AA Announces AA/US FF Integration Changes

AAdvantage loyalty program in 2015
http://www.aa.com/arriving/ponLoyPro-03.html

The AAdvantage program will continue to offer three elite status levels – AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Platinum and Gold – and you’ll still have three ways to qualify with elite-qualifying miles, points and segments. On January 1, 2015, the segment qualification requirement for Executive Platinum will move to 120, and the current 100 segment threshold will continue until December 31, 2014.

Three tiers:

• Executive Platinum - 100k EQM / 100k EQP / 120 Segments
• Platinum - 50k EQM / 50k EQP / 60 Segments
• Gold - 25k EQM / 25k EQP / 30 Segments

Elite Status Benefits:

• AAdvantage elite status members receive select reciprocal benefits to enrich their travel journey when flying on US Airways.
• This includes upgrades on US Airways on the day of departure when available, First/Business Class check-in, priority through security checkpoints, priority boarding, complimentary checked bags, access to preferred seats, and priority baggage delivery for Executive Platinum and Platinum members.
• Upgrades will still be different on American and US Airways flights until we have a single reservation system at the end of next year. For now, continue flying and enjoying reciprocal benefits and the ability to earn and redeem miles on both carriers. We’ll keep you updated as we move forward with other important integration milestones.

2015 - January Updates:

• Enjoy complimentary same-day confirmed flight changes on American, a new benefit for Chairman's Preferred members
• Redeem all your Special Dividends by early 2015; qualification ends in December 2014

2015 - 2nd Quarter Updates:

• Move to three elite status levels in the AAdvantage program – Gold, Platinum and Executive Platinum
• Qualify for elite status based on elite-qualifying miles, segments and points
• Receive a 100% mileage bonus if you're a Dividend Miles Gold or Platinum member who becomes AAdvantage Platinum
• Redeem miles for AAnytime awards and mileage upgrade awards on both American and US Airways marketed and operated flights
• Upgrade on American marketed and operated flights before day of departure

 

Smart move. Other than increasing the number of EQS (matching the UA requirement), it seems that there are no major changes, and, importantly, the dAArkside has wisely decided to take a "wait & see" posture on the revenue-based system....I suspect that they will see a huge influx of disgruntled DL and UA loyalists fleeing the r-b.s. which will kick off on March 1, 2015 (I'd be one of them had I already made UA MM and *G for life)...

BTW, for AA loyalists, what is the difference between EQM and EQP?

 

I totally agree with this. I think they may be able to reap some customer converts from UA and DL. Even if it's a small percentage it's a win for AA.

 

How many of those customer "wins" will be offset by 75k pax leaving because they no longer get anything special versus 50k? Also, the company doesn't really want to be attracting the customers who are leaving because their 10cpm flights don't earn well. That's not really the customer segment anyone is chasing after. You take them if they come along, but you certainly don't build a marketing plan to attract them.

Free SDC for EXP is nice. The split program rules is a necessity, I suppose, but a bit confusing in some cases. And 120 segments is a match to UA but sucks for the folks used to getting EXP at 100. Free upgrades on sub-500 mile routes seems a rather silly benefit to me.

 

Not happy with the change. So what should US DM be looking for out of this deal? Will we get compensated "stickers" based on our miles flown? And how do these stickers work? Do EXP's even get to accumulate them even thou they get comp upgrades or do they expire every year?

 

EXPs do not need 500-mile stickers for domestic upgrades. As such, they do not accumulate 500-mile stickers.

 

EQM is BIS miles flown and EQP are points based on miles flown. If I fly 2000 miles on a cheap ticket, I get 1000 EQP. If I buy an expensive ticket I get 3000 EQP and if it's a middle of the road, the miles and EQP match. At the moment, it's a faster level up for big spenders.

 

Any announced plan for the MM program merger? Still hoping (for selfish reasons) they'll treat US members equitably in that they consider that AA flyers had, until a few years ago, all their RDM counted towards MM status.

 

I got it, thanks. EQP is %BIS, whereby heavily discounted tickets would get 50% BIS, "normal" tickets get 100% BIS, and premium tickets get 150% class-of-service bonus BIS. People who purchase mostly premium tickets could reach 100 EQP before they reach 100 EQM to make ExPlat

 

For the most part, very good news.

