First AA Flight after 1 year of leaving for Delta. How do you guys do this?
Sep 12, 2018, 9:53 pm
#106
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Bangkok, Thailand. No longer Palm Coast, FL though still exiled, again, from the Bay Area.
Programs: Only the good ones
Posts: 5,153
Actually, not so much. Try starting over in any airline program and you will see the benefit to maintaining status, unless you want to pay for premium cabin, especially since the domestics are all equally bad in their own ways. I used to fly TW FC and then AA takes them over and I'm back in coach. Tried UA match to 1K and I was flying too much coach again. Tried DL, and while the flight was decent, the program sucks. And it was just the same type of coach. Pass. I have the flexibilty to fly the times I want and am not against planning way ahead, so my TPAC's UPG without incident. Or, I can use another airline that has a better deal in price or service i.e. QR and take the long way. My recent UPG experiences in the past month on AA were so close to 100%, my routes had similar aircraft as with the competitors, so it wouldn't have made any difference, and AA was cheapest. And even got UPG'd on an award OGG-LAX-MCO-DCA which would never happen on DL or UA. And redeposited a (similar) FC award once I got that UPG and didn't have to pay to redeposit.
Keep your expectations in check and you'll be fine.
Keep your expectations in check and you'll be fine.
Sep 12, 2018, 10:42 pm
#107
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
In February 2013, American Airlines and US Airways announced plans to merge ... The US Airways' management team, including CEO Doug Parker, retained most operational management positions
Source: Wikipedia
Source: Wikipedia
But dislike for Parker aside, I don't disagree with other posters that AA's international business class (including Flagship and OW partner lounges) is a solid product and better than DL's. But somehow Delta manages to not make their economy class passengers feel like self-loading cargo.
Sep 13, 2018, 6:28 am
#108
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,719
I do think that, whatever its other faults, DL is alone among the US3 in trying to give every customer a good experience. UA plays aggressive chess against its E- customers / infrequent flyers -- they have a deliberately poor experience -- and AA doesn't even know they're there.
Sep 13, 2018, 10:10 am
#109
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Dallas Area
Programs: AA EX PLT, Lifetime Platinum, Marriott Lifetime Gold
Posts: 149
I have noticed a significant downgrade in service and a lack of attention for those of us that are Executive Platinum and Platinum. I have been in the business world for 40 years and the first thing I learned is treat your repeat customers like gold. It takes years to earn a customer and a moment to lose them.
This will be my last year as Executive Platinum as I retired in July. I will not be on flights every week. 6 years back I hit my 2 million miles and just hit 3 million so I will be Platinum forever but I guess that will mean little.
The only thing saving American is that everyone else sucks as bad, Doug needs to wake up.
This will be my last year as Executive Platinum as I retired in July. I will not be on flights every week. 6 years back I hit my 2 million miles and just hit 3 million so I will be Platinum forever but I guess that will mean little.
The only thing saving American is that everyone else sucks as bad, Doug needs to wake up.
Sep 13, 2018, 10:29 am
#110
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
I have noticed a significant downgrade in service and a lack of attention for those of us that are Executive Platinum and Platinum. I have been in the business world for 40 years and the first thing I learned is treat your repeat customers like gold. It takes years to earn a customer and a moment to lose them.
This will be my last year as Executive Platinum as I retired in July. I will not be on flights every week. 6 years back I hit my 2 million miles and just hit 3 million so I will be Platinum forever but I guess that will mean little.
The only thing saving American is that everyone else sucks as bad, Doug needs to wake up.
This will be my last year as Executive Platinum as I retired in July. I will not be on flights every week. 6 years back I hit my 2 million miles and just hit 3 million so I will be Platinum forever but I guess that will mean little.
The only thing saving American is that everyone else sucks as bad, Doug needs to wake up.
Sep 13, 2018, 10:45 am
#111
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: AAdvantage EXP | United Silver | HH Diamond | Bonvoy Platinum | Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 718
Sep 13, 2018, 11:17 am
#112
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: AA LT Plat, UA 1k/1mm+, National EE, IC Plat, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 2,605
I do think that, whatever its other faults, DL is alone among the US3 in trying to give every customer a good experience. UA plays aggressive chess against its E- customers / infrequent flyers -- they have a deliberately poor experience -- and AA doesn't even know they're there.
