If I reach 1MM status before Dec 1, then I get 8 x 500 mile upgrade stickers. Starting Dec 1, I would get 35,000 bonus miles. I guess it depends on whether you prefer 8 upgrades or 35,000 miles. I'd rather take the miles.

Am I missing something?

No. I believe many of us wish we could exchange our stickers for miles.

OW Ruby has almost 0 benefits with other OW partners due to they do not have such tier.

Only OW Sapphire is meaningful.

And what is the thinking behind discontinuing the 4 SWU's for international members reaching 1mm? I'm beginning to realise that AA places no value on those of us who try to stay loyal to them but don't happen to have a US zip code.

Unfortunately, this will be the nail in my aa/citicard relationship. I will never get enough bis to qualify, and one of the reasons I started collecting with aa/citi is it gave someone like me a chance for a non published status.

Sad ending...

True, but most OW carriers do not have an easy to obtain MMer status like AA did. AA just made it too easy for their members to obtain LT OW Ruby & LT OW Sapphire via way of credit cards, elite bonus miles, shopping portals, dining programs etc. that it was losing the exclusivity of providing OW benefits to those that actually fly a lot.


BA's the only one that doesn't have an OW Ruby status. All others do and recognize OW Ruby benefits like business class check-in, priority seat selection, and waitlisting.

In such, an AA LT GLD who earned that status from cheap MRs, credit card promos, cheese fondues, Healthy Choice pudding promos, etc. can buy a cheap JL economy ticket for JFK-NRT and have benefits of business class check-in, exit row seating on JL (competing with their own JMB elites), and priority standby (again, competing with their own JMB members).

Since these benefits were originally meant to benefit JMB elites and higher revenue customers from other OW airlines, obviously JL's gonna get irritated when they realize they're seeing so many AA "LT GLD/LT Ruby" passengers on cheap JL tickets to Japan hogging up the business class check-in desk and grabbing all the good seats over their own JL passengers.

So it would treat both US and International members equally!

You would not think 4 SWUs worth the same as 8 stickers, would you?

But that is exactly what happens in current program - we who are in US got the 8 stickers while the international addresses got 4 SWUs that probably worth 10 times more.

Now everyone gets 35K miles - leveling the playing field.

Is the Elite card such a bad deal? Just called Citi said I would get 25k to upgrade current MC. They will pro-rate the $60 I have left (renewed in June)reducing cost to $400 or so, $5000/mo or so spending equals 10,000 monthly miles until 12/1 then 5000 a month towards next million mark until I cancel next August, 2x mile still equals around 60k extra miles for 12 months plus Admirals Club. Am I overlooking something for everybody who is close to a threshold?

This is your theory.

In reality, there are not very many LT GLD folks fly JL on cheap revenue tickets and to compete with JL elites on those benefits.

People who have earned their LT GLD status via other means than flying, generally would redeem their miles for business class travel on international long haul, and NOT necessarily on JL - Japan is not one of the most desired travel destinations, let's face it.

You would be surprised a lot of multi-millioners earned their "status" from CC spending actually dont fly much, and certainly would not fly cheap revenue tickets for 12 hours long flight...

This is sad. Makes a lot of business sense, but makes it nearly impossible to reach MM now...

thats interesting.... basically seems you can buy another 25k for 1.6cpm. i may try for this to edge me a little closer

Unfortunately I disagree. AA is still an airline. Not a bank. Not a lending institution. They need to make their money flying paying pax. On the revenue side only, these frequent flyer bonanzas were terrific for AA, but what AA finally figured out along with its partners is that the bonanza was only smoke and mirrors.

So let's say you are a churner extraordinaire. This year, you enrolled in 3 cards when the 75k promos were available. You also opened a BD CD account and collected bunch more bonus miles that way. Then, a few months later, you close the credit card accounts after you hit the minimum spends of $1500 and you close the BD account as soon as you can. Then you book 4 J tickets on CX through AA with the 440k miles you earned through the bonuses of the cards, BD, Fidelity, etc.

The costs you would incur relative to the revenue you generated have to be staggering. If we assume that all partners paid AA 1 cent per mile, then they would have paid roughly $4,400 to earn your business. And in return, you generated how much revenue for the partners? That's right...a lot less.

And although AA made $4,400 off you by selling miles to its partners, they now have to pay CX for the 4 tix you booked using those miles you earned. And how much do those 4 seats cost AA? That's right...probably more than the $4,400 you generated in revenue.

The only saving grace is that not everyone is a pig and massive churner so those who maintain and continue to use services ultimately pay for at least a portion of the losses that the serial abusers incur at every step. But that said, can't you see why the airlines want to get rid of mileage chasers? The other alternative is to charge more for awards to mitigate the effect of churning/system abuse.

While I agree, in principle, with some of what you say...I think you're assumption of value is off (where I've bolded your words)- and, therefore, not neccesarily justifable.

I thought even now we could exchange for bonus miles with our upgrade stickers as long as we talk nicely with the associate?

@aaexplat i kind of agree that the airline should focus on its flying passengers. where it breaks down is the "loyalty" program should be spun off as a more profitable stamdalone business a la aeroplan. and that stamd alone business would likely value its credit card income far more than the piddly income from the "mothwt" airline