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Speculation: survey about upgrades 23 Jul 2018 -- changes on the way?

Speculation: survey about upgrades 23 Jul 2018 -- changes on the way?

Old Jul 25, 2018, 10:26 am
  #61  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: KCGX
Posts: 144
Originally Posted by mvoight
[/LEFT]

Why would upgrades not apply to transcons? Did I miss something? I now live in the DFW area. so no recent opportunities for transcon, but I don't remember them not being eligible for 500 miles "stickers"
I'm assuming poster pays for J and is referencing inability to use stickers/UDU for J->F on transcons.
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Old Jul 25, 2018, 10:29 am
  #62  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SAN
Programs: Lots of faux metal
Posts: 6,387
Originally Posted by prw555
I feel like an outcast, no survey for me
You're not alone. Maybe we can create our own survey.
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skunker is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2018, 10:58 am
  #63  
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 29,759
Originally Posted by skunker
You're not alone. Maybe we can create our own survey.

None here either. Perhaps it's geographically targeted? No survey for Metroplex flyers?
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enviroian is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2018, 11:09 am
  #64  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: QDF
Programs: AA EXP (2MM), Marriott Tit
Posts: 1,032
Originally Posted by enviroian
None here either. Perhaps it's geographically targeted? No survey for Metroplex flyers?
Would that surprise you?

AA assumes (rightly, unfortunately) that business travelers in DFW have no other option.
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Old Jul 25, 2018, 11:20 am
  #65  
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL - DM, Charter KM; Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 1,353
Im literally on the flight that will take me to EXP after having moved over to AA from DL.

This makes me a little sick to my stomach.
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Old Jul 25, 2018, 11:42 am
  #66  
 
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Palm Beach/ New England
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, DL GM, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,376
I did receive the survey.

I do not understand the "problem" that AA is trying to fix. I am a multiyear EXP, and my e500 (UDU) upgrade %age has dropped from circa 90% three or four years ago to about 65% today. I have circa 20,000 EQD every year, so I should be somewhere near the midpoint of EXPs on any given flight.

I do monitor availability on ExpertFlyer, and I use alternate instruments (BXP1s, 15,000 mileage awards, SWUs) on occasion. I am excluding those instances from my percentages.

For my flights at least, I believe AA has already successfully monetized the domestic First Class cabin. Of my 35% "misses", most are flights where no upgrades clear at all, implying that the cabin has been entirely filled with paying customers (miles or dollars). About 1-in-3 of the misses, or 10-15% of my total upgradeable flights, one or two upgrades are processed, and I miss out because of my EQDs.

So to recapitulate:
65% domestic flights I get my UDU, usually one or two days in advance (rarely four days out aka T-100 hours)
25% domestic flights nobody gets a UDU -- first is sold out
10% domestic flights, a couple of higher value EXPs get upgraded, but not all EXPs including me.

I figured this is how the eggheads at AAdvantage want the upgrade program to work, and I am OK with it. Why change it again now, just a couple of years after its last overhaul?
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Old Jul 25, 2018, 11:57 am
  #67  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.
Posts: 1,717
Originally Posted by fastflyer

For my flights at least, I believe AA has already successfully monetized the domestic First Class cabin. Of my 35% "misses", most are flights where no upgrades clear at all, implying that the cabin has been entirely filled with paying customers (miles or dollars). About 1-in-3 of the misses, or 10-15% of my total upgradeable flights, one or two upgrades are processed, and I miss out because of my EQDs.

So to recapitulate:
65% domestic flights I get my UDU, usually one or two days in advance (rarely four days out aka T-100 hours)
25% domestic flights nobody gets a UDU -- first is sold out
10% domestic flights, a couple of higher value EXPs get upgraded, but not all EXPs including me.

I figured this is how the eggheads at AAdvantage want the upgrade program to work, and I am OK with it. Why change it again now, just a couple of years after its last overhaul?
My sentiments exactly. When I miss the upgrade, I'm somewhere between #1-4 on the list and no one gets upgraded. And I'm just happy with my exit row aisle seat just the same. My employer is being "liberal" lately, as I noticed I'm either allowed to book Y/PE outbound and J/F inbound (vice versa at times too). This is a recent change as I now cover "The Americas" and am all over the place.

I'm outbound to SFO from PHL in two days booked in J on A332. Slowly the cabin has started to fill-up I've noticed. Rarely has there been a seat open in the PE section too. Guess that means lots of others (especially elites) are monitoring the flight.
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Old Jul 25, 2018, 12:13 pm
  #68  
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Originally Posted by enviroian
None here either. Perhaps it's geographically targeted? No survey for Metroplex flyers?
I'm HOU based and no survey. Texted my cousin who is an SJC/SFO based EXP/4mm to see if he got it. Will report back.
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Old Jul 25, 2018, 12:23 pm
  #69  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 6,983
Originally Posted by MichaelKade
Im literally on the flight that will take me to EXP after having moved over to AA from DL.

This makes me a little sick to my stomach.
You do realize that the saying, "the grass is always greener..." exists for a reason, right?

I'm perplexed by the number of FTer's who seem to think there is some magical happy land within the big US 3 airlines and if they just switch allegiences it will all be lollipops and ponies (i.e. upgrades to the pointy section of the plane)

Newsflash... they are all on the same path/trajectory.

Regards
scubadu is offline  
Old Jul 25, 2018, 12:34 pm
  #70  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: New York
Programs: AA EXP 1.0mm, not sure where I am with hotels these days
Posts: 2,795
Originally Posted by fastflyer
I did receive the survey.