I think the really big step is to either be GS or fly in all paid F (which is what I do now). Beyond that, even with paid F and 1k status, UA has not been able to re-accommodate me more than once this entire year (always sold out) and on that occasion, they couldn't even preserve my paid F fare and I flew in an E+ middle seat.
I am not even sure AA or DL are better in that regard. This year, I have had several weather-related IRROPS with AA and in all but one case, I made my connection just fine. And in the one case where I would have missed my connection, they re-accommodated me through ORD in F and I made it home slightly ahead of my original arrival time. I have flown far more on UA this year though than on AA, so this isn't a good science experiment.
I think ultimately, UA's LFs between EWR-AUS (which is what I fly every week) are just so high and with so little slack in the fleet planning that any minor weather event can make it difficult to get home on any given day.
Sep 13, 2018, 12:15 pm
#113
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Austin, TX - AUS
Programs: AA Platinum, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott
Posts: 1,625
Sep 13, 2018, 1:11 pm
#114
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,485
Wow is all I can say. I'm glad I left.
Left AA as an Executive Platinum last September for Delta after the straw that broke the camels back. (Long story, doesn't really matter). Been in Delta ever since and I'm just a few thousand miles From Diamond in my first true year of Delta.
I was basically forced to use AA for this trip since I live in Dallas and had to fly to Houston. I would've even flown through Atlanta or Detroit of it was cheep enough but sadly I couldn't justify a $1200 ticket that in reality is a 3 hour car ride so I went with AA.
It's night and day folks. I feel like I'm walking into a horror show when I board. Even though is was upgraded because of my ExPL status from last year, it was an utter .... show. Plus the plane is supposedly brand new, doesn't even compare to the ...... Delta planes. It's so bad guys.
First class doesn't mean anything when they won't even reserve overhead space for us even though I showed up group 4. (On that note real quick, the app doesn't even tell you when you're boarding so you can scoot your ... over to the gate? Ridiculous!) Anyway my bag is in row 22. Thanks for saving those spots in FC and MCE for those fine folks that give you money AA. Great job.
Lastly the staff just doesn't care. You can tell they just don't give a rats ... about anything. I saw a woman put in a plastic grocery bag of something in the overhead bin and all the FA did was close it. Where is the vigilence? Where are the rules enforced? They just kept laughing and made jokes about how no one will find any more bag space. Leaving 20min late is a real plus too because of all of this.
Leave AA folks. I live in the heart of AA country at DFW but I still manage. The direct flights aren't worth it when it's a 2/10 experience.
Left AA as an Executive Platinum last September for Delta after the straw that broke the camels back. (Long story, doesn't really matter). Been in Delta ever since and I'm just a few thousand miles From Diamond in my first true year of Delta.
I was basically forced to use AA for this trip since I live in Dallas and had to fly to Houston. I would've even flown through Atlanta or Detroit of it was cheep enough but sadly I couldn't justify a $1200 ticket that in reality is a 3 hour car ride so I went with AA.
It's night and day folks. I feel like I'm walking into a horror show when I board. Even though is was upgraded because of my ExPL status from last year, it was an utter .... show. Plus the plane is supposedly brand new, doesn't even compare to the ...... Delta planes. It's so bad guys.
First class doesn't mean anything when they won't even reserve overhead space for us even though I showed up group 4. (On that note real quick, the app doesn't even tell you when you're boarding so you can scoot your ... over to the gate? Ridiculous!) Anyway my bag is in row 22. Thanks for saving those spots in FC and MCE for those fine folks that give you money AA. Great job.
Lastly the staff just doesn't care. You can tell they just don't give a rats ... about anything. I saw a woman put in a plastic grocery bag of something in the overhead bin and all the FA did was close it. Where is the vigilence? Where are the rules enforced? They just kept laughing and made jokes about how no one will find any more bag space. Leaving 20min late is a real plus too because of all of this.
Leave AA folks. I live in the heart of AA country at DFW but I still manage. The direct flights aren't worth it when it's a 2/10 experience.
If you want to fly to Asia ever, CX/JL offer better option than ST. Ever experienced the bridge, you'd realize nothing DL has compares close to that.
Sep 13, 2018, 4:15 pm
#115
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: HHonors, TrueBlue, Delta SkyMiles, Hyatt Discoverist, Starwood Preferred Guest, American Airlines.
Posts: 2,035
I guess you don't understand the point. Apps are not always accurate. I gave a great example in my first post.
