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Agree 100%!!! MRs are tremendous fun.

The funny thing about this change is that American is the only legacy carrier that still uses sticker upgrades with its second- and third-tier elites. Delta, United, and Continental all have lifetime programs, and all have unlimited complimentary upgrades for their Platinum and Gold equivalents. To me, that single benefit outweighs all others, so I'd say lifetime status on those airlines is significantly better than lifetime status on American.

Million Miler Programs

Continental: 1MM Silver, 2MM Gold, 3MM Platinum, 4MM Presidential Platinum, plus elite membership for a spouse or domestic partner at every million-mile level, based on EQMs from any source

Delta: 1MM Silver, 2MM Gold, 4MM Platinum Medallion, based on MQMs from any source

United: 1MM Premier Executive, 2MM lifetime RCC, 3MM 1K, 4MM personalized upgrades of status (whatever that means), based on EQMs solely on UA, UX, and TED metal


I always forgave American for having (what I'd consider to be) a sub-par elite program because their million miler qualification was also the easiest. Now that their lifetime benefits are about to become as difficult to earn as DL's and CO's, I would find it very difficult to justify deliberately striving for lifetime elite status with AA.

Then don't?:confused:

There's another way to look at it. Until the recent announcement, there was NO official documentation of the Million Miler program by AA. Unless you read FlyerTalk or some similar resource, or happened to hear about it from a friend, your typical AAdvantage member would have no idea that a Million Miler program even existed until/unless they reached their first million miles.

AA's intent sure seemed to be to use it as a reward for long-standing customers that brought in a lot of business, rather than as an encouragement for people to get there (at least for the 1st MM). Now, with the program being made public to all, it can be used as more of a marketing program for all members.

Unless that member was one of the millions of Americans who saw "Up in the Air", watched CNN, listened to NPR, read the WSJ or encountered any other relatively recent coverage of the program.

It's reasonable to assume most Americans heard or saw some reference to the program in the last few years, but very few paid attention and will remember.

I first heard about it on CNN in 2009 and (as a former low level AA elite 2005-2007) noticed and kept it in mind when I chose between AA EXP and UA 1K earlier this year. I may have still gone with AA without the lifetime program, but it would have been a tougher choice.

Honestly, not giving udu to lower elites is the best difference from those programs for a domestic flye

AA Million Mile vs. UAL program
 

It's nice to have longevity and loyalty recognized with the Million Mile Program. Having ORD as my home base often leaves me choosing between the two programs. Nearly have a million miles on UAL and Delta as well.

A quick comparison between UAL and Advantage Million Mile Clubs:

AA Program at 1 million miles - Advantage Gold status for life.
UA Program at 1 million miles - Premier Executive status for life.

With AA, I start each year with Gold status. And still need to accumulate 50,000 miles or points or whatever to reach Platinum, or the equivalent level granted for a million mile flyer on UAL.

Most foreign carriers who are alliance partners, or who are part of a code share do not have 3 tier programs like the US carriers. Their recognition for seat assignment, early boarding, club access, etc. start at the Premier Executive or Platinum level (AKA "Emerald" status within One World) This is most helpful when flying on partners airlines (like BA where only Emerald flyers can pre-reserve a seat assignment in coach). Same goes for the status of Gold within the Star Alliance program. This becomes most beneficial when your traveling outside of the USA. It also weighs on the decision when choosing an itinerary.

It is more useful to me to have the added recognition when I am on the road than the other perks offered by the program. I really do feel that the recognition by AA is not as helpful as the competition in my daily travels. What a deflationary feeling.

So much for playing the AA lotto:
 

Dear Mr. Jailer,

We owe you an apology. It seems one of our AAdvantage Customer Service
representatives erred in processing a transaction that was not designed
with you in mind. As a result, we are obliged to correct your account
and to reach out to you to let you know about our mistake.

According to our records, the 8 500-mile upgrades you earned for
crossing the 1 Million Mile threshold in 2003 were exchanged at your
request for a credit of 35,000 bonus miles. Unfortunately, this amount
was far above the 4,000 miles that would normally have applied to such
an exchange. (Our standard exchange rate is 500 miles per earned
500-mile upgrade.)

It's true that we are making a special exception to allow this higher
exchange rate for members who earned one million program-to-date miles
since January 1, 2011 (provided none of the 500-mile upgrades had been
used, of course). However, this limited opportunity does not apply to
your account, given that you crossed the 1 Million Mile threshold prior
to January 1st.

We are terribly sorry for the miscommunication. We have since adjusted
your account to remove the 35,000 mile bonus and to return your 8
500-mile upgrades to your account. Should you wish to convert these
500-mile upgrades into 4,000 miles, please let us know! We would be
happy to make those arrangements.

Regards,

Dee M.
Supervisor
AAdvantage Customer Service
Executive Offices
American Airlines

Busted! :D

But I mean really. The rationale for a January 1, 2011, exception escapes me. Whoever comes up with arbitrary and capricious rules like that must have previously worked for the IRS.

Too true: not liked I tried to hide, I told the CSR that I was an almost 4 MM guy and wondered if an exception could be made, and he graciously offered to do so. “No” is always a good answer, but once given, taking back is bad business, IMO. Often I am forced to back up decisions/promises made by my employees that I wish they had not made.

As polite and politic as the email was from Dee, I translated it to, “Zee rules iz zee rules.”

Think it might have been better not to post your exception here- causing others to phone in and ask for same exception based on your posted experience?

More like, "Dee's rules iz zee rules."

As a lowly AAdvantage Gold (now lifetime), I completely and totally agree; this is one of the things that's kept me with AA. I don't mind the extra $ for a sticker upgrade over the (heavily discounted) coach fare I've paid for and I like the fact that Platinums and other Golds who would outrank me sometimes value first vs. coach differently than myself (read: they don't request upgrades so I'm more likely to get them). Add traveling companions to the mix (for EXP too, I suppose) and I'm doubly glad.

And that is the difference (once they gave the miles, even if by misteak): doing the thing right, vs. doing the right thing. In your case, zee rules iz zee rules and they did it right, but IMO that wasn't the right thing to do.

Really? Last year I considered exchanging mine, and I thought the offer was more than that.