Mar 6, 2022, 12:20 am
Last edit by: LovePrunes
CAUTION: Buyer Beware! DOES NOT WORK TO GET EXP This way
A caution to anyone who may try this suggestion to earn LPs buying FTD bonsai trees and hoping they get credit as a large multiplier of LP's from FTD. The Original Poster (and others) posted back that it posts as bonus miles and not base, so no LPs are earned.
some data points:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34174381-post70.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34048144-post308.html
Here's the thread on FTD:
A caution to anyone who may try this suggestion to earn LPs buying FTD bonsai trees and hoping they get credit as a large multiplier of LP's from FTD. The Original Poster (and others) posted back that it posts as bonus miles and not base, so no LPs are earned.
some data points:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34174381-post70.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/34048144-post308.html
Here's the thread on FTD:
Missing miles/LPs from FTD purchase in mid-Feb
127 bonsai trees for EXP
Jan 3, 2022, 12:27 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 322
127 bonsai trees for EXP
Bought a bonsai tree on ftd.com and got 1575 miles, which I assume will translate into 1575LP. What a world we live in where one can buy 127 bonsai trees and make executive plat with AA. What's even more bananas is that if you were to actually purchase 127 bonsai trees, you'd spend $10,000 less by buying bonsai to make EXP (before shipping and tax) than by flying as an EXP with AA.
Jan 3, 2022, 12:45 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 322
Jan 3, 2022, 12:54 pm
#5
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Programs: DL PM/MM, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia, National ECE, Hertz PC
Posts: 16,579
What a world we live in where one can buy 127 bonsai trees and make executive plat with AA. What's even more bananas is that if you were to actually purchase 127 bonsai trees, you'd spend $10,000 less by buying bonsai to make EXP (before shipping and tax) than by flying as an EXP with AA.
Jan 3, 2022, 1:06 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 322
The crazy part is we're all assuming that is correct, I believe it is as well, but we're all just assuming until they actually confirm how the program works, or maybe in March they'll tell us how many LP's we have, but probably not by transaction.
Not sure why you think that's so bananas, the profitability of issuing 200,000 RDM and LP paid for by FTD is likely much greater to AA than the profitability of actually flying you somewhere to earn the same amount of RDM and LP.
Not sure why you think that's so bananas, the profitability of issuing 200,000 RDM and LP paid for by FTD is likely much greater to AA than the profitability of actually flying you somewhere to earn the same amount of RDM and LP.
Jan 3, 2022, 1:12 pm
#7
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: RDU
Posts: 2,264
Missed opportunity for AA to sell this as a Cobra Kai Season 4 promotion. "On today's flight only, you can earn a black belt and executive platinum status. Just imagine, 2 free round-trip ticket to the Caribbean, free checked bags, upgrades, and, you can throat chop that clown behind you who's kicking your reclined seat'.
Jan 3, 2022, 1:40 pm
#9
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Programs: DL PM/MM, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia, National ECE, Hertz PC
Posts: 16,579
I understand the economics of it. AA is just a credit card company that happens to fly planes. It's just bananas that this is the current state of affairs. And while I don't consider TPG, VFTW, OMAAT, and the other blogs as Pulitzer prize winning journalism, they're all reporting FTD as an LP partner.
Jan 3, 2022, 1:48 pm
#10
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: BOS
Programs: AA PP, DL PM
Posts: 2,086
To be clear, I believe your assumption is correct, but it sure would be nice if AA could confirm what counts as base miles in terms of earning Loyalty Points for each partner, it's ridiculous that AA has not made it clear what partner base miles will count for earning LP and we have to wait two months to find out how much we're actually earning today.
Jan 3, 2022, 1:59 pm
#11
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Programs: DL PM/MM, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia, National ECE, Hertz PC
Posts: 16,579
Originally Posted by AA
On the ground: All base miles earned from spending with partners, such as AAdvantage® Dining, SimplyMiles™, and more
Jan 3, 2022, 2:14 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: WAS
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,757
I understand the economics of it. AA is just a credit card company that happens to fly planes. It's just bananas that this is the current state of affairs. And while I don't consider TPG, VFTW, OMAAT, and the other blogs as Pulitzer prize winning journalism, they're all reporting FTD as an LP partner.
Jan 3, 2022, 2:21 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, BAEC Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 322
WOW. To be fair, it seems like it was a Healthy Choice promotion that applied to any airline? But I understand that back then AA awarded million miler points for any mile earned, not just butt-in-seat miles. Is that right? In any event, point well taken. 12,000 pudding cups to 127 bonsai trees, we've come full circle.
Jan 3, 2022, 2:42 pm
#15
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2019
Programs: AA: CK
Posts: 2,230
Good. Because these purchases are contributing a heck of a lot more to AA's bottom line than ludicrous "mileage runs" where the airline loses money on every mile. Super happy to see these financially-oriented changes, which will thin the elite ranks and preserve status for those that actually financially contribute.