As an earn and burn program — the value of a program’s miles, not its elite status — it’s hard to imagine a program that’s done more to become less useful.
The value in American Airlines miles stems mainly from the ability to use points on their partners — but even there mostly for Asia and the Mideast, not for Europe (where their primary transatlantic partner incurs extortionate add-on charges), not for Africa (where their reach is limited), and not for South America (where award availability is poor).
The usefulness of miles are a function of:
- Cost how many points it takes for an award, here American went from offering a great pricing chart to one on part with United’s and well behind Alaska Airlines with their devaluation last year.
- Availability and on their own aircraft American offers fewer award seats than peers. In fact, while this doesn’t speak to saver versus extra mileage awards, airlines report the percentage of passenger miles flown on award ticket the prior year in their SEC 10-K filings. American reported 6.3% of passenger miles on awards compared to 7.7% at United and 7.9% at Delta.
- Routing rules how you’re allowed to combine available award flights into a single award. Even with the use of journey control on Delta, American AAdvantage routing rules are the most draconian.
I usually talk about the difficulties using American Airlines miles to fly their own planes in premium cabins and when awards and upgrade space open briefly I put the word out.
I prefer to use miles on their partners such as Etihad. Last month I flew Dallas – Abu Dhabi and also Abu Dhabi – Melbourne in first class, and I have a slew of First Apartment reservations booked that I may now cancel because of the laptop ban flying from Abu Dhabi to the US.
That is not how most people experience the program though. They want to fly places from their home city, usually on American and usually domestic. And what’s most striking to most members is the sheer lack of award availability — which means awards at the saver level, not awards where American wants 55,000 for a one-way first class seat from Austin to Dallas.
I live in Austin. American Airlines offers 11 peak daily departures on the 190 mile flight from Austin to Dallas. Between June 4 and the end of schedule in mid-March, 2018 there is not a single flight where there’s even one premium cabin saver award seat available. That’s over 3000 flights.
These are not super expensive first class seats, mind you, that you’d expect American to be holding back for sale and only willing to part with at that 55,000 mile price. Surely one flight out of 10 to 11 a day on one of these days, under a reasonable award allocation scheme, might be made available?
On occasion, my wife and I might want to use miles for one of American’s three daily flights from Austin to Chicago — and make that trip a little more special such as it is, using miles for first class. Unfortunately there’s not a single day between now and the end of schedule where you’ll find two first class award seats for the 977 mile flight from Austin to Chicago, not even on a Saturday night or a Wednesday morning.
Note that I’m not even talking about trying to coordinate a roundtrip here. I’m literally saying there’s not one day in the entire 331 day schedule with two saver award seats up front.
American flies Austin – Los Angeles three times daily, and there’s also not a single day in the entire schedule where you’ll find 2 premium cabin saver awards on that route either. Instead you’ll find the following one-way prices: 45,000; 55,000; 75,000; 90,000; 100,000. One. Way.
I’ve taken the Austin – New York JFK daily flight many, many times. If I wanted to use miles for a saver award up front, there is not a single day through the entire 331 day schedule with a single saver award available.
In fairness to American, there are 22 days between now and the end of the calendar year where American is making a coach saver award available on this flight:
- April: nothing
- May: nothing
- June: nothing
- July 8, 15, 22, 29, 30
- August: nothing
- September 19, 23, 26, 27, 30
- October 3, 4, 7, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28
- November 4, 7, 8, 15
- December: nothing
I flew the Austin – Miami non-stop inaugural two years ago. City officials didn’t bother showing up to give their planned speeches, and the cake was eaten by employees the day before by mistake. The flight didn’t sell well, and it was reduced to non-daily. Now it’s operated by Embraer E-175 regional jets three times a day.
After Wednesday, April 19th (where there’s a coach saver award) there is not a single day the entire year where America is offering either a coach or a first class saver award.
Now, American also flies Dallas – Phoenix, Philadephia, and Charlotte. I didn’t check those routes, instead I gave up in despair, like so many other members.
To be clear airlines do not have to ever offer saver awards on any given route, whether when the schedule first loads, close to departure, or any time in between.
