sbm12

Ironic that they embargoed the story but then published the website earlier than that. Screws the people you've promised an inside scoop to when you don't actually honor the embargo you've created.

IMH

If "ironic that" means roughly the same as "disingenuous of AA" then yes. It appears that anyone accepting an embargoed advance briefing ended up behind those who just watched the AA website or the TB/FT threads.

Canarsie

Exactly.

kokonutz

Ironic or brilliant!?

By distributing but embargoing to bloggers AA kept the bloggers from speculating/talking and got to tell the story themselves while the bloggers are still under embargo.

Tricksy!

And brilliant.

Canarsie

I am not sure I would call it brilliant.

American Airlines is certainly not the only company to implement this procedure of how the release of news is controlled...

IMH

So: has anyone spotted a thoughtful post about AA's 2015 FFP yet?

I'm not sure that Mr Leff's "It's REALLY Good!" quite cuts it.

sbm12

I came to the conclusion that it is basically just the same old AA program with 120 segments for EXP and free SDC. Not much else changed, though if your a US passenger lots changed.

There's not a ton of insight to be offered given that they didn't really change much.


Most of the other posts I've read talk about how it is good or bad for the author, not for customers in general.

Generally speaking the embargo is shot the moment the story breaks otherwise. IF VFTW was embargoed until 10a EDT like CF was then he broke it early, but it would generally be considered OK because AA had already published the info.


n.b. The link above is to my blog or to one which I am a regular contributor. FT rules require that I disclose that in the post.

IMH

AA is probably really happy with the coverage so far, ranging as it does from "nothing much happening" to "really good" (sorry: "REALLY Good!" ).

Very little on what some US Dividend Miles customers will lose and nothing at all on when people might be better off in a different oneworld FFP.

kokonutz

Deep analysis, no, not much.

But, of course, what blogger worth his weight in credit card applications would miss this PERFECT opportunity to pimp the US Barclays and the AA Citi cards!?

HikerT

Based on this post I would think Gary isn't aware of a major devaluation on the horizon:

http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....-miles-89-can/

Either that or the "Here’s What You Can Do With the Miles" falls squarely under the subject of this thread.

IMH

No. But why would he be? That's not the kind of information an airline is likely to share with a blogger.

Regardless of future devaluations, VFTW's claim (in the blog post you link to) that 90,000 AA miles for getting for two new credit cards is "one of the very best deals of the year" is plain wrong.

The threshold for qualifying as one of the very best deals this year is quite clearly 100,000 miles for a single card. The next tier down would probably be the 70,000-point Chase cards that were being pushed ike crazy earlier this month (unless of course you're not a business and don't want to pretend you are).

sbm12

FWIW, yesterday OMAAT had 2 posts about Delta dropping stopovers. VFTW had one, FTG had one, DP had one and FM had one.

Except that Delta didn't actually drop stopovers. The website stopped booking them but the rules still permit them and they can be booked if you call in. Didn't really take long to verify that with a call to CorpComm this afternoon.

Oopsie.

GUWonder

Are you saying that DL reps will generally override the computerized pricing calculations for a new award ticket booking? As a long time DL elite, I've had no such luck with DL in years. Then again, being on the DL phone lines for hours more over award ticket issues isn't my cup of tea.

DL actually dropped free stopovers on delta.com and is still planning to drop free stopovers. The "glitch" was that the public got a glimpse into what DL management has plans to do. That is all I'm going to say about the free DL stopovers being dropped this month -- before this week, for those who paid attention.

About bloggers posting wrong or misleading advice, it would be fascinating to know who has what investment (including long and short) positions and other financial relationships with the airlines covered.

84fiero

Why take reasonable, simple steps to follow through on something when you can post panicky, click-bait post headlines?!

Thanks for the informed response sbm12

gpapadop

I have never had the old AA cookie, I hear it was REALLY good #cookiegate