brianz24

While it's pretty clear that is precisely the type of behavior AA is hoping to encourage, it may backfire in my case and others who think like me.

If I am going overseas and I can't use the AA SWU and decide that it's important enough that I have to have it, I'll book on a foreign carrier. When paying for B/F, who wouldn't rather fly Cathay, Singapore, Korean, Qatar, etc. rather than AA. It's no contest really, especially as we watch the benefits of being in Exec Plat continue to decline at an alarming rate.

I'm all about buying American in generate (not AA, but American companies/products). it seems to me like the domestic carriers are going the way of the domestic auto manafturers during the early to mid 80's. A toyota or honda was always a smarter buy.

God help the big 3 domestic carriers if foreign carriers were ever allowed to operate domestic flights. I'll give ^^ for the possibility of that kind of competition!

rjw242

Careful what you wish for. Would you really want to fly BA "Euro-business" class domestically?

enviroian

Oh that would be a dream....

akcae

No, but CX-style J, even the regional version, would be quite welcome.

Or QR/EK/EY version of regional business, where you get a PDB and a full meal even on a 60min flight.

tphuang

We might be overhyping these foreign carriers just a little bit. Most of the intra-Europe and intra-Asia travel are seriously crammed in Y and not much better in J.

Personally, I'd take B6/VX Y seat over CX and EK. Never flown on SQ, but did try silkair last year and I thought B6 was a mile better.

rjw242

Which, of course, we'd have absolutely no say in. Service would be offered to meet the prevailing market conditions, and there's no reason to think it'd be any better than what we have now. In that sense, Ryanair would be a much more likely success here than QR

malexander131

Absolutely. If I'm going to pay for J, there are dozens of other options that provide better service, product, non-stop flights, etc. Give me Korean Air J to Seoul over the abysmal 3-across product AA offered on that route for the longest time.

SWUs are a reward for loyalty. Making customers jump through hoops to use them or sit and wait for the "possibility" to use them is only diminishing the perceived value of the reward. To many, perception is reality. Take the fact the Premium Economy has been announced for months now, and AA still hasn't announced what the means for SWUs. They could be transparent about it and build goodwill with their customer base- they choose not to.

But in the end, SWU's are just another item on the list of things many elites are frustrated about with AA.

ckx2

Sending a single tweet to AA and then waiting until T-72 (or up to 24) is not what I consider jumping through hoops. Especially not when I would have taken the flight no matter what.

Catbert10

If you would have taken the flight on AA no matter what, then you're absolutely right. For those of us who have options on other carriers, well, then, maybe the calculus is a little different. If AA wants to train us to buy J instead of upgrading into J, people will start buying J - on other carriers.

enviroian

Excellent post and pretty much summarizes this thread.

^^

Au4882

Why does is matter if it clears at the gate anyways?

Because of companions. Using SWUs ensured that my wife (Gold) would be upgraded with me. When we get to the PALL list, 8 times out of 10, I get upgraded and she does not. SWUs clearing in advance allowed us to both travel up front. Now, as of 1/1, she inherits my status on PALL list (supposedly) -- so if we both got upgraded at gate, would it be a complimentary upgrade, or a SWU-supported upgrade? So -- would I lose my SWUs in that case?

And are we certain that SWU have a higher priority than complimentary upgrades on the PALL list? One would think that they do, but I've seen no evidence of that.

Col Ronson

There is a thread on FT that explains the ins and outs of the PALL list. instrument upgrades (like SWUs and miles) are coded as VIP, and they appear higher than complimentary upgrades. And if you're not sure just ask any CSM.

Only just a bit? as stated above, intra-europe business class is coach with the middle seat blocked. you still have a measily 30 inch pitch. And who here likes BA J more than AA J? show of hands? Those seats are one of the most hated. QR? One of their J product is the same seat AA uses on the flagship 321Ts and PMCO uses on their 777s. Of course some foreign carriers are better than AA but if the AA product wasn't worth upgrading to nobody would be complaining about SWUs not clearing 7 months out.

this is what QF served me in J on a 2 hour flight.


If we got a ugly looking meal like that on AA then everyone would be crying discount doug and devaluation or bla bla old days etc.

JonNYC

Not even close to correct.

Col Ronson

Well a clarification would be nice lol.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ter-thd-2.html

Looks like VIPs have the same priority as UPG.

travelgeek1197

At least someone said it. Although more common to see VIP1/2

~TG