Jan 18, 2015, 1:29 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
FAQ: "In Recognition of Outstanding Service Excellence" Employee Recognition & Certificates AKA "Above and Beyond" Certificates, Previously "Round of Applause" program)
(including how to meaningfully compliment employees using Twitter)
N.B. This “Applause” program has been the "Round of Applause" program and later the "Above and Beyond" program, based on US Airways' original "Above and Beyond" program, with changes to what employees can win in now quarterly draws.
Much of the original information about this program was posted by members HNL and JonNYC. Recent updates thanks to sukn and NovaEngr.
Updated 16 Aug 2015 - JDiver
(including how to meaningfully compliment employees using Twitter)
N.B. This “Applause” program has been the "Round of Applause" program and later the "Above and Beyond" program, based on US Airways' original "Above and Beyond" program, with changes to what employees can win in now quarterly draws.
Q. I received some certificates titled "In Recognition of Outstanding Service Excellence"; what are they and how do they work?
A. These certificates, also called “Applause” "Above and Beyond" and "Round of Applause"), are mailed to elite AAdvantage members with their status credentials. The number of certificates is based upon their specific Elite status as follows:
Requests for More Certificates: "Unfortunately, requests for additional or replacement certificates cannot be honored." (However, some members claim they've called and been issued more.)
The certificates are numbered with a 12 digit code and intended to be given out to employees who who "go beyond the call of duty to truly make a difference when customers fly" as a form of passenger-generated employee recognition to those They can be handed to or otherwise given (ask other employees how they'd like these - you could mail or email and include the 12 digit certificate code) to "all active American (and U.S.) and American Eagle employees worldwide up to and including Management Level 4 are eligible to participate in the employee recognition program."
Original certificates did not have an expiration date.
A. These certificates, also called “Applause” "
- Executive Platinum - 10 certificates
- Platinum Pro - unknown
- Platinum - 8 certificates
- Gold - 6 certificates
Requests for More Certificates: "Unfortunately, requests for additional or replacement certificates cannot be honored." (However, some members claim they've called and been issued more.)
The certificates are numbered with a 12 digit code and intended to be given out to employees who who "go beyond the call of duty to truly make a difference when customers fly" as a form of passenger-generated employee recognition to those They can be handed to or otherwise given (ask other employees how they'd like these - you could mail or email and include the 12 digit certificate code) to "all active American (and U.S.) and American Eagle employees worldwide up to and including Management Level 4 are eligible to participate in the employee recognition program."
Original certificates did not have an expiration date.
Q. How do employee recognition certificates benefit employees?
A. The certificates are not entered into employee's files at this time (as reported by employees) unlike letters and other communications regarding employee recognition. The certificates are entered (using Jetnet, employee identification and the 12 digit code) into quarterly drawings:
"AA has adopted the US Air(ways) program so the drawings, which used to be monthly, are now quarterly. The drawings used to be for 25k miles but now it is various monetary sums...."
Verified and originally posted by sukn and NovaEngr.
A. The certificates are not entered into employee's files at this time (as reported by employees) unlike letters and other communications regarding employee recognition. The certificates are entered (using Jetnet, employee identification and the 12 digit code) into quarterly drawings:
"AA has adopted the US Air(ways) program so the drawings, which used to be monthly, are now quarterly. The drawings used to be for 25k miles but now it is various monetary sums...."
- 10 employees $10,000 each
- 100 employees $1,000 each
- 250 employees $250 each
Verified and originally posted by sukn and NovaEngr.
Q. How do I use an employee recognition certificate?
A. You may personally hand a certificate to any AA (including wholly owned subsidiaries) employee; they're pre-printed with your name and FFN, you can add brief feedback, and the employee will add their information as necessary.
You may also "award" a certificate by phone - the employee will need the 12 digit code from the certificate you have. (Certificates are designed for single use, so it's a good idea to dispose of used certificates awarded this way, or if you wish to retain it you may want to annotate it as used.)
You may still write a letter or use the "Contact AA" e-mail form to pass on your commendation to AA, as the certificates neither go to supervisor / management nor to be appended to the employee's record.) And read on about using Twitter to register your compliments.
A. You may personally hand a certificate to any AA (including wholly owned subsidiaries) employee; they're pre-printed with your name and FFN, you can add brief feedback, and the employee will add their information as necessary.
You may also "award" a certificate by phone - the employee will need the 12 digit code from the certificate you have. (Certificates are designed for single use, so it's a good idea to dispose of used certificates awarded this way, or if you wish to retain it you may want to annotate it as used.)
