As it is, someone who maintains Platninum yearly can look at up to 40 years to make LTP, 20 years if you maintain EXP consistently, so I suppose that's what you get - receive the news at the retirement community.

At that rate, I'd rather not be reminded the plan ever existed ... because to me, it no longer does, but with an official announcement of something people are supposed to be seeing as a promotion ?!?!

Only BIS - Butt in Seat miles, i.e. earned from flying would earn you Elite status. You are totally confused - the YEARLY qualifying elite status versus the LT (Lifetime) elite status - that, the current rule of miles from all sources count towards the Million Miler status will END on Nov 30. Starting Dec 1, ONLY miles flown go towards the count of the Next Million - which in your case would be the 2nd Million Miles and a very loooong way to go when only the miles flown count. Thems the new program rules.

Only when you have same day International Flight on OW member. International in this sense, exclude Canada and Caribbeans. However Quito is in Central America / South America 1, therefore it counts. Yes, the flight AFTER you achieve PLT, earns 100% bonus RDM - Redeemable Miles, but NOT EQM - Elite Qualifying Miles, nor towards the Million Miles counter.

You will need to fly 47K miles before Dec 31 in order to earn PLT till Feb 2013.

BTW, Points in AA program may refer to EQP - Elite Qualifying Points - which are earned by Fare Class. Elite status can be earned either by miles flown, or by fare paid - cheapie discount fares earn only 0.5 EQP for the total miles flown, full fares earn 1.5 EQP for the same total miles flown.

Your 47K should be referred to as MILES, not Points.

Finally, only if your LT GLD is earned in 2011, then you can exchange the 8 stickers to 35K miles. If your LT GLD is earned prior to 2011, the same 8 stickers can only exchange to 4K.

Boy, you are really confused...

You don't think that will come sooner, like in December?

Agreed...for now. Remember that lovely little airplane order that's on its way... :)

Yeah, I don't get that, either. I've been doing the best I can reasonably afford and justify for the past seven years, myself, to secure lifetime platinum so that when I plan future travel, I can relax, knowing that I have certain reliable benefits on AA. I really don't understand why someone would want to achieve LT just to fly elsewhere.


I'm waiting this one out to see what happens. I may try to do some of the promotions, but there aren't many that are actually possible for me right now. Quite honestly, I'm hoping that AA will consider what's been said here and offer up some alternatives to folks who either can't, at the moment, afford to sink tons of liquid capital into CDs, or were hurt by the economy and can't/won't get the schmancy new credit card.

GG

Here I thought all managers in the service industry recognize it is far easier to retain good customers than to recruit new customers.

There appear to be many good AA customers in this thread that have announced their migration to one of the competitors.

Just a small point of clarification: It is actually the flight which puts you over the threshold to the next level which will earn at the higher rate. For example, if you need 700 miles to get to PLT, and you fly from DFW-ORD (802 miles), you will get the 100% PLT bonus for that entire flight from DFW-ORD.

This can make a significant difference for someone who is, say, 100 miles away from reaching PLT when they set foot on a 6000-mile long-haul. Instead of only earning at 25% for that flight, that pax will earn at 100% due to crossing the threshold while in the air.

Stickers deducted and 35K posted.

My guess is after Friday, agents are given clear instructions on how to do it The miles are posted with the same description as "Customer Service" miles - seems the same as those AA deposit in one's account after something has gone wrong.

I can understand the sentiment and I agree that, as a promotion - something to entice customers, it falls far short. But I still think that AA was looking at what was fast becomming an unsustainable increase in 30-35 y.o. LT G/P's (largely due to the acquisition of CC, et al, related miles - bonus and otherwise) and just decided that the potential loss in revenue was too great.

I suppose they could have come up with alternatives to the 1MM/2MM BIS scheme. Maybe 25 yrs of yearly status to get the equiv. LT status would have been better received. Maybe counting each BIS mile as 1 mile and each non-BIS "mile" as .5 would have worked. Maybe they just decided to align their LT program, more or less, with what other airlines offer; sort of a race to the bottom. Whatever their thinking was, I don't think they are going to change it now.

Even though LTP status may have been attractive to me, I am far more interested in the continuation of the AAdvantage program, vis-a-vis award redemptions. I find the ability to accrue miles and use them for F class TPAC and TATL travel (ironically, preferably on AA partners rather than AA itself) to be far more valuable to me.

Thank you Rob.

That was my point exactly. AA will now drive many F and J FF to other airlines. If they have a choice, they will pick the airline that benefits them "personally", rather then just the company.

HP

Prior to the Lifetime program being introduced, Bob Crandall envisioned it as a "retirement" benefit.

I'm sitting on 70+ stickers, none of which I have purchased. It is a shame this offer is not being make to existing members as it would have got me a little close to 3MM and a decision about whether to get enough to cross that threshold.

So I called and politely inquired about exchanging my 8 stickers and redeeming them for 35K miles which I received when I hit 1MM 18 months ago that are still sitting in my account. I've been EXP for many years.

First I got a snooty reply "you can use those stickers for your companion" I said perhaps but my companion is also an EXP, as I pay cash for her tickets as well. So she said she would check.

After getting transferred to another snooty Aagent its a no go. "American is quite clear about their policy"

I guess attitude is everything if it isn't timing. And who is paying to employ these no-brainers for their Aattitude?

There must be a few of us out there with "stale dated" stickers. And probably some of AA's purportedly valued customers. So yes I think that AA should bend "their new " rules.

Sad to think but its probably not that far off. F=a reclining seat with a seat belt and a beverage. Business= a seat. And for most of us in Y, standing room and a place lash your carabiner.

Although I am extremely disappointed in the change to the program (younger FF here) it won't really impact my travel plans. All it will do is make me stop pursuing AA miles outside of AA metal. I will be dropping my AA Citi card, stop transferring SPG to AA, and stop crediting Avis to AA as well. In theory this will lower demand for AA miles and AA will not be able to sell as many of them. Presumably they took this into account but who knows.

Sounds like you're following the same strategy I follow as an EXP. My non-flying miles mostly go to hotel programs. I was able to book 9 award nights at the 2012 Olympics using those points, saving $800 a night. I have more than enough AA miles from flying.

Where are you going to put your non-flying miles now?

I have a stack from when they converted to free domestic upgrades for EXP flyers. Wasn't that about 2004? Should they go that far back and let me convert, too?

I see no reason for AA to compensate me for them as I did not buy them and I'm pretty happy with my free domestic upgrades since which have always been above 90%. Would you prefer they go back to the old program so you can use them up?

i suppose its time to pull the trigger on the AA Amex/Citi Card offer for 150K before Nov 30th, that will bring my 650K to 800K leaving me with 200K to EXP. That is if i am right in assuming that as long as i appply and fulfill the spend requirement by Nov 30th. Correct?