While I am an AA devotee, I have had several problems with them (I'll save the gory details for another time).

However, one of the biggest negatives of their AAdvantage program is that AA does not count minimum miles (i.e. 500) towards status. Only actual miles flown count as status miles.

Cheers,

'toad

To Hammertoad
Are you sure? I received my 500 mile credit for LA to SF flights on my Platinum qualification.

Hammertoad --

You are incorrect regarding the min. milage amounts for status. When you look at your mileage statement, the actual number of miles appears in the mileage column. If the miles <500, the difference between the actual miles and the 500 miles appears in the bonus column. However, the full 500 miles counts for all status measures (points or miles)

--Jim

Jimbo-

I wondered about that, too, so I called. And according to the Gold CS desk, only actual miles flown count for status. I'll admit, though, that I haven't taken the time to add up all the 'actual' miles and compare them to the Gold/Plat qualifying miles. So perhaps the rep was mistaken? Nah, that never happens!

Cheers,

'toad

I just compared two statements, and added up the numbers - the 500 mile minimum applies to your elite status mile total.

I remember reading about this somewhere in AA's literature too - you are guaranteed a minimum of 500 qualifying miles per flight.

Good thing too, as I am basing my Exec Platinum status for next year on a couple of short hop flights next week!

I've avoided AA for many years due to their business practices (reflecting Robert Crandall's personality - I'm not sure if things have changed since he stepped down).

Example 1 - I've exchanged tickets for friends and business colleagues on AA and UA. On UA I've done it many times without any problem. On AA, I tried it once. Even though the friend had asked the res agent to document in the record that I would be exchanging the ticket for him, AA airport ticket counter personnel acted as if I was trying to defraud them until I walked them through the scenario and got Res to explicitly OK the exchange by phone to them.

Example 2 - in the days prior to the routine ID check at the gate, it was Crandall's policy to confiscate tickets and tell the passenger he was committing fraud if someone tried to fly on a ticket that was not in their name. Not exactly a way to leave a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Example 3 - AA has been one of the most aggressive at going after those who use "back to back" tickets.

Example 4 - when UA and AA instituted their new programs with capacity controls and mileage expiration, UA was very honest in their ads (your original miles are good for six more years). AA trumpeted "Your original miles are good forever." What they didn't say was that UA continued honoring the original terms and conditions on their original miles (no capacity controls, very few blackout dates). AA immediately instituted strict capacity controls and blackout dates on their original awards.

I was Exec Premiere with United a few years ago, and I have been Platinum for three years with AA. In the last 10 years, these two airlines have accounted for about 75% of my domestic flights, with numerous upgrades on both.

In all, I've both good experiences and bad on each airline. But almost without exception, the quality of service and general comfort level I have experienced on most foreign carriers (especially Qantas, but also British Air and South African) has been better than the international flights on either AA or UA. Unfortunately, a trend I have noticed with both airlines is that the general level of service (domestic and int'l) has declined during the last few years -- in part because the planes are so full these days.

But if I were to try and compare apples to apples between AA and UA only, the biggest difference is that UA seems to treat its elite members and business/first flyers with a tad more respect and restraint than AA. The front cabins feel professional on UA, whereas they are sometimes a bit too casual on AA. On the other hand, UA also seems to actively DISrespect its non-elite flyers -- something I don't find with AA.

Since losing my Premiere status, the recent times I have flown UA have rarely been pleasant. A lot of UA employees don't seem to care for their jobs, and their dissatisfaction seems to be taken out on the average flyer. At best I feel like just another member of the cattle call -- at worst, frowned upon. Prior to gaining elite status with AA, I never felt like I was treated special, but I generally had positive, upbeat interactions with all manner of staff.

In then end, I'm sticking with AA over UA in large part because of their frequent flier program (which I feel is more generous, particularly with partner awards) and also because their route network serves me a little better. But if those two items were equal, I'd still lean to AA because I'd prefer to have upbeat, smiling, if sometimes lax interactions with an airline's employees over formal, play-by-the-rules, if usually professional service at another airline.

roti: Your point regarding DISrespect for non-elites is well taken. Some years ago, I worked hard to build up enough TWA miles for free tickets for our family. On the outbound, we missed a connection in St. Louis because our plane was delayed out of San Diego. Upon arriving in St. Louis, I tried to re-schedule us onto the next flight. The agent was MOST interested in our fare class. When he saw we were flying on free tickts, we were treated like pond scum. That was seven years ago, and I haven't given TWA any business at all since then. On the other hand, AA has been most accommodating.

I personally have grown to HATE AA. I have been either Gold or Platinum on American for the last 12 years, and it seems to me that the only passengers they really care about are those in the very top level of their elite program -- originally Gold, then Platinum, now Executive Platinum. If you're not in the very top, forget about getting any kind of decent service out of them. In general, I think the personnel are largely indifferent to the passengers.