When you advertise a price you are usually expected to make a certain minimum quantity of goods available at that price. I am not interested in the legalities here. You can’t sue a frequent flyer program for anything beyond violating its own terms, and the Department of Transportation avknowledges that it improperly ignores valid complaints when those complaints are about frequent flyer programs.
I am merely talking basic expectations, advertising that a price exists but not actually honoring it is bait and switch. Delta looks smart — as badly as they treat their customers — no longer publishing award charts since they don’t actually promise anything. And if you don’t promise any value at all it is harder to be criticized for not lying to your members.
I’m frequently asked why, since US Airways management took over and US Airways used to offer a generous mileage program, why American’s award availability is so bad? And what people forget is that Dividend Miles was great for international awards on Star Alliance partners. Availability on US Airways was poor on their own flights internationally and in economy.
US Airways domestic first class availability was pretty good (the product was a notch down from what American offers today, no seat power on those planes.. in many cases still.. and there weren’t even any meals on flights less than 3 hours 15 minutes) but airlines weren’t succeeding at actually selling domestic first class then as well as they are now. So you see a similar award availability philosophy at play as at US Airways, albeit apparently on steroids.
It’s no wonder program revenue isn’t meeting expectations for the airline.
You think options out of AUS are miserable, but I would suggest IAH is equally abhorrent. Especially considering that Houston is the 4th largest city. They downgraded all ORD flights to CRJ7s not too long ago which makes awards or upgrades virtually nonexistent. Likewise, they’re flying practically all LAX flights on E175’s which is hardly a luxury experience on a midcon.
THANK YOU!!! AAdvantage award availability is awful awful awful. This needs more press!
I remember when I got AA Platinum for life for being a 3 million miler and at the time it was their top tier – until they decided on a new, higher tier. Now Platinum gets … what? maybe early boarding and ..? Pathetic.
I rarely complain about award availability, but c’mon man….American Airlines wake up and start treating your loyal customers with respect. You should be ashamed.
I agree 100%. AA’s practices, especially with regard to SAAver business/first inventory, are nothing less than bait-and-switch. And when coupled with near-zero business/first award availability to Europe except on BA, which adds bogus surcharges (and which AA presumably profits in part from), the program fallen so far in value that it is no longer worth steering bookings to AA.
Unfortunately, AAdvantage has devolved into a sucker’s game.
It’s getting so bad that I’m about to start buying cash tickets to position to hub cities for the likes of Cathay or JAL, and I will go out of my way NOT to buy an AA ticket. I’ll fly Delta, Jetblue, SW — anyone but AA. It’s gotten ridiculous that I have to do this, but it’s nearly impossible to even find coach awards to connect, and I’ve looked last minute, it’s not like their planes are full.
What options are good for AA redemptions? You mention Asia and the middle east on partner airlines. I have about 70k AA miles that I’m not sure what to do with and was considering a trip to those parts of the world. What would be the best value? Anyway to add them with either Chase URs, Amex MRs or SPG points for larger redemptions?
Silver lining is that 7.5k mile awards are available.
The biggest problem perhaps is that AAnytime has no upper limit, like that 100k domestic flight.
American Airlines is DEAD. They can burn in Hell as far as I’m concerned.
Bravo Gary, THIS is what I expect to read from an expert like you, not United did nothing wrong.
Can you do another article just like this and list all the devaluations, make it EXP focused, list how SWU went from 8 to 4, etc. etc. etc., then add what everyone else lost like (I don’t have it right in front of me right now, for example JL 62,500 went to 110,000 first class 3-cabin), etc. etc. I have my own list but you are expert, type it all out just like you did here.
Thank you
You were warned American! We couldn’t have been any more clear here and at all other related sites in our warnings that your Mileage customers would walk if you destroyed your program and actually had the gall to change the value of a mile and yet still call it a mile. I was a 40 year monthly customer who would go out of my way to fly Alaska (for full miles), Jetblue (for more leg space), or Southwest (for no change fees) before I’d fly your airline again. Dead to me! Dead to millions! Corporate suicide.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogAqgkkTV5U&w=560&h=315%5D
I managed to get 4 tickets saver awards to singapore and back from japan, burning 300k AA miles, now have only 100k left
not flying AA anymore and if I have to then crediting to alaska
after 15 years being pla or exp I dropped them, but what bothers me more than the redemption availability is the poor earning….
