AA Status Increase Based on EQD? (to merge)
Oct 22, 2017, 12:08 pm
#16
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: AAdvantage EXPLAT, Hilton Diamond, SPG/Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Citi Exec MC, Amex Plat
Posts: 1,443
The purpose of a loyalty program is not to do a direct linear rewards. It is to encourage a certain set of behaviors that incentivizes a customer to “buy up”.
People buying Premium fares, even discount ones are demonstrating that they are willing to look beyond just price. They are willing to look for added value and pay for that added value. These are the ppl you want to reward with perks to encourage them to keep coming back. Someone who consistently buys W today over Y can over time be the person that buys J.
Oct 22, 2017, 1:11 pm
#17
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AA, DL, Avis, Enterprise, National, IHG, HH, SPG/MR
Posts: 1,852
What kind of tickets are you buying? F/J or coach?
If you buy business you get double EQM, so at $13K EQM I suspect some of those are J - so likely you really have only flown something like 30+ BIS miles.
If you only buy F/J fares - then you only need to fly 50K miles to get 100K EQM for EXP along with the $12K EQD.
I would find it hard to only get 60K EQM with $13K spend.
With max. Credit Card bonuses (20K EQM and $6K EQD) - and only buying J fares, EXP can be had for:
1. Flying 40K miles (40K miles flown in J x 2 = 80 EQM + 20 EQM bonus from CC's = 100K EQM)
2. Spending $6K ($6K spend + $6K bonus EQD)
If you buy business you get double EQM, so at $13K EQM I suspect some of those are J - so likely you really have only flown something like 30+ BIS miles.
If you only buy F/J fares - then you only need to fly 50K miles to get 100K EQM for EXP along with the $12K EQD.
I would find it hard to only get 60K EQM with $13K spend.
With max. Credit Card bonuses (20K EQM and $6K EQD) - and only buying J fares, EXP can be had for:
1. Flying 40K miles (40K miles flown in J x 2 = 80 EQM + 20 EQM bonus from CC's = 100K EQM)
2. Spending $6K ($6K spend + $6K bonus EQD)
It's not unfathomable, and clearly not impossible as OP has found himself in this situation.... and despite your disbelief, no less!
Oct 22, 2017, 1:51 pm
#18
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,600
The rewards side of the program can be linear. The loyalty side should not be linear.
The purpose of a loyalty program is not to do a direct linear rewards. It is to encourage a certain set of behaviors that incentivizes a customer to “buy up”.
People buying Premium fares, even discount ones are demonstrating that they are willing to look beyond just price. They are willing to look for added value and pay for that added value. These are the ppl you want to reward with perks to encourage them to keep coming back. Someone who consistently buys W today over Y can over time be the person that buys J.
The purpose of a loyalty program is not to do a direct linear rewards. It is to encourage a certain set of behaviors that incentivizes a customer to “buy up”.
People buying Premium fares, even discount ones are demonstrating that they are willing to look beyond just price. They are willing to look for added value and pay for that added value. These are the ppl you want to reward with perks to encourage them to keep coming back. Someone who consistently buys W today over Y can over time be the person that buys J.
Someone consistently buying premium economy will consistently be getting more EQDs than someone buying very cheap economy fares ; that person may well however still be spending less than some of the more expensive economy fares
Oct 23, 2017, 5:34 pm
#19
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: PNW WA state, USA
Programs: AA PP (1MM), Admirals Club, HH Diamond
Posts: 86
I'm probably a fairly average business passenger. Unfortunately my company won't pay for anything but economy. In the past I've made EXP a number of times, and this year I'll likely barely get there due the EQD situation. Unfortunately I got the Citi Executive MC which gave me 10k EQM at $40k of spend, but didn't help out at all with the EQD situation. Adding EQD requirements could make previously loyal people, such as myself, look to other carriers if the requirements keep getting more difficult on AA. And I think there are a LOT of people in a similar situation.
Oct 23, 2017, 6:16 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Valley of the Sun, AZ, USA
Programs: AA Dirt, HHonors Silver
Posts: 495
I am in the opposite boat (or aircraft). Started doing every other week PHX - SJC at 620 miles in April. We can't book out more than a week, so I pay $350 - $600 RT. I did a challenge to get PLAT based on the segments, but so far this year for 6 months of flying I am at:
6,414 EQD
20,924 EQM
31 EQS
So I would be just barely gold now had I not done the challenge.
Double that and that would be about a yer of travel for me, and just barely making PLAT status with ~$13k in spend.
On top of that:
I am in the "I'd LOVE to see an EQD only option" camp!
6,414 EQD
20,924 EQM
31 EQS
So I would be just barely gold now had I not done the challenge.
Double that and that would be about a yer of travel for me, and just barely making PLAT status with ~$13k in spend.
On top of that:
- Can't upgrade a 620 mile flight without stickers (not that there's ever anyone below EXP who gets upgraded on that route anyway)
- I have to constantly check seats in order to get MCE and only get it about 1/2 the time on Monday mornings
- First class 2 weeks out is almost always less than I pay for coach
I am in the "I'd LOVE to see an EQD only option" camp!