I guess while I'm happily on the plane and on my way to my destination, you're shelling out money for an unneeded change fee (if you're lucky) and waiting another 4 hours for the next flight to the place you want to go -- all this because you rely on an app to tell you when boarding starts or if your plane is "on time."
I guess while I'm happily on the plane and on my way to my destination, you're shelling out money for an unneeded change fee (if you're lucky) and waiting another 4 hours for the next flight to the place you want to go -- all this because you rely on an app to tell you when boarding starts or if your plane is "on time."
Sep 13, 2018, 5:25 pm
#116
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Chicago
Programs: United-1K, Marriott-Titanium Ambassador, Hyatt-Globalist
Posts: 215
I guess you don't understand the point. Apps are not always accurate. I gave a great example in my first post.
I guess while I'm happily on the plane and on my way to my destination, you're shelling out money for an unneeded change fee (if you're lucky) and waiting another 4 hours for the next flight to the place you want to go -- all this because you rely on an app to tell you when boarding starts or if your plane is "on time."
I guess while I'm happily on the plane and on my way to my destination, you're shelling out money for an unneeded change fee (if you're lucky) and waiting another 4 hours for the next flight to the place you want to go -- all this because you rely on an app to tell you when boarding starts or if your plane is "on time."
Sep 14, 2018, 9:24 am
#118
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
Just you posting that is giving me flashbacks to a flight out of HNL. I arrived at the gate right as boarding was scheduled to begin (I was sitting 2 gates over where I could find a power plug since AA doesn't have power on their 757 even in F), and the whole plane had boarded. Whatever announcements they had made must have been limited to that one gate (I guess that's possible?)
Sep 14, 2018, 11:35 am
#119
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 3,698
I guess you don't understand the point. Apps are not always accurate. I gave a great example in my first post.
I guess while I'm happily on the plane and on my way to my destination, you're shelling out money for an unneeded change fee (if you're lucky) and waiting another 4 hours for the next flight to the place you want to go -- all this because you rely on an app to tell you when boarding starts or if your plane is "on time."
I guess while I'm happily on the plane and on my way to my destination, you're shelling out money for an unneeded change fee (if you're lucky) and waiting another 4 hours for the next flight to the place you want to go -- all this because you rely on an app to tell you when boarding starts or if your plane is "on time."
I'll keep your sage advice in mind if I ever miss a flight because I was sitting in the lounge while you were hanging out at the gate, but in the meantime probably be enjoying my time at the airport quite a bit more.
Sep 14, 2018, 4:43 pm
#120
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: ROC/NYC/MSP/LAX/HKG/SIN
Posts: 3,212
I am with OP. Everything he/she details is/was an everyday experience for me, and only getting worse. We just get/got numb to it. At what point do you say "I'm mad as h***, and I'm not going to take it anymore!"? I'm a 15 year EXP (already qualified through 1/31/20) and MrsDallas49er (also already qualified through 1/31/20) have just 4 and 6 segments left on AA. We are free agents as we speak.
I SUSPECT OP's thought process may have been driven by the concepts of PRINCIPLE ( see Ghandi, Mahatma or King, Dr. Martin Luther, or Luther, Martin, or Mandela, Nelson ...) or maybe CHARACTER (see Tutu, Desmond or Washington, George, or Sen, Dr. Sun Yat ...) or even both. Both seem to be concepts in almost non-existent supply these days.
I ALSO SUSPECT that there are many on this board who have been faced with a similar (Flight routing) decision and decided to ..... (You know who you are!)
My hat is off to OP, who at least showed both principle and character before giving in (surrendering).
Keeping it On Topic, and AA related-We, like OP are leaving AA only because they left us 1st.
YMMV
I SUSPECT OP's thought process may have been driven by the concepts of PRINCIPLE ( see Ghandi, Mahatma or King, Dr. Martin Luther, or Luther, Martin, or Mandela, Nelson ...) or maybe CHARACTER (see Tutu, Desmond or Washington, George, or Sen, Dr. Sun Yat ...) or even both. Both seem to be concepts in almost non-existent supply these days.
I ALSO SUSPECT that there are many on this board who have been faced with a similar (Flight routing) decision and decided to ..... (You know who you are!)
My hat is off to OP, who at least showed both principle and character before giving in (surrendering).
Keeping it On Topic, and AA related-We, like OP are leaving AA only because they left us 1st.
YMMV