You may still write a letter or use the "Contact AA" e-mail form to pass on your commendation to AA, as the certificates neither go to supervisor / management nor to be appended to the employee's record.) And read on about using Twitter to register your compliments.
Q. what else can I do to reward an exceptional employee?
A. You can use Twitter - @AmericanAir - to tweet your compliments. The AA Social Media Twitter team will log your comments, which are forwarded to the employee's supervisor and added to their employee file.
A. You can use Twitter - @AmericanAir - to tweet your compliments. The AA Social Media Twitter team will log your comments, which are forwarded to the employee's supervisor and added to their employee file.
Q. Which employees benefit from "Applause" certificates?
All AA employees below the director level from our mainline and wholly owned carriers (Envoy, Piedmont and PSA) are eligible for the program. Employees of non-owned carriers or AA contractors (e.g. Club bartenders and cleaning staff, employees of Compass et al, etc.) do not qualify for the benefits offered by Applause chits.
All AA employees below the director level from our mainline and wholly owned carriers (Envoy, Piedmont and PSA) are eligible for the program. Employees of non-owned carriers or AA contractors (e.g. Club bartenders and cleaning staff, employees of Compass et al, etc.) do not qualify for the benefits offered by Applause chits.
Q. Wasn't the original "Round of Applause" certificate for miles drawings?
A. The certificates originally could be entered by employees by using the 12 digit code on Jetnet in monthly random drawings for chances to win 25,000 AAdvantage miles.
"One-hundred winners will be chosen monthly and announced on Jetnet on the 15th of each month following the drawing. The first drawing will be on December 1st and on the first of each month thereafter with the final drawing on May 1, 2007." N.B. Employees were required to pay taxes on these "winnings" just as we are taxed on non-"earned" miles won in contests.
A. The certificates originally could be entered by employees by using the 12 digit code on Jetnet in monthly random drawings for chances to win 25,000 AAdvantage miles.
"One-hundred winners will be chosen monthly and announced on Jetnet on the 15th of each month following the drawing. The first drawing will be on December 1st and on the first of each month thereafter with the final drawing on May 1, 2007." N.B. Employees were required to pay taxes on these "winnings" just as we are taxed on non-"earned" miles won in contests.
Q. What did the "Round of Applause" certificates replace?
A. The program superseded the "You're SomeOne Special" ("SOS") program as of 2006. Three SOS certificates could be used for one round trip positive space; certificates could be used for merchandise discounts or gift certificates. They were very popular.
A. The program superseded the "You're SomeOne Special" ("SOS") program as of 2006. Three SOS certificates could be used for one round trip positive space; certificates could be used for merchandise discounts or gift certificates. They were very popular.
Links to related resources:
Employee reactions: Question for AA Crew: Your preference on Applause Certs
The archive can be searched for posts by AAFA, jrhone, skylady and sluggoaafa; they are also linked to in the OP.
Other ways of providing employee feedback / recognition:
These are merged, archival threads with information about the SOS program, its benefits, discontinuation and how some attempted to appeal to AA or create their own responses:
The LUS thread: Above and Beyond Certificates (now AA & US - see Combined forum) posts have been merged into this thread (17 October 2017).
Link to ARCHIVE: "Rounds of Applause" Employee Recognition and Certificates
You're Someone Special - SOS program employee recognition [merged]
You're SomeOne Special Program (SOS) - Discontinued [merged]
and Appeal to AA (and attempts) to bring back the SOS / SomeOne Special program [merged]
Employee reactions: Question for AA Crew: Your preference on Applause Certs
The archive can be searched for posts by AAFA, jrhone, skylady and sluggoaafa; they are also linked to in the OP.
Other ways of providing employee feedback / recognition:
Originally Posted by AA.com
Compliment/Complaint/Comment
Contact Information (including)
"We want to be sure we hear from you. Please verify that you are on the correct country version of aa.com, by checking the country flag displayed at the top of the page. Then submit your comments or inquiries using the link below: "
Email AA Customer Relations (pops up AA e-form)
Other relevant Contact Information
Mail/Overnight mail
American Airlines Customer Relations
4000 E. Sky Harbor Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
Phone: 817-786-3778
Fax: 480-693-2300
Contact Information (including)
- Praise/Compliments
- Concerns/Complaints
- Suggestions/Comm
"We want to be sure we hear from you. Please verify that you are on the correct country version of aa.com, by checking the country flag displayed at the top of the page. Then submit your comments or inquiries using the link below: "
Email AA Customer Relations (pops up AA e-form)
Other relevant Contact Information
Mail/Overnight mail
American Airlines Customer Relations
4000 E. Sky Harbor Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
Phone: 817-786-3778
Fax: 480-693-2300
The LUS thread: Above and Beyond Certificates (now AA & US - see Combined forum) posts have been merged into this thread (17 October 2017).