I am aware that revenue earning is now same for big 3, hence I avoid all of them like the plague
Amen brotha. Preach. I just wish the big banks and other companies buying/offering AA miles as to customers as incentives, would start making some noise. They’re been scammed like the rest of us. RIP AAdvantage.
Management at AA shows lack of understanding of the purpose of an airline loyalty program. An airline loyalty program must be a two-way program that benefits passengers and the related air carrier. Unless both parties are rewarded, the program suffers.
In the case of airline loyalty programs, it is the royalty program that is usually more profitable than the airline that sponsors the loyalty program.
For many years, AA had the most profitable and was considered the best loyalty program of any major air carrier.
For reasons that defy logic, severe devaluations were made to AA’s loyalty program, AAdvantage. The devaluations are so severe, the purpose for remaining loyal to AA has markedly diminished.
Although I am EXP with AA, and I have been for many years, this year will likely be my last year of remaining EXP. The severe devaluations are my reason to drop loyalty to AA.
As a result of the severe devaluations, I stopped using my Citibank credit cards. I also now book with other airlines.
I have heard and read comments from numerous others who feel as I do about the severe devaluations and diminished feeling for loyalty to AA.
Had I known that AA would make such severe cuts to its loyalty program, I would not have taken the loss I currently incurred.
Citibank was also hurt by the devaluations. Citibank must feel ‘used” by AA because of the millions of dollars Citibank paid to AA for miles that are awarded to Citibank customers.
Considering that countless customers are not using their Citibank credit cards or have cancelled them because of the near uselessness of the miles, it appears that Citibank also has a “bone to pick” with AA over the severe devaluations made to AA’s “loyalty” program.
Hopefully, someone at AA who has authority, will review the mess that was made to AAdvantage before too much more damage is done.
Gary- Great article. This is what i come to your site to see. These guys deserve to be named and shamed.
I am Plat and my wife is Gold, basically the only benedit ive ever received are upgrades, even they are shrinking after the merger with US Airways.
We have NEVER takena single redwmption flight together, ever. We once managed to fly Dallas to Vancouver on one free and one cash ticket in First.
I have been relocated to Portland Oregon and am trying to get us to Alaska with similar perks.
Great article i like American so i hate the way this will sound but…….. shine the light on these cockroaches, it is the only thing that makes them run and hide.
Apologies for the spelling in the above post. On a phone, waiting to board…………a United flight no less. Wish us luck.
Doug, be aware AA’s wrecking crew wont’ let Alaska give as many miles as you can get from crediting to AA. Better if possible to fly Alaska – including Virgin transcons – credited to Alaska.
@greg
tks greg, indeed at some point even that will stop
I fly to south america often, so looking at aeromexico (although the non existence of international transfers at MEX is a big minus) and LAX using combination of ALASKA and LATAM
AA is dead to me….
AA is sadly dead to me as well.
you are so right in has been looking for a business class saver award from Chicago to San Juan Puerto Rico and only fond 6 dates from now until next year in March it is really shameful
Trying to burn up our remaining 134,000 miles, but not easy given the dearth of award space. I will probably bite the bullet and use them up on one way 65,000 from Europe just to get rid of them. I will be cancelling a Cit card that I have had for 30 years as well as any other card associated with AA. Have a nice life, AA….
Gary, good article on the pathetic state of AA mileage program. Dare not call it advantage. After 15 years as Exp and almost 4 million miles, I will not fly AA unless forced.
Decreased earning, increased award prices and no premium cabin award possibilities on AA flights (even with empty premium cabins) have me looking elsewhere.
Even US Airways never looked this bad. Because they are bigger, they think they can be worse.
