Suggestions for AA and their 500 mile upgrades ?
Aug 7, 2019, 2:23 pm
#16
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: AA LT Gold
Posts: 3,645
Aug 7, 2019, 2:57 pm
#17
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MHK
Programs: AA Exec Plat - some level of status in IHG, Marriot & HIlton
Posts: 1,516
The most stickers I have ever had is 10. I had to pass on a likely upgrade in June from SDF-DFW because I was out of stickers. Fortunately that flight put me over the mark to get 4 so I won't have to do that again.
Aug 7, 2019, 3:27 pm
#18
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Programs: AAdvantage Exec Platinum, Hertz #1 Club Gold Five Star, IHG Platinum, Marriott Gold, HHonors Silver
Posts: 2,038
I'm Platinum and I get upgraded with stickers about 50% of the time, so they definitely can be used.
Aug 7, 2019, 3:40 pm
#19
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CT
Programs: AA EXP, UA, DL Gold, ANA Plat
Posts: 157
Those were the days.....
Ah, yes. I do miss the days when I was mostly upgraded and, when not, had an exit row.
Fortunately, I fly very little anymore as I'd prefer to spend the time with our 6 year old.
I use the buku miles I have for returns from Japan in 1st.
It's better this way post merger.
Fortunately, I fly very little anymore as I'd prefer to spend the time with our 6 year old.
I use the buku miles I have for returns from Japan in 1st.
It's better this way post merger.
Aug 7, 2019, 4:04 pm
#20
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: SJC (AA PLT 2MM - Marriott LTT - Avis Preferred)
Posts: 2,030
Unfortunately, I haven't yet pulled the trigger on splitting up our domestic PNR's (i.e. PLT+GLD on PNR1, GLD on PNR2) in the hopes of using up our stickers. The certainty of all 3 of us sitting in the same cabin takes precedence.
Aug 7, 2019, 7:56 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
Ten 500 mile upgrades for a free checked bag ?
Twenty 500 mile upgrades for 5,000 miles ?
Fifty 500 mile upgrades for one guaranteed upgrade to First at time of booking ?
Do you think AA reads these comments, at this point I would trade all mine in for an extra bag of pretzels.
Twenty 500 mile upgrades for 5,000 miles ?
Fifty 500 mile upgrades for one guaranteed upgrade to First at time of booking ?
Do you think AA reads these comments, at this point I would trade all mine in for an extra bag of pretzels.
Aug 7, 2019, 10:23 pm
#22
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA Lifetime Gold 1.8mm, IC Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold et al
Posts: 4,350
Yes, it was 500 miles per sticker for non US residents who no longer travelled to the US. I recall my UK resident mother reaching an age when she couldn't manage long haul so AA compensated her for her stickers. Pretty sure that's all gone now.
Aug 8, 2019, 6:54 pm
#24
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EP 3MM, UA Silver, Bonvoy LT TIT, Hyatt Explorist, HH Silver, Caesars PLT
Posts: 7,259
I’m surprised that people are accumulating so many stickers. My wife is Gold and always seems to be buying more 500 mile upgrades. Maybe the fact that we fly out of a small airport means less competition for upgrades or her willingness to fly at non-peak travel times is working in her favor. For people accumulating large numbers of these, I think the ability to “trade up” to a higher status for a particular flight might provide a good usage.
Aug 8, 2019, 7:31 pm
#25
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: ATL/TLV/SDF
Programs: AA EXP, UA LT Ag, Marriott LT Ti, Hyatt Glob, Avis PC, Busted-Knuckles Club Grand Poobah.
Posts: 2,590
Would it be so hard to treat these as a set of banked miles from which we could withdraw e.g. 783 miles for an upgrade on that 783 mile flight?
It's infuriating to burn two of these on a 520-mile flight, and as a lowly Splatinum I don't get comps over 500mi. So I only use them on flights close to a multiple of 500mi.
It's infuriating to burn two of these on a 520-mile flight, and as a lowly Splatinum I don't get comps over 500mi. So I only use them on flights close to a multiple of 500mi.
Aug 9, 2019, 4:41 am
#26
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Haining (1 hr from Shanghai) China
Programs: DL DM, AA Lifetime Plat, IHG SE
Posts: 1,466
I probably traded in 150 over the years for 500 RDM each?
Used to fly heavily SEA-NRT, SEA-NRT-TPE....really racked up the 500 mile stickers (they actually were paper stickers not all that long ago!)
Aug 9, 2019, 7:24 am
#28
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MHK
Programs: AA Exec Plat - some level of status in IHG, Marriot & HIlton
Posts: 1,516
Would it be so hard to treat these as a set of banked miles from which we could withdraw e.g. 783 miles for an upgrade on that 783 mile flight?
It's infuriating to burn two of these on a 520-mile flight, and as a lowly Splatinum I don't get comps over 500mi. So I only use them on flights close to a multiple of 500mi.
It's infuriating to burn two of these on a 520-mile flight, and as a lowly Splatinum I don't get comps over 500mi. So I only use them on flights close to a multiple of 500mi.
Aug 9, 2019, 11:40 am
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Programs: Sometimes known as [ARG:6 UNDEFINED]
Posts: 26,692
If you think a "500 mile" sticker has a fixed "cost" of 500 miles, you're going to be frustrated.
I routinely burn 2 stickers on flights of 589 miles; you have to burn 6 stickers on LAX-HNL, which is 2560 miles or so.
If AA magically set the bar as "600 mile" stickers, you'd immediately shift the kvetching to a new subset of flyers who routinely fly point to point at 6xx miles.
Keep kvetching enough, and AA will adopt UA's model - complimentary upgrades - so you can then start kvetching about how you're number 74 on the list for a 12-seat F cabin.
Face it: Upgrades are no longer how the airlines want to reward your "loyalty." You want an F seat...buy an F seat.
I routinely burn 2 stickers on flights of 589 miles; you have to burn 6 stickers on LAX-HNL, which is 2560 miles or so.
If AA magically set the bar as "600 mile" stickers, you'd immediately shift the kvetching to a new subset of flyers who routinely fly point to point at 6xx miles.
Keep kvetching enough, and AA will adopt UA's model - complimentary upgrades - so you can then start kvetching about how you're number 74 on the list for a 12-seat F cabin.
Face it: Upgrades are no longer how the airlines want to reward your "loyalty." You want an F seat...buy an F seat.
Aug 9, 2019, 11:56 am
#30
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Palm Beach
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 791
One sticker for a pre-departure drink (2 for a premium drink). 2 stickers for functional wifi (plus applicable charges). 3 stickers for a personalized call to the lounge when the rolling-delayed flight is actually about to leave. Lots of options.