Link to ARCHIVE: "Rounds of Applause" Employee Recognition and Certificates
You're Someone Special - SOS program employee recognition [merged]
You're SomeOne Special Program (SOS) - Discontinued [merged]
and Appeal to AA (and attempts) to bring back the SOS / SomeOne Special program [merged]
Updated 16 Aug 2015 - JDiver
Applause Outstanding Service Excellence Employee Recognition Certs / Chits
Apr 28, 2014, 7:51 pm
#46
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Gilette, France
Programs: AAdvantage (since 1987) PLAT. USAir Dividend, AF Flying Blue.
Posts: 312
So, as I have read this thread before, I asked her if she would appreciate it. She answered me back with a very very big smile and a big "yes of course". Then I just asked "how many are you ?" : 4
So when I gave her one for each cabin crew she thanked me even more telling me "Thank you so much, for them. Because, in the back, they never ever get any."
Sep 4, 2014, 7:28 pm
#47
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1
I used a stack of certs on USAir flights in August. In most cases USAir employees did a double-take as they hadn't seen these yet, but they all recognized them and confirmed that yes these do in fact work for them, and in all cases very-much appreciated.
Sep 9, 2014, 11:23 am
#48
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: LHR, SAN
Programs: BA GGL, AA PLT, VS-curious
Posts: 1,487
Sep 15, 2014, 1:25 pm
#49
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: NYC/CLT/LHR
Programs: AA Plat, Bonvoy Gold, SkyMiles Dirt
Posts: 446
Above & Beyond/Applause Certificates On The Other Carrier
Does anyone know if the Above & Beyond certificates work if given to an AA employee? Or the reverse, if a US employee gets an Applause certificate? I received some great service recently and didn't know what to do other than write in. Would be nice if they had some way of exchanging one for the other.
Do the Applause certificates enter employees in a drawing like the A&Bs do?
Do the Applause certificates enter employees in a drawing like the A&Bs do?
Sep 15, 2014, 2:34 pm
#51
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: San Diego (SAN)
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 939
Does anyone know if the Above & Beyond certificates work if given to an AA employee? Or the reverse, if a US employee gets an Applause certificate? I received some great service recently and didn't know what to do other than write in. Would be nice if they had some way of exchanging one for the other.
Do the Applause certificates enter employees in a drawing like the A&Bs do?
Do the Applause certificates enter employees in a drawing like the A&Bs do?
Sep 15, 2014, 3:08 pm
#52
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: NYC/CLT/LHR
Programs: AA Plat, Bonvoy Gold, SkyMiles Dirt
Posts: 446
The employee recognition program is unified now, so both airlines have the certificates entered into the same drawing. I would imagine, though I'm not certain, that it wouldn't matter whether the certificate was issued by the same legacy carrier that the employee works for, since it's all the same drawing in the end.
Sep 15, 2014, 3:27 pm
#53
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: PHX
Programs: AA PRO
Posts: 352
Above & Beyond/Applause Certificates On The Other Carrier
Just did this on Saturday night at the LAX Eagle's Nest club. Two agents, one AA and one US. They were both awesome during my delay, and I only had AAplause certs on me. I asked the US agent specifically if one of those certificates would be useful for her, and she said yes. Because of the code printer on the certificate, they can be converted online to an entry in the A&B drawing.
I don't know if the rewards / drawings are integrated per se... I didn't ask that.
But the US agent was perfectly happy with the AA certificate.
I don't know if the rewards / drawings are integrated per se... I didn't ask that.
But the US agent was perfectly happy with the AA certificate.
Sep 15, 2014, 6:55 pm
#54
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: San Diego (SAN)
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 939
They are definitely integrated... At the quarterly state of the airline meetings, the names are mixed together in one drum and drawn out, with names pulled and prizes awarded without regard to which carrier the winners work for.
Sep 16, 2014, 6:59 am
#55
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Houston, TX
Programs: HHonors Diamond, AA Executive Platinum, National Executive Elite, Avis First
Posts: 494
Are contractors (like the gate agents at regional airports) eligible for these as well? What about employees of regional air carriers like Republic, Air Wisconsin, etc?