I want to be done with AA. But I can’t be… because I live in CLT. No choice here. None. No low-cost airlines (WN has like 7 flights per day, but they’re not low-cost anymore). UA is competitive to IAH, ORD and EWR. DL via ATL everywhere, but F that in the ear.
At least I can credit to AS. After 3 years of EXP, I quit trying. Not worth it. Matched to MVP 75K on AS, though I never fly AS (they don’t fly to CLT).
It’s sad to see what AA has done to AAdvantage. They had a legit differentiating factor in the industry, and they pissed it away.
The deval stung…but if they had then opened up saver inventory I could have lived with it. I have tons of points and can’t use them without paying 360k for one round trip F…absurd
Thanks you for this Gary!
You should do much more but then again no one outside the points community cares about points and the reason the airlines can do whatever they want and not one holds them to account.
I will burn 1/2M AA disAAdvantage points this year. Only 700k to go to be done for good.
@atxtravel exactly my experience. nothing AUS to LAX in saver just to put CX F in the same res. I am gonna try DL for the 1st time ever.
Just messaged Citi to cancelled my AA cc.
Thanks for this post Gary.
Would you be able to talk to your AA contacts and raise this issue more seriously?
AA really needs to open up award space.
AA’s current award seat availability trend is beyond pathetic.
Much as I like Alaska service as well as their award chart — I have too many miles on both Alaska and American and have been considering getting more to burn Starwood points on Marriott packages before they too are devalued — I can not get Alaska availability to Asia (I book 11 months out and pay cancellation fees) as they just can not “see” any space.
I don’t see very much value in any program at this point, with the possible exception of Starwood platinum due to sometimes being treated very well with them. Hyatt as well, but as I can no longer reach their top tear, there next. Tier offers nothing.
Gary thanks for writing about this availability issue, but the writing on that s ben on the wall for a long time. anytime a blogger or news outlet touts some miles , we should make comments about whether there is current availability (let alone a year or two in the deteriorating future )
@ Gary — Yeah, this situation is so bad, it doesn’t even make any sense. Surely they have to change this. I am not going to spend my money flying AA if they can’t offer reasonable award redemptions.
Well said! I am also very upset with this new AA management team. Why don’t they hear their passengers and made this once very good program down to this bad.
And no one has even mentioned their error-ridden, phantom space displaying, mis-pricing, pathetic website yet. I expected some level of demise after the merger, but this is, plainly and simply, gross incompetence.
Truly is astounding. At least with United there is more availability with the card.
We’ll see if the tide turns with the next economic downturn.
Yes, I, too, have stopped using my Citi-AAdvantage card because I’d rather accrue points/miles in more user friendly programs. I called to cancel my card and I told the retention specialist that this is why I rarely use it anymore. I’d have cancelled the card were it not for a decent retention offer to keep it.
The banks have more leverage than any one individual. Perhaps if enough consumers complain and cut back on their card usage, or cancel altogether, American might change their tactics.
I actually found a flight I could use with saver economy space on for 2 tickets in coach. Only there, not home. But I’ll take it. So the question is should I use 7,500 AA miles or 7,500 Avios to book the ticket?
I found a Saver Business seat on AY JFK-HEL over Christmas. Unfortunately, there is not a single first class Saver seat from RDU or CLT or GSO to any New York City Airport. Nor are there any that day or even that week from ORD or DFW or DCA.
A year ago when I needed positioning flights from RDU to BOS to meet up with a BA flight I had my choice. I could have gone via CLT or PHL or DCA or even ORD (which I took). What a difference a year makes. I’m glad you said something.
I live in PHL but stopped flying AA last year when they announced revenue earning. Delta planes are better and crew always friendly. I’d rather connect then flying direct on AA. Still keep the barclay cc for 10k miles yearly and free bags. But I don’t put any spending on it.
For years AA was my number one program for mile redemptions and cash purchases of tickets. I was like a walking advertisement for AA. Now, I have quit trying to even find flights on AA and simply will not fly them anymore due to exactly what you exposed. I also quit using my Citi cards last year and am in the process of dropping them. I see no use in earning AA miles anymore and see no reason to purchase tickets on from an airline that hates its customers.
