Modest Suggestion For Loyalty Points
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2001
Location: South Bend, IN
Programs: AA EXP 3 MM; Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 18,572
Modest Suggestion For Loyalty Points
If the intent behind loyalty points is to reward spend vs miles flown, then why shouldn’t I receive loyalty points when I buy tickets for my family? I’m choosing to spend the money on AA vs a competitor and it’s my loyalty to AA that’s driving that decision. It just makes sense that I should get the loyalty points if I want them. Especially if we’re all flying under the same reservation.
In other words, give me the option to have the points flow to my account vs their accounts, earning what I’d earn if it were me flying. Hell, even if I’d earn at the basic AAdvantage earning level, I’d still feel as though AA is recognizing my decision to steer my family’s business to AA.
In other words, give me the option to have the points flow to my account vs their accounts, earning what I’d earn if it were me flying. Hell, even if I’d earn at the basic AAdvantage earning level, I’d still feel as though AA is recognizing my decision to steer my family’s business to AA.
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2001
Location: South Bend, IN
Programs: AA EXP 3 MM; Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 18,572
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 30,449
If the intent behind loyalty points is to reward spend vs miles flown, then why shouldn’t I receive loyalty points when I buy tickets for my family? I’m choosing to spend the money on AA vs a competitor and it’s my loyalty to AA that’s driving that decision. It just makes sense that I should get the loyalty points if I want them. Especially if we’re all flying under the same reservation.
In other words, give me the option to have the points flow to my account vs their accounts, earning what I’d earn if it were me flying. Hell, even if I’d earn at the basic AAdvantage earning level, I’d still feel as though AA is recognizing my decision to steer my family’s business to AA.
In other words, give me the option to have the points flow to my account vs their accounts, earning what I’d earn if it were me flying. Hell, even if I’d earn at the basic AAdvantage earning level, I’d still feel as though AA is recognizing my decision to steer my family’s business to AA.
#6
![Marriott Contributor Badge](/forum/products/hotel-reviews/img/badges/marriottcontributor.png)
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, HH DIA, Hertz PC, GE + Pre✓, Amazon Super Special Prime
Posts: 1,009
I would tend to agree with this idea.
My wife has an ice-cube's chance of ever breaking into Gold territory with her infrequent flying, so LP's she earns are essentially useless. Steering her LP's my way (since they were paid with my wallet) would be nice.
I would then contend that LP's earned by her CC should also flow to my account - which is something we could accomplish via an Authorized User on one of my cards.
But I think OP's idea has close to zero chance of materializing into actual AA policy.
All that said, I usually burn AA miles for my wife's tickets and pay cash for mine.
Since we have plenty of RDM, and her tickets are really just leisure travel, AND we have no interest in her earning status.
Don't want to give AA actual $$ for her tickets, since the marginal gains of a cash ticket over award ticket don't have much value for her.
Just my 2 cents on OP's idea.
My wife has an ice-cube's chance of ever breaking into Gold territory with her infrequent flying, so LP's she earns are essentially useless. Steering her LP's my way (since they were paid with my wallet) would be nice.
I would then contend that LP's earned by her CC should also flow to my account - which is something we could accomplish via an Authorized User on one of my cards.
But I think OP's idea has close to zero chance of materializing into actual AA policy.
All that said, I usually burn AA miles for my wife's tickets and pay cash for mine.
Since we have plenty of RDM, and her tickets are really just leisure travel, AND we have no interest in her earning status.
Don't want to give AA actual $$ for her tickets, since the marginal gains of a cash ticket over award ticket don't have much value for her.
Just my 2 cents on OP's idea.
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP / LT PLT / 3MM, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 35,794
If the intent behind loyalty points is to reward spend vs miles flown, then why shouldn’t I receive loyalty points when I buy tickets for my family? I’m choosing to spend the money on AA vs a competitor and it’s my loyalty to AA that’s driving that decision. It just makes sense that I should get the loyalty points if I want them. Especially if we’re all flying under the same reservation.
In other words, give me the option to have the points flow to my account vs their accounts, earning what I’d earn if it were me flying. Hell, even if I’d earn at the basic AAdvantage earning level, I’d still feel as though AA is recognizing my decision to steer my family’s business to AA.
In other words, give me the option to have the points flow to my account vs their accounts, earning what I’d earn if it were me flying. Hell, even if I’d earn at the basic AAdvantage earning level, I’d still feel as though AA is recognizing my decision to steer my family’s business to AA.
Who would have believed last year that AA would make it possible to earn even the highest-level earnable status purely through shopping and hotel stays? I have nearly 140K LPs right now with no flying.
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP / LT PLT / 3MM, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 35,794
Actually they have been a lot of fun when I've had them. For 6 years I owned and ran a real business with 40+ employees and our parties were a blast. The rest of the time I've been an independent consultant and have been quite happy to party with just friends and family.
#10
Join Date: Feb 2022
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 1,013
I have already predicted here that this will happen eventually.
Absolutely. Law of unintended consequences and all that. Luckily I've been my own employer and employee for 20 years.
Who would have believed last year that AA would make it possible to earn even the highest-level earnable status purely through shopping and hotel stays? I have nearly 140K LPs right now with no flying.
Absolutely. Law of unintended consequences and all that. Luckily I've been my own employer and employee for 20 years.
Who would have believed last year that AA would make it possible to earn even the highest-level earnable status purely through shopping and hotel stays? I have nearly 140K LPs right now with no flying.
But yeah I get your point. Loyalty is no longer about patronizing the airline's course business.
#11
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: USA
Programs: American Airlines (Executive Platinum), Hyatt (Globalist), Hilton (Diamond), IHG (Diamond)
Posts: 2,991
There's no chance of this idea happening. People already get LP for anything they charge to their AA CC, but AA isn't going to get into the business of having people assign or disclaim LP from actual flying. It would be an administrative nightmare, plus AA would upset millions of business travelers. And even if it was as simple as "the buyer gets all LP for everything," the CEO of Deloitte having 20 bazillion LP wouldn't do AA any good.
Last edited by js1993; Apr 1, 2022 at 10:35 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
It's not unintended if it's plainly foreseeable.
There's no chance of this idea happening. People already get LP for anything they charge to their AA CC, but AA isn't going to get into the business of having people assign or disclaim LP from actual flying. It would be an administrative nightmare, plus AA would upset millions of business travelers. And even if it was as simple as "the buyer gets all LP for everything," the CEO of Deloitte having 20 bazillion LP wouldn't do AA any good.
There's no chance of this idea happening. People already get LP for anything they charge to their AA CC, but AA isn't going to get into the business of having people assign or disclaim LP from actual flying. It would be an administrative nightmare, plus AA would upset millions of business travelers. And even if it was as simple as "the buyer gets all LP for everything," the CEO of Deloitte having 20 bazillion LP wouldn't do AA any good.
#13
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: USA
Programs: American Airlines (Executive Platinum), Hyatt (Globalist), Hilton (Diamond), IHG (Diamond)
Posts: 2,991
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Wanting First. Buying First.
Programs: Lifetime Executive Diamond Platinum VIP with Braniff, Eastern, Midway, National & Pan Am
Posts: 18,199