Last edit by: Prospero
Dynamic Award Pricing means award “prices” in miles will present with pricing dependent in accordance with supply and demand driven cash prices rather than by displaying static award prices on a published chart. Delta and United Airlines, among others, already offer dynamically priced awards, rather than pricing static miles costs on a chart.
Dynamic Award Pricing was initially introduced with multi-tier AAnytime awards, and expanded with the Economy Web Special awards listings added to the standard award display at the end of October, 2018 and fully operational in 2019. This means an award can price as a a lower than usual Economy Award Special or an AAnytime award as high as >400,000 miles for a one way longhaul award.
Links
Link to Economy Web Special" Award (dynamic price, fewer miles, more restrictions Oct 2018) (FT, 29 Oct 2019)
Link to AAnytime award dynamic tiers: higher costs coming to S Pac "late" Sep 2016 (AAnytime to SoPac can price at 375,000 J and 420,000 miles F.)
Link to Anytime / AAnytime award / awards [master thread] (Discusses three tiers and hidden fourth tier for AAnytime Award Pricing)
Articles:
link to American Airlines Dynamic Award Pricing is Here (Alongside Regular Awards) by Gary Leff on April 18, 2019
link to American Airlines Says Dynamically Pricing Awards is Coming by Gary Leff on May 30, 2019
Link to American Airlines Confirms That Dynamic Award Pricing Is Coming by Darren Murph May 30, 2019
Dynamic Award Pricing was initially introduced with multi-tier AAnytime awards, and expanded with the Economy Web Special awards listings added to the standard award display at the end of October, 2018 and fully operational in 2019. This means an award can price as a a lower than usual Economy Award Special or an AAnytime award as high as >400,000 miles for a one way longhaul award.
AA effectively moved toward dynamic pricing with the roll out of Economy Web Specials in October, with JT Genter noting the following: “The appearance of ‘discounted’ awards costing 9,500, 10,000, 10,500 and even 13,500 miles on a route where the standard rate is just 7,500 miles is quite concerning. Hopefully this is just a bug in the rollout, and not the first step toward a revenue-based redemption program like what we’ve seen Delta transition to over the past few years.” - JT Genter, quoted in TPG - link
(On 30 May 2018) Senior Vice President of Revenue Management Don Casey said dynamic pricing of awards is a strategy they’re using to drive higher revenue from the loyalty program. More mileage redemptions means recognizing more deferred revenue, and redemptions at a higher mileage price does too. = G. Leff, see below for link
“We’ve said publicly we’re adding dynamic awards called web specials. Because we’ve received positive customer feedback so far and we will continue to roll out web specials. Some of the coverage we’re seeing now is pure speculation – more web specials only mean more web specials for now. No decision has been made on anything beyond that. That said, we love when customers redeem miles. If TPG readers are thinking about a big, fancy trip, we hope they take it. We’d love to serve them soon.” AA to TPG, 30 May 2019 (link below)
Link to Economy Web Special" Award (dynamic price, fewer miles, more restrictions Oct 2018) (FT, 29 Oct 2019)
Link to AAnytime award dynamic tiers: higher costs coming to S Pac "late" Sep 2016 (AAnytime to SoPac can price at 375,000 J and 420,000 miles F.)
Link to Anytime / AAnytime award / awards [master thread] (Discusses three tiers and hidden fourth tier for AAnytime Award Pricing)
AAnytime awards
With no blackout dates, you can use AAnytime awards for any seat on an American Airlines or American Eagle® flight for as low as 20,000 miles each way, plus any applicable taxes and carrier-imposed fees.
AAnytime award levels vary by date (including time of day) and region. There are select dates that require a higher number of miles (in addition to Level 1 and 2 awards, there is a hidden level 3 based on aspirational value and premium product and even some hidden level 4 award space released on Flagship transcontinental flights). When you search for awards while booking, you’ll see the applicable available award level.
With no blackout dates, you can use AAnytime awards for any seat on an American Airlines or American Eagle® flight for as low as 20,000 miles each way, plus any applicable taxes and carrier-imposed fees.
AAnytime award levels vary by date (including time of day) and region. There are select dates that require a higher number of miles (in addition to Level 1 and 2 awards, there is a hidden level 3 based on aspirational value and premium product and even some hidden level 4 award space released on Flagship transcontinental flights). When you search for awards while booking, you’ll see the applicable available award level.
link to American Airlines Dynamic Award Pricing is Here (Alongside Regular Awards) by Gary Leff on April 18, 2019
link to American Airlines Says Dynamically Pricing Awards is Coming by Gary Leff on May 30, 2019
Link to American Airlines Confirms That Dynamic Award Pricing Is Coming by Darren Murph May 30, 2019
Dynamic AAdvantage Award / Drastically High Pricing (master thread)
#211
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: HSV (formerly AUS)
Programs: AA MM (like it matters!) All of my flying was personal travel, and COVID-19 stopped that.
