jordyn

When I max out the benefits for a given credit card I absolutely switch to using other ones. I got to $40K spend on my Citi Exec card in the first few months of the year (back when I thought I might end up qualifying on EQMs this year--why does the credit card encourage AA's least-profitable mode of elite qualification?) and have probably bought nothing but AA plane tickets on it since.

More importantly, an annual fee is not really comparable to a frequent flier program. If one cashback credit card gave you a bonus $50 extra for every $10,000 you spent and another one would maybe sometimes give you $75 for every $10,000 you spent after the first $50,000 but you didn't know it was going to happen before you called and when you did call the criteria was based on stuff like whether you had a brokerage account with the same financial institution as well as stuff totally outside your control like whether or not the credit card company had accidentally shut down your card for a false-positive fraud alert, you can bet people would be annoyed and more likely to use the first card as well once they spent their first $50K, even though $75 is theoretically more than $50K.

I don't care that they secretly rank me. I don't care that they use that to figure out how nicely they want to treat me. For example, I'm not bothered by the existence of Concierge Key at all even though I don't qualify. But at the same time, I'm not going to throw extra money AA's way on the hope that I have the right secret ranking, especially when even if I'm a super good and profitable customer I'm the one that has to go out of my way to get anything from them.

FullFare

Thanks. I fly as much as my business needs and personal and family needs indicate. I don't do mileage runs. (remember those?). Appreciate your speculation on what is important to me, but the speculation is not accurate nor relevant.

<redacted>

Regardless, what is important to me, and I would like to think others, is that the airline is treating customers differently: The ones that squawk about getting more value for extra flying (who get the SWU's) get something for their squawk. The others just keep on flying and get nothing. The airline takes Aadvantage of that. Even if "helix" is mathematically justifiable to the airline, it doesn't let it's customers know they could do more to earn more perks. It's as simple as that.

So how should a flyer feel that he could have gotten a perk for considering extra flying and didn't---because he/she didn't have the savvy to call in? Once the flyer finds out that the perk was there, but wasn't offered or alerted to him/her, and yet others got it, should he/she feel warm and fuzzy?

I don't detect a lot of empathy on this board, because many posters don't share with me my advocacy for consumers who could have/should have been better informed on what could await them in the program. I totally disagree with the notion that thinks its cool, corporate, or whatever to have a "secret" zone for the company (AA) to deal with its customers. I don't take advantage of my customers by telling some one thing and others something else (by withholding info).

It the airline wants to think of it as a prerogative to hold on to a special zone of relationship (in secret) for a segment of its business, I suppose it can do it. But when it gets out to those who were not invited to the party (and might have wanted to be invited to come) it, IMHO, is not uplifting. Their resentment would be well justified. And yes, they walk with their feet when the timing is right.

And, aside all that, the whole thing, historically to me, has been inconsistent, if not capricious, anyway, so how does criticize or complain about a moving target?

Controlling the flow of information is something as old as the hills in business and other relationships, so this is nothing new. I've always thought it was bad business practice, and the downside, when your counterpart finds out you controlled the flow of info to either disadvantage him or aid his competitor, is considerable.

anabolism

Fair enough, although my understanding is that you can call in and ask if you will get extra SWUs for exceeding 150k EQP.

Global321

+1 Some good points.

I think you nailed it.

Figuring out your value to the airline (in this case Helix score) is not hard. (It took us a few weeks to get a rough indicator and some tweaking after to get a pretty accurate algorithm and break down the indicators.)

And even if a traveler knew their score, is the average traveler going to change their behavior? Probably not.

To your point...
Last year, I had over 175,000 EQP and ran out of SWU's, despite buying mostly business class. No offers of more came my way. I stumbled across another board that said call and ask for more. I did and received 4 more. Was I happy? Yes, to get them. Hell no, because I had to call and ask for them - and even then, it was not like AA sent me an email and said call in.

What did I do for the last quarter of last year? When all things were equal (price, cabin, routing, etc), I shifted some of my business elsewhere. In reality, not much business - maybe $5k. But $5k AA lost just because they were not proactive.

This year, I am again in the 180's... have not called for more SWUs yet because it is annoying I need to be the squeaky wheel to get them.

IWontRegretThis

Just broke 175k EQP for the year - called in and got 4 SWU, 2 for 150 2 for 175. Told I could get at least 4 more, 2 @ 200 and 2 @ 225.
For Reference:

Points: 179,352 of 100,000 (YTD)
Miles: 111,018 of 100,000 (YTD)
Segments: 60 of 120 (YTD)

JonNYC

Fantastic, thanks for the report! Got a few more reports over the last week all of which point to the guidelines I've posted about for most of the last few years:





Overachieving EXP by JonNYCme, on Flickr

IWontRegretThis

Thanks for this.

Now in a debate weather to continue to credit to AA, or swap to AS (already re qualified for 75k there as well) or to Delta if/when they status match me. Too bad they wont give me DM

cmd320

I'd give DL a shot in your position. Not really much more AA can offer you at this point. I'd rather be a PM on my way to DM than have a couple more SWUs.

JonNYC

A pleasure.

Also depends how much you value renewing your Concierge Key status

IWontRegretThis

I doubt I will be renewed this year. Previous 2 years were due to aairpass, not needing to renew it this year probably.

JonNYC

Ah, ok-- well, then, no artificial "prison" there, as it were. Maybe time to try something else.

martin33

I don't share that expectation at all. The DL program gave up even revealing an award chart at all, and it has changed more than once, without notice, its "unlimited complimentary" top-tier upgrade policies on transcon flights.

Personally I liked the choice aspect of Elite Rewards when it was offered. Extra SWU's are not the thing I'd always want most, "secret" or not.

Global321

FWIW - Called in for more certs today. (Didn't bother last year as I did not use all I had.)

As others reported... 4 certs in minutes and a promise of another 2 when I cover another 12k EQP next month to get to 200k.

JonNYC

That's a pretty darn good example. And, 100% understandable why AA keeps the overachieving EP program very opaque.

At least-- thanks to me-- the AA community here knows the guidelines for extra SWUs for overage EQPs. It's not like AA ever wanted this amount of info out there on the program.

JonNYC

Just a bump to say got 3 more reports via PM all reporting both success and none of the fumbling and confusion from previous years.

If you have over 150K EQPs -or- are above 125K EQPs and anticipate reaching 150 EQPs by year's end, definitely call in.

(from previous year version of this program) : https://www.flickr.com/photos/54131097@N07/8430451025/