ARCHIVE: AAdvantage Million Miler Program as of Dec 2011 (master thd)
Sep 1, 2011, 4:12 pm
#901
Moderator: New York City and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: AA PLT, Natl EC
Posts: 10,855
We have good news for some of you. Members who have earned 1 Million Miler status since January 1, 2011, will have a limited opportunity to exchange eight (8) 500-mile upgrades for 35,000 AAdvantage bonus miles if none of the upgrades have been used. Please call AAdvantage Customer Service at 1-800-882-8880 (say “AAdvantage Account” when prompted at the Main Menu) to request this transaction.
Thanks to the folks at TravelingBetter for spotting this important post in this very long thread. I have added a quote of this post to the OP.
/Moderator
Sep 1, 2011, 4:40 pm
#902
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 46
I'm happy with this decision since I should have no problem hitting 1 million by Dec 1st. I might even wait and do a quick MR to push me over 1 mm for the 35k miles.
But honestly, this seems like a stupid decision for AA. It seems like a lose-lose to me. They decrease cc spend, decrease incoming mile transfers, decrease eshopping, and decrease loyalty (as anyone who doesn't fly enough for status but has gold from million mile is likely going to choose to fly on AA - even if it's a bit more expensive).
I also don't see how it dilutes the product that much. Either the million mile elites fly a lot and use their benefits (in which case they would be elite anyway) or they fly rarely, in which case it's not causing much dilution at all to the elite program.
It seems to me the smart move would have been to make the program semi-public (but don't advertise it) and either lower gold to 500k from any source or make a silver tier @ 500k. and make plat or above BIS only.
So you would get a ton of low level elites. Probably flying mostly for vacation and loving the novelty of having status, so they would be incredibly loyal to AA. In addition you'd get them to "earn" 500k miles somehow which would probably be a combination of flying/transfering points/cc spending/eshopping all of which are good for AA no?
In a market where AA is shrinking, doesn't have the international routes of it's peers (with the exception of Caribbean/South America) and is usually on the high side of pricing, loyalty seems like exactly what they would need.
But honestly, this seems like a stupid decision for AA. It seems like a lose-lose to me. They decrease cc spend, decrease incoming mile transfers, decrease eshopping, and decrease loyalty (as anyone who doesn't fly enough for status but has gold from million mile is likely going to choose to fly on AA - even if it's a bit more expensive).
I also don't see how it dilutes the product that much. Either the million mile elites fly a lot and use their benefits (in which case they would be elite anyway) or they fly rarely, in which case it's not causing much dilution at all to the elite program.
It seems to me the smart move would have been to make the program semi-public (but don't advertise it) and either lower gold to 500k from any source or make a silver tier @ 500k. and make plat or above BIS only.
So you would get a ton of low level elites. Probably flying mostly for vacation and loving the novelty of having status, so they would be incredibly loyal to AA. In addition you'd get them to "earn" 500k miles somehow which would probably be a combination of flying/transfering points/cc spending/eshopping all of which are good for AA no?
In a market where AA is shrinking, doesn't have the international routes of it's peers (with the exception of Caribbean/South America) and is usually on the high side of pricing, loyalty seems like exactly what they would need.
Sep 1, 2011, 4:58 pm
#903
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 46
I was debating dropping mine previously but kept using it because of the MM carrot.
Sep 1, 2011, 5:46 pm
#904
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: AA, UA.
Posts: 291
35000 miles to 8 sticker but not the other way around
I just called about convert the 8 sticker to 35,000. The agent told me it cannot be done. Only if you have 35,000 miles and you can covert to 8 sticker.
Sep 1, 2011, 6:10 pm
#905
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AA LT Plat - 2MM;HH Diamond
Posts: 239
If you both answers are yes, you should be able to do this. The agent you spoke with must not have read the memo. If the answer is no to either of these, then the agent is correct.
Dan
Sep 1, 2011, 11:43 pm
#906
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: PHX/SFO/LAX
Programs: AA-EXP (1.7MM), BA-Slvr, HH-Diamond
Posts: 7,784
This Avios nonsense will be the future program for AA if people don't stand up and denounce foreign ownership of US carriers.
Sep 2, 2011, 3:29 am
#907
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Hotlanta.
