Oct 28, 2014, 7:12 am
Last edit by: JDiver
HELP: JUST THE FACTS / FAQs: Combined AA/US AAdvantage FFP 2014 on
PLEASE NOTE: this thread has been re dedicated for "JUST THE FACTS" in an attempt to raise the signal to noise ratio, allowing members to find germane information about the AAdvantage program (merged pre-merger AAdvantage, and Dividend Miles, now under way) program and get factual answers to your / frequently asked questions from experienced members.
REACTION DISCUSSION: Combined AA/US AAdvantage program announced Oct 2014 – opinions
Please use the thread started for impressions, opinions, reactions, feelings, concerns, etc. and keep this thread for "JUST THE FACTS" and ACTUAL REPLIES. And of course, feel free to add new facts and findings to this wiki for members' ease in finding information on the new FFP.
Thank you, the AA fora moderation team
REACTION DISCUSSION: Combined AA/US AAdvantage program announced Oct 2014 – opinions
Please use the thread started for impressions, opinions, reactions, feelings, concerns, etc. and keep this thread for "JUST THE FACTS" and ACTUAL REPLIES. And of course, feel free to add new facts and findings to this wiki for members' ease in finding information on the new FFP.
Thank you, the AA fora moderation team
AAdvantage loyalty program in 2015 - LINK
The AAdvantage program will continue to offer three elite status levels – AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Platinum and Gold – and you’ll still have three ways to qualify with elite-qualifying miles, points and segments. On January 1, 2015, the segment qualification requirement for Executive Platinum will move to 120, and the current 100 segment threshold will continue until December 31, 2014.
Three tiers:
- Executive Platinum - 100k EQM / 100k EQP / 120 Segments
- Platinum - 50k EQM / 50k EQP / 60 Segments
- Gold - 25k EQM / 25k EQP / 30 Segments
Elite Status Benefits:
- AAdvantage elite status members receive select reciprocal benefits to enrich their travel journey when flying on US Airways.
- This includes upgrades on US Airways on the day of departure when available, First/Business Class check-in, priority through security checkpoints, priority boarding, complimentary checked bags, access to preferred seats, and priority baggage delivery for Executive Platinum and Platinum members.
- Upgrades will still be different on American and US Airways flights until we have a single reservation system at the end of 2015. For now, continue flying and enjoying reciprocal benefits and the ability to earn and redeem miles on both carriers. We’ll keep you updated as we move forward with other important integration milestones.
Million Miler Program:
- 1 Million combined miles - Lifetime Gold Status
- 2 Million combined miles - Lifetime Platinum Status
Upgrades on American: https://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/AAdvantage2015/index.jsp#500mile
- All flights 500 miles and under, no stickers needed and are complimentary regardless of elite status for the elite members.
- Complimentary upgrades will be auto requested for all elite levels at booking. Non complimentary upgrades (aka those needing 500mi stickers) will have to be requested manually.
- No complimentary upgrades for Y/B fares for Gold/Platinum anymore (unless flight is 500 miles or less)
- Companion Upgrades still will require 500mi stickers to be used.
- 8 SWUs for EXP level and EXPs still will not earn 500mi stickers to use for companions.
2015 - January Updates:
- Executive Platinum and Chairman's Preferred members enjoy complimentary same-day confirmed flight changes on American, a new benefit
- Redeem all your Special Dividends by early 2015; qualification ends in December 2014
2015 - 2nd Quarter Updates:
- Move to three elite status levels in the AAdvantage program – Gold, Platinum and Executive Platinum
- Qualify for elite status based on elite-qualifying miles, segments or points
- Receive a 100% mileage bonus if you're a Dividend Miles Gold or Platinum member who becomes AAdvantage Platinum
- Redeem miles for AAnytime awards and mileage upgrade awards on both American and US Airways marketed and operated flights
- Upgrade on American marketed and operated flights before day of departure
On March 13 2015, AAdvantage sent a letter to members saying "we're on track to bring the US Airways Dividend Miles® program into the AAdvantage program within the next 30 days."
N.B. The previous thread discussing the putative, pre-announcement AAdvantage program, entitled "Speculation and discussion of what the new merged FFP might look like (consolidated)" can be found here; it has been closed and archived.
Some useful resources:
FT:Airport Terminal, Gate & Counter Changes
Link to Gary Leff's "View from the Wing" interview with AA's Suzanne Rubin
Link to TravelingBetter with JonNYC's information.
Clarifying contact from AA provided by jmachin:
We want to address all your concerns. Thank you for responding to our most recent email.