Sep 16, 2014, 1:53 pm
#56
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: San Diego (SAN)
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 939
Employees of the wholly-owned regional carriers (Envoy, Piedmont, and PSA) are definitely able to participate in the drawings with these certs. I'm not sure about contract carriers, but I don't think they are in it.
Jan 18, 2015, 10:04 am
#57
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: A3 Miles+Bonus
Posts: 30
Does AApplause still exist?
I've read here and there that AA offers Elites AApplause/Applause certificates to commend crew for exceptional service, but information seems to be pretty inconsistent as to whether or not the program is still active or exists in the physical certificate form.
Is the program active? Otherwise, is there another dedicated channel for recognizing exceptional service on AA? I've had a slew of fantastic experiences lately, and it would be great to communicate that to AA in a way that gets back to the crew
Is the program active? Otherwise, is there another dedicated channel for recognizing exceptional service on AA? I've had a slew of fantastic experiences lately, and it would be great to communicate that to AA in a way that gets back to the crew
Jan 18, 2015, 10:21 am
#58
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
I received my newest batch of Applause certificates when I received my 2015 status kit. They're still active.
But I've also used the web form on aa.com when I've had notable crew or experiences on AA, and specifically requested they be copied to employee and supervisor. This doesn't necessarily mean it happens, I suppose, but imo it should get some notice. And it's not exactly asking for onerous effort requesting a forward by email.
I've just finished some housekeeping on this thread, including dating the wiki after considerable reading of material from reliable posters, including several AA employees.
The SOS centificates may be entered by employee recipients through Jetnet (through the 12 digit code) into monthly random drawings for 25,000 miles - upon which a "lucky" employee must pay taxes. The certificates rarely, if ever, get into an employee's file, and have no influence on any material condition of employment (governed by seniority and union contract).
But I've also used the web form on aa.com when I've had notable crew or experiences on AA, and specifically requested they be copied to employee and supervisor. This doesn't necessarily mean it happens, I suppose, but imo it should get some notice. And it's not exactly asking for onerous effort requesting a forward by email.
I've just finished some housekeeping on this thread, including dating the wiki after considerable reading of material from reliable posters, including several AA employees.
The SOS centificates may be entered by employee recipients through Jetnet (through the 12 digit code) into monthly random drawings for 25,000 miles - upon which a "lucky" employee must pay taxes. The certificates rarely, if ever, get into an employee's file, and have no influence on any material condition of employment (governed by seniority and union contract).
Last edited by JDiver; Jan 18, 2015 at 3:03 pm Reason: Update after housekeeping
Jan 19, 2015, 9:05 am
#60
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EXP (LT Plat 2MM), Marriott Plat, IHG Plat, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Plat, SPG Plat75, UA1K
Posts: 1,248
Great Trip - ORD/DFW Yesterday
Just wanted to give a counterpoint to some of the AA complaints of late. While I know that mine is just a single data point and YMMV, just had to call out the crew on my trip to DFW yesterday. I was in coach on a Mad Dog in my "Hobo Upgrade" seat (21B) with no one in 21A. Was a little bummed that I didn't clear the upgrade but, hey, short flight to DFW - no harm no foul. The two FA's in coach were AWESOME! Great attitudes, fun loving and displaying a great sense of humor. Asked for a Bloody Mary and had my credit card out when one noticed my (old) Exec Plat luggage tag. Her first response was "I see you are an EXP so the drink is on us." When I said that, actually, I am just a plain Plat now she said "Well, for today you are an EXP."
They worked the cabin well and, just a bit before landing I gave them each an AApplause Certificate (or whatever they are calling them these days). Both seemed genuinely touched to get one. After I thanked them for making the trip fun, one asked if I was a beer drinker. I said not really (well, Guinness really isn't beer - more like oatmeal in a glass). She then asked if I liked anything else and I said I was more of a vodka guy. She reached into the drawer and grabbed a few Tito's minis for the road. Haven't had that happen in a long, long time.
So, like I said, just a single data point but thought I would share.
They worked the cabin well and, just a bit before landing I gave them each an AApplause Certificate (or whatever they are calling them these days). Both seemed genuinely touched to get one. After I thanked them for making the trip fun, one asked if I was a beer drinker. I said not really (well, Guinness really isn't beer - more like oatmeal in a glass). She then asked if I liked anything else and I said I was more of a vodka guy. She reached into the drawer and grabbed a few Tito's minis for the road. Haven't had that happen in a long, long time.
So, like I said, just a single data point but thought I would share.
