# American Airlines ups the frequent flier requirement???



## Cathyb (Mar 1, 2009)

Have I had my head in the sand :annoyed:  -- I just checked what it would take for my DH and I to fly to our timeshare in Maui in July 2010 using frequent flier miles.  Lo and behold we are in the 'special category' and instead of 35,000 pp it is 45,000 pp. 

When did this change occur?  Last August we made this year's trip and there was no distinction when you were in the cattle section not business class.  We have fixed weeks every year from June 28-July 12 and they have got us where they want us -


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## dive-in (Mar 1, 2009)

Not sure when the changed occurred but it burned us, too.  I had to get the AAdvantage credit card to get the extra 25K and I'm going to have to buy about 5K more based on my spending habits.  I tried to talk my wife into going next October or January when the tickets are still 35K but couldn't talk her into it.


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## SherryS (Mar 1, 2009)

I believe it was Oct. 1, 2008 that the AA award requirements changed.  Luckily, we want to go in February 2010!


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## lynne (Mar 1, 2009)

It is seasonal.  The low season (as defined by AA) are still 35,000 mile-savers.  The high traffic months have been raised to 45,000 for mile-savers.  The changes went into effect in October 2008.


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## Carolinian (Mar 2, 2009)

While unwelcome, the AA changes were not as bad as those as DL, and the DL changes have now been visited upon their captive NW.  At least AA did not go to a three tier award system like DL, and now its captive NW.


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## LisaRex (Mar 2, 2009)

Both Delta and United upped their saver coach award tickets to Hawaii from 35k to 40k awhile back.  And it's very difficult to find a saver ticket on Delta anymore.  I test ran a couple of dates and was looking at 70k minimum even for low season.  United, on the other hand, had plenty of saver seats.  (Which is why I'm funneling all my spending to my United Visa.)


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## Cathyb (Mar 2, 2009)

Mahalo (thank you all).  What else in this economy is going to go up


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## Carlsbadguy (Mar 2, 2009)

I just signed up fot Hawaiian Airlines credit card as you get 20,000 bounus ppoi9nts when joing and Hawaiian still has flights startign at 35,000.
CAn also get an American Express Gold card fee free first year that will give you 25-50,000 bonus points.  The poionts can be trabsferred to Hawaiian

This is what I am trying to do now, but the transfers take a while.
Have 30,000 HA points in my account
51,000 pending from my wifes new American Express and 
20,000 from my new Hawaiian CArd

Trying to get 75,000 points for a free ticket.

ALso on a lot of Hawaiian flights they will require 25,000 each way out of SAn Diego and only 17,500 from Los Angeles.


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## lily28 (Mar 3, 2009)

AA changed the mileage requirement on Oct 1,2008. I got burn too as I was using my AA credit card to try to get 3 free tickets to China with a stopover in Japan in 4/09. When AA changes its mileage requirement from 50,000 miles to 65,000 each ticket low season in Asia, I ended up having to spend $830 to buy 30,000 points before oct 1.  The only good thing about getting free tickets is I can change the date of travel up to the day of departure as long as it is available without penalty.

I can see airline go up on mileage requirements when the gasoline price was very high last yr. I wish they will lower them now given gasoline is $50 per barrel.  wishful thinking on my part


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## Cathyb (Mar 3, 2009)

howard: Will this work for us:  lax to maui, then maui to big island, then big island back to lax -- all on Hawaiian Airlines frequent flier miles?

I didn't think you could use partners of American Airlines if they are in competition with AA.  Am I wrong?

We own a Starwood Amex card and build our points thru it.  I wonder if I could transfer miles from it to Hawaiian?


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## philemer (Mar 3, 2009)

dive-in said:


> Not sure when the changed occurred but it burned us, too.  I had to get the AAdvantage credit card to get the extra 25K and I'm going to have to buy about 5K more based on my spending habits.  I tried to talk my wife into going next October or January when the tickets are still 35K but couldn't talk her into it.



You can have two CITI AA cards at the same time, assuming your credit is OK. That's another 25K points.  We have a Visa and MC and then cancel them after 90 days & reapply. See more info here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other-credit-card-programs-599/


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## lynne (Mar 3, 2009)

Cathyb said:


> howard: Will this work for us:  lax to maui, then maui to big island, then big island back to lax -- all on Hawaiian Airlines frequent flier miles?
> 
> I didn't think you could use partners of American Airlines if they are in competition with AA.  Am I wrong?
> 
> We own a Starwood Amex card and build our points thru it.  I wonder if I could transfer miles from it to Hawaiian?



