500-mile upgrades / stickers converting to Loyalty Points; discussion, options
Jul 12, 2022, 6:32 pm
#181
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I'm assuming that loyalty points, like others, expire only after there's been no activity in the account for a specified period (3 years?). Easy to keep the account active- donate a few miles to charity or use miles to buy a magazine subscription or make a purchase through AA's shopping portal.
You do not get miles for the stickers; just LP.
Another way of thinking of this is that your stickers aren't being taken away. You're just being given infinitely many of them. And so is everyone else.
Jul 12, 2022, 6:35 pm
#182
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,218
LP are just for status. They don't so much "expire" as reset to 0 every year.
You do not get miles for the stickers; just LP.
Another way of thinking of this is that your stickers aren't being taken away. You're just being given infinitely many of them. And so is everyone else.
You do not get miles for the stickers; just LP.
Another way of thinking of this is that your stickers aren't being taken away. You're just being given infinitely many of them. And so is everyone else.
Jul 12, 2022, 7:01 pm
#183
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: East Coast US
Programs: Hyatt: Diamond. Marriott: Platinum. AA: EXP 1MM. Delta: Silver. Etihad: Silver. Emirates Silver
Posts: 387
I have 106 which I have not touched for maybe 10 years, I guess this puts me ahead already for requalifying for EXP.
Jul 12, 2022, 7:05 pm
#184
Join Date: May 2008
Location: PHL (kinda, no airport is really close)
Programs: AA Exp, but not sure for how long. Enterprise Platinum woo-hoo!
Posts: 4,550
I contacted AA and was given 5,000 AA miles for each purchased e500 sticker in my account.
Last year I used my otherwise useless Amex Platinum fee credit to purchase 5 stickers. They converted these to 25,000 miles. The remaining stickers, which I earned through flying, will be converted to 250 LPs.
Last year I used my otherwise useless Amex Platinum fee credit to purchase 5 stickers. They converted these to 25,000 miles. The remaining stickers, which I earned through flying, will be converted to 250 LPs.
Jul 12, 2022, 7:05 pm
#185
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
Before I had paid for the ability to upgrade and I would only be competing against other elites who either got comp upgrades or who were using their certs also so I had a chance at being successful. Now I will face greater competition for upgrades. Now, the money I spent on the certs is gone and I get LPs that will never benefit me in return. I would have never purchased LPs. I feel raped.
LP are just for status. They don't so much "expire" as reset to 0 every year.
You do not get miles for the stickers; just LP.
Another way of thinking of this is that your stickers aren't being taken away. You're just being given infinitely many of them. And so is everyone else.
You do not get miles for the stickers; just LP.
Another way of thinking of this is that your stickers aren't being taken away. You're just being given infinitely many of them. And so is everyone else.
Last edited by Microwave; Jul 14, 2022 at 3:33 am Reason: Merged consecutive posts for readability
Jul 12, 2022, 7:34 pm
#186
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Dallas, Texas
Programs: AA Exp. Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum.
Posts: 1,186
Jul 12, 2022, 8:20 pm
#187
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Jose, CA USA
Posts: 1,791
But then I had LifeTime Aairpass, and since 1994, pretty much was always taking my wife as companion. The stickers became anachronistic, then irrelevant. Wife's travel miles accrued to the Aairpass and we're at 7mm total, maybe heading for George Clooney territory. Regardless, we always fly first class. Too old for economy. Gave most of these perks and miles to grandkids and employees.
But AA cut our Bay Area Service back years ago when they decided LAX was to be their focus. Made for bitterness for us, but we just started flying everybody else----We're lifetime UA premier 1K, Diamond and million milers on DL, and even 100K on AS. Also take HA a ton, which provides nice service out of SJC. Haven't flown UA to Hawaii out of SFO in forever.
We've grown old into our 70's, but have always enjoyed traveling together, after 52 yrs of matrimony. Neither of us fully retired. AA should have made me a concierge key long ago, but what the heck, I don't beg.. I just enjoyed myself on other carriers.
I don't think the 80,000 loyalty points AA will give me are going down the toilet. No crime trivializing, IMHO. They will put me well over the bonus threshholds past the 200,000 needed for EXP, and I'll use the extra miles for exceeding these thresholds for some worthy family member of employee. I've been getting bonus stuff past EXP qualification for years, as I suspect others have. At least AA finally ledgered it out, as they do in their delayed, plodding way. What's in your wallet?
G'day
Jul 12, 2022, 8:51 pm
#188
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: 2.4mm++ AA Plat, Hlt Diam, Hyt Globaist, Mrrt Gold, Gold Pts, MilesForDreams.com, etc.. etal..
Posts: 428
Well I already hit ExPlat so the loyalty points won't do much for me. I did have a nice stash for my wife or kids wen they traveled with me. Hard to use out of DFW regardless. Hoping to get some other options for the ones I had purchased over the years. At least now I wont' see them rotting away in my wallet anymore.
Jul 12, 2022, 8:52 pm
#189
formerly wchinchen
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Honolulu
Programs: AA CK, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,258
Complimentary Companion Upgrades
Hi Everyone.
