Oct 27, 2015, 10:09 am
Last edit by: JDiver
SWU / Rewards for EXP and Beyond [more than 200K EQP/EQM]
Executive Platinum AAdvantage members with 150,000 and 200,000 EQ Miles will automatically receive two extra SWU / Systemwide Upgrades (two at 150,000 EQM and at 200,000 EQM thereafter, earned in the same calendar year).
If you think you are eligible and have not received them, call AAdvantage Customer Service:
AAdvantage Customer Service
Have questions about your AAdvantage account or program benefits?
Call us
Within the U.S. or Canada
800-882-8880 or your elite reservation number
Monday - Friday.
8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. CT
817-963-7882 (fax)
Have questions about your AAdvantage account or program benefits?
Call us
Within the U.S. or Canada
800-882-8880 or your elite reservation number
Monday - Friday.
8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. CT
817-963-7882 (fax)
Rumor: new elite level(s) and low-fare product details coming
SWU / Rewards for EXP and Beyond [more than 200k EQP/EQM - what next?]
Jun 11, 2015, 2:00 pm
#76
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
This is just my view of things. I think the EQP bonuses offered this year have overinflated the number of EQP's. Not all totals over 150 represent the same value to AA.
I will give you an example. My partner has a 4 or 5 Helix rating. He received the additional SWU's last year. For the current year, these are his running totals, 160+ EQP and 115+ EQM. That's 1.39 EQP's for every mile. Earned the hard way too because the majority of those EQP's are not from bonus offers, but from flying business class on Cathay (AA codeshare). (One of his tickets with connecting flights can cost over $10,000.)
Now, with or without the EQP bonus, look at your totals and compare. See the problem AA faces with doling out additional SWU's. This was not the case last year.
I will give you an example. My partner has a 4 or 5 Helix rating. He received the additional SWU's last year. For the current year, these are his running totals, 160+ EQP and 115+ EQM. That's 1.39 EQP's for every mile. Earned the hard way too because the majority of those EQP's are not from bonus offers, but from flying business class on Cathay (AA codeshare). (One of his tickets with connecting flights can cost over $10,000.)
Now, with or without the EQP bonus, look at your totals and compare. See the problem AA faces with doling out additional SWU's. This was not the case last year.
Jun 11, 2015, 4:17 pm
#77
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
If you have some discretionary flying and want to know which airline to fly on, and especially if the flying will be in paid F/J, by all means call or email AAdvantage Customer Service and tell them that you are trying to decide which airline to use for overachieving EXP activity and ask them if they can offer you additional SWUs for doing the flying on AA. If they cannot, then you can follow up with the Executive Office, or skip and decide based on what makes sense for you. (E.g., if you fly AA, you will do so as an EXP with the benefits, and will earn the additional redeemable miles, while if you fly another airline, you might earn a status level there, and/or might earn redeemable miles that might be easier to use (more award availability), etc.)
Jun 11, 2015, 7:51 pm
#78
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: DL: Silver; AA: EX PLAT; UA: Silver; HY: DIA; HH: DIA; MR: TIT
Posts: 1,708
Jun 11, 2015, 8:02 pm
#79
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: LHR, DFW, J Cabins WorldWide
Programs: AA EXP, UA GS, FB Gold, AS MVPG, MR Titanium, VS Gold
Posts: 954
If you have some discretionary flying and want to know which airline to fly on, and especially if the flying will be in paid F/J, by all means call or email AAdvantage Customer Service and tell them that you are trying to decide which airline to use for overachieving EXP activity and ask them if they can offer you additional SWUs for doing the flying on AA. If they cannot, then you can follow up with the Executive Office, or skip and decide based on what makes sense for you. (E.g., if you fly AA, you will do so as an EXP with the benefits, and will earn the additional redeemable miles, while if you fly another airline, you might earn a status level there, and/or might earn redeemable miles that might be easier to use (more award availability), etc.)
Jun 27, 2015, 10:58 pm
#80
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Jose, CA USA
Posts: 1,792
Flying over EXP threshold---points or miles---any incentive?
This has been a chronic rub for me over the past years. Now that the US airline industry has been reduced to an oligopoly of 3 legacy carriers (UA,AA,DL), I have had to compare them intensively, point for point. Granted there are other carriers such as AS,WN, but the big boys are the ones that go international and fight to the death to compete with each other.
My point is that both UA and DL have mechanisms whereby, if a flyer goes over the max elite threshold (100K, 125K), there can be continuing accrual of perks. For DL, miles role over the next year past the threshold that was achieved. For instance, this year I will be well over 125K on DL and make diamond and have the extras roll over. UA doesn't have that.
As for UA, I can at least earn extra SWU's when I go over 100K.
There is nothing like that on AA. Many of us keep posting about it, and have for years, but they don't budge. Too bad, because I get 100EQP usually by March, every year, and then go about flying UA and DL to get their elite max. I wonder if anyone knows if AA will budge on this. In addition, the EXP status has been eroded anyway over the past years. The EXP line is nowhere what it used to be. The EVIP's are worthless half the time, requiring waitlisting (which wasn't the case 10 yrs ago). FWIW, UA is worse, and DL never was even playing triple A ball on this anyway (for their SWU's).
