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, 1:55 am
#31
vishnu88
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: Chase UR, AAdvantage, Dividend Miles, United MileagePlus
Posts: 100
AA.com is acting funny. Some itins work and some don't. I was able to price correctly LHR-JFK(stop)-HNL and LHR-JFK(stop)-CLT. For some reason LHR-JFK(stop)-DFW or LHR-JFK(stop)-MIA was giving me the message to call AAdvantage after selecting flights.....not sure what is going on here but I hope this doesn't go away 
I can't get LHR-LAS to come up for August at all. Same error.
Apr 8, 2014, 3:20 am
#32
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
Using AA.com multicity search or an AA.com one-way for the above search? The former is probably now frequently defaulting to pricing out things as two awards if seeking a route that way even if not going for a stopover at the international gateway city and following AA's published fare routing conformance thing.
Training memo parts on that put together in previous weeks or months? If so, perhaps that may explain in part why I had so much trouble getting some mileage redemption problems fixed with AA customer service.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/22615802-post15.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/22615802-post15.html
Last edited by GUWonder; Apr 8, 2014 at 3:39 am
Apr 8, 2014, 3:42 am
#33
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
Oneworld Explorer awards eliminated effective immediately
Oneworld explorer awards are eliminated effective immediately. No advance notice to customers.
Apr 8, 2014, 3:56 am
#34
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 6,434
As of the moment, the chart is still on the web site: http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/oneworld_awards.jsp
This means a lot more to me than anytime awards
Apr 8, 2014, 4:01 am
#35
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
Where do you see that?
As of the moment, the chart is still on the web site: http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/oneworld_awards.jsp
This means a lot more to me than anytime awards
As of the moment, the chart is still on the web site: http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/oneworld_awards.jsp
This means a lot more to me than anytime awards
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...mediately.html
Apr 8, 2014, 4:47 am
#36
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: Kettle Class
Posts: 798
Apr 8, 2014, 5:32 am
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Ouch - this one hurts. I was willing to give Parker the benefit of the doubt until now. At least UA had the decency to give a warning.
This should be another feather in the cap of the DOJ - this is definitely a pro-consumer outcome from approving the merger
More important question (for me at least) is how much is it going to cost to go J from the US - Australia. I'm on the tail-end of a UA F trip to Australia and had designs on another one in the next 12-18 months with my AA miles
This should be another feather in the cap of the DOJ - this is definitely a pro-consumer outcome from approving the merger
More important question (for me at least) is how much is it going to cost to go J from the US - Australia. I'm on the tail-end of a UA F trip to Australia and had designs on another one in the next 12-18 months with my AA miles
Apr 8, 2014, 5:41 am
#38
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: a hotel room, somewhere...
Posts: 962
the first words on the landing page for aadvantage:
What does the merger with US Airways mean to AAdvantage members?
Loyalty just got better.
does anyone else get the feeling they're actually laughing at us and calling us idiots...
What does the merger with US Airways mean to AAdvantage members?
Loyalty just got better.
does anyone else get the feeling they're actually laughing at us and calling us idiots...
Apr 8, 2014, 5:41 am
#39
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 69
I recently switched my business to AA from DL, and now all of this...even with all the AA marketing hype of don't worry, your miles are safe (paraphrase).
Are all stopovers eliminated, or just the one-way stopovers? I agree with richarddd in that no more explorer awards really sucks.
Are all stopovers eliminated, or just the one-way stopovers? I agree with richarddd in that no more explorer awards really sucks.
Apr 8, 2014, 5:52 am
#40
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
Anyone who didn't think this would happen had their head in the sand. Its less of a mile devaluation in my mind as it is an increase of rates to reflect the increased cost of airplane tickets and the fact that F/J cabins sell out far more often (and in the case of international, occupy far more floor space). Sure, I don't like it, but its not unfair or unexpected. Notice, however, should have been provided.
Yes, international gateway stopovers were a nice loophole. But come on, do we really think that the vast majority weren't used by hub residents who exploited them to get two tickets for the price of one?
Yes, international gateway stopovers were a nice loophole. But come on, do we really think that the vast majority weren't used by hub residents who exploited them to get two tickets for the price of one?
Apr 8, 2014, 5:55 am
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
I sent a tweet to them and this was my response:
@XXXXXXX You’ll see some changes to the AA and US websites. We plan to officially announce some new policies later on today.
I'm in OZ so will be going to bed soon but those in the US be on the lookout for these new policies later today. Based on what we've seen so far things aren't looking good for what those policies may be
@XXXXXXX You’ll see some changes to the AA and US websites. We plan to officially announce some new policies later on today.
I'm in OZ so will be going to bed soon but those in the US be on the lookout for these new policies later today. Based on what we've seen so far things aren't looking good for what those policies may be
Apr 8, 2014, 6:09 am
#42
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Belfast
Posts: 398
Anyone who didn't think this would happen had their head in the sand. Its less of a mile devaluation in my mind as it is an increase of rates to reflect the increased cost of airplane tickets and the fact that F/J cabins sell out far more often (and in the case of international, occupy far more floor space). Sure, I don't like it, but its not unfair or unexpected. Notice, however, should have been provided.
Yes, international gateway stopovers were a nice loophole. But come on, do we really think that the vast majority weren't used by hub residents who exploited them to get two tickets for the price of one?
Yes, international gateway stopovers were a nice loophole. But come on, do we really think that the vast majority weren't used by hub residents who exploited them to get two tickets for the price of one?
That is not acceptable behaviour.
Apr 8, 2014, 6:29 am
#43
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,092
Wow, those are some huge increases, with some thing nearly doubling overnight.
Even DL wouldn't have done this with absolutely no notice. Makes you wonder what's in store for the future...
Also, I really dislike the complete lack of transparency on award pricing. DL lists awards as low/medium/high. This just lists them as Saver/Anytime and Anytime can have variable pricing.
Big thumbs down on this. More for the way it was handled than that they did it.
Even DL wouldn't have done this with absolutely no notice. Makes you wonder what's in store for the future...
Also, I really dislike the complete lack of transparency on award pricing. DL lists awards as low/medium/high. This just lists them as Saver/Anytime and Anytime can have variable pricing.
Big thumbs down on this. More for the way it was handled than that they did it.
Apr 8, 2014, 6:48 am
#44
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
The magnitude of this will only become evident once we see what level of SAAver availability exists. My guess is that it's not going to be pretty. Has anyone tried to find a SAAver award lately? Have fun connecting through US hubs on US metal rather than flying AA metal direct, and international is out of the picture.
Apr 8, 2014, 6:49 am
#45
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: San Antonio
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 2,276
As much as these changes suck, they are a decrease in price on many dates in some places (I.E. weekday AAnytime to Caribbean changed from 35K to 27.5K). I'm surprised AA didn't try to put some positive spin on this yesterday.