United Airlines has gotten really good at inflight recognition of customer milestones like million mile achievements. Recently it seems like American Airlines has begun to follow suit.
@AmericanAir thanks! pic.twitter.com/36x5qkJBFM
— León Felipe Sánchez (@lion05) August 16, 2024
Earlier this month I noted 2 million mile inflight recognition for Chris Sloan, who hosts the excellent Airchive.net. I thought perhaps this was done because it’s Chris Sloan but pre-printed Million Miler collateral for someone that isn’t well-known to the industry makes me think there’s a new effort here.
Hi @AmericanAir. I was on AA176 HND-DFW today. An American AAngel purser Maura Curley-Collins recognized my reaching 2 million miles status on American and 32 year membership in AAdvantage with a bottle of Japanese rice wine and a sweet letter. She is just outstanding & one of… pic.twitter.com/FrPK0MCi67
— Chris Sloan (@airchive) August 6, 2024
An American Airlines spokesperson offers,
Reaching an AAdvantage Million Miler milestone is a significant achievement worth celebrating! We’re currently exploring ways to recognize our members who’ve spent time with us on their life’s journeys over one million miles.
What’s not clear is whether they’re simply testing onboard recognition or whether this signifies renewed attention to the million miler program.
American is the best program for earning status beyond simply flying. Its partner award redemptions are among the best. But there’s one area where American AAdvantage lags behind all of its competitors: rewarding customers with lifetime elite status.
- Delta lets you earn up to lifetime Diamond, now after 3 million miles, and lifetime 360 (equivalent to United Global Services and American Concierge Key) after 5 million.
- United lets you earn lifetime Global Services (after 4 million miles). United gives your partner the same status as you when you’re a lifetime elite.
By contrast, the AAdvantage program tops out at lifetime Platinum – second tier from the bottom. And lifetime status has gotten less valuable.
- with the introduction of Platinum Pro (a new tier above what can be achieved through lifetime)
- prioritizing upgrades based on activity in the preceding 12 months (so those earning current status are ahead of those with mere lifetime status at the same tier)
- taking away the ability for the top lifetime elite level to even ask a gate agent to put them on standby for a flight
Meanwhile, lifetime elite status is harder to earn that it used to be since it is calculated only on the basis of flown miles, even as current elite qualification is based on most activity in the program including credit card and online shopping spend.
American looked at how to modernize the lifetime status program before the pandemic, but did not act. Hopefully there’s a renewed interest in and attention to the AAdvantage lifetime elite program at American Airlines, suggested by trying to recognize achievement milestones in person.
I’m not sure the AA million miler program could ever really offer much value but as someone with around 990k miles, now would be the time to prove me wrong!
Incrementally, what would this cost AA to move say 4 or 5 million milers to Lifetime EXP or even Platinum Pro?
Hard costs would be the incremental costs of a higher level of lounge occasionally (e.g. Wing 1st class lounge vs. Wing Business lounge)…and the cost of a single drink and a snack when the passenger is flying coach (assuming EXP).
In return you get engagement of a set of flyers who are still active and have something they perhaps feel is worth striving for.
A company with a model based upon servicing their customers with quality would likely make this trade. A company who has an articulated strategy to never spend a dollar they don’t have to…not likely.
@Mike – “Incrementally, what would this cost…”
More than if they did nothing.
Et voilà, problem solved.
(… from AA’s perspective.)
AA PLT can already select main cabin ExtrAA at time of booking and that seat already comes with a free alcoholic drink. So the cost for the domestic flight would be just a food snack (assuming lifetime EXP).
I am almost 3 million million miler miles on AA (50K short). I have around 2.4 million DL million miler miles and last year they moved me from lifetime Gold (2nd level like AA Platinum) to lifetime Diamond. That was at just 2 million miles. Hopefully AA moves those w 3 million to Platinum Pro. Not counting on upgrades even then but nice to be able to get standby for earlier flight which ai can’t do as Platinum (at least realistically)
Don’t hold your breath. USAirAMERICAN has zero customer service. They could not care less about customer service, soft product, hard product or its customers. They are a low budget airlines wearing a “ legacy/quality” airline costume.