So, best benefit for EXP is going ahead of others in IRROPS or unexpected upgrade situations.
Anyone know if there is hope to provide incentives to continue to fly AA once
the 100K eqp threshold is reached?
My point is that both UA and DL have mechanisms whereby, if a flyer goes over the max elite threshold (100K, 125K), there can be continuing accrual of perks. For DL, miles role over the next year past the threshold that was achieved. For instance, this year I will be well over 125K on DL and make diamond and have the extras roll over. UA doesn't have that.
As for UA, I can at least earn extra SWU's when I go over 100K.
There is nothing like that on AA. Many of us keep posting about it, and have for years, but they don't budge. Too bad, because I get 100EQP usually by March, every year, and then go about flying UA and DL to get their elite max. I wonder if anyone knows if AA will budge on this. In addition, the EXP status has been eroded anyway over the past years. The EXP line is nowhere what it used to be. The EVIP's are worthless half the time, requiring waitlisting (which wasn't the case 10 yrs ago). FWIW, UA is worse, and DL never was even playing triple A ball on this anyway (for their SWU's).
So, best benefit for EXP is going ahead of others in IRROPS or unexpected upgrade situations.
Anyone know if there is hope to provide incentives to continue to fly AA once
the 100K eqp threshold is reached?
Jun 27, 2015, 11:16 pm
#81
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...-2014-a-6.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23074758-post29.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23072221-post22.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23074781-post30.html
Last edited by JonNYC; Jun 27, 2015 at 11:25 pm
Jun 28, 2015, 3:55 am
#85
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: AMS
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, Asiana Club Silver, Flying Blue Ivory
Posts: 368
And, small consolation, all the miles add to your MM status.
Also, from the airlines perspective: they don't have much incentive to give you more incentive: you're already one of their most frequent customers... they're clearly already providing a service of serious interest to you. They're not under particular pressure to sweeten the deal further for somebody who's already bought that much into their product.
Also, from the airlines perspective: they don't have much incentive to give you more incentive: you're already one of their most frequent customers... they're clearly already providing a service of serious interest to you. They're not under particular pressure to sweeten the deal further for somebody who's already bought that much into their product.
Jun 28, 2015, 6:53 am
#86
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Jun 28, 2015, 8:41 am
#87
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
This has been a chronic rub for me over the past years. Now that the US airline industry has been reduced to an oligopoly of 3 legacy carriers (UA,AA,DL), I have had to compare them intensively, point for point.
FWIW, UA is worse, and DL never was even playing triple A ball on this anyway (for their SWU's).
FWIW, UA is worse, and DL never was even playing triple A ball on this anyway (for their SWU's).
Jun 28, 2015, 9:54 am
#88
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Programs: OWEmerald; STARGold; BonvoyPlat; IHGPlat/Amb; HiltonGold; A|ClubPat; AirMilesPlat
Posts: 38,186
IIRC those US top tier elites received their full benefits (including their version of SWUs) in January/February...and then received the full set of ExecPlat benefits in April/May when the programs were merged. So in fairness, I suggest that for those of us [original AA] ExecPlats who cross 100K, we get an extra set of eVIPs to use on US flights (expiring 2/16) in addition to the new 8 we get for requalifying. And another 2 for each additional 25K EQMs/EQPs.
Jun 28, 2015, 10:17 am
#89
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
This question repeatedly comes up on all the programs, "I've reached top tier, now what?" I can see some focused on the "brass ring" and want to continue to strive for some perceived token. Personally, I strive for the status to make future stays more comfortable. The need to keep chasing something better is not a compulsion for me.
You do continue to get your upgrades when available. You continue to earn miles for non-award tickets. You continue to have access to the better AAgents (getting debatable these days though). Granted all of these are available regardless how much travel you do, but having an endless list of trinkets to chase, I feel detracts from the program.
You do continue to get your upgrades when available. You continue to earn miles for non-award tickets. You continue to have access to the better AAgents (getting debatable these days though). Granted all of these are available regardless how much travel you do, but having an endless list of trinkets to chase, I feel detracts from the program.
Jun 28, 2015, 10:17 am
#90
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: PHX
Programs: AA PRO
Posts: 352
IIRC those US top tier elites received their full benefits (including their version of SWUs) in January/February...and then received the full set of ExecPlat benefits in April/May when the programs were merged. So in fairness, I suggest that for those of us [original AA] ExecPlats who cross 100K, we get an extra set of eVIPs to use on US flights (expiring 2/16) in addition to the new 8 we get for requalifying. And another 2 for each additional 25K EQMs/EQPs.
So asking for an extra 8 AA SWU valid until 2/16 is a bit of a stretch. Doesn't hurt to ask, but ain't gonna happen :-)