Hi Cathy,

AA does have an "all partner" award where you can fly HA as an open jaw from LAX-OGG/KOA-LAX.  The price of the award for AA miles is the same as AA so you would not be beneficial.  

I do not know the HA mileage requirements if you were to fly them using HA miles.  Either way you would need to get an inter-island fare for the OGG-KOA segment.  

Not sure about Starwood AMEX for transferring miles to HA, but it is certainly worth looking into.

Good Luck (BTW, we loved Aviara even though the weather was not the best) - Lynne


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## Cathyb (Mar 3, 2009)

Thanks Lynne!  Yes, FS Aviara is certainly the cream of timeshare crop. We just returned from Key West and what a fun town!  That Ernest Hemmingway was a character


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## Carolinian (Mar 4, 2009)

LisaRex said:


> Both Delta and United upped their saver coach award tickets to Hawaii from 35k to 40k awhile back.  And it's very difficult to find a saver ticket on Delta anymore.  I test ran a couple of dates and was looking at 70k minimum even for low season.  United, on the other hand, had plenty of saver seats.  (Which is why I'm funneling all my spending to my United Visa.)



The new three tier awards chart at DL has meant that it usually costs more miles than the minimum, much worse than the old two tier chart, and now they have visited this crap upon their new playtoy NW.

I have comped my elite status over to CO, and have put my recent flights there.


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## Carolinian (Mar 4, 2009)

lily28 said:


> AA changed the mileage requirement on Oct 1,2008. I got burn too as I was using my AA credit card to try to get 3 free tickets to China with a stopover in Japan in 4/09. When AA changes its mileage requirement from 50,000 miles to 65,000 each ticket low season in Asia, I ended up having to spend $830 to buy 30,000 points before oct 1.  The only good thing about getting free tickets is I can change the date of travel up to the day of departure as long as it is available without penalty.
> 
> I can see airline go up on mileage requirements when the gasoline price was very high last yr. I wish they will lower them now given gasoline is $50 per barrel.  wishful thinking on my part



All airlines do not allow changes in award travel without charge.  New fees at DL, and their captive NW, are now up to $150 for changing award travel.  Be glad that you are with AA.

There are some great educational flyers on DL's new customer-unfriendly policies at www.dlsucks.com


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## Cathyb (Mar 4, 2009)

Is it true that those Citi-bank promos exclude Hawaii travel?  There is an asterisk that indicates contiguous states only or something like that.


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## Jimster (Mar 4, 2009)

*award travel*

Actually, UA and several other airlines do allow changes to an award ticket without a charge as long as the routing is the same.


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## LisaRex (Mar 9, 2009)

FYI I was just pricing out Maui for the fall and Delta wanted a minimum or 70,000 SkyMiles for a coach ticket and up to 145,000 SkyMiles for a first class ticket. 

2 years ago it was 35,000 miles for coach and 70,000 miles for first class, and you could earn double miles on lots of things using your Delta AMEX. How times have changed.


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## Carolinian (Mar 9, 2009)

LisaRex said:


> FYI I was just pricing out Maui for the fall and Delta wanted a minimum or 70,000 SkyMiles for a coach ticket and up to 145,000 SkyMiles for a first class ticket.
> 
> 2 years ago it was 35,000 miles for coach and 70,000 miles for first class, and you could earn double miles on lots of things using your Delta AMEX. How times have changed.



Delta's three tier award chart has really hosed customers, and now they have visited it upon NW, which they are assimilating (think Borg from Star Trek).  

Fortunately, if you are elite with Delta or Northwest, both United and Continental will do a status match and give you the same status you had with Delta or Northwest. I did a status match late last year from Northwest to Continental.  There are some reports of American even doing some status matches from DL or NW, although they usually do challenges instead of matches.


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## Aussiedog (Mar 13, 2009)

*Still some good deals with your AA points though*

Last night I booked a round trip from Raleigh to San Francisco leaving April 8 and returning April 12.  I was shocked to see that I could book this trip at this late date in first class for 50k instead of the anytime fare of 100k.

And then when I went to select my seats I saw that on some of the legs I am the only one in first class!  

Scary economy.... 

Ann


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## Carlsbadguy (Mar 14, 2009)

I just booked some tickets for a flights next month and these were the mileage requirements from the different airlines for dates on/around the date I needed.

I was looking to fly from San Diego/Carlsbad/Los Angeles to Lihue on April 11 and return from Kona on April 23 or 24.