Programs: I've gone underground!
Posts: 4,604
No denunciation is necessary since it's illegal for foreign airlines to own more than 25% of a US airline.
Sep 2, 2011, 3:40 am
#909
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Hotlanta.
Programs: I've gone underground!
Posts: 4,604
I understand but in today's political environment I'd give this legislation exactly 0% chance of passing. Additionally, no US airline is actively pushing for it.
Arpey also said in the same speech referenced above that he didn't see it happening in his career.
Arpey also said in the same speech referenced above that he didn't see it happening in his career.
Sep 2, 2011, 8:52 am
#910
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: LAX, SAN, ORD, MAA & COK
Programs: AA EXP 6+ MM, AC, DL (MM) & LT SC; All Airlines 10+MM, Hilton LT Diamond, Marriott LT Plat
Posts: 749
Almost true but not quite; The rule is "The US limits the amount of foreign ownership of its domestic airlines to a maximum of 49%, with a maximum of 25% control". I lifted this quote from a Public Transportation Policy document.
Sep 2, 2011, 9:46 am
#911
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: OZ *G; HH Diamond;
Posts: 1,644
Exactly. That's how Virgin America is structured.
Sep 2, 2011, 10:59 am
#912
Join Date: May 2011
Location: ORD
Programs: AA LTG, Marriott LTP. 50% Delta LTS, Working on Hyatt LTD
Posts: 676
am I the only person who would embrace a global airline with a single FF program who has to compete with local carriers on price?
It's like what we have now with the alliances but your upgrades would probably count on international flights.
Works for me.
It's like what we have now with the alliances but your upgrades would probably count on international flights.
Works for me.
Sep 2, 2011, 12:03 pm
#913
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781
It's like what we have now with the alliances but your upgrades would probably count on international flights.
Sep 2, 2011, 12:06 pm
#914
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: NY Metro Area
Programs: AA 2MM Yay!, UA MM, Costco General Member
Posts: 49,040
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_5 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8L1 Safari/6533.18.5)
That depends on how they are structured. If it's structured like most of the US-based programs, yes; if it's structured lile most non-US programs (eg mile earning closely tied to revenue) then no. It'd be about the fastest thing to LOSE my loyalty to AA.
Like the wonderfuol Y to Y+ upgrades you can get on BA right now?
Completely agree. US carriers are in a much more competitive environment and it reflects in their frequent flyer program. I would be very concerned that an international program would be like non-US carriers.
Originally Posted by nkedel
It's like what we have now with the alliances but your upgrades would probably count on international flights.
Sep 2, 2011, 1:30 pm
#915
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: HY
Programs: AA-EXP (3.3MM), AAirpass, SQ-PPS Solitaire, DL-PM (.777MM), SPG-Plat, HH-D
Posts: 2,307
https://www.points.com/pdccontent/pa...Bonus_AugSept/
Sounds ok.
100,000 PC = 8,700 AA + 15% bonus = 10005 AA.
23,000 Aeroplan = 8,700 AA + 15% bonus = 10005 AA.
19,806 Virgin America Elevate = 8,700 AA + 15% bonus = 10005 AA.
NB, 20,000 SPG = 30,000 Aeroplan at the moment.
Amex Membership Rewards (US) also has the 15% bonus.
If you were close to 1MM or 2MM, then you could:
Buy 50k AA at 1000 USD. (2c / mile)
Buy 20k SPG at 700 USD, get 25k AA (max per year) (2.8c / mile)
Buy 100k PC at 600 USD, get 10k AA (do multiples) (6c / mile)
Sounds ok.
100,000 PC = 8,700 AA + 15% bonus = 10005 AA.
23,000 Aeroplan = 8,700 AA + 15% bonus = 10005 AA.
19,806 Virgin America Elevate = 8,700 AA + 15% bonus = 10005 AA.
NB, 20,000 SPG = 30,000 Aeroplan at the moment.
Amex Membership Rewards (US) also has the 15% bonus.
If you were close to 1MM or 2MM, then you could:
Buy 50k AA at 1000 USD. (2c / mile)
Buy 20k SPG at 700 USD, get 25k AA (max per year) (2.8c / mile)
Buy 100k PC at 600 USD, get 10k AA (do multiples) (6c / mile)