Posts: 223
For a lowly PLT such as myself, that upgrade has just about gone the way of the passenger pigeon and dodo bird, at least on the DFW-NRT and DFW-HKG hops, both ways. Add that to Dense-Pak Dougie's torture device seats in Y on those hops, and the worst W seat flying, and it frankly makes better sense for me to take the trips in Y or W on JL or CX metal and forget about trying for a J upgrade.
I honestly wonder some times how it is that JL and CX can consistenly make money on 3-3-3 Y seating in 777, while offering outstanding in-flight service, and Discount Dougie can't make money on 3-4-3 Y seating while giving only mediocre in-flight service.
And I'll add this. I've ridden one J hop on JL, BKK-NRT, some years ago. A BKK GA (or, I suspect, one of their supervisors: I think I know who did it) handed me a very nice surprise one morning. JL J in-flight service DESTROYS AA J in-flight service. There's no comparison.
#212
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
I rarely use miles domestically, for me the sweet spot is saaver biz awards. There are some really good values, 45k us to Japan one way biz, that only cost $1k if buying in a promo period. Hard to beat that.
Edited to add: I also now notice some Spring 2020 awards I was tracking for LIS-US one way have dropped from biz saaver 57.5k to web special 50k. Not a huge savings but I’ll take it.
Edited to add: I also now notice some Spring 2020 awards I was tracking for LIS-US one way have dropped from biz saaver 57.5k to web special 50k. Not a huge savings but I’ll take it.
Last edited by stephem; Dec 24, 2019 at 6:29 pm
#213
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 6
Points for US to ROM Sept 2020
400,000 points one way on something called "Flagship." What kind of new fresh hell is this? Some back-of-the-bus seats available, but business class comes in at this unbelievable cost. All over the calendar - and everything out of BOS.
What am I missing?
What am I missing?
#214
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, HH DIA, Hertz PC, GE + Pre✓, Amazon Super Special Prime
Posts: 1,008
When booking some recent award travel.... saw West Coast - Venice for the same time period @ 300K one-way in Biz.... Not exactly a stellar value.
See this post and discussion as well: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/31906245-post379.html
#215
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: OKC
Programs: IHG Spire, National Exec, AA Plat
Posts: 2,274
Welcome to dynamic award pricing, AA's latest attempt to show us how much they hate their customers.
#216
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 6
That explains it. I don't exactly like them either. They are, however, necessary to the other things I want to accomplish.
#217
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
I am finding very different results for the web specials on my phone app (iphone) vs web browser on a computer. For a few locations, I am finding insanely cheap web specials to central america on my phone that I cannot replicate on the web browser. Anyone else seeing this sort of behavior?
#218
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 6
I'm finding flights that exist that the search engine refuses to price. It's the strangest thing. No way to reward loyal customers.
#219
Join Date: Apr 2010
Programs: FB Platinum, AA Plat/2MM, SPG Plat/LT Gold
Posts: 379
Stumbled upon a O/W web special J award CDG/JFK for 77K for early fall. Booked it, however cannot replicate the booking process to search for other J web specials. I keep getting the old calendar interface as opposed to the new interface that looks like one used for paid ticket purchasing except with mileage amounts. Suggestions? TIA
#220
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: DCA/IAD/WAS
Programs: MAR AMB, WOH Explorist, AA EXP, UA 2P
Posts: 2,136
Stumbled upon a O/W web special J award CDG/JFK for 77K for early fall. Booked it, however cannot replicate the booking process to search for other J web specials. I keep getting the old calendar interface as opposed to the new interface that looks like one used for paid ticket purchasing except with mileage amounts. Suggestions? TIA
#221
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,895
+1. Search from the home page to get the “improved” UI or possibly try a tablet/phone.
#222
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 7
Last Thursday I was looking to get 1 or maybe 2 J tickets(ORD-SJU) for July with miles. There were special web fares and I got 3 J tickets and bought 1 with cash for our family of 4. 40k to SJU, 41k back to ORD. Last year we were only able to get 1 with miles.
#223
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: Hyatt Glb, MR Plat
Posts: 2,576
Guessing it’s not possible to connect a regular partner saver award to web special?
#224
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 532
Essentially an AA Miles Devaluation with High Cost Award Tickets to Europe?
I was looking on the AA site for Business Class Saaver awards to Europe this summer. Flying from the US to Europe the 3rd week of May, many tickets were 300K ONE WAY! And I didn't see Saaver tickets on any route. Will space open up later this year once AA has sold revenue seats and decided how many award seats they want to make available? Overall, is Biz Saaver award availability to Europe just not good?
#225
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,888
Business “saver” inventory to Europe has been poor across all three major US airlines for the past year or two and has gotten worse with recent changes at American and United. For a Europe I am now prioritizing spring and fall redemptions, often marketed as “sales” (AA Web Special, Della Flash sale) instead of saver