Jan 10, 2014, 3:13 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
American Airlines ConciergeKeySM / "CK" Program (by invitation only)
(Includes Executive Platinum status and Admirals Club membership)
(Includes Executive Platinum status and Admirals Club membership)
"The ConciergeKey Program is an exclusive program that American Airlines has for our very top customers. This is by invitation only and a very exclusive club." (Billy Sanez, for AA)
ConciergeKey Services are provided to a select group of VIPs to facilitate travel on AA. The program is offered on an invitation basis only and is targeted at customers who control travel policy for large organizations. Customers who generate a high amount of revenue for AA may also be invited into this program (those who spend upwards of US$50k a year on travel with AA).
Services provided include airport escorts and pre-boarding; assistance with flight changes, seat changes, and upgrade requests via their own dedicated telephone line. In addition, there is the ability to communicate directly with ConciergeKey associates via a dedicated email address. ConciergeKeySM representatives will also monitor day of travel of ConciergeKey members and will proactively reroute or rebook travel when necessary. ConciergeKey status allows check-in at First Class counters, as well as access to elite lines through security at certain airports. As of 2014, and there seem to be no major changes reported for 2015.
ConciergeKey members receive AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, membership to the Admirals Club, international miles upgrades with copayment waived, as well as two additional System-Wide Upgrades (SWU's) as part of CK membership. (From our FlyerGuide AA Wiki page)
Please: do respect members' privacy by refraining from asking for overly personal information and details relating to ConciergeKey membership or nomination. If your question receives no response, consider the member chooses not to reply, as is his/her right.
Boarding Area's AAdvantageGeek's blog shows the card and documents here.
Previous thread: ConciergeKey AA Premium Service (ARCHIVED)
ARCHIVED: AA Concierge Key / ConciergeKey / CK (2014 consolidated)
Apr 22, 2014, 1:29 pm
#91
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Apr 22, 2014, 5:33 pm
#92
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: RBKC
Programs: AA EXP and Eurostar Carte Blanche
Posts: 3,849
I've also experienced exactly that from the SFO AC. Without asking, they had new BPs waiting for me when I walked in, including a bump up to F on a TATL in order to get me where I needed to be after weather delays ^
Apr 22, 2014, 5:38 pm
#93
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: LAX/SNA
Programs: AA, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,887
I love that the HNL AC still does this, at least for the members who renew there and have a good relationship with the staff. They also send me an email the day before my flights out of HNL with updates about the club and a reminder to let them know if I need any day of departure assistance.
I've also experienced exactly that from the SFO AC. Without asking, they had new BPs waiting for me when I walked in, including a bump up to F on a TATL in order to get me where I needed to be after weather delays ^
I've also experienced exactly that from the SFO AC. Without asking, they had new BPs waiting for me when I walked in, including a bump up to F on a TATL in order to get me where I needed to be after weather delays ^
That being said, a benefit to membership is that the club can pull you up from a flight by the membership to protect you incase of delays or cancellations, often before the public is even aware what is going on.
Apr 22, 2014, 8:19 pm
#94
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL, AA 1MM LT GLD, SPG PLAT, National Exec Selc, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Silver
Posts: 8,278
Apr 22, 2014, 9:27 pm
#95
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 946
Haven't had an issue with that over here, I use my phone almost exclusively - boarding passes stay in my bag as a backup. If it were at all slow I'd surely be one of the first to get impatient and switch back to paper boarding passes.
Apr 22, 2014, 9:37 pm
#96
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco, where else?
Programs: EXP,EX-CK 2.5mm, now lifetime Platinum, ex-UA1K, Marriott- Platinum, Hertz 5*
Posts: 991
The SFO AC has some of the most proactive staff in the system in my opinion. They are amazing. I was CK in 2013 and really found it to be hit or miss... biggest disappointment was a 15 min connection in DFW (due to late incoming flight) and no CK agent / buggy to meet me. The best experience was them holding a plane in DFW for me, telling the passengers in "F" that they had to "check the tire" according to my seat mate.. ha ha. But if I had to choose between CK, EXP and AC... I'd rank them: EXP, then AC membership, then finally CK (yawn).