I do not understand the "problem" that AA is trying to fix. I am a multiyear EXP, and my e500 (UDU) upgrade %age has dropped from circa 90% three or four years ago to about 65% today. I have circa 20,000 EQD every year, so I should be somewhere near the midpoint of EXPs on any given flight.

I do monitor availability on ExpertFlyer, and I use alternate instruments (BXP1s, 15,000 mileage awards, SWUs) on occasion. I am excluding those instances from my percentages.

For my flights at least, I believe AA has already successfully monetized the domestic First Class cabin. Of my 35% "misses", most are flights where no upgrades clear at all, implying that the cabin has been entirely filled with paying customers (miles or dollars). About 1-in-3 of the misses, or 10-15% of my total upgradeable flights, one or two upgrades are processed, and I miss out because of my EQDs.

So to recapitulate:
65% domestic flights I get my UDU, usually one or two days in advance (rarely four days out aka T-100 hours)
25% domestic flights nobody gets a UDU -- first is sold out
10% domestic flights, a couple of higher value EXPs get upgraded, but not all EXPs including me.

I figured this is how the eggheads at AAdvantage want the upgrade program to work, and I am OK with it. Why change it again now, just a couple of years after its last overhaul?
The financial media are reporting, and for some time now, that AA's margins trail the other majors. Thus they are walking a fine line. Many companies looking to accomplish this cut expenses and announce measures publicly. After fuel, it's people costs. Further cuts to previously announced cuts from the "conclusion of merger and merging systems" activities hurts morale, particularly in a the current national economic expansion. Looking at revenues, pushing capacity up while remaining firm on pricing won't happen with the LCCs and ULCCs. Further nickle and dime-ing on fees puts AA in the annoyance category of Spirit, Frontier, et al. That leaves working to increase yields in the front of the plane. It feels like they are putting out a feeler in the form of a first survey to test options with a forced choice. Perhaps next comes a survey that would help a determine the downside of another series of downward adjustments to elite benefits - i.e. is there enough demand on a cash basis from those in Y to pay cash to get up to J (and to see how much) to more than cover the ticked off EXPs who may take their business elsewhere.
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Old Jul 25, 2018, 1:14 pm
  #71  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA Executive Platinum
Posts: 580
Originally Posted by enviroian
None here either. Perhaps it's geographically targeted? No survey for Metroplex flyers?
I received the survey and am based in Dallas.
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Old Jul 25, 2018, 1:55 pm
  #72  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: PWM/KBXM/BGR; Work: DCA/DFW/Everywhere; Play: LAS/MUC/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, mlife Noir, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,630
Originally Posted by embarcadero1
I don't get it. Domestic upgrades are worthless to me because they don't apply to the transcontinental routes I fly. SWUs that don't clear at booking are equally worthless to me. The SWUs I can use on transcontinental often have a negative value (because C costs more than F).

Why shouldn't I respond to the survey? How does saying that negatively impact anyone?

1) i was mostly joking
2) it sounds like you're buying premium cabin already for all your flights, which means that status generally will provide little or no value to you (bonus miles and luggage tags, maybe a little extra baggage allowance?) -- but the point of airline loyalty programs for many (I'd maybe even say most) on this board is to get benefits for flights that we have to book in Y, whether it's business travel where OPM won't cover J/F or leisure travel for which we'd like to pay Y and travel J/F. As a non-DFW AA flyer, I find that AA does a great job of that for me... I was nervous about the EQD changes but really I've done much better as a 20-25k EXP than I thought I would. I even cleared LAX-JFK from coach to business (several days in advance, at that) the one time I didn't buy business, so I don't get the no-transcon comment unless you're referring to J-->F. so, my point would be that you are an outlier and I have an interest in having AA make changes based on my preferences and not based on yours
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Old Jul 25, 2018, 2:29 pm
  #73  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 6,983
Originally Posted by george 3
<snip>Perhaps next comes a survey that would help a determine the downside of another series of downward adjustments to elite benefits - is there enough demand on a cash basis from those in Y to pay cash to get up to J (and to see how much) to more than cover the ticked off EXPs who may take their business elsewhere.
Agreed. And this is an easy answer for me and may very well be an uncomfortable truth for many on FT. In fact, it's not hard to see the case that even with all the negative changes over the last several years and all the tearing of clothes and gnashing of teeth that have occurred on FT, there has likely been very little change in the number of elite members.

It's quite fascinating to me that many on FT, who seem to believe in capitalism and make a living trying to ensure their employers (and themselves) are profitable and over time become increasingly more profitable, seem to be in complete shock and dismay that airlines are actually attempting to become consistently profitable and increase shareholder value.

Regards
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Old Jul 25, 2018, 2:54 pm
  #74  
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: In the sky.
Programs: AA- EXP 3mm, Marriott Titanium(Lifetime), *wood Plat, Hertz Pres. Circle, *bucks Gold, Joan Ranger
Posts: 781
Which would you prefer?

A) Use of Toilet
B) Use of Overhead Bins
C) Upgrade
D) Do more meetings virtual & not fly at all
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Old Jul 25, 2018, 2:59 pm
  #75  
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: In the sky.
Programs: AA- EXP 3mm, Marriott Titanium(Lifetime), *wood Plat, Hertz Pres. Circle, *bucks Gold, Joan Ranger
Posts: 781
Gordo once said It's the old adage: You can make a pizza so cheap, nobody will eat it. You can make an airline so cheap, nobody will fly it."

Wingtipflier1 once said" You can make loyalty mean nothing, so you get no revenue from them"
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