I apologize for the delay in answering. I wanted to discuss the point you raised with our executive team and get you a correct answer.
When our frequent flyer programs are combined sometime in the second quarter of 2015, if your 2014 combined elite-qualifying activity meets the requirements for AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, then your AAdvantage account will be updated with Executive Platinum status. The requirements for 2014 are 100,000 elite-qualifying miles, 100,000 elite-qualifying points, or 100 elite-qualifying segments, with at least 4 segments flown on American Airlines or US Airways.
This means that if you end 2014 with 107 elite-qualifying segments and at least 4 of those segments were American Airlines or US Airways flights, then you will receive Executive Platinum status when the programs are combined. Until that point, you will have Dividend Miles Preferred Platinum status.
Please be aware, beginning in 2015, the segment requirements will be 120 segments to re-qualify for Executive Platinum status. We look forward to having you as an AAdvantage Executive Platinum member!
Regards,
Kathleen L.
AAdvantage Customer Service
American Airlines.
I apologize for the delay in answering. I wanted to discuss the point you raised with our executive team and get you a correct answer.
When our frequent flyer programs are combined sometime in the second quarter of 2015, if your 2014 combined elite-qualifying activity meets the requirements for AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, then your AAdvantage account will be updated with Executive Platinum status. The requirements for 2014 are 100,000 elite-qualifying miles, 100,000 elite-qualifying points, or 100 elite-qualifying segments, with at least 4 segments flown on American Airlines or US Airways.
This means that if you end 2014 with 107 elite-qualifying segments and at least 4 of those segments were American Airlines or US Airways flights, then you will receive Executive Platinum status when the programs are combined. Until that point, you will have Dividend Miles Preferred Platinum status.
Please be aware, beginning in 2015, the segment requirements will be 120 segments to re-qualify for Executive Platinum status. We look forward to having you as an AAdvantage Executive Platinum member!
Regards,
Kathleen L.
AAdvantage Customer Service
American Airlines.
HELP: JUST THE FACTS / FAQs: Combined AA/US AAdvantage FFP 2014 on
Apr 12, 2015, 8:01 pm
#1291
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Lifetime Plat, SPG Plat, AMEX Plat, Hertz PC, Travels too Much Platinum
Posts: 3,290
This has happened to me three times now in the last week so I've basically given up and taken it as a sign that the old CP desk number is being routed (mistakinly) somewhere other than the AA EXP desk. Simply call the AA EXP desk directly and you'll get right through. Sent an email to Cust Svc but don't expect anything to be done soon about it.
I plan to just call the EXP number going forward, which is now properly recognizing my mobile phone after I switched it from "home" to "mobile" in my aa.com profile, but the hold times for the main EXP line when it has recognized my mobile number are surprising - I've yet to get a human on the EXP line in under 10 minutes in five attempts on different days. Is this what our legacy AA EXPs have been seeing in terms of hold times, or have I just been unlucky?
Apr 12, 2015, 9:08 pm
#1292
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM; UA 1K; AA 1MM
Posts: 4,520
So I have a SFO-DFW-TPA routing later this week. DFW-TPA cleared at T-100, SFO-DFW shows F5 A0 P0 Y7. Is it common that, assuming remaining F doesn't sell, this would autoclear? Or is it generally more common to play the gate dance ... this is in part a "how long should I stay in a lounge" question at SFO that morning as well. If it's likely I need to be at the gate to ensure I hear my name called so they don't pass over me, I will show up at the gate earlier. Any reason to, or not to, check in online at T-24 in terms of affecting upgrade chances?
When you check in will have no impact on your upgrade chances.
Starting four hours before the flight departs, you can view the upgrade list in the AA phone app. Note that the list will only include those passengers that have checked in, so your position on the list could drop as others check in. But as the flight gets closer to departure time, this will give you an idea of your chances of clearing.
IME, AA gate agents start working a flight 60 minutes before departure with boarding starting 30-35 minutes before departure. Clearing the F upgrades seems to be one of the last things they do, so I don't think you would need to be at the gate any earlier than 45 minutes prior to departure.
Apr 12, 2015, 9:26 pm
#1293
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Lifetime Plat, SPG Plat, AMEX Plat, Hertz PC, Travels too Much Platinum
Posts: 3,290
AA could still clear some of those seats between now and the 4 hour mark though there seems to be a tendency to past year or so to hold more seats until the last minute.
When you check in will have no impact on your upgrade chances.
