How to squeeze value out of AA
Mar 16, 2019, 7:20 pm
#76
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Mar 16, 2019, 7:21 pm
#77
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Join Date: Sep 2006
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I hate AA so much but I want to fly them again.
Mar 16, 2019, 7:40 pm
#78
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Mar 16, 2019, 7:52 pm
#79
Used to be 'Travelergcp'
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: New Orleans
Programs: AA Plat, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Globalist
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Holding 1MM is a blessing, not a curse. Don’t beat yourself up over optimizing every last mile. Just burn them, You do sort of have to manage your expectations under the current rules/regime.
Mar 16, 2019, 7:58 pm
#80
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
Sure. Just book an AA F award DFW-HKG or DFW-SYD, then arrange for the flight to get cancelled, and get rebooked into revenue F on CX or QF. Easy-peasy.
Mar 16, 2019, 8:29 pm
#81
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,913
Miles for Magazines. With a mileage stash like the OP's transformed into a veritable wealth of information printed and shipped to your door, you are all be guaranteed to be the most informed, utterly overbearing, and avoided guest at any social event.
Mar 17, 2019, 12:20 am
#82
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: AA PPR
Posts: 28
VXforever,
Seems like you are just a generally angry person. All this energy you are putting into this "project" could probably be spent much more productively. (If not I feel very sorry for you). Remember you are going up against a major corporation. Realistically no mater how you redeem your miles it will have virtually no effect on AA's bottom line.
Seems like you are just a generally angry person. All this energy you are putting into this "project" could probably be spent much more productively. (If not I feel very sorry for you). Remember you are going up against a major corporation. Realistically no mater how you redeem your miles it will have virtually no effect on AA's bottom line.
Mar 17, 2019, 12:48 am
#83
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP, AA Million Miles, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,586
(It's not a person)
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From OP's latest posts in this thread - it's hard to take this one seriously, seems OP is just here to rile us up. But one last good faith effort:
OP- you have enough miles to go essentially anywhere you want, in J or F, and pay for the hotel too. Instead of focus on a quixotic battle to "harm" AA - how about focusing on the possibility of putting together an utterly fantastic trip, and the (non-monetary) "value" you might get out of that.
Mar 17, 2019, 1:31 am
#84
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OP- you have enough miles to go essentially anywhere you want, in J or F, and pay for the hotel too. Instead of focus on a quixotic battle to "harm" AA - how about focusing on the possibility of putting together an utterly fantastic trip, and the (non-monetary) "value" you might get out of that.
I know I do. I'm looking for the one(s) that hurt AAL's bottom line the most...
Mar 17, 2019, 1:58 am
#85
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: OC, CA
Programs: AA EXP, 2MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 832
There’s a big difference between “get the most value for my miles” and “get the most value for my miles so that I hurt AA.” AA admittedly tries to maximize revenue, not unlike most large businesses. But I don’t think they are doing so to deliberately try to hurt people. At least not any more than any other large airline.
Mar 17, 2019, 2:11 am
#86
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: OC, CA
Programs: AA EXP, 2MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 832
- book a flight in J or F that gets you flagship lounge access
- drink the most expensive alcohol they have, and a lot of it
- get rowdy on the plane as a result, and force a diversion to be offloaded
that will ding their revenue. You might get arrested but it will meet your objective.
on a more realistic note, while I reject the premise of the question I am simultaneously intrigued by the challenge. So as anabolism suggested, I would book J or F on routes to places like HKG that a) seem to experience a significant number of cancellations or serious delays, and b) have limited rebooking options on AA so you are more likely to be rebooked on a partner airline.
Mar 17, 2019, 2:14 am
#87
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
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Mar 17, 2019, 2:51 am
#88
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,663
I agree, just focus on booking the most fun trips for you, long haul J with multiple segments would be the best, I wouldn't even waste them in F. Take a friend or two with you. You could even be looking for last minute redemptions and take quick trips abroad on CX/JL. Book only saver awards or you will be wasting the miles.
Btw, the AA and other airline restrictions not to be able to sell miles or upgrade instruments are ethical garbage. They are scamming us from the miles we have earned, hoping that our miles and SWUs will go unused and that they will basically take these rewards back. These are devious tactics, they sell you the promise and the dream of cool rewards and free fun trips, but secretly work towards and hope you won't be able to use them and they will take that value back....They count on many people not using their miles and SWUs every year. They are rewards with many restrictions and obstacles as to become close to useless...They only want you to use them on inventory that will go unsold anyway, or, even better, find a way to take them back (through devaluation, expiration, death, forfeiture, etc.).
Btw, the AA and other airline restrictions not to be able to sell miles or upgrade instruments are ethical garbage. They are scamming us from the miles we have earned, hoping that our miles and SWUs will go unused and that they will basically take these rewards back. These are devious tactics, they sell you the promise and the dream of cool rewards and free fun trips, but secretly work towards and hope you won't be able to use them and they will take that value back....They count on many people not using their miles and SWUs every year. They are rewards with many restrictions and obstacles as to become close to useless...They only want you to use them on inventory that will go unsold anyway, or, even better, find a way to take them back (through devaluation, expiration, death, forfeiture, etc.).
Mar 17, 2019, 10:01 am
#89
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: OC, CA
Programs: AA EXP, 2MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 832
Btw, the AA and other airline restrictions not to be able to sell miles or upgrade instruments are ethical garbage. They are scamming us from the miles we have earned, hoping that our miles and SWUs will go unused and that they will basically take these rewards back. These are devious tactics, they sell you the promise and the dream of cool rewards and free fun trips, but secretly work towards and hope you won't be able to use them and they will take that value back....They count on many people not using their miles and SWUs every year. They are rewards with many restrictions and obstacles as to become close to useless...They only want you to use them on inventory that will go unsold anyway, or, even better, find a way to take them back (through devaluation, expiration, death, forfeiture, etc.).
Mar 17, 2019, 10:08 am
#90
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
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Posts: 20,386
I guess you could redeem for Flagship F on SFO-JFK at AAnytime. That might hurt their bottom line in that they can't sell that seat last minute, and it's last seat availability.
I share the general sense that this is a petty and not very sensible quest of yours ("OMG, SOMEONE REDUCED OUR REVENUE BY REDEEMING 1 MILLION MILES, OMG FIRE DOUG PARKER"), and you should worry more about getting the most value to YOU for the miles in terms of something you would enjoy, rather than thinking that you are anything more than a flea trying to beat up an elephant, but you do you I guess.