Comments on: The Secret American Airlines Executive Platinum Perk That Turns Chaos Into Control (And Keeps Me Loyal, Despite Declining Benefits)

By: Josh

Josh — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 01:10:51 +0000

@Quantas Lounge, no. Qantas doesn’t have a single first class lounge in its network. What it does have are first lounges. There’s no “class” in the title. One Mile at a Time gets it right; View from the Wing (among others) doesn’t.

By: Fathiss

Fathiss — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 22:08:18 +0000

Matthew,
Yeah, just tell them you wanna be backed up on another flight and keep your existing itinerary. I always research ahead of calling to see which flights are available so I can tell them the specific new flight I want to be booked on.

By: Fathiss

Fathiss — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 22:04:36 +0000

I don’t have your experience with upgrades. Although I haven’t tracked the actual percentage, I would guess that I’m probably around 90% upgraded to first class as executive platinum, but that is probably due to the airports I fly from.
It Is quite rare for me not to be upgraded.
As to your other point, I have been aware of that perk and have used it several times, but it doesn’t happen enough that it’s a big perk in my opinion. To me, it is still about the upgrades. As long as I’m still getting them I will remain loyal to AA .
I’m also impressed with the low mileage requirements for many domestic flights. I book out a year in advance as soon as the calendar opens for trips that I anticipate for the next year knowing that I can cancel for free. I often get flights over 1000 miles for 7,500 AA Miles give or take a few (just booked one for 6,000 yesterday).
AA is miles ahead of the other loyalty programs in my opinion. I don’t understand the hate. I’m not saying you’re necessarily spreading the hate in this post, but I just hear it so often from many commenters (and bloggers).

By: Matthew

Matthew — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 11:13:28 +0000

As someone approaching Executive Platinum for the first time, this is an excellent benefit. What is the lingo, or what specific words do I use when on the phone or at the AC so the agent understands what I’m trying to do? Is it “help me add a backup itinerary”?

By: FrozenKiwi

FrozenKiwi — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 05:33:35 +0000

Not sure why that should kept you loyal to AA. I’m DL Diamond and they proactively offer. I don’t even need to ask. Even as a platinum they would do it. Also sounds like UA does it as well…

By: Doug

Doug — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 03:54:18 +0000

As a long time AA EP, I’m surprised to hear that other EP’s don’t know about the “backup” flight. It’s one of the few good status perks left, along with the dedicated phone number to use to arrange it.

Whenever I have a cancellation or a delay of unknown duration (as happened at Baltimore two weeks ago), my first action on getting off the dormant plane is to call the EP line and get “protected” (or “backed up”) for the next available flight to my destination. In the case of my Baltimore problem, the next available flight wasn’t until the next day, but that was fine – at least I had a seat.

With EP perks such as upgrades becoming more and more scarce, these two remaining perks remind me why it’s still good to have status. But it’s sad that I’ve lowered my expectations of the AA loyalty program so much, and I do keep expecting to hear that these two perks have been taken away.

By: Quantas Lounge

Quantas Lounge — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 02:20:54 +0000

@JOSH. Yes Quantasdoes operate first class lounges. Even in Los Angeles they have a completely separate first class lounge from the business class lounge. It’s night and day different.

By: GUWonder

GUWonder — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 01:53:09 +0000

In the last five years, I’ve had 1 — and only one — complimentary upgrade with AA as Platinum or higher elite status holder. It happened to be a c. 4+ hour flight but the domestic first class style seats on the plane were not great.

I’ve not had good upgrade rates on US airlines for at least the last 20 years.

By: GUWonder

GUWonder — Sat, 23 Nov 2024 01:47:50 +0000

I learned the hard way this past summer that AA had stopped protecting me on back-up flights when I’m being hammered by AA’s extended rolling delays for many hours on end. I had previously been used to getting protected onto the next flight or other back-up flights but then was told I have to cancel one or the other and can’t be confirmed on multiple flights even when AA is causing me a hassle.

By: Ron

Ron — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 22:40:02 +0000

Good news Gary, you don’t have to fly AA to get this perk. As a lifetime GS on United they’ve been backing me up on alternate flights for over 15 years now. I believe they do this for 1Ks also.