Starting four hours before the flight departs, you can view the upgrade list in the AA phone app. Note that the list will only include those passengers that have checked in, so your position on the list could drop as others check in. But as the flight gets closer to departure time, this will give you an idea of your chances of clearing.
IME, AA gate agents start working a flight 60 minutes before departure with boarding starting 30-35 minutes before departure. Clearing the F upgrades seems to be one of the last things they do, so I don't think you would need to be at the gate any earlier than 45 minutes prior to departure.
When you check in will have no impact on your upgrade chances.
Starting four hours before the flight departs, you can view the upgrade list in the AA phone app. Note that the list will only include those passengers that have checked in, so your position on the list could drop as others check in. But as the flight gets closer to departure time, this will give you an idea of your chances of clearing.
IME, AA gate agents start working a flight 60 minutes before departure with boarding starting 30-35 minutes before departure. Clearing the F upgrades seems to be one of the last things they do, so I don't think you would need to be at the gate any earlier than 45 minutes prior to departure.
Glad to hear check in time doesn't affect chances. Things such as fare paid and EQMs in the past year or so (which US considered in upgrade list prioritization at least, does AA?) make more sense.
Apr 13, 2015, 4:34 am
#1294
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: PHL
Programs: AA ExP, Marriott Amb, National EAE, Hilton Diamond, SPG Plat (RIP), US CP (RIP)
Posts: 2,379
Apr 13, 2015, 7:47 am
#1295
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Lifetime Plat, SPG Plat, AMEX Plat, Hertz PC, Travels too Much Platinum
Posts: 3,290
Apr 13, 2015, 11:13 am
#1296
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Programs: DL DM MM, AA EXP, SPG Plat
Posts: 95
For further data points, the "million mile" balance reported from USDM -> AAdvantage only included the past 3 years, US metal only, but did include the 500 mile minimums from when I was USDM silver/gold.
The problem that I am having is that my lifetime mileage isn't reflecting correctly. I have been a US member predating the merger with HP and back then didn't' really do "flyertalk" stuff like bonuses/CC signups/etc, nor did I fly a tremendous amount of UA, so I assume 80% of my miles were BIS on US/HP. I have an email from 2006 where I burned 25k miles for an award, and then an email in 2009 where my account went inactive for 18 months, and I forfeited ~5,000 miles. I recredited miles later in 2009 so the original account didn't close, but these prior miles are not counting towards the new million miler status.
I plan on emailing the AAdvantage desk but any luck crediting old US miles from before 2012? Could it be that once my account went inactive, my historical balance got wiped out? ~25-30k miles for million miler isn't that big deal in the grand scheme of things but still...
The problem that I am having is that my lifetime mileage isn't reflecting correctly. I have been a US member predating the merger with HP and back then didn't' really do "flyertalk" stuff like bonuses/CC signups/etc, nor did I fly a tremendous amount of UA, so I assume 80% of my miles were BIS on US/HP. I have an email from 2006 where I burned 25k miles for an award, and then an email in 2009 where my account went inactive for 18 months, and I forfeited ~5,000 miles. I recredited miles later in 2009 so the original account didn't close, but these prior miles are not counting towards the new million miler status.
I plan on emailing the AAdvantage desk but any luck crediting old US miles from before 2012? Could it be that once my account went inactive, my historical balance got wiped out? ~25-30k miles for million miler isn't that big deal in the grand scheme of things but still...
Was it clear to anyone else that this would happen?
Apr 13, 2015, 2:42 pm
#1297
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Ft Lauderdale
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Hilton Dia, Marriott Gold, Hertz Pres Cir, National Exec Elite
Posts: 116
I have a very similar problem and history with way more miles in play. As far as I can tell I had about 3 years of HP travel at ~100,000-120,000 miles/year (PHX or PHX-LAS to JFK/IAD/PHL pretty much every week, sometimes twice/week for those years). I then move to FL for a few years and only flew DL and had my account go dormant. It was never deleted though. If you have any luck I would love to follow the same path. For me it would put me up over 500,000 miles and probably get me to MM status on AA within the next 3-4 years due to heavy international travel that I will be doing as part of the project I am on.
Was it clear to anyone else that this would happen?
Was it clear to anyone else that this would happen?
Apr 13, 2015, 2:45 pm
#1298
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: AA PLT, AS 75K, DL DM, HY Globalist, HH Diamond, MC/RZ/SW Platinum, AB/UA Silver, WN CP
Posts: 1,122
Apr 14, 2015, 11:08 am
#1299
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 709
I'm waiting for mine also. I'm guessing it might take a bit longer than normal because they have to print cards for all the former US elites who didn't have the equivalent status on AA. I did notice that you can download it via the mobile app (My Account - View AAdvantage Card).
