UA announced $15K min PQD for 1K. How soon does AA follow?
Sep 29, 2018, 11:07 am
#46
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 29,973
well the problem is with group 2 boarding you are among fellow EXP's so we are all headed to the same grouping of seats in Y -- bulkhead and emergency row--so depending on where you are in the group 2 line you might find yourself putting your rollerboard in an bin nowhere near your actual seat.
Sep 29, 2018, 11:28 am
#47
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,222
well the problem is with group 2 boarding you are among fellow EXP's so we are all headed to the same grouping of seats in Y -- bulkhead and emergency row--so depending on where you are in the group 2 line you might find yourself putting your rollerboard in an bin nowhere near your actual seat.
I personally check my bag and board after group 9
Sep 29, 2018, 5:37 pm
#48
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
If only AA didn't do such a bad job with checked luggage. At least I got a new 22" rollerboard and a little shopping spree for necessary items out of the last checked baggage fiasco though in fairness it might have been a CX issue. Unfortunately it was right before my younger son's wedding, so should have rethought the packing order, though my suit and dress shirt was in another checked bag that made it all the way from BKK. The one missing bag finally made it 5 days later: hole through the side, broken zipper, all name plates and trim stripped off. I guess it was a sign. I loved that bag, but I'm moving on.
Sep 30, 2018, 4:09 am
#50
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,304
if you are a paid F flyer, no impact, unless you think there will be more F seats for you to SDFC to. But that doesn’t seem to make sense, as it’s dependant on how many seats they hold back at the gate, not whom they give upgrades too.
If you are flying coach but hoping for an upgrade, your high EQDs put you ahead of the other elites whom you hope will get lower status.
(Unless it’s lower EQD elites using miles/copay, but I find that other than CK, Miles-copay are needed for premium transcons like LAX-MIA on a 772).
If you are thinking the priority check in lines would be shorter, well you don’t need status, just a credit card to be in that line.
More MCE seats at last minute for last minute changes? I’ll just buy them, most (but not all) Corp travel policies allow purchase of MCE. I’d do it out of my own pocket if needed.
Will you feel truly elite if the heard is thinned? Once densification is complete, no-one other than F/J on a widebody or 3 class A321 will feel particularly elite.
Last edited by beachfan; Sep 30, 2018 at 3:44 pm
Sep 30, 2018, 10:12 am
#51
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,313
well the problem is with group 2 boarding you are among fellow EXP's so we are all headed to the same grouping of seats in Y -- bulkhead and emergency row--so depending on where you are in the group 2 line you might find yourself putting your rollerboard in an bin nowhere near your actual seat.
Honestly?
Oct 2, 2018, 8:52 pm
#54
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: AA LT Plat, UA 1k/1mm+, National EE, IC Plat, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 2,605
In any case, my general observation (from afar) is that UA seems to have way too many 1Ks--the status seems significantly less meaningful than on AA. So I don't think AA needs to make this adjustment to the same extent UA does, but Parker seems intent on making AAdvantage the worst program out there so I'm sure he'll copy this change quite quickly.
Oct 3, 2018, 6:39 am
#55
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: CoUniHound 1K 1MM, AA EXP 2MM, DL Plat, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,625
I don't see any real reason for AA to increase the EQD requirement to $15K. AA prioritizes upgrades by rolling 12mo spend, so the incentives for extra spending are already there. AA was already stingier than UA in terms of upgrade instruments, so UA's move really brings them in alignment with AA rather than leaving AA as an outlier. Other than SWUs, AA won't save much by demoting EXPs to PPs. The newly demoted would still be getting the same basic perks back in Y.
Of course, this is the opportunity for Mr. Parker to stick it to his most loyal customers, so I guess it's a done deal.
Of course, this is the opportunity for Mr. Parker to stick it to his most loyal customers, so I guess it's a done deal.
Oct 3, 2018, 7:18 am
#56
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,222
FWIW, interesting that UA went to $15k for 1K but is still at 100k EQMs AFAIK. DL Diamond is $15k/125k. And it's harder to earn UA EQDs -- I believe only tickets on UA stock count. Pretty bold move when the only competitive advantage you really have is Star Alliance, but you can't really use it that easily if you want to maintain status.
Last edited by ijgordon; Oct 3, 2018 at 10:42 am Reason: Typo EQM->EQD
Oct 3, 2018, 8:55 am
#57
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: TYO / WAS / NYC
Programs: American Express got a hit man lookin' for me
Posts: 4,595
Not true. You basically always get EQMs as long as the operating carrier is UA or Star Alliance and the fare class qualifies. Which is good for me because I fly a lot of transpac and always try to avoid UA metal when I can...
Oct 3, 2018, 8:58 am
#58
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,447
Oct 3, 2018, 10:11 am
#59
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: AA LT Plat, UA 1k/1mm+, National EE, IC Plat, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 2,605
FWIW, interesting that UA went to $15k for 1K but is still at 100k EQMs AFAIK. DL Diamond is $15k/125k. And it's harder to earn UA EQMs -- I believe only tickets on UA stock count. Pretty bold move when the only competitive advantage you really have is Star Alliance, but you can't really use it that easily if you want to maintain status.
The gaping inconsistency is the relatively cheap buyup offers to non-elites because they counteract the objective they are following, IMO, but it is what t is.
Oct 3, 2018, 10:37 am
#60
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
And to think, I never had a need or desire to fly from BNA before that. I remember a trip from San Juan to Seattle, but I don't remember the routing I took, but it was cheap and I got quad RDMs
Yes, RDMs are EQMs, but while getting cheap RDMs it was easy to get the needed EQMs, and no EQDs needed back then. I didn't consider it "gaming". I considered it like "sweat equity" by flying to get tickets and upgrades for family.
But, thanks to this, I also am Lifetime PLT, which has been useful, because I had "gamed" the system back when ALL MILES counted for lifetime status