Great article, Gary. As an Atlanta resident, AA is never going to be my go to airline, but even finding coach award seats to PHL and LGA (two AA airports with several flights) is darned near impossible. I’m to the point where I will just start using these miles for hotel stays, which flies in the face of everything we in this community believe in. What is the point collecting miles if you can’t use them?
Recently, AAdvantage has shown no one-way flights from my airport to London on BA in First. But when I try to book a one-way flight from my airport to the European continent, AAdvantage shows the BA ticket in First to London, with a connecting flight to my selected city on the European continent. Odd. Anyone else notice this quirk? I just want a direct flight to London, and am (reluctantly) willing to pay the $480 fee to fly non-stop on BA in First.
I agree with @Tom. Stop posting and start asking your executive contacts at AA to explain the lack of award availability.
It’s a waste of miles on even save first class awards considering the flight is under an hour. A bulkhead main cabin extra seat should be comfortable enough.
You missed one of the important factors the determine usefullness of miles. A factor that is as important as availability to me, and more important than routing rules and cost (in term of “how many miles …?”). The factor you are missing is “fees and other charges to book award tickets” that includes booking fees, close-in fees, and most importantly fuel surcharge. These could be part of “Cost” but you did not mention them. British Airways’ and some South Asia airlines’ program suck because of exorbitant fees despite being good or at least not bad on all other factors you listed. Also DL, AA, and AC are much worse than United in term of fees (although UA charges close-in booking fees but that is much less than fuel surcharges charged by DL, AA, and AC, and they are workarounds for close-in fee)
Truly sad I loved UA 1K until CO took over I sought refuge at AA as EXP and got to really like them but after US took over I knew it was a matter of time before they ruined the airline. I only fly now when a first class fare is worth it and it goes to the most convenient timed flight. I got Mosaic with B6 via company card. 50k for their Mint class which is what AA charges if you can find the space. AMEX pay with points and 50% back has solved all of my domestic premium class problems. 250k AA miles I haven’t been able to use for the past 3 years! Truly pathetic program now.
AA needs to be embarrassed by the national media. It seems to be the only way to get the Airline industry’s attention.
I am looking to go from BOS or MHT to RDU for Thanksgiving this year. With kids in school we had pretty strict date requirements. We found 3 saver tickets on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at the saver level.
Now hold onto your seat. A ticket from RDU to either BOS or MHT on the Sunday after Thanksgiving was 75k miles ONE WAY in Coach.
Yes, I understand this is one of the most popular travel days of the year, but 75k… come on.
Intereresting read…especially since there once was a “thought leader” who implored the masses to join American Airlines. He would spew vitriol at competing airlines and defend American when they devalued. For the masses that followed the “thought leader”…they got a crappy airline with a crappy frequent flyer program.
Thank you for bringing this up — Strangely, the travel blogosphere has been largely silent about this. Let’s leave international award flight alone first, and just look at the domestic route between NYC and Chicago, which is currently the busiest route within the US: AA has barely any saver economy award within a whole month… They have devalued their miles tremendously withhout notice, while still selling the miles like it’s worth 2 cents per mile. We should notify Citibank about the fraud AA is engaging in.
I earned 2,000,000 miles and permanent platinum status 12 years ago. I enjoyed the benefits of early boarding and preferential upgrades. The availability of award travel was clearly stated in the article and I have experienced the same for domestic first class. I have successfully used flying on awards miles to Freeport several times and it has saved money using it for this destination. The flights were always sparsely filled and there could be no excuse for not making award travel available.
It was bad before US arrived, and it’s gotten worse. It’s a shame, because AA has become more useful to me with my relo back to DC. I’m probably gonna get made fun of for saying this, but I’m only saying it because it’s turned out to be true in recent experience – hidden chart or not, I’ve had better luck with SkyMiles than AAdvantage “miles” lately.
Who are all of these dummies saying they were putting a lot of spend on Citi AA cards? If you bother to read blogs like this you know that’s one of the dumbest things you could do!