Things I Miss That AAdvantage Used to Do
Nov 22, 2022, 4:55 pm
#31
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palestine, TX
Posts: 73
1. Being able to "pay the difference" to upgrade an award ticket. Flying to LAX to JFK in the 747, overnight flight. Award was always counted as a "Y" fare. The "Fn" fare was only $25 more. So I paid the $25 and flew in First Class.
2. "Last seat" availability for award travel. Order my certificate for a domestic round trip to anywhere (I think it was 20,000 miles?). Walk into LAX 2 hours before the flight to JFK and say "I want to fly to JFK in 2 hours and return on Thursday" and hand them the certificate and they handed me back the ticket.
3. Block the seat next to me, in coach (the block went away at the gate, but it almost always held up).
4. Lifetime miles that were guaranteed to work off the same award chart for life. (It was in a letter from Mike Gunn that I kept in my file.) They broke that promise about 15 years later, and it is one of the few times that I felt that AA cheated me.
5. Channel 11 for air to ground communication throughout the flight.
6. Anna Jefferson (LAX) greeting me a few times a week and giving me a first class seat without any upgrade instruments, before I was a Platinum, because she (and others) had the authority to make decisions.
7. Going to the Aadmiral's Club whenever I was at the airport, not limited to flying AA (after having paid for 38 years of membership I probably should have bought lifetime).
8. I thought I would miss "hard" tickets. I was wrong.
9. Talking to my seat mate (it was common to talk for an hour or two going trans-con - now I make trans-con flights without saying "hi" to the person next to me).
10 Taking 2 carryons (garment bag and LARGE briefcase) plus a personal item (computer case) and hanging my garment bag in the front closet. (Well, as I get older and less interested in carrying 70 pounds I may not miss it too much.)
11. Full meals served in coach. I agree it was almost never amazing food. But why has it become accepted that people want to sit in a seat, for 3-6 hours, without a meal.
12. Hot meals served in First Class. I won't eat a "wrap" even if I am hungry.
I am probably forgetting some others.
2. "Last seat" availability for award travel. Order my certificate for a domestic round trip to anywhere (I think it was 20,000 miles?). Walk into LAX 2 hours before the flight to JFK and say "I want to fly to JFK in 2 hours and return on Thursday" and hand them the certificate and they handed me back the ticket.
3. Block the seat next to me, in coach (the block went away at the gate, but it almost always held up).
4. Lifetime miles that were guaranteed to work off the same award chart for life. (It was in a letter from Mike Gunn that I kept in my file.) They broke that promise about 15 years later, and it is one of the few times that I felt that AA cheated me.
5. Channel 11 for air to ground communication throughout the flight.
6. Anna Jefferson (LAX) greeting me a few times a week and giving me a first class seat without any upgrade instruments, before I was a Platinum, because she (and others) had the authority to make decisions.
7. Going to the Aadmiral's Club whenever I was at the airport, not limited to flying AA (after having paid for 38 years of membership I probably should have bought lifetime).
8. I thought I would miss "hard" tickets. I was wrong.
9. Talking to my seat mate (it was common to talk for an hour or two going trans-con - now I make trans-con flights without saying "hi" to the person next to me).
10 Taking 2 carryons (garment bag and LARGE briefcase) plus a personal item (computer case) and hanging my garment bag in the front closet. (Well, as I get older and less interested in carrying 70 pounds I may not miss it too much.)
11. Full meals served in coach. I agree it was almost never amazing food. But why has it become accepted that people want to sit in a seat, for 3-6 hours, without a meal.
12. Hot meals served in First Class. I won't eat a "wrap" even if I am hungry.
I am probably forgetting some others.
I really miss those days of air travel...