Apr 14, 2015, 11:59 am
#1300
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
Since you are EXP:
- The US Airways marketed and operated flights will start upgrading as early as 4 days prior.
- The American marketed and operated flight will start upgrading as early as 100 hours prior.
- Upgrade on the codeshare flight flight will only be available during the check-in window.
Note that these are the earliest times that the upgrade may process. The upgrade could process at any time after the beginning of that window and may not happen exactly at the 4-day/100 hour mark.
Once the reservation systems are merged (last 2015 perhaps?) this will all be aligned into one upgrade scheme and we won't have to deal with these three different sets of confusing upgrade rules.
- The US Airways marketed and operated flights will start upgrading as early as 4 days prior.
- The American marketed and operated flight will start upgrading as early as 100 hours prior.
- Upgrade on the codeshare flight flight will only be available during the check-in window.
Note that these are the earliest times that the upgrade may process. The upgrade could process at any time after the beginning of that window and may not happen exactly at the 4-day/100 hour mark.
Once the reservation systems are merged (last 2015 perhaps?) this will all be aligned into one upgrade scheme and we won't have to deal with these three different sets of confusing upgrade rules.
Apr 14, 2015, 2:08 pm
#1301
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 132
Can't seem to find an appropriate thread for this (perhaps we could have a pinned "Problems" thread for discussions?):
Long time AAdvantage member. Also had a DM account with little activity.
In February applied for the Barclay US card for 50k bonus. US Air was unable to locate my old DM account number at the time and indicated it had been deleted due to inactivity.
After card approval I received a new DM number.
The next day I received a confirmation email of my OLD DM number.
I have met the spend for the 50k bonus but have not yet seen the bonus post. Cust service on the (now Red) card confirmed I would receive the bonus. However, spend was met a month ago and nothing so far (not even points for the money spent).
Early April I received two different emails from AAdvantage with new AAdvantage numbers. I now have THREE. I'm reluctant to begin merging my AAdvantage numbers via AA prior to the Barclaycard/Red Aviator bonus posting as I don't know which account it will target. Anyone have similar issues and/or a recommended course of action?
Long time AAdvantage member. Also had a DM account with little activity.
In February applied for the Barclay US card for 50k bonus. US Air was unable to locate my old DM account number at the time and indicated it had been deleted due to inactivity.
After card approval I received a new DM number.
The next day I received a confirmation email of my OLD DM number.
I have met the spend for the 50k bonus but have not yet seen the bonus post. Cust service on the (now Red) card confirmed I would receive the bonus. However, spend was met a month ago and nothing so far (not even points for the money spent).
Early April I received two different emails from AAdvantage with new AAdvantage numbers. I now have THREE. I'm reluctant to begin merging my AAdvantage numbers via AA prior to the Barclaycard/Red Aviator bonus posting as I don't know which account it will target. Anyone have similar issues and/or a recommended course of action?
Apr 14, 2015, 2:25 pm
#1302
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Apr 14, 2015, 10:51 pm
#1303
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP, UA GM (2013 Gold, 2014 Silver), Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 435
Would also love to know when these are coming. I'm traveling internationally in about three weeks and want to make sure there's smooth access to oneworld lounges - I know I've had trouble in the past when I only had a printed copy of my card showing my Star Alliance Gold status, back when US was in Star...so would love to get the actual card.
Apr 15, 2015, 4:04 pm
#1305
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: BOS
Programs: UA 1K, AA GLD
Posts: 237
HELP: JUST THE FACTS / FAQs: Combined AA/US AAdvantage FFP 2014
I got a useless email from AAdvantage today basically restating my US balance from the past 3 years as if that were an absolute fact...wondering how to escalate this, as I doubt anyone on the AAdvantage desk would have any idea on how to find legacy US/HP historical miles.
Anyone else have any issues with US/HP lifetime miles not transferring to AA correctly?
Edit: just saw JonNYCs comment. Are we SOL or is there any recourse? 30k isn't a big deal but if I had 300k not count for million miler I'd be pissed. And given that both pmUS and AA had million miler programs I am hoping they wouldn't just expire them.
Anyone else have any issues with US/HP lifetime miles not transferring to AA correctly?
Edit: just saw JonNYCs comment. Are we SOL or is there any recourse? 30k isn't a big deal but if I had 300k not count for million miler I'd be pissed. And given that both pmUS and AA had million miler programs I am hoping they wouldn't just expire them.