AA Million Miler Doesn’t Reward Long Term Loyalty... Learn From My Mistake
Jul 26, 2019, 3:59 pm
#121
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: AA Executive Platinum/Million Miler, Marriott Titanium Elite-Lifetime, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,212
The prior calendar year or the prior 12 months?
Either way, it's still possible. We don't really know what the EQD spread among those on the upgrade list.
Either way, it's still possible. We don't really know what the EQD spread among those on the upgrade list.
Jul 26, 2019, 4:15 pm
#123
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Somewhere...
Programs: AA PLT/3MM, UA GM/1MM, DL DM/1MM, FB Plat, AS MVP Gold, WN AList+
Posts: 1,588
This policy makes sense, I guess, in terms of ‘what have you done lately’ objectives from marketing as to revenue lies with future customers. But, after 25 years of heavy travel and now MM status on all three US Majors, one thing I am certain of is that any future flying from myself directed to AA because of their MM ‘benefits’ is better sent elsewhere.
I will take what little they give in terms of benefits for all those dollars and time spent with AA. But I don’t plan on adding too much to the miles already credited, and would add to other’s warnings that these MM benefits are not something worth intentionally choosing AA for.
There is not a lot of ’there’ there anymore...YMMV.
To answer your question it was for the year before...but the flight was in Feb. 2019...prior year/last 12 months (we just looked at each other’s spend in the app at the bar later) should have not been great in terms of spread.
Again, who knows...and probably in the end generally a ‘who cares’ at this point. But under current management at AA I can see an algorithmic bias against ‘long term free-loaders’ in their scheme of things being a very feasible hypothesis.
Last edited by JY1024; Aug 20, 2019 at 8:26 pm Reason: Merged consecutive posts
Jul 26, 2019, 7:20 pm
#124
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Charlottesville, Va. USA
Posts: 1,752
I don't want to keep beating a dead horse but my experience is different. In my opinion given how terrible aa's computer system is I'm not sure they could track the difference. What they have done is downgrade pat by adding palt pro. That said both are considered ows. So if you are trailing ow airlines internationally there is no difference.
One other benefit I neglected to mention that if you are traveling aa or any one world airline in coach and are plt or ltplt you have access to the bus. lounge on international flights. Including the new international aa lounges.
So I go back to my original statement that the benefits are pretty good if you have reasonable expectations.
YMMV
One other benefit I neglected to mention that if you are traveling aa or any one world airline in coach and are plt or ltplt you have access to the bus. lounge on international flights. Including the new international aa lounges.
So I go back to my original statement that the benefits are pretty good if you have reasonable expectations.
YMMV
Jul 26, 2019, 7:31 pm
#125
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Join Date: Mar 2001
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Posts: 27,730
No.
The determiners for upgrade priority within elite tier are all listed on AA.com. There are no hidden ones, Plat is Plat is Plat. These theories of your's don't make any sense and have absolutely zero foundation in fact.
Clear enough for ya?
Jul 26, 2019, 7:59 pm
#126
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: DCA
Programs: UA LT 1K, AA EXP, Bonvoy LT Titan, Avis PC, Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,658
That is why the UA lifetime is better. Upgrade within your tier is based on your fare code (more expensive tickets have higher fare codes). So if you don't travel much but have a LT status then if you buy a more expensive ticket you will be higher on the list for that given flight. So UA does it by revenue for a given flight not revenue over the past 12 months.
So a LT Plat who doesn't travel much (with low EQD) will be at the bottom of the Plat list for upgrade.
So a LT Plat who doesn't travel much (with low EQD) will be at the bottom of the Plat list for upgrade.
Jul 27, 2019, 6:23 am
#127
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: TPA/DFW/K15
Programs: AA EXP, Mar AMB, HH LT DIA
Posts: 1,653
Agreed. No distinction Plt vs LTP. LTP and Platinum would be on the same level for upgrades. The EQDs however would favor the more active flyer within the platinum upgrade list bucket.