Nov 23, 2022, 1:03 am
#32
Original Member
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Orange County, CA, USA
Programs: AA (Life Plat), Marriott (Life Titanium) and every other US program
Posts: 6,411
Wow! Anna Jefferson, Super AAngel! Thanks so much for mentioning her...that brought back a lot of great memories! My wife and I moved to LA from the East Coast in 1991, and I did quite a bit of flying on American from LAX during the 90s. I wasn't a super flyer by any stretch, but it didn't take Ms. Jefferson very long to begin addressing me by name when I walked into the Admirals Club. Super nice lady who really tried hard to accommodate whatever your request was.
I really miss those days of air travel...
I really miss those days of air travel...
Nov 23, 2022, 9:19 am
#33
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 389
saunders111
Nov 23, 2022, 9:24 am
#34
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 389
Another thing I really liked about the old AA was the MD-80! Comfortable wide seats in first and especially coach. Seat 21F was my go-to seat: lots of legroom, full recline, often empty middle seat adjacent. The A-B seats were great when travelling with a partner. So much to like!
saunders111
saunders111
Nov 23, 2022, 9:58 am
#35
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP/2MM, IHG Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 1,185
Another thing I really liked about the old AA was the MD-80! Comfortable wide seats in first and especially coach. Seat 21F was my go-to seat: lots of legroom, full recline, often empty middle seat adjacent. The A-B seats were great when travelling with a partner. So much to like!
Nov 23, 2022, 12:49 pm
#36
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: MIA, VIE and DPS
Programs: DL Plat 1MM, AA EXP 3MM, SQ Krisflyer Gold, UA Silver, Marriott LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 1,131
Awesome. I had a single Concord flight in my life. I was star struck as is - but the view from the flight deck must have been amazing
Nov 24, 2022, 8:35 am
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Boston, Jo'burg, HK
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Lifetime Diamond, CX Gold, Mrs. Pickles travels for free
Posts: 13,147
The first time I was in the cockpit I was told about "sterile cockpit" - which essentially means "shut up if things look problematic". The captain explained that I am expected to be quiet if things look like trouble, but "when we start screaming, you can scream too. It won't be long then"
Nov 26, 2022, 3:24 pm
#38
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: MIA, VIE and DPS
Programs: DL Plat 1MM, AA EXP 3MM, SQ Krisflyer Gold, UA Silver, Marriott LTT, HH Gold
Posts: 1,131
It was a non native English Airline - he actually said those things in a different language. He was also advised that there were still bags on the tarmac when the plane pushed back. He asked if any of them had employee tags - when the ground crew said no - He said "then we are good to go"
Nov 26, 2022, 5:15 pm
#40
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: EYW
Programs: AA Exe Platinum, AA & Delta Million Miler, Hilton Diamond, Marriott LT Titanium, United Silver
Posts: 521
Nov 27, 2022, 11:03 am
#41
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP >3 Million miles,HH Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 2,887
First long distance award we used was in 1998 to take a family of four to Australia/NZ in J on Qantas. The ticket was quite literally free, and included 2 trans tasman flights to get to and from NZ and a rental car for a week IIRC. They may have been hotel for a week as well. I dont remember the mileage amount but I'll bet it was less than one one way to Australia today. As mentioned above, one of the highlights of the trip over was an escorted trip into the cockpit for my son and husband which the latter has never forgotten, as it certainly could not happen today. I am not complaining though since we are taking the maybe fifteenth or so trip next month to Australia and NZ on miles, each time a different routing with stops along the way and enjoying each and each time. Although the rules have changed, we studied and benefited. Nothing remains the same, including ourselves.
Nov 27, 2022, 4:20 pm
#43
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: 17,481
Nov 27, 2022, 7:32 pm
#44
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: TUL
Programs: AA Plat, DL FO/1MM, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, National Exec Elite
Posts: 2,102
This was the change that made me wake from my airline loyalty trance. After this change, I started booking whoever could get me where I needed to be the fastest. Allegiant/Frontier/Spirit included. Unless you are a hub captive or in a city with single airline service, it is extremely unlikely that any 1 airline can get you where you need to be in the least amount of time, every time. In many, many cases your brand loyalty is coming at the cost of significant amounts of time. The hours that I have saved in transit over the last few years are all the award currency I need!