Attached is the email I just received about upgrades:
AA Upgrade Program Updates
Complimentary companion upgrade (up to 1 additional person), starting on or around July 14, 2022.
Attached is the email I just received about upgrades:
AA Upgrade Program Updates
Complimentary companion upgrade (up to 1 additional person), starting on or around July 14, 2022.
Jul 12, 2022, 10:16 pm
#191
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Santa Monica, CA
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, UA Silver, HHDmd, MBvLTPLT, PCAmb/Dmd, HYT Dis
Posts: 1,578
This is a painful thread to read.
For those of you just finding out about the change, please go read the 500-mile upgrade conversion options? thread that bse118 linked to.
For the 500 mile stickers you actually paid for, AA is offering decent conversion/refund options - but you need to take action to receive actual redeemable miles or cash back. I only paid for 3 of of the 40+ in my account, but it was easy to call AA customer service - they looked up how many I paid for - they took my info and submitted a “refund request” and said someone would be in touch - received an email a week later with the 4 options - emailed them back my choice - and 15k miles were in my account that night.
AA’s communication on this has been poor, and their initial assumption that it would be ok to offer just LPs for something people paid cash for was upsetting. But where they ended up in terms of an offer and how easy it is to access is pretty good - if you know about it.
For those of you just finding out about the change, please go read the 500-mile upgrade conversion options? thread that bse118 linked to.
For the 500 mile stickers you actually paid for, AA is offering decent conversion/refund options - but you need to take action to receive actual redeemable miles or cash back. I only paid for 3 of of the 40+ in my account, but it was easy to call AA customer service - they looked up how many I paid for - they took my info and submitted a “refund request” and said someone would be in touch - received an email a week later with the 4 options - emailed them back my choice - and 15k miles were in my account that night.
AA’s communication on this has been poor, and their initial assumption that it would be ok to offer just LPs for something people paid cash for was upsetting. But where they ended up in terms of an offer and how easy it is to access is pretty good - if you know about it.
Jul 12, 2022, 10:35 pm
#192
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPlat, 2.4MM; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 580
Jul 12, 2022, 11:06 pm
#193
Used to be 'Travelergcp'
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: New Orleans
Programs: AA Plat, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,826
Y’all should definitely contact them about compensation (5000 miles each) for the purchased stickers. If you don’t do anything, you’ll only get 250. Details in the other thread.
Jul 12, 2022, 11:55 pm
#194
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 1,933
As lifetime PLT myself, who doesn't fly for work, I also consider the e500 conversion to LPs very annoying.
I don't remember ever purchasing e500s; if I did, it would have a very few well over a decade ago, and since then I've used more e500s than that. So how would they determine which exact e500s were used?
If they're giving 5k for purchased 500s (which I agree is generous), I'd be willing to accept any smaller amount of RDMs, as long as it's RDMs, for earned e500s. I don't see any use for LPs for myself. Gosh, even just 1000 total RDMs (for all 18 of my e500s) would still be way better for me than any amount of LPs, LPs are that useless to me.
I live near an AA hub, and there's no chance of me getting upgraded on most flights form my hub to another significant city due to so many higher elites typically also flying on those flights (I'm almost always far down on the upgrade list). If I'm on a small regional flight with no other elites, though, I wouldn't need LPs to get upgraded. And thus, at least on the routes I fly on AA metal, I don't see a way that LPs would matter to whether I get upgraded or not.
And I have no chance of getting above Plat with LPs, not even for one year.
So what use are LPs to me?
Since I earned lifetime Plat over a decade ago, the only use for EQMs for me, ironically, was to earn e500s. But because of the hub-at-at-least-one-end routes I was flying, I didn't have opportunities to use e500s (successfully) that often.
... And so I think AA needs an alternate solution for lifetime status holders, who have no use for LPs. I don't care what the solution is, as long as it's of some use to us.
I don't remember ever purchasing e500s; if I did, it would have a very few well over a decade ago, and since then I've used more e500s than that. So how would they determine which exact e500s were used?
If they're giving 5k for purchased 500s (which I agree is generous), I'd be willing to accept any smaller amount of RDMs, as long as it's RDMs, for earned e500s. I don't see any use for LPs for myself. Gosh, even just 1000 total RDMs (for all 18 of my e500s) would still be way better for me than any amount of LPs, LPs are that useless to me.
I live near an AA hub, and there's no chance of me getting upgraded on most flights form my hub to another significant city due to so many higher elites typically also flying on those flights (I'm almost always far down on the upgrade list). If I'm on a small regional flight with no other elites, though, I wouldn't need LPs to get upgraded. And thus, at least on the routes I fly on AA metal, I don't see a way that LPs would matter to whether I get upgraded or not.
And I have no chance of getting above Plat with LPs, not even for one year.
So what use are LPs to me?
Since I earned lifetime Plat over a decade ago, the only use for EQMs for me, ironically, was to earn e500s. But because of the hub-at-at-least-one-end routes I was flying, I didn't have opportunities to use e500s (successfully) that often.
... And so I think AA needs an alternate solution for lifetime status holders, who have no use for LPs. I don't care what the solution is, as long as it's of some use to us.