screwedbyaa

So we've all heard the various reports of eVIP upgrade requests being trumped by those using miles+copay (especially at foreign stations), but until now most reports pitted eVIPs against miles+copay within a given status level. Here's a new twist:

I was flying GRU/JFK last week and through check-in my eVIP upgrade request (Y to J) still hadn't cleared. I was placed on the airport list and the agent told me that I was #1. When I got to the AC I asked the very nice agent there what my chances were and she asked me to leave my boarding card with her and check later. A few minutes later they called my name and I assumed that my upgrade had cleared. Instead, an on-duty manager handed me back my boarding card and said that it wasn't going to happen, because there were maybe 7 people ahead of me and only two seats available -- he had already processed one of those and was giving the gentleman his card right in front of me!

I asked him how this was possible -- I was #1 just minutes ago -- and his reply was that the other 7 pax were all on miles+copay and that they would trump me regardless of status (inferring, of course, that there were GLDs and PLTs among those "ahead" of me, an EXP)!

As incredibly unbelievable as his story was, sadly he held all the chips. Since I was on a full (B) fare and a miles upgrade would only cost 10K with no copay, I asked him to switch me over. He did, I became #1 again, and got the last remaining upgrade. It was actually a better deal for me and I wondered why I hadn't thought of it to begin with, saving my eVIP for when I'm on a discount fare warranting a copay, but that's not the point.

The point is that an already-scary trend is getting scarier. Gentlemen, prepare to relinquish your seats up front to GLDs and PLTs -- no offence!

clacko

it makes business sense to me....if i was given the choice of $300 vs 0, which would you take?....i don't know the competition is from gru, maybe that is a factor....

good luck.

ESpen36

Yup, it makes business sense. eVIPs are strictly a perk and do not bring in any additional revenue.

By contrast, 25,000 miles plus $300 is worth about $800 (assuming AA values it at $0.02/mile). That's not small potatoes (in fact, that's worth about another coach discount fare)!

I wish AA could make this policy more uniform and perhaps documented somewhere. I also wish that we could find out if the "miles+copay trumps eVIP" happens ONLY at international stations, or whether it happens in the USA as well.

Tango

Short term yes, Long term no.

If you piss off enough EP's who find out that there vip's our worthless, there is less incentive for them to fly AA in the future.

kiwicanuck

I had the same situation in Madrid last year, I watched as the Premium Services manager cleared 2 PLT and a GLD to J while reminding me that my EVIP was complimentry, all while I reminded him that my 150k miles of business was complimentry. I only flew 55k last year on AA after this incident.

I happened to be talking to Aadvantage Customer service regarding another issue, and mentioned what had happened, and was told that this was against policy and recieved two Extra EVIP's for next year.

I actually have no problem with Miles & Co-pay being ahead of EVIP's within a status level, as long as the policy is communicated to all members, and enforced uniformly.

ESpen36

The question then becomes, do you need two airport upgrade lists? One for miles+copy, one for eVIPs?

Another question for me is whether the system automatically bumps eVIP folks down below miles+copay folks on the airport upgrade list, or whether a human intervenes to clear lower-priority pax first because they are using miles.

shoodawg

redacted

screwedbyaa

Not exactly -- the part about miles+copay over eVIP I already knew (and can understand), but they had always respected the boundaries between status levels. Now, it seems, this is no longer the case and that does surprise me.

For the record, I take issue with the notion that an eVIP is a freebie; after all, "earning" it figures greatly into my flying patterns, but that's beyond the scope of this thread. Also for the record, I repeat once again that I didn't give them any cash -- just 10K miles and they still took that over an eVIP.

millionmiler

I've been reporting this fact for years here on this board and have been argued with by nasty disbelievers every time. Though I doubt it, I hope this finally puts the issue to rest.

shoodawg

redacted

GadgetFreak

Well, that would argue that you should not bother about having status, since you can upgrade anytime you want no matter. I dont think that is a message AA really wants to send.

MiamiPrep

AA should do whatever makes business sense for them BUT, what improves this quarter may not have good long term results. I spend $15,000.00 per year for those "free" eVIPS's. The FF loyality REWARD programs reward and incentivize our behavior. If the value of the "perks" erodes, I and others (I suspect) will look elsewhere. Flying already is a good deal less fun than it used to be. I may move to other hobbies other than travel.

skywalkerLAX

Ok now this is airport procedure, lets look it from another perspective:

Mileage upgrades are part of AAdvantage and every member should have the opportunity to redeem his miles for these. From Base to EXP !

Now, how many of the eVIPs clear before the flight date ? The ones that I traded with fellow FTer at least 4 days before.

So what is left for the regular members? Award space is very limited already and as soon as one becomes available an EXP/PLT or maybe even a GLD takes it from the waitlist.

If this goes on at the airport too it would question the whole availability and award system pretty much. If someone is willing to spend miles PLUS his money for an upgrade after years of flying then he should get it, yes even ahead of the "complimentary" eVIPs and regardless of EXP/PLT...

Just my 2c

billgrates3

Last year I paid for transatlantic upgrades 8 times with 25k miles + $300 (in jan.07 it was still $250) two of the upgrades cleared at the gate, a couple of others the morning of. This was all business travel... BUT...
I did spend a BUNCH of my own money on vacation and other trips to be sure i made EXP, primarily to get eVIPs INSTEAD OF using award miles.

If people with lower status get upgrades when i'm trying to use those hard-earned eVIPs this year, I will be PLENTY P**SED OFF !!!

I hope AA is listening.

spurg

somewhat related: i also have empirical evidence of the 150$+15000 miles to upgrade to hawaii (USA to HNL) trumping stickers--regardless of status.