American Airlines Taking Avantage
More Annoying Airline Fees
American Airlines is changing Incentives into disincentives. They still call it their AAdvantage Awards program. A better term might be “Taking Advantage.”
They are discontinuing travel award tickets that require a miles plus co-payment, with Sept. 30 being the last date to claim such an “award.”
And get this, you can now “buy miles” with the airline’s buyAAmiles program.
There’s More:
-There is now a requirement of a nonrefundable co-payment of $150 to claim upgrade awards used with most discount fares when traveling between North America and Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.
-A non-refundable co-payment of $50 to claim one-way upgrade awards with most discount economy fares when traveling between the continental U.S. and Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, or when between North America and Central America
-A $350 non-refundable co-payment when claiming one-way upgrade awards on discounted economy fares when traveling between North America and Europe, India, Japan, China, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay.
It’s no wonder that the airline industry is in such disarray. Changes like this will alienate your best customers and drive them on to another carrier. Grabbing more money is not the answer; offering more services at a fair price is the way to get more money; it always has been.
August 10th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
As a frequent traveler belonging to more than a few “benefit” programs, I see them cutting back more and more on services. Some airlines have discontinued special meals, even in 1st class. Aloha Airlines even did away with 1st class all together and we saw what happened to them. The snacks and beverages in the club lounges are becoming less and less appealing. The security people are surly, flight attendants grouchy, and forget trying to get a live person on the phone.
August 10th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Andrew says it all pretty well here. Whenever I want to talk to a “live person” at the ticket counter I am all but forced to use the kiosk check-in. They get downright nasty sometimes if I want good old fashioned customer service.
October 15th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Leena…
You always have a choice, even if it is only a choice of your attitude….