I do really miss the phone agents though.... too bad they can't all be that good.
I do really miss the phone agents though.... too bad they can't all be that good.
Apr 22, 2014, 10:17 pm
#97
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: BOS, LAX
Programs: AA Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 804
Actually I always print a boarding pass, so it's not me. I just wanted to emphasize that it's so convenient to check-in outside of the Flagship check-in. I'm traveling shortly in F on LAX-JFK and cannot come up with an excuse to use the Flagship check-in other than the complete "first class" experience.
Apr 22, 2014, 10:52 pm
#98
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: 대한민국 (South Korea) - ex-PVG (上海)
Programs: UA MM / LT Gold (LT UC), DL SM, AA PLT (AC), OZ, KE; GE and Korean SES (like GE); Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,995
I'm not CK, but last year, the CK helper had none on the flight (one of the first AA ex-ICN), so she took a lowly EXP under her wing and did things like escorting me to the counter and to security - she even offered to carry my briefcase. Not a lot, but it was nice to get the attention.
Apr 23, 2014, 4:48 am
#99
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Cary, NC
Programs: AA 1MM; DL DM; Global Entry; MR Gold; HH Gold; Nat'l EC
Posts: 562
Quote:
Originally Posted by PainCorp
You really expect someone to personally call you if a flight is delayed just because of your AC membership?
I love that the HNL AC still does this, at least for the members who renew there and have a good relationship with the staff.
Originally Posted by PainCorp
You really expect someone to personally call you if a flight is delayed just because of your AC membership?
I love that the HNL AC still does this, at least for the members who renew there and have a good relationship with the staff.
Apr 23, 2014, 5:24 am
#100
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: RBKC
Programs: AA EXP and Eurostar Carte Blanche
Posts: 3,849
Both are smaller stations. I've seen this happen for some of the regulars, people that are on the exact same flight every single week, but it's the exception and not the rule. Far too many people come through the LAX, ORD, DFW and JFK clubs to be able to personally call everyone that's a member with a delay… That being said, a benefit to membership is that the club can pull you up from a flight by the membership to protect you incase of delays or cancellations, often before the public is even aware what is going on.
Sadly my only interaction with CK reps is when they happen to be manning a desk and I'm next in line (BOS and LAX for example), but maybe I'll get there someday
Apr 23, 2014, 6:14 am
#101
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Signatures
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: London, England
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, National Exec, AA EXP Emeritus
Posts: 9,765
So this is the first year I qualify for CK. I was made CK in December 2013.
I quite honestly have not seen much of a difference in terms of benefits or services offered by AA. I fly 99% International and all my trips (exempt one trip to MAD) were in either paid first or paid business. So the Admiral's Club membership isn't of particular advantage to me as i get free access with intentional trips. (around 3 or 4 International trip per month all JFK -> EZE/GRU/LIM and LHR)
On the MAD flight i requested VIPs both ways, the outbound cleared, the return did not.
The only difference i saw really was the casual "Thank you for being a CK member" at JFK's admiral club as i am going in. Oh and in MAD they paged me to pre-board me (in coach!!! hahaha)
Am I missing something here?
I quite honestly have not seen much of a difference in terms of benefits or services offered by AA. I fly 99% International and all my trips (exempt one trip to MAD) were in either paid first or paid business. So the Admiral's Club membership isn't of particular advantage to me as i get free access with intentional trips. (around 3 or 4 International trip per month all JFK -> EZE/GRU/LIM and LHR)
On the MAD flight i requested VIPs both ways, the outbound cleared, the return did not.
The only difference i saw really was the casual "Thank you for being a CK member" at JFK's admiral club as i am going in. Oh and in MAD they paged me to pre-board me (in coach!!! hahaha)
Am I missing something here?
