I also see nothing here to make EXP more attractive. It's all nice stuff but you don't need to be EXP to get any of it. I was sort of hoping for a bump up in the qualification requirement to winnow the ranks a bit.

I have a BE ticket for late this month that I am desperate to change but it looks like that benefit comes too late to help me. Longer term I see this "benefit" as a back door way to re-introduce change fees generally.

No way am I spending any miles for Flagship Dining. Not a big deal to me - if you get in Flagship lounge - the buffet is fine.

At some airports like LAX, an Emerald can just go to the Qantas F Lounge at LAX for sit down dining. So just skip the Flagship.

But this wouldn't get you into FFD since there is no facility at JFK anymore and at LAX, it's been closed since Covid with no signs of reopening.

I was just hoping for one thing, that didn't materialize unfortunately: Plat status for 1MM to match DL and UA.

I suspect there are too many credit card/bank MMers due to the previous “all miles count” rule.

Partner awards
 

• Upgrade with our partners: You’ll be able to redeem miles for upgrades with select airline partners in 2024

What exactly is one's takeaway from this? Does this mean there will be new airlines to redeem miles with and new one world members?

That in 2024, in theory at least, you will be able to redeem miles for upgrades with select airline partners. No.

You will get access to Chelsea (and Soho) in JFK. J gets you Greenwich.

But yes, I agree that the amounts that AA wants for F from J, while small by F standards, are still way more than I think AA F is worth.

Mostly crumbs now that the huge devaluation took place. (Lax-Eze in J 200k miles one way, Alaska still 45k on LATAM).

the only way I get value out of my miles is to book a crap routing and wait for a schedule change. Depending on who you get on the phone, you can change it to a better routing (or HUCA).

if the 5 day holds on awards are going away, it’s a net negative. I font know why they would announce it otherwise, there already is a 24 hour hold on paid fares.

Nothing was mentioned about the 5 day award holds going away so I'm not sure where this fear is coming from?

The only change to ticket holds is that you now must be an AAdvantage member to put a paid ticket on the free 24 hr hold. Previously you didn't need to be a member to use this feature.

Award holds by default have always required you to be an AAdvantage member, so this wasn't a new benefit they could advertise, rather just nothing is changing in that regard.

Valued at most at $25, the 1k LPs it is certainly better than nothing, but also close to nothing.

Don't Y and B fares usually cost more than the lowest available business class fares (and certainly more than the lowest available premium economy fares) if purchased a reasonable amount of time in advance?

I would guess this benefit would be mostly used by people who fly last minute when only Y or B may be available but are required to fly economy under their corporate travel policies.

If they've been around for years, maybe they're expanding the benefit to more partners and/or more fare classes?

Wouldn't an AA Emerald need to be traveling internationally for this? As opposed to non-AA Emeralds, who could access it with any same-day ticket international or domestic? The focus here is new benefits for AA members.

Either way, the Qantas F Lounge probably isn't conveniently located to most of AA's gates.

Yep that's about all it could entail. Mileage upgrades available on more partners than just BA/IB and/or upgrades now available from more fare classes.