I detect a great deal of arrogance in AA employees, which, in my view, originated with Crandall's "f*** 'em" -- be they competitors or customers -- attitude. Things seemed to get better in the early '90s, during the recession, but have definitely got much, much worse over the last year or two.

In contrast, I flew UA a few weeks ago, in coach, with no status at all. They were so much nicer to me than American had been, even with my Platinum AA status, that I had to pause. I'm sure elite flyers on UA also have horror stories, but in my mind, AA is to be loathed.


[This message has been edited by Adman (edited 12-20-1999).]

I have chosen AA as my carrier of choice. They have not always been the best, but they:

1. Service the domestic markets I need access to most frequently.
2. Their worldwide and domestic partners fill most of the other needs that I have.
3. Their frequent flyer program is fairly generous as far as upgrades and availability go.

I have noticed a lot of the same in regards to service levels with AA and UA. I have experienced the poor non-elite treatment from UA. I have experienced better treatment as a oneworld elite from Qantas and BA more often than on AA.

What it comes down to is that you are never going to have everything perfect and go your way when you are dealing with huge corporate machines like AA and UA. One will be better in one area, the other will be better at somthing else. Sure, you can vote with your dollars, but really, as an individual, you don't matter that much to them. As a large corporate account, maybe.

Well I think we'd all agree, that for the most part it's the people that make. How they act, how they handle specific situations, and if they have the authority to quickly put an end to a particular problem.

Yes, I had a few "minor" experiences on AA, but those minor things have been more than made up for from all the "positives" I received from AA. Things from comp'd upgrades for traveling companions (several different occasions) even when I was on an upgraded award ticket and had no elite status at that time(on any airline)to having a gate agent arguing with her superior that I should get the upgrade over another (I won) to things such as a FA going out of her way to buy a special 4th of July cake and candles/sparklers on her own to serve for dessert to us upfront.

In the end, these things were good for AA and for me. The costs were miminal for AA, made me happy and a loyal customer.

As far as things getting worse, I'd have to disagree, first because I haven't personally experienced any problems; and secondly because I can see a big push from corprate and employee group leaders to put the customer first, especially the pilots.

Just my two cents.

I have consistently flown AA for 10 years. This year I am at 145,000 actual flight miles (all paid coach tickets) and hit Exec. Platinum the hard way. Since I live in the Upper Midwest I also fly Northwest extensively (Gold with 45,000 miles YTD).

All of my AA flights are connections originating on American Eagle and then the treck from G to K or H at ORD.

In my view, American is my choice simply because of Professionalism. Their phone employees are always very professional, knowledgable and helpful. Most Flight attendents as well. Nothing extraordinary, but very consistent and professional.

When flights are delayed or cancelled, it never is easy. But I have seen AA almost always treat me with dignity and respect. I always get the sense they are "trying".

My other carrier, Northwest, is literally a 3rd World carrier in comparison to AA. Old, unionized employees. Filthy, old planes and such an unprofessional, unpolished image from all aspects of the organization.

My vote goes to AA.

I don't think that I travel that much but I have seen some of the most incompetent and rudest employees in the airline business at AA. It too numerous to get into, but an example of this was the last flight, when boarding the plane, I inquire about whether elite members would preboard with first class because there was no announcement for elite members to preboard. The flight attendent or customer representative said no because it would slow down boarding and they were slightly late. At that point, I wonder what was the point of being an elite member if you can't preboard. As I waited for the regular boarding, the flight attendent taking the ticket saw that I was elite (written on the ticet) and said I should have boarded with first class. This is just one example of incompetent employees.

Though I'd already pretty much declared allegiance to UA, the pilots strike of last spring only solidified my distate for AA. I had a chance to read the judge's decision inthe case, and the kind of tactics that the union engaged in just turn me off from flying with them.

Of course, UA isn't without the same kind of troubles, but given that I think the AA pilots union got exactly what it deserved, I'm probably going to stay away from AA for a while.

I also keep in mind: while I'm not going to reach UA 1K in the very near future, if I flew AA I would never reach Plat Exec level because I almost never fly on full fares.

I have to disagree with Sergio's comments that AA employees are incompetent. The example has nothing to do with the way an employee does his or her job -- or if they are incompenent or not.

There are times when AA boards in row order only -- it gets people on the plane faster. If people learned to step into the row while the loaded the overhead, more people could get by and the flight would load faster. If they are running late, I would rather have them board this way so we can get on the plane and get going -- so I can make my connection.

I give the AA folks (and all airline employees in general) alot of credit. Thinking about the number of people they see each day, the number of people who yell at them, blame them, and are generally not nice to them, I can see that they may have a rough day or come off as rude. It has happened to me and I take it all with a grain of salt. Just get me to where I am going as quick as possible and as safe as possible...

--Jim