~Moderator
Apr 23, 2014, 8:06 am
#102
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: AA EXP, AAirpass, & CK 2MM, MR Plat Premier, DL Plat, US Plat, UA RECOVERING GS
Posts: 2,620
As pointed out staffing does seem to be an issue but I think the larger problem is how they allocate staff. It is expected that CKs would show up at hubs in a non-linear fashion (e.g. a Monday morning at LGA vs. Saturday night). They obviously have the technology - from my understanding those iPads they are always looking at show every CK and 5* passenger in the airport, their arrival gate/time/issue and departure gate/time/issues. It seems, though, that they make little effort to prioritize.
I've been given cart rides that spanned 2 gates (two) when I had ~20minutes before boarding starts. Conversely I've done a fair number of sprints.
The pattern for the proactive calls seems to be getting weirder. Getting a call 5 minutes before boarding time that your outbound flight from a station w/o CK agents is going to be delayed by 10 minutes is marginally useful. Not getting a call when your evening departure is already posting a 3 hours delay hours before the flight and you'll probably misconnect is annoying. Furthermore sometimes you completely fall the mercy of the computer. I arrived at DFW on a Friday night a few months ago and misconnected. As I was getting off the plane I had no call from CK, no agent to meet me....but.....the computer called me to let me know I was rebooked for Sunday on my onward high-frequency intra-Texas flight home. I called in and the CK agent actually said "oh! looks you are already rebooked and all set!!!!!!!!" No.
Flakiness also abounds on rebooking. One day they'll say "gosh, Chicago is a mess today. I went ahead and rebooked you on Delta in first since you might have a connection problem." The next day they'll play the "nothing available" card.
Where CK *does* pay a dividend is with front-line employees. When you go to a ticket counter and they see whatever banner CK puts in the computer you get zero resistance for rebookings, interlining, missed flights, UP fares, etc. I've gotten to the point where I try to conduct as many requests for assistance as possible with those employees.
I've been given cart rides that spanned 2 gates (two) when I had ~20minutes before boarding starts. Conversely I've done a fair number of sprints.
The pattern for the proactive calls seems to be getting weirder. Getting a call 5 minutes before boarding time that your outbound flight from a station w/o CK agents is going to be delayed by 10 minutes is marginally useful. Not getting a call when your evening departure is already posting a 3 hours delay hours before the flight and you'll probably misconnect is annoying. Furthermore sometimes you completely fall the mercy of the computer. I arrived at DFW on a Friday night a few months ago and misconnected. As I was getting off the plane I had no call from CK, no agent to meet me....but.....the computer called me to let me know I was rebooked for Sunday on my onward high-frequency intra-Texas flight home. I called in and the CK agent actually said "oh! looks you are already rebooked and all set!!!!!!!!" No.
Flakiness also abounds on rebooking. One day they'll say "gosh, Chicago is a mess today. I went ahead and rebooked you on Delta in first since you might have a connection problem." The next day they'll play the "nothing available" card.
Where CK *does* pay a dividend is with front-line employees. When you go to a ticket counter and they see whatever banner CK puts in the computer you get zero resistance for rebookings, interlining, missed flights, UP fares, etc. I've gotten to the point where I try to conduct as many requests for assistance as possible with those employees.
Apr 23, 2014, 8:42 am
#103
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: AA Concierge Key
Posts: 82
So this is the first year I qualify for CK. I was made CK in December 2013.
I Am I missing something here? I used to hear people raving about how awesome CK is! and how envious EXPs were and sad as they saw it as a fourth tier, while in reality it is nothing more than a nice card...
Thoughts?
I Am I missing something here? I used to hear people raving about how awesome CK is! and how envious EXPs were and sad as they saw it as a fourth tier, while in reality it is nothing more than a nice card...
Thoughts?
Sep 9, 2014, 10:54 am
#104
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS, AA EP, Marriott Plt
Posts: 33
Does anyone have the email address for Concierge Key?
Thankyou
Thankyou