 

You really have to watch the other OW carriers. Some of those fare buckets give you no EQP's. But on the positive side all those foreign carriers miles count towards the million mile status unlike UA

Sent using a small piece of fruit.

 

Same for *A carriers. Got to make sure that the fare code of the carrier earns EQMs or even RDMs.

I do not fly much with foreign carriers except when I redeem UA miles, but it would be great if their BIS counted toward UA MM because I would then not dread the move to the revenue system as much. I would just fly with *A carriers and earn miles based on distance traveled while also making a run for MM...

 

Both Mrs JBC and I make EXP on EQP, and she often never makes it on EQM at all. From other people I know, my guess is that long-haul business flyers often have that happen, but almost nobody else does. This clearly is a 'revenue based' component since it is fairly hard to make EXP on points without passing the spend threshold that, for example, DL establishes for Diamond. The difference is that DL does not give Diamond solely for spend, while AA effectively does that with EQP. FWIW, AA also has Airpass, which gives EXP for a $30,000 annual spend, and CK for $40,000. Those are high thresholds be entirely;y doable for very long haul passengers. I think the changes for 2015 are all to the good. I have never had any experience with segment-based qualification so cannot judge, even though emotionally I'd want to reward the poor suckers who must endure all those short flights.

 

Just now I decided to check what will happen for me when the programs are combined. I was pleased to note that I will pass 10,000,000 miles on AA when that happens. I guess those years as a US Chairman's Preferred were not really wasted after all, assuming I am a status hound, that is!

 

I'm starting to think you have spent more of your life in the air than on the ground.

 

The underlined bit is exactly right. Even under the legacy FF system there was a revenue-based component, whereby big spenders were rewarded handsomely for purchasing premium tickets. UA calls it class-of-service [COS] bonus. It is why I consider the legacy FF system to be quite fair. Folks like me who do not spend a lot but travel a lot almost exclusively with the same airline are rewarded with top elite status and the associated perks; whereas folks who spend a lot get top elite status in fewer trips, in addition to accumulating loads of redeemable miles in bonuses. There is a little bit in there to keep folks flying or doing MRs. Under the revenue system, if one is not a big spender one could still earn elite status but get 50-60% fewer redeemable miles, and big spenders could earn a lot of redeemable miles but not make top elite because COS will be eliminated! Therefore, the concept of loyalty is out, and with it, any rationale for doing things like MRs. The airlines have a cash cow in the legacy FF system but due to greed, DL and UA are about to change that in a way that would leave the traveler with no incentive to do MRs -- the ultimate measure of how addictive the whole mile/point game can be...

 

starting? It is a common happening when airline staff greet Mrs JBC and me as old friends and enquire about current family events and we reciprocate- sadly that happens on at least three different carriers. On AF the other day the FA's just brought our preferred drinks after takeoff without asking what we wanted. I wish our ostensible neighbours were are accommodating, but we do not know them so well as we do the crews. FWIW, AA will be my third airline to go over 10mm miles.

 

Will the Captain on your next trip bring you the 10MM trophy and announce that at 60+ years of age, you are the youngest 10MM on record?

 

Which gets you what?

Nothing last I checked.

 

AFAIK, the only thing will be the extra eVIP's that come with every million miles. These milstones have precisely the same significance as the American Express "member since" date. Nothing, except that people seem to care, including me. Obviously you're correct in being cynical.

 

I hope not, especially because we'd be entering a time warp that I really do not want to experience yet again.

 

I do not know about your remarkable (30MM!!!) milestones being "meaningless". Even without monetary value, they would be personal triumphs for me because the only activities that still excite me truly are my work and traveling to far away places (in that order, but they now overlap so seamlessly that it is tough to tell them apart sometimes). My office wall is covered with "certificates" that I have received for professional achievements, which I am quite proud of since they are tangible evidence of accomplishments and peer esteem. By the same token, I am sure that I will be just as thrilled with the MM card or trophy when I finally reach that milestone...

 

It's all about keeping up with the Joneses! Who can top them miles?!

 

What percentage of your time on this planet have you spent actually not with your feet firmly planted on the ground but flying around in the atmosphere?

 

30,000,000 ++ Miles...
you are the flying man....

Now.. if each of those miles are worth $1...