Free drinks for AY Plats [and other experience reports of Plat recognition]
May 16, 2018, 12:19 am
#601
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,191
May 16, 2018, 12:57 am
#602
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: KUO
Programs: HH Diam, AY/AX/KQ/IHG/VISA Plat, SK/Bonvoy/Melia/Strawberry Gold, Radisson Prem, PP Prest
Posts: 2,266
Off the record, I have two PP:s allowing one free guest both. Still I can not bring in three guests to Aspire or Almost Home, unless I pay for the 3rd and 4th person - says the attendant. Although by the book it should be possible?
May 16, 2018, 1:40 am
#603
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), Bonvoy Gold, HH Diamond, PriorityPass, AX Plat
Posts: 526
May 16, 2018, 2:12 am
#604
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: BA Gold, OZ Diamond, LH Silver
Posts: 554
Just be prepared that some FAs don't really understand the difference or even know what emerald is and thus it is just easier to tell them that you have Plat than you are emerald, especially when ordering drinks and if there is some confusion. Recently a purser brought me an "emerald-newspaper" though!
May 16, 2018, 4:23 am
#605
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,758
I had a "different " recognition on AY9 on Sunday. Traveling alone, sitting on the last row of Economy Comfort. A party of three had gotten their seat selections messed up, and ended up in normal Y even though they had paid for Comfort. So the chief purser decides to approach me about it, asking me if I would be willing to move to a normal Y seat "since these people have paid money for their seats". I politely told her that I would not, and that as a Plat I don't have the possibility to pay for my seat even if I wanted to. Oh how I felt the appreciation...
Out of curiosity, what would you have said if she had approached you with the suggestion of moving to a Y seat + €150 gift card? Considering that AY will have to return €90 (?) cash to the downgraded pax, an offer of a €150 gift card wouldn't be unreasonable from AY's point of view.
May 16, 2018, 7:58 am
#606
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, GC Jade
Posts: 102
Out of curiosity, what would you have said if she had approached you with the suggestion of moving to a Y seat + €150 gift card? Considering that AY will have to return €90 (?) cash to the downgraded pax, an offer of a €150 gift card wouldn't be unreasonable from AY's point of view.
May 16, 2018, 8:31 am
#607
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HEL
Programs: AY Platinum, TK Elite, BT VIP, AA, BA, SK, DL, NT, WB + hotels
Posts: 8,758
And the purser asks someone who is not only Plat but also 2 m tall to move from Y+ to Y. Appalling. I hope I never have to fly with her.
And I certainly hope it was her own thinking rather than AY policy.
And I certainly hope it was her own thinking rather than AY policy.
May 16, 2018, 10:22 am
#608
Join Date: May 2014
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+Plat, ALL Plat, Scandic L2
Posts: 3,620
) so the problem is not exactly AY-specific.
Last edited by Courmisch; May 19, 2018 at 1:33 am
May 16, 2018, 11:41 am
#609
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Programs: Finnair (AY) Platinum, Air France Silver, Tallink Club One Silver :)
Posts: 1,655
May 16, 2018, 6:12 pm
#610
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: HEL
Programs: AY GOLD, HH GOLD
Posts: 411
But no name on the upgrade list of AA App 😂
May 17, 2018, 9:41 am
#611
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: C2
Programs: AY ex-Lumo, TK Elite, BT VIP, ITA Executive
Posts: 1,157
Flight 1: Round 1 - "It is not free, you will have to pay." ... "Can you please double-check?" ... /served without a word/, Round 2 - another FA - "Was it just one drink included?" ... "No, it's absolutely fine."
Flight 2: Snacks and drinks offered proactively. When I woke up I found a bottle to refill on my table. Well done!
Flight 3: "It will be 8 bucks." ... "I'm Emerald." ... "It will be fine!"
Reading all the stories and experiencing many myself as well, I'm wondering how airlines communicate to their FAs and ground staff the existence of their loyalty programs.
May 17, 2018, 4:43 pm
#612
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,191
My proper status recognition on AA was in short like this:
Flight 1: Round 1 - "It is not free, you will have to pay." ... "Can you please double-check?" ... /served without a word/, Round 2 - another FA - "Was it just one drink included?" ... "No, it's absolutely fine."
Flight 2: Snacks and drinks offered proactively. When I woke up I found a bottle to refill on my table. Well done!
Flight 3: "It will be 8 bucks." ... "I'm Emerald." ... "It will be fine!"
Reading all the stories and experiencing many myself as well, I'm wondering how airlines communicate to their FAs and ground staff the existence of their loyalty programs.
Flight 1: Round 1 - "It is not free, you will have to pay." ... "Can you please double-check?" ... /served without a word/, Round 2 - another FA - "Was it just one drink included?" ... "No, it's absolutely fine."
Flight 2: Snacks and drinks offered proactively. When I woke up I found a bottle to refill on my table. Well done!
Flight 3: "It will be 8 bucks." ... "I'm Emerald." ... "It will be fine!"
Reading all the stories and experiencing many myself as well, I'm wondering how airlines communicate to their FAs and ground staff the existence of their loyalty programs.
I had a very fun FA on a longer domestic flight, "Mr CPH-FLYER, thank you for your loyalty to AA. You rock. If you need anything from the menu, just let me know and I'll bring it."
I have also had the completely indifferent FA who did not really say anything, just skipped charging me after I selected.
May 18, 2018, 5:45 pm
#614
Join Date: May 2012
Location: HEL
Programs: AY+ Platinum (OWE), HH Diamond, Marriott Platinum, AX
Posts: 190
DId you have a seat in main cabin extra on AA? AA announced earlier this year that they are starting to serve free alcoholic drinks (and maybe also something else) in MCE although this change has been subsequently postponed to Summer 2018. However, it has happened to me every now and then in MCE that the FAs don't charge for the alcoholic drinks (last time last week) and right now there seems to be a lot of inconsistency on this on AA (might vary depending on FA/status/route etc.).