United 40,000 miles from Calrsbad on exact dates needed but only  1 seat.  I booked the one hoping a second seat would open but could not get a second seat.  80,000 miles for second seat.
Delta 52,500 miles per seat or 57,500 with one way first class from San Diego
American Airlines 45,000 miles per seat, but had to change dates.
Hawaiian 35,000 miles per seat- exact dates from LA, but decided to leave a day later and return a day earlier from San Diego.

Hawaiian and United offered daytime returns which I much prefer, while American and Delta were redeye returns.


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## SherryS (Mar 14, 2009)

I just booked our TPA - OGG, LIH - TPA return, FF seats on American for 35,000 miles each!  February is off-peak time and still available for the lower mileage requirement.


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## philemer (Mar 14, 2009)

SherryS said:


> I just booked our TPA - OGG, LIH - TPA return, FF seats on American for 35,000 miles each!  February is off-peak time and still available for the lower mileage requirement.



Does AA consider all of Hawaii co-terminals (UA use to) or do they allow an open-jaw, like yours, on all domestic flights?


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## SherryS (Mar 14, 2009)

They (AA) allow open jaw......a bonus for us since we are going to Maui first and then to Kauai!  You cannot do this online and so must pay the $20 apiece fee for an agent to ticket.


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## lynne (Mar 14, 2009)

SherryS said:


> They (AA) allow open jaw......a bonus for us since we are going to Maui first and then to Kauai!  You cannot do this online and so must pay the $20 apiece fee for an agent to ticket.



For open jaw on AA, you can always call and request to hold the reservation.  Get the record locater,  purchase online and avoid the agent ticketing fee.


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## philemer (Mar 14, 2009)

SherryS said:


> They (AA) allow open jaw......a bonus for us since we are going to Maui first and then to Kauai!  You cannot do this online and so must pay the $20 apiece fee for an agent to ticket.



On flyertalk.com someone said to just make a regular r/t rez. online, say MCO-OGG-MCO, but only put it on hold, and the call AA and change to MCO-OGG-LIH-MCO and have them put it on hold. Then go online & finalize the sale. This avoids the $20 fee.


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## Carolinian (Mar 15, 2009)

howard said:


> I just booked some tickets for a flights next month and these were the mileage requirements from the different airlines for dates on/around the date I needed.
> 
> I was looking to fly from San Diego/Carlsbad/Los Angeles to Lihue on April 11 and return from Kona on April 23 or 24.
> 
> ...



Why am I not surprised that DL with its scammy 3-tier award system charged you the most miles?


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## SherryS (Mar 15, 2009)

philemer said:


> On flyertalk.com someone said to just make a regular r/t rez. online, say MCO-OGG-MCO, but only put it on hold, and the call AA and change to MCO-OGG-LIH-MCO and have them put it on hold. Then go online & finalize the sale. This avoids the $20 fee.


Our plans are to stay for 3 or 4 weeks, so we HAD to ticket early anyway.  (Will change to correct return date, no charge on AA, when seats come into system in a few weeks.)   Thanks for info!


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## Cathyb (Mar 15, 2009)

phillemer:  When the Citibank ads come to us, they indicate the 25,000 mile bonus is only for contiguous states & Canada -- so that doesn't include using the miles for Hawaii -- right????


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## Anne S (Mar 15, 2009)

Cathyb said:


> phillemer:  When the Citibank ads come to us, they indicate the 25,000 mile bonus is only for contiguous states & Canada -- so that doesn't include using the miles for Hawaii -- right????



I'm not Phil, but I think I can answer your question. When you sign up for the Citibank CC and spend $750 within four months, the bonus 25,000 miles will be added to your AA FF account. How you use the miles are up to you. The 25,000 miles that they quote is the milesaver award for the continental U.S. and Canada, but you are free to use the miles however you wish, including Hawaii.


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## DeniseM (Mar 15, 2009)

Cathyb said:


> We own a Starwood Amex card and build our points thru it.  I wonder if I could transfer miles from it to Hawaiian?



Hi Cathy - I just noticed this question.  Yes you can, and in Owner Resources on the Starwood board there is a link to all of the Starwood partner airlines and the ratio of points to miles.  Remember that if you transfer 20K points (all at once) you get a bonus of 5K miles.  So 20K points = 25K miles, with most airlines.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Mar 15, 2009)

Cathy, we are doing that same sequence this June using Hawaiian with points transferred from the AmEx Starwood card. I think I paid for one way for one of us, because I didn't have enough points transferred, so you want to check on that first.
When are you going? It will be our first trip to Maui, so we are (or at least I am) very excited.
Liz


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## Cathyb (Mar 31, 2009)

Liz: Just saw your post.  We will be in Maui this year on June 28-July 11 at The Whaler.


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