Apr 8, 2014, 2:44 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
AA Increases AAnytime Award Mileage Costs / Adds Tiers [8 Apr 2014]
AA Award Changes for travel as of June 1, 2014:
http://hub.aa.com/en/nr/pressrelease...light-services
• Explorer Awards (formerly known as oneworld Awards) discontinued (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...pr-2014-a.html)
• AAnytime Awards split into Levels 1, 2, 3
• MilesSAAver Awards remain split into Levels 1 (formerly Off-peak) and Level 2 (formerly Peak)
• Link to Miles tiers and requirements for award travel through May 2014
• Link to Miles tiers and requirements for awards travel as of June 1 2014
AAnytime Award Tiers by Date (note that they vary by regions)
Green = Level 1
Yellow = Level 2
Red = Level 3
CONUS Calendar:
N. America - Hawaii Calendar:
New AAnytime rates, including current Level 3 prices (no more guessing what the * means):
Moderator Note:
We would invite members who are frustrated at this change and interested in venting, or who would like to discuss ways to communicate displeasure to the powers that be, to head to this thread:
Angry about AAdvantage devaluation / vent / what can I do? (April 2014, consolidated)
AA Increases AAnytime Award Mileage Costs / Adds Tiers [8 Apr 2014]
Apr 8, 2014, 1:42 pm
#196
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Alaska Airlines Gold MVP
Posts: 7,170
Are you really under the misguided notion that DUI Doug is finished? the same riff raff who used explorer awards are the type to fly in your cabin to HKG on CX and maybe on to BKK. one night (likely sooner than later) you'll go to bed thinking about your next 67.5k trip and wake up to find it's now 230k except high season when it starts at 275 with no baggage allowance except 7kg carry-on and $20/kg for anything above.
I probably hate DUI Doug more than anybody else on this forum, but I do have trust things will stay reasonable.
Apr 8, 2014, 1:52 pm
#197
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: a hotel room, somewhere...
Posts: 962
if the govt is going to be intertwined and protecting them, then regulate them. better, step aside and watch them get crushed. throw in the down slope of the economic cycle when the tab gets called on $4 trillion of printed money and.... well, if losing the bid for delta was enough to get Doug primed for his 3rd DUI, this bender will be one of those freeway closed and 52 squad cars following him home to say goodbye to his dog kind of spectacles...
Apr 8, 2014, 1:56 pm
#198
Used to be 'rockferd'
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP 75K, UA Gold, HH: Diamond, Marriott: Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 254
My biggest fear (as I posted on upgrd) about this change is the AAnytime level 3 award change. As it's not defined by anything other than "AAnytime Level 3 awards are offered on a few select dates and will require higher number of miles to redeem" What does this mean, how many days of year is this and How many miles will be needed? All this does is leave LOTS of room for AA to further devalue their award program!
Apr 8, 2014, 1:57 pm
#199
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: US
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 1,753
I believe this is something similar to what Norwegian Long Haul is attempting to do, with outsourced staff working on offshore contracts at poverty wages. Considering this nation's fascination with the lowest possible price, I would predict that such a scenario would result in greatly reduced service levels.
Apr 8, 2014, 2:02 pm
#201
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,904
My biggest fear (as I posted on upgrd) about this change is the AAnytime level 3 award change. As it's not defined by anything other than "AAnytime Level 3 awards are offered on a few select dates and will require higher number of miles to redeem" What does this mean, how many days of year is this and How many miles will be needed? All this does is leave LOTS of room for AA to further devalue their award program!
Edited to delete the sentence: I take that to mean nothing is priced at Level 3 yet.
Last edited by rrgg; Apr 8, 2014 at 2:43 pm
Apr 8, 2014, 2:11 pm
#202
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: A3, AA. Plasticy things! That give me, y'know, Stuff!
Posts: 6,293
That should take them a bit longer to arrange because they will have to get all the partners to agree to whatever changes they might want and doing that is a bit like herding cats. (Famous last words...)
Apr 8, 2014, 2:12 pm
#203
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Gold (prev. Ex Plat for 10 years); DL Plat; UA Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,339
I believe this is something similar to what Norwegian Long Haul is attempting to do, with outsourced staff working on offshore contracts at poverty wages. Considering this nation's fascination with the lowest possible price, I would predict that such a scenario would result in greatly reduced service levels.
^ Agree. Hope you like Ryanair.
Apr 8, 2014, 2:16 pm
#204
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: a hotel room, somewhere...
Posts: 962
and from the looks of it, seems Dougie might be a bit ginned up by now. folks on the road in the dallas area, keep a weathered eye.
Apr 8, 2014, 2:21 pm
#205
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
I believe this is something similar to what Norwegian Long Haul is attempting to do, with outsourced staff working on offshore contracts at poverty wages. Considering this nation's fascination with the lowest possible price, I would predict that such a scenario would result in greatly reduced service levels.
By the way, the cruise industry is the one that uses the model DY is sort of considering to replicate in a limited way. And the service levels in the cruise industry are what, greatly reduced, because of the offshore staff approach? Doubtful.
Apr 8, 2014, 2:25 pm
#207
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
- Business/First AAnytime
- (50K one-way on the old chart)
- Level 1 = 45k
- Level 2 = 55k
- Level 3 = Unspecified
- DEC
- 28 = 75K
- 29 = 55K
- 30 = 55K
- 31 = 55K
- 01 = 55K
- 02 = 55K
- 03 = 75K
AA operates three cabin 777's on some flights on this route. First AAnytime is 115K one-way on the 28th and 3rd.
I read the letter to mean that Level 3 rates will float with the supply and demand.
Apr 8, 2014, 2:29 pm
#209
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
If it's the case that the partner airline receives some form of tangible compensation (currency or equivalent), then I don't see how AA couldn't come to them and say 1) we hold captive much of your award feeder traffic from the U.S. and 2) your cut will go up when we raise these award prices.
At the deepest level, I kind of doubt most of these partners, many of whom run routes with lots of deep-pocketed revenue travelers, really enjoy being used as chauffeurs for a continent's worth of AA credit card bonus recipients. I'd think they would spring for anything that either gets them greater compensation or opens up more of their seats to revenue (even if that revenue comes from selling cash upgrades).
Also, this:
I was looking just today at a trip I have booked. Coming back from Thailand first weekend of the new year and flying into ORD by way of NRT. Currently have a silly routing through CLT just to get back to DCA. Looking around, thinking (before today) maybe some SAAver award availability would open up ORD-DCA direct. Scratch that thought. Instead I'm seeing 50k economy seats ORD-DCA. Now hopping around the east coast in US F doesn't seem like such a bad way to get home after all.
Last edited by arlflyer; Apr 8, 2014 at 2:34 pm