JacksonOBrian

enviroian

well I guess I'm the sucker then. In July I bought a dfw-lhr flight in coach for travel during the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend and it was $1333.


ETA: I just checked google flights for the heck of it. My same flights/day/time are now $1397.

pauleeepaul

If one needs to do an MR there is no better one than this IMO. Length of flight, quality of equipment, frequency of service if something goes awry, and AC/FLs at both ends. And you're not over the water for hours.

SeattleDavid

Not at all - I am flying SFO-LHR in November on a $64 fare, which with surcharges and taxes ends up at less than $600 round trip.

This is the third time this year I have done SFO-LHR for that price - its a disaster for RDM and EQD earning!

AA100k

I must be one of the few people who have experienced more upgrades as an EXP since the MQD has been applied. I just crossed 100k this year against a $16k spend (I book a lot of last minute long haul flights for business). Not sure the numbers of EXP have gone down but on a different subject, the lounges seem more crowded than ever.

CloudCoder

I remember the glory days when I could hit EXP for about $3K.

In 2017 they made EXP much harder to attain (by adding the EQD requirement). Obviously this should lower the number of EXPs ... UNLESS ... they do something (like a buy-up program) in early 2018 to make EXP _easier_ to attain.

AANYC1981

EXP here going strong in all of 2018 lol

bse118

Well, I can see why AA added EQD.

I will make EXP for 2018 with less segments and less Butt-In-Seat miles than last year. Partner W makes it quite easy.

YMMV.

stewlevine

These threads remind me just how different this is for people like me who travel each week on consulting gigs vs. some of the rest of you out here.
I stand at $18k EQD but only 65k EQM and 84 segments. I'm at a client who is relatively close to my home base, and probably would have gotten to EXP at 100 segments, but unless something drastic happens Nov/Dec, I'll be dropping down to Platinum Pro.
Probably an outcome AA wants. Where I live, I'm going to be flying them most places anyway, no reason for them to give perks for stuff I have to do anyway. Will hurt when I am on my next gig and I am flying on something other than RJs for short hops each week.

gboots

So I have been EXP for the last 12 years except for 2 slow years of travel that bumped me back to PLT. Being based in STL and fly domestically none of my flights generate a lot of miles but lots of segments... needless to say this year has posed some challenges on getting back to EXP. I actually find myself booking first class tickets domestically in the 400.00 to 600.00 range... I will hit mid December with just over 100EQM and 12k EQD to requalify . I foresee some drop off in EXP only for the mileage run pursuers. As for being behind CK on the upgrade list.. .I believe they tend to be buying first class seats anyway due to their spending habits... no not an isuue...My success rate this year on upgrades in right at 96%...

AA100k

I spent many years as a PLT with over $12K spend rarely getting upgraded on any flight and never receiving challenges or perks offered to other members. I honestly believe they only target flyers who live in certain markets where they want to drum up business and ignore those whose choices are limited regardless of how much spend they put on AA.

ckendall

I am a plat who travels domestic mostly in discounted Y and International sometimes in J. I never made it much past 60K miles in the old days and was killed on EQP because the domestic flights got 0.5 EQP. This year I will likely get to EXP by flying a bit more in international J (and some EQM and EQD from my Barclaycard).

elpi

I'm 92K EQM and only 5.5K EQD so nothing amazing.

CPRich

Did someone actually update the title from Less to Fewer?

If so - you're my hero.^

GetSetJetSet

You'd be surprised, there are even $533 CX roundtrip direct JFK-HKG fares up now, sub-$500 on other airlines with a stop.