AA & USAir Loyalty Program Changes

Passengers Caught Off Guard As American, US Airways Alter Awards Chart

Airlines & Airports | American Airlines | Rich Thomaselli | April 08, 2014
Passengers Caught Off Guard As American, US Airways Alter Awards Chart

And, once again, almost like clockwork, an airline has infuriated a good portion of its customer base.


This time it’s the merged American Airlines and US Airways, which gave less than a day’s notice that they were about to make changes to their loyalty programs. This morning they did, announcing changes to policies on checked bags and redemption of miles for free flights.



The news comes on the heels of Delta changing the rules on its frequent flier program, but it did so with nearly a year’s notice, as Delta will implement the changes in 2015.

Among the key changes at American and US Airways:

Passengers traveling on American on miles they earned or who paid full price for an economy seat won't get free checked bags anymore.
US Airways is ending blackout day for redeemed miles, but American is changing the number of miles needed to get an unrestricted free flight. More miles will be needed on popular travel days, fewer on less-busy ones.
According to the Associated Press, mid-tier elite members (platinum on American; gold and platinum on US Airways) will get two free checked bags; a reduction of one for the US Airways' Dividend Miles elites.
And lower-level elites (gold on American; silver on US Airways) will get one free checked bag, a reduction from two for the American customers.

Both airlines have a combined 110 million frequent flier members. An American Airlines spokesperson said the carrier will see an increase in revenue from the loyalty program changes. How much remains unknown.

I'm totally disgusted with American Airlines. I had to cancel a trip because of all the messed up changes to a flight I had. Changed and cancelled flights and I wasn't even getting notified! BOO!!!

We used to have AA, USAir, CO and United where I fly out of and we had reasonable airfares. When CO and United merged the new United basically quit competing. If USAir was $600 then AA was $900 and United was $2000+. YES over $2k.

Now that AA and USAir are merging the prices for both have steadily been rising and by changing the loyalty programs to the LESSER of the two programs means that loyal AA clients lose out.

I've flown nearly 1.5 million miles with AA and I am gold for life until they whack that program too. The ONLY benefit was the 2 free bags which in my case is huge. NOW they say I'm back to only 1 bag.

I've already been paying thru the nose for bags like everyone else when I fly USAir and then finally they said they would honor my AA status but ONLY up to one free bag. Now with the program change ...that's as good as it will get.

It's so funny how American airline companies, have the worst service, oldest planes, least amenities, most convoluted frequent flyer programs, most restrictions, and worst food in the world! And we put up with it. Having flown many overseas airlines, including those of third world nations in central and south america, I can't believe how we have to deal with less for more cost constantly.

Just read an article the other day that the airlines with the MOST complaints against them have the highest profit margins....proof that it's not about the consumer it's about those quarterly earnings reports!

The only slack I cut them is that they are also the least subsidized by govt but they pay the most taxes and the govt (us) continue to tax them more and more thus necessitating those profit margins.