Let’s take a quick break from Credit Card Madness to explain a few reasons why I’m loving American Airlines AAdvantage 2017. I was extremely disappointed when American followed Delta and United and switched to a revenue based loyalty program. In the past, I loved American because the little guy was effectively equal to big spenders. I could spend thousands less than another customer, but fly farther and earn top-tier Executive Platinum status. Executive Platinum status would then give me valuable complimentary upgrades and put my name near the top of the upgrade list. When AAdvantage went revenue based, it seemed impossible to earn to tier status given the amount I spend.
Briefly Switching To Delta
Since I had American AAdvantage Platinum status, which I would surely lose once AAdvantage went revenue based, I decided to switch to Delta. I enrolled in a Delta Air Lines Status Challenge and flew the required segments to earn Delta Medallion Gold status through 1/2018. Everything was going great with Delta. Delta’s mobile application was far superior to Americans. Delta’s Main Cabin Extra (Comfort +) gave customers free premium drinks. Lastly, I had access to Delta Sky Clubs thanks to my American Express Platinum card. There was one glaring issue I could not get over. I quickly tired of connecting flights.
Chicago is not a Delta hub. Almost every flight I took out of Chicago connected somewhere. Since I travel mostly for work this wasn’t a huge concern, but it also carried over to personal travel. If I wanted to go home, go abroad, go anywhere… connection. Sure it was a fast track to earning status again through 2019, but I got sick of it. After my first few connections in ATL and DTW I knew it was time to return to American despite the American Airlines AAdvantage 2017 program changes.
Returning To American Airlines AAdvantage 2017
Just before the end of 2016 I was just 3 segments away for qualifying for American AAdvantage Gold status. I didn’t want to lose American status because I knew they were my 2017 Airline of choice. I hopped on a quick segment run and I earned 2017 status. Now that we’re a few months into the year, I am thankful I decided to return to American for the following reasons.
Earning AAdvantage EQD and EQM On Partner Airlines
In the past I constantly searched for the longest and cheapest flights possible. To fly 100,000 miles annual I had to basically cross the country 20 times. Occasionally you could find a cheap fare to Asia or Europe, but the dates rarely fit with my work schedule. Now, the goal is the same, but the methods have changed.
Now my goal is to take one or two HUGE expensive trips on a OneWorld Partner airline. So far the most attractive option is Cathay Pacific Premium Economy fares from the US to Auckland, New Zealand. Sure its a far distance, but I potentially get to visit a completely new part of the world. The best part is that these fares don’t disappear as quickly as cheap economy tickets do.
Some partner airline, such as Qatar, also occasionally offer huge sales on Business Class fares. Just a few months ago, Qatar offered business class flights from LAX-DOH-SIN for just $1,800 during the Qatar annual travel festival. If flown, passengers earn $4,860 EQD and 36,450 EQM. Guaranteed AAdvantage Gold Status and very close to AAdvantage Platinum status. Not to mention you get to do so from the comfort of a world-class business class seat.
American Airlines Special Fares
This one is a little trickier than flying premium cabins with partner airlines, but it’s possible to purchase “special fares” when traveling on American. Special Fares earn EQD and EQM based on mileage instead of price, but require a little work to purchase. Special fares are only available when purchasing a ticket where the actual price paid is not known. More information on special fares is found here.
Passengers can continue to earn status based on miles flown when purchasing AA special fares. One drawback I initially noticed is that it wasn’t abundantly clear if I purchased a special fare or not. It wasn’t until my EQM and EQD posted that I knew I purchased the special fare correctly. Special fares are a great way to take advantage of the current deeply discounted fares to Europe for Spring and Fall travel.
Less AAdvantage Elites?
This is purely anecdotal, but it seems there are less top-tier AAdvantage elites flying on American these days. I’m not sure if this is true or not, but my upgrades have been clearing more often than in previous years. On top of that, I often find my name at the top of standby lists when trying to get on earlier flights. I’m basing my upgrade percentages on flights from 1/1/17 through 2/28/17 while I still maintained AAdvantage Platinum status. Now that I have dropped to just AAdvantage Gold status (temporarily) I wonder how it will be.
Updated Boarding Process
Although I haven’t yet experienced American’s new boarding process, implemented on 3/1/17, I imagine the new method speeds up boarding. I never questioned the old process, but it was always frustrating when “Group 1” passengers tried to board with First Class and slowed the process.
I worry about overhead bin space now that I’ll be boarding with “Group 4,” which includes some AAdvantage credit card holders. Overhead bins seem ever more full with each flight I take. I’m guessing when I board with “Group 4” I’ll be placing my bag behind my actual seat. I realize this change isn’t a direct result of the American Airlines AAdvantage 2017 program changes, but it is a change that I like.
Final Thoughts
I’m glad I overreacted when American first announced the American Airlines AAdvantage 2017 program changes. I took some time to try out a few new airlines which reminded me why I like American so much in the first place. Additionally, it gave me the opportunity learn even more about the AAdvantage program than I had previously. I’ve spent more time than ever on American’s FlyerTalk pages trying to understand the ins and outs of AAdvantage and hope the research pays off through the remainder of the year. I am not sure that I’ll reach Executive Platinum this year, but I believe I can make it to Platinum Pro and enjoy unlimited complimentary domestic upgrades in 2018!
Note: The featured image above represents my American Airlines AAdvantage 2017 YTD progress.