Jul 27, 2019, 10:45 pm
#129
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That is why the UA lifetime is better. Upgrade within your tier is based on your fare code (more expensive tickets have higher fare codes). So if you don't travel much but have a LT status then if you buy a more expensive ticket you will be higher on the list for that given flight. So UA does it by revenue for a given flight not revenue over the past 12 months.
So a LT Plat who doesn't travel much (with low EQD) will be at the bottom of the Plat list for upgrade.
So a LT Plat who doesn't travel much (with low EQD) will be at the bottom of the Plat list for upgrade.
in terms of UA being “better,” I find your argument unconvincing. It’s different, but it’s not clear that it’s better. In fact in my experience most of the whining on this board comes from people who are upset because they spend as little as possible yet want the greatest amount of benefits.
Jul 27, 2019, 11:59 pm
#130
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Not necessarily.
It could be that Plat passenger ABC who has a higher upgrade priority for a given AA flight has spent less money with AA than Plat passenger XYZ (with 2M+ AA miles) who has a lower upgrade priority on the AA flight. Ticket price for the flight could be higher with LT Plat Passenger XYZ than it is for Plat Passenger ABC on the flight; and the total money XYZ has given AA in recent years could be far in excess of what ABC has given AA over those same years.
In other words, someone who doesn’t spend much money on AA may get a higher upgrade priority than someone who spends much more money on AA.
Jul 28, 2019, 5:55 am
#131
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,063
Not necessarily.
It could be that Plat passenger ABC who has a higher upgrade priority for a given AA flight has spent less money with AA than Plat passenger XYZ (with 2M+ AA miles) who has a lower upgrade priority on the AA flight. Ticket price for the flight could be higher with LT Plat Passenger XYZ than it is for Plat Passenger ABC on the flight; and the total money XYZ has given AA in recent years could be far in excess of what ABC has given AA over those same years.
In other words, someone who doesn’t spend much money on AA may get a higher upgrade priority than someone who spends much more money on AA.
Jul 28, 2019, 6:04 am
#132
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I think the poster's point is about spending money in the present tense (last 12 months), not simply "recent years". From the airlines perspective, someone who is currently spending high dollars now will likely continue to do so. And as most are aware, with the airlines its pretty much about what have done for me lately (and will continue to do in the future).
And the other point of mine is that someone who doesn’t spend much money on AA may get a higher upgrade priority on AA flights than someone who spends much more money on AA.
Last edited by GUWonder; Jul 28, 2019 at 6:47 am
Jul 28, 2019, 9:04 pm
#134
Join Date: Apr 2003
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And a point of mine is that the most present spending for the flight for which the potentially two different kind of PLTs are waiting for an upgrade would be this: just the amount spent on the ticket whose flight the passengers are seeking an upgrade. After all, if this is just about "what have you done for me now/most presently, why not place the emphasis upon the dollar fare applicable to the flight on which the two passengers are competitively wait-listed for the upgrade?
And the other point of mine is that someone who doesn’t spend much money on AA may get a higher upgrade priority on AA flights than someone who spends much more money on AA.
And the other point of mine is that someone who doesn’t spend much money on AA may get a higher upgrade priority on AA flights than someone who spends much more money on AA.
The only way I can think of someone who doesn't spend much money would be someone who is a LT Plat and flies once a year vs. someone who is a gold and has spent $5k this year.
Now ... my proposal is LT EXP, or at least LT Plat Pro at 3m
Jul 29, 2019, 12:57 am
#135
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FWIW, that seems pretty complicated to me. For example, if I buy a $500 ticket from LGA to LAX, with a connection at ORD, are you pricing it by segment? AA has a system and it works.
The only way I can think of someone who doesn't spend much money would be someone who is a LT Plat and flies once a year vs. someone who is a gold and has spent $5k this year.
Now ... my proposal is LT EXP, or at least LT Plat Pro at 3m
The only way I can think of someone who doesn't spend much money would be someone who is a LT Plat and flies once a year vs. someone who is a gold and has spent $5k this year.
Now ... my proposal is LT EXP, or at least LT Plat Pro at 3m