go into effect March 1, 2014.
Status earned as a result of Double EQM promotions and Elite status challenges will, of course, be honored. Additionally, customers who have earned AAdvantage Gold or Platinum status as a result of the Million Miler program will continue to receive their benefits for the lifetime of those programs
However, this does not change how an AAdvantage member can earn Elite status. If you currently hold Executive Platinum status (through February 28, 2014), but only earn enough Elite qualifying miles to qualify for Gold status by December 31, 2013, then you will receive the status that you meet the criteria for (as opposed to receiving a soft landing exception to Platinum status), which would go into effect March 1, 2014.
Status earned as a result of Double EQM promotions and Elite status challenges will, of course, be honored. Additionally, customers who have earned AAdvantage Gold or Platinum status as a result of the Million Miler program will continue to receive their benefits for the lifetime of those programs
"Your Elite Status" email from AA: No soft landing 2014 onward (Confirmed)
May 22, 2013, 5:58 am
#63
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP & 1MM (Lifetime Gold); Marriott Gold; National Exec Emerald's
Posts: 337
May 22, 2013, 6:17 am
#64
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Chicago O'Hare
Programs: AA EXP, LT PLT 2.6MM, HHonors Lifetime Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 678
I see it that AA has given out higher elite status to too many people over the past few years with DEQM promotions (or triple if you took advantage of the SFO & LAX offers from DFW/ORD), status matches to the highest tier, etc., some that are still going on. They're going to have a wave of new FF's joining the pool without enough increased capacity to accommodate those FF's who upgrade to J or F. They need to trim their elite pool somehow, and if this does indeed eliminate the soft landing policy, while that really sucks for us knowing that the "cushion" was there, it is a business move that needs to be made.
This is no different then when many of us come on here and complain about the travesty of not being upgraded at T-100 or at all. If you want F, pay for it (I've paid for F one time in the past 200 segments). The bottom line is that the "New American" is running a business, not a charity, and while I included feel as entitled as ever being EXP, the reality is that at some point, AA has to make money, or there will be no AA. Then EXP won't be taking me anywhere.
May 22, 2013, 6:42 am
#67
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, B6 Mosaic, UA Platinum, others
Posts: 1,270
US doesn't do soft landings.
Sometimes, they don't even land with wheels: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...94H0AT20130518
Sometimes, they don't even land with wheels: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/...94H0AT20130518
May 22, 2013, 6:42 am
#68
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Alaska 100K - MM, defender of shoes on the carpeted bulkhead 4ever, AA LT PLT, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia
Posts: 7,441
"Your Elite Status" email from AA; end of soft landing?
I am happy to see this finally happen. Alaska does not have a soft landing policy, either and you don't hear too much hand wringing and wailing there.
May 22, 2013, 6:53 am
#69
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Bansko, Bulgaria
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,260
I just hope for your sake you never have a year that for whatever reason you don't fly as much... just one year. Then, you are back to ground zero. We have flown AA a great deal - mrbzbdewd is about 20K from MM and I'm about 50K away but I'm betting that will get the ax next.
But, the bright side of this is we will now choose more based on product and price. AA is certainly NOT the leader in either one and with the merger likely to be less so. We have remained loyal because having status makes things a little easier if there are problems, and the product is generally consistent (though generally not great). There have been several times when a business class fare on another carrier was within $150-200 of coach on AA. Guess which one I'm choosing now?
But, the bright side of this is we will now choose more based on product and price. AA is certainly NOT the leader in either one and with the merger likely to be less so. We have remained loyal because having status makes things a little easier if there are problems, and the product is generally consistent (though generally not great). There have been several times when a business class fare on another carrier was within $150-200 of coach on AA. Guess which one I'm choosing now?
May 22, 2013, 7:01 am
#70
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Chicago O'Hare
Programs: AA EXP, LT PLT 2.6MM, HHonors Lifetime Diamond, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 678
May 22, 2013, 7:03 am
#71
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
With regard to just the third tier, probably not in context of the post from which you snipped a partial quote. With regard to just the soft landing elimination, then perhaps yes in the same context.
May 22, 2013, 7:51 am
#73
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: ORD/PSP
Programs: AA LT Plat, 6.0 MM, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 1,002
May 22, 2013, 7:55 am
#74
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: AA EXP CONKEY, HYATT GLOB, SPG PLAT
Posts: 102