I reached million miler status in 1994 on Delta. Someone from the local sales office actually came to my work location to present my credentials. Ahh, the good old days.
I got a paper certificate, suitable for framing and signed by Doug Parker when I reached 1m in the seat miles with US Airways. That status translated into lifetime AA Gold status. I still occasionally fly AA. About 1.8m miles now. But, with the low status level I have zero incentive to fly American. I will go out of my way to fly foreign carriers without status and pay for a premium cabin. Higher status for AA million milers might help but without significant product improvements I will continue go where I am treated better with no status.
@ AC — I assume you mean that DL moved you to LT Platinum. LT Diamond requires 3 million.
@ Gary — Been sitting at 2.9xx million AA for 4 or 5 years, and haven’t intentionally credited a single flight to AA during that time. Wonder why?
I love how AA put the million mile recognition sign on an economy seat. You would think AA management could have comped him 1st class for this flight in recognition of his million miles and made it a more special experience.
What, no greeting from the chief pilot ?
I am disappointed with American Airlines. I have been a LT Million Mile Maker for 24 years. Now someone who shops and spends $40,000 in a calendar year on an AA credit card has the same status and benefits as I do. There is NO incentive for me to fly AA when I am treated better on other airlines. What a shame.
That’s not exactly my definition of quiet. Personally I wouldn’t want some company I do a lot of business with to single me out in front of other customers…very awkward. Just send them a nice gift.
My guess – all you might ever get for multi million mile status is a possible inflight card and the current Platinum . They have had ages to correct their woeful million miler program and have done NOTHING . The one time they didn’t follow Delta was their failure to enhance the million miler program . Pitiful analysis paralysis by AA . I moved on to UA and enjoy constant recognition.
I really appreciate this observation! It’s great to hear that United Airlines is doing such a fantastic job with inflight recognition, especially for milestones like million-mile achievements. It’s those small touches that can really enhance the travel experience. It’s also encouraging to see American Airlines starting to follow suit—it shows a growing recognition of the importance of acknowledging loyal customers. Thanks for sharing this—it’s always nice to see airlines making efforts to celebrate their passengers!
@Gene – yes DL moved me from LT Gold to Platinum at 2 million. Sorry for typo. Found out few times I’ve flown them that Platinum means more on DL than likely even Platinum Pro on AA but still ticked I have almost 3 million on AA and they won’t do anything besides LT Platinum.
Wish I could get the extra 600,000 miles for LT Diamond on DL but retired, live in an AA hub and mainly use miles now (a lot of foreign carriers w Amex and Chase points) so will never get Delta Diamond
Delta has AA one upped, reached MillionMiler 18 months ago and have yet to receive anything other than an email. No welcome package and not a whisper on the milestone on the flight it happens, a 14 hr flight to Seoul, so lots of time to walk back and say hello and thank you.
I am a 5 million mile LT Platinum on AA. No discernible benefit other than seat selection at time of booking. Some oneworld partners invite me to business class lounge as a oneworld sapphire. That’s it.
In the meantime, have recently earned a million on United. You’d think AA might notice the drop-off and inquire what happened. They don’t care.
For my first American MM two years ago, I received a form letter from AA, a baggage tag, and then a phone call a week later. The person on the other end read me that form letter. I almost started reading along with them.
I could see maybe PP for 4 or 5 million LT miles. Maybe the inclusion of credit card spend ($1 per mile) as that’s what drives airline profitability. But with upgrades becoming harder it’s not like LT PP is going to get you a ton of them.
Blah blah blah blah I’m a blah blah blah blah miler blah blah blah blah blah and I was given blah blah blah blah blah with a frown by a haggard flight attendant.
Leon Filipe – weren’t you embarrassed getting this while sitting in Main Cabin?