Sep 18, 2015, 10:16 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Speculation: Future changes to AAdvantage program? (Consolidated thread)
Please update as any concrete information becomes available.
Please update as any concrete information becomes available.
This situation changed with JonNYC's revelations here and on travelingbetter.com on November 5, 2015. Please see the current thread, 2016 AAdvantage Program Changes for further discussion. This speculation thread has now been archived.
Q. What do we know at this point?
Nothing.
Q. When would a change occur?
We don't know.
Q. Will there be changes?
We don't know.
Q. Are there clues?
Mr. Parker stated there would be no changes for 2015.
Mr. Parker said he'd not be averse to using others' ideas if they worked.
28 Sep 2015: AA spokesperson Laura Nedbal to Gary Leff:
"If we were to issue changes like this we would be certain to give plenty of advanced notice."
Mr. Parker said he'd not be averse to using others' ideas if they worked.
28 Sep 2015: AA spokesperson Laura Nedbal to Gary Leff:
"If we were to issue changes like this we would be certain to give plenty of advanced notice."
ARCHIVE: Speculation: Future changes to AAdvantage program? (Consolidated)
Oct 10, 2015 | 6:32 am
#256
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: AY+ Platinum, BAC, AA, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,523
Oct 10, 2015 | 10:09 am
#257
Join Date: May 2001
Location: is everything...but...
Programs: dont matter anymore...
Posts: 3,019
Oct 10, 2015 | 8:06 pm
#258
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Everywhere you wanna be
Programs: AA EP | UA 1K
Posts: 1,657
For Comparison it's roughly the same earning rate for UA/DL. UA gives EQM bonuses for premium fares and all their coach fares are at least 1 EQM/mile flown.
Oct 10, 2015 | 9:38 pm
#259
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 179
Does that matter? Isn't it about highest margin/profit volume that they are trying to award? Not necessarily people who get EXP for <$5,000 on 100k EQM? Don't they want to focus on rewarding those international J/F customers paying top dollar?
Oct 11, 2015 | 12:05 am
#260
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Everywhere you wanna be
Programs: AA EP | UA 1K
Posts: 1,657
4 intercontinental flights can easily range between $12,000-$25,000 depending on where you go. The average DFW-HKG J ticket costs ~$7k so 4 of those babies is $28,000. $28,000 for EP status is hardly a bargain. The whole point of the EQP promo was to award high paying ticket people in the same way DL and UA is doing, so i dont really see the problem here.
Oct 11, 2015 | 4:20 am
#261
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Platinum (Lifetime), Delta Gold, Marriott Titanium (Lifetime)
Posts: 302
Do you think AA would do anything to increase the redeemable miles earned on high fares to be more competitive with UA? Even with the various bonuses offered, I still earn way more on UA for a business class trip to Europe (~ 80K redeemable).
Oct 11, 2015 | 4:03 pm
#262
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,810
If the point is thinning the EXP population, this isn't going to accomplish it. There needs to be a combination of EQP and something like EQS or EQM to start thinning the herd.
Oct 11, 2015 | 5:00 pm
#263
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 20,053
Aren't UA and DL capped at 75k RDMs? An AA premium ticket for an EXP from the west coast to Europe (LAX-JFK-LHR) with the bonuses will earn as much as 103k (30k regular +25k TATL+48k long flight bonuses). From the east cost, say JFK-LHR, will earn 66k (17k regular+25 TATL+24k long flights).
Oct 11, 2015 | 5:20 pm
#264
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
Some UA flyers work around that 75K cap by purchasing two one-way tickets. They can bring in up to 150,000 miles with that strategy.
Oct 11, 2015 | 5:53 pm
#265
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 20,053
I can see how this will work, if the two one ways are about the same price with the roundtrip. If not, you can probably buy those miles cheaper directly.
Oct 11, 2015 | 5:55 pm
#266
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,729
Oct 11, 2015 | 6:03 pm
#267
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 20,053
Oct 11, 2015 | 6:41 pm
#268
Join Date: May 2001
Location: is everything...but...
Programs: dont matter anymore...
Posts: 3,019
That's the first thing I did when I read that. I tried all kinds of destinations from LHR to NRT to PEK and I couldn't find a case that a one way was the same or cheaper than RT in J or F, not even close.
Oct 12, 2015 | 4:48 am
#269
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: LHR, SAN
Programs: BA GGL, AA PLT, VS-curious
Posts: 1,507
But are you comparing the highest economy/premium fares with the one way fares? If I've understood correctly, JonNYC is referring to high-fare purchasers maximising miles earned, in the sense that we've been discussing airlines' rewarding high spenders.
Google flights will show you the lowest fares in a cabin category unless you ask it to show longer and more expensive flights. Then you'd have to check fare buckets to see whether you're comparing like for like.
Bolding mine.
Oct 12, 2015 | 5:25 am
#270
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 20,053
Yes, the first leg of the same roundtrip costs either about the same or way more than the whole roundtrip. The examples are from the cheapest fares on United or AA first. This is what a person who books online will see. I think the $8-10k price examples are relevant here, no need to compare the $20k ones.
Althouh I can see your point, for someone to maximize the 150k miles on United the need to be paying around $14k (x 11 = 154k rdms) in two one way tickets. At such high fares, two one ways could be somewhat similarly priced as a roundtrip. Still, I think it is still unlikely it is worth it, as you can probably just buy 75k miles for about $1500 at 2cpm.
Althouh I can see your point, for someone to maximize the 150k miles on United the need to be paying around $14k (x 11 = 154k rdms) in two one way tickets. At such high fares, two one ways could be somewhat similarly priced as a roundtrip. Still, I think it is still unlikely it is worth it, as you can probably just buy 75k miles for about $1500 at 2cpm.
Last edited by nk15; Oct 12, 2015 at 5:35 am