Oct 23, 2017, 6:34 pm
#21
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
High spend (or controls high spend) is CK. The rest is a formula. It makes no sense for AA to bump you up from Plat to Plat Pro without meeting its published criteria until and unless it decides not to offer a buy-up.
If AA does offer a buy-up toward the end of the year, it is bargaining against itself by giving away what it can sell. If it does not, the question becomes whether there are people it believes will spend more next year if they get some love now.
If AA does offer a buy-up toward the end of the year, it is bargaining against itself by giving away what it can sell. If it does not, the question becomes whether there are people it believes will spend more next year if they get some love now.
Oct 23, 2017, 7:12 pm
#22
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Here and there
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,551
On top of that:
- Can't upgrade a 620 mile flight without stickers (not that there's ever anyone below EXP who gets upgraded on that route anyway)
- I have to constantly check seats in order to get MCE and only get it about 1/2 the time on Monday mornings
- First class 2 weeks out is almost always less than I pay for coach
Oct 23, 2017, 7:27 pm
#23
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: ORD
Programs: AA Platinum
Posts: 12
What kind of tickets are you buying? F/J or coach?
If you buy business you get double EQM, so at $13K EQM I suspect some of those are J - so likely you really have only flown something like 30+ BIS miles.
If you only buy F/J fares - then you only need to fly 50K miles to get 100K EQM for EXP along with the $12K EQD.
I would find it hard to only get 60K EQM with $13K spend.
With max. Credit Card bonuses (20K EQM and $6K EQD) - and only buying J fares, EXP can be had for:
1. Flying 40K miles (40K miles flown in J x 2 = 80 EQM + 20 EQM bonus from CC's = 100K EQM)
2. Spending $6K ($6K spend + $6K bonus EQD)
If you buy business you get double EQM, so at $13K EQM I suspect some of those are J - so likely you really have only flown something like 30+ BIS miles.
If you only buy F/J fares - then you only need to fly 50K miles to get 100K EQM for EXP along with the $12K EQD.
I would find it hard to only get 60K EQM with $13K spend.
With max. Credit Card bonuses (20K EQM and $6K EQD) - and only buying J fares, EXP can be had for:
1. Flying 40K miles (40K miles flown in J x 2 = 80 EQM + 20 EQM bonus from CC's = 100K EQM)
2. Spending $6K ($6K spend + $6K bonus EQD)
I've flown 26 round trips ORD-DFW this year for work. 1,604 EQM in economy, and usually $400-$500 per roundtrip.
That's just under 42k EQM and 13k EQD on the year. I'll be lucky to qualify for Platinum Pro by the end of the year without a mileage run.
Oct 23, 2017, 8:34 pm
#24
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
We hear constant tales of "I spend much more on airfare than most reasonable people spend". I'm not sure how to react. Sympathy? Envy? Respect? Pity? I'm willing to bet that when people buy their own airline tickets, they shop for a better price. Yes, I know, this is a generalization on my part. Still, I can think of just one reason why someone would spend $500 on a ticket which can easily be bought for $200: they're spending someone else's money. And, yes, AA grants CK status for doing exactly that ... but you hafta do a LOT of it, like 50K a year.
Oct 23, 2017, 8:38 pm
#25
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
Unfortunately for you, those are exactly the types of "loyal" customers AA is perfectly happy to lose.
Oct 23, 2017, 9:10 pm
#26
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Dallas/Orlando
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 2,716
Oct 23, 2017, 9:17 pm
#27
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Valley of the Sun, AZ, USA
Programs: AA Dirt, HHonors Silver
Posts: 495
It would be nice to have multiple ways to qualify. For example, Hhonors diamond is easy to get on spend when you stay in San Jose a lot. They let you qualify on spend, stays, or nights. Airlines should move to a similar model if they want to encourage high spend.
When traveling for work, schedule trumps all. Most fares are about the same for all carriers between 2 points, so its more about the potential benefits of flying AA vs another carrier.
Oct 23, 2017, 10:51 pm
#28
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: LAS/DXB
Programs: LH HON
Posts: 1,193
You should tell this to one of my colleagues. He's on a year-long project duty for a client with offices just outside of LGA - he's based in BOS. Up until today he made about 20-22 of those trips and thus has around 18k EQD, but less than 90k EQM.
Oct 23, 2017, 11:32 pm
#29
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Not sure yet
Programs: Marriott - Lifetime Platinum Premier, AA - CK
Posts: 263
Oct 24, 2017, 6:42 am
#30
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GA
Programs: VA-PLT, QF-GLD, DL-GM, UA-ex1K, AA-exPLT, HH-DM, IHG-PLT, MR-GLD
Posts: 8,242
If the airlines didn't have a mileage requirement, someone that flies paid J might just alternate airlines to gain top status in all of them, rather than be loyal. Granted paid J flyers don't use too many 'extra' elite benefits, but many do still care about the status.