HNL

As reported on Traveling Better, it looks like AA is going to expand the ala carte pricing and offer premium seating in economy for an extra fee.

http://www.travelingbetter.com/forum...ead.php?t=4558

MODERATOR NOTE

And more recently, as of ~April 2011, this has been expanded to "select international markets" - see page 7 and beyond. From alien's post:

"Express Seats are offered on itineraries entirely within the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands or on international itineraries originating in the United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Belgium."

http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/yourChoice_expressSeats.jsp

sds1493

How will this affect the current elite benefits?

Microwave

Based on the remarks by JonNYC linked in the original post, this would only be available in the 24 hours before flight (presumably offered via OLCI). Doesn't seem that it would affect elites much, as most of us (save for last-minute travelers) would have already selected the seats we want, and this won't apply to longer international flights. In fact, some of the seats we open up through upgrades will probably end up going to people who pay for this product--and if that helps AA's bottom line while still keeping premium seat availability for elites, I'm all for it. ^

Madison Guy

I don't see that it does. Based on the quoted post, non-elites can only purchase premium seats starting at the normal checkin (24 hrs) - long after eltes have had their shot. It SOUNDS like both elites and non-elites may purchase Z-blocked bulkhead seats at T-24 - or perhaps elites can select them for free at that time then rather than trying at the AP??

zman

Does that mean AA will change the coach seat pitch to 28-30 inches so the 30-32 inch pitch premium seats they can charge more for?

Do u think AA can go to 3x3 on MD80?

HNL

give it a rest.

bernardd

It sounds similar to the way the CO offering works. CO say it's making money and, while there are a few gumbles, judging by the comments on their forum, it isn't a huge problem for most CO elites.

ijgordon

It's actually better for elites. Previously all exit row/bulkhead seating opened up for anyone for free at T-24 on CO. (Not sure if AA was the same.) Mid/Top tier could pre-assign most of these seats. In the current system, low-level elites get free access at T-24 but anyone else has to pay. Turns out that not that many people pay for it, so there's almost always a good choice of exit row seating available up until nearly the last minute, in case you changed flights and couldn't get upgraded.

FWIW, I think the math worked out to be approximately 1 paid premium seat per flight based on what they said on either the last or the prior earnings conference call. Doesn't seem like a lot but I guess it adds up.

dstan

We'll see how they implement it - let's just hope it doesn't someday end up like US, where they reduced the number of Preferred seats so they could sell more Choice seats

25 pages of horror stories:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...ice-seats.html

HNL

Aircraft & Seats revealed.

dstan

I see all of those seats blocked on random flights in Feb 2011. I'm pretty sure the first two rows of the MD-80 have always been blocked for airport control, as well as the bulkheads, but are some of the seats on that list new (not previously blocked)?

drunkcats

or 3-4-3 on AA's Boeing 777s?

nkedel

Well, people keep saying AA should be more like EK.

The one I'm annoyed by but resigned to is the likelihood that the dreamliners will be 9-across rather than the designed-for 8.

drunkcats

if AA somehow brings itself up to the same quality as EK, nobody's going to mind 3-4-3 (10-across) seating on 777s. I definitly wont' mind being
stuffed in 3-4-3 doing mileage runs on AA, knowing that my miles will
earn me future upgrades on business & first class seat/service/meal/shower
on the same level as EK. (oh, wait, AA doesn't have A380s yes, so scratch
that idea... besides, AA can't even match UA yet.... this idea has as much
chance of happening as Lindsay Lohan becoming the official spokeswoman
for AA... no, not AA the airline.... AA as in Alcoholics Anonymous )

Hyperacusis

Trust me, as an EK top tier elite, the last thing I want is for AA to be more like EK. That would mean....

- Devaluation of the FF program to reduce mileage earning (7,000 mile flat for IAH to DXB? really?) and increase redemption rates across the board
- 3-4-3 on a 777 in Y. Yes, the service in general on Y is better on EK, as is the IFE, but the extra inch of width makes more of a difference to me.
- EK Gold service desk can't compare to EXP desk.
- Killing off Y-J upgrades, which went from C inventory last year (the equivalent of D on AA, aka LOTS of availability) to I inventory late last year (the equivalent of, well, I on AA: discount J with lower availability but still not hard to get), to D inventory this year (the equivalent of U on AA - it is the award bucket with very little availability). So J upgrades have gone from being somewhat expensive (under the old FFP redemption rates) and easily available (which made the slightly high redemption rate worth it) to even more expensive (under the new FFP rates) and impossible to get. Yeah, those A380 showers that look so great? Don't bank on your Skywards miles to ever sit in that cabin.

Sure, the EK hard product in all cabins (except the Y seat width on the 777) is better across the board than on AA. And 90% of the time, so is the service. But I still get treated better as an EXP thanks to the EXP desk, as well as ground staff. And while the cabin crew are not nearly as professional as EK, I still do feel I get better treatment as an EXP (relative to a non-status person) than I do as a Gold on EK. There are some lounges in the AA network that are actually better than the EK J lounges, which tend to be extremely crowded (particularly at DXB), with people asleep on couches all over the place. And AAdvantage is light years ahead of Skywards.

Lets put it this way: I have never sat in Y on an AA 777, thanks to SWUs and good upgrade availability. I have most certainly been in Y on an EK 777, even if the last time was a year ago. As somebody who doesn't have the money to pay EK's J fares out of the US or DXB (they are HIGH), but CAN afford AA and OW J fares every now and then, I'm ok with saying I'm happy with AA being the way it is.