Majors (AA) ruin 1st Class?

[MK82Man]

-- Blue Light Special at AA -- There will be no room left for Frequent Flyer upgrades when AA is done Kmarting out their First Class. They will lose core business customers. With the loss of 1st Class cabins due to RJ influx and now "cheap" revenue enhancement at AA, business customers will find somebody other than AA.


“American is reducing the price of 500-mile electronic upgrades* effective March 18, 2004.

As an AAdvantage® elite-status member, you know the joys and challenges that go along with traveling and you know that upgrading to First or Business Class can make a trip more productive or, if you prefer, more restful and relaxing.

With this important benefit in mind, American is reducing the price of 500-mile electronic upgrades* effective March 18, 2004. This is a cost reduction of almost 40% when you purchase upgrades through AA.com or use the AAdvantage Dial-In® automated system

Per 500-mile Electronic Upgrade
AA.com or AAdvantage Dial-In System, Previous Price: $40, New Price: $25
Airports or Reservations, Previous Price: $50, New Price: $30

For Eight 500-mile Electronic Upgrades
Mileage Exchange, Previous: 50,000 miles, Now: 35,000 miles

To purchase upgrades online, please visit www.aa.com/aadvantage. For Complimentary and 500-mile Electronic Upgrade Terms and Conditions, see your respective benefits guide.

As a reminder, all elite-status members are eligible for complimentary upgrades when traveling on full-fare Economy Class tickets.** And, if you and a companion are both traveling on full-fare Economy Class tickets, you may request complimentary upgrades for both of you.*** Your upgrade(s) will be confirmed at 72 hours or 24 hours prior to departure as applicable.

You may also know that, effective March 18, 2004, our AAdvantage Executive Platinum® members will receive unlimited complimentary upgrades when traveling on American Airlines on any purchased published fare.*

Finally, I want to thank you for being an AAdvantage elite-status member. You are very important to all of us here at American, and we appreciate your business.
Sincerely,

Dennis Cary
President
AAdvantage Marketing Programs
American Airlines

* All upgrades are subject to seating limitations and capacity controls. Complimentary and 500-mile electronic upgrades are only available on American Airlines marketed and operated flights within and between the 50 United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, The Bahamas, Bermuda and between the U.S. and Central America.

** Full-fares are fares booked in Y or B, excluding military/government fares.

*** Excludes companions traveling on military/government fares booked in Y/B."

 

[SUPREME NTM]

You don't think that the LCCs ruined it first
AA, and the other Majors, would not have had to resort to these methods if it was not for the LCCs..They have to keep up. But unfortunately it is bringing the whole thing down instead of up..
it is good for the prices but you can't have it all. I wish you could but you can't. There is always going to be another airline to undercut you...
The LCCs are the ones who "Kmarted" or "Wallmarted" the business in the first place, if I may say so....
Before the LCCs even economy was something remarkable but now it is just a bus.

Later and PLEASE go back to the end of the Bus,

Btw
in your message it is Superieure not Superiure

 

[Xdriver]

Hey Im Platnium on AA shooting for EXP this year. This is GREAT news and if you read www.flyertalk.com you will see under the American thread its welcome news. AA is a pretty good airline compared to the rest of them. Now if we could just get free cocktails in the admirals clubs

 

[furloughfodder]

You don't think that the LCCs ruined it first
AA, and the other Majors, would not have had to resort to these methods if it was not for the LCCs..They have to keep up. But unfortunately it is bringing the whole thing down instead of up..
it is good for the prices but you can't have it all. I wish you could but you can't. There is always going to be another airline to undercut you...
The LCCs are the ones who "Kmarted" or "Wallmarted" the business in the first place, if I may say so....
Before the LCCs even economy was something remarkable but now it is just a bus.

Later and PLEASE go back to the end of the Bus,

Btw
in your message it is Superieure not Superiure

Exactly.

The average American Citizen only cares about one thing: CHEAP!

You get what you pay for. Always have, always will.

Coast to coast in a 737 can be exhausting, but at least there's no movie.

Enjoy the peanuts.

 

[altimaklr]

Continental has free upgrades and probably has the top domestic first class in the USA. The title of this post is stupid.

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

You don't think that the LCCs ruined it first
AA, and the other Majors, would not have had to resort to these methods if it was not for the LCCs..They have to keep up. But unfortunately it is bringing the whole thing down instead of up..
it is good for the prices but you can't have it all. I wish you could but you can't. There is always going to be another airline to undercut you...
The LCCs are the ones who "Kmarted" or "Wallmarted" the business in the first place, if I may say so....
Before the LCCs even economy was something remarkable but now it is just a bus.

Later and PLEASE go back to the end of the Bus,

Btw
in your message it is Superieure not Superiure

Now wait a dog gone minute.....Aww forget it.

You can't HANDLE the truth.

 

[SUPREME NTM]

I don't have to handle it !! I am living it.

Later...

 

[canyonblue]

Oh yea once again the LCC's ruined it. Take no blame for your product being sub-par. On some of my overnights I eat at Wendy's. On some of my overnights I eat at Ruth Chris' Steak House. Both serve the purpose of keeping me from starving, but as soon as Ruth Chris' starts giving me my meal on a tray, I'm out of there. Ruth Chris' does not compete with Wendy's, at least not directly. It satisfies a segment of our population that expects more and wont settle for less. Wendy's? Well it's just Wendy's, but I know what I am getting and they never disappoint me. And as a consumer who am I? I am Ruth Chris' worst nightmare because I can eat at either place so my business is the most important to them. If Ruth Chris' starts bringing out the trays will I blame Wendy's? No. I'll just go to where I can get a piece of meat on a tray, and I can find it on any corner.

 

[rudderdog]

The problem some of the anti-LCC people have is like when a cook from Ruth Chris' goes to work at Wendy's and makes the same or more money. And then customers realize that the chili at Wendy's is just as good or better than the chili at Ruth Chris' for a fraction of the cost. That's when these people go into denial and start blaming the LCC's for bringing down their "high cost" industry. Get it?

If not, just go to Wendy's and try their chili for a buck. After that you'll never go back to American....I mean, Ruth Chris'.

 

[jetexas]

I think the biggest threat to first class are some of the "non first class" people that ride up there.

Like the time I saw bratty obnoxious kids up there or the rapper that was "singing" out loud and annoying everyone around him. Or, the obnoxious senator from Mass. that acted like a spoiled 9 year old punk.

 

[Dizel8]

I cannot even remember the days coach was nice, must have been a long time ago. Oh, you mean that nasty food, the very liitle picth and a full can of coke. Yeah, I remember that.

Hate to tell you, the Coach product quality declined way before the LCC's showed up, AMR tried to raise the bar a bit with MRTC, but people were unwilling to pay extra for it. Song and jetBlue has a nice coach product, little more picth than some, IFE, would certainly say it is in the top. SWA offers a great product too, money vs service.

NWA, DAL, CAL, UAL really is not much to wite home about anymore, it is basic transportation, but, let it be said, in this case, most of the time, you get what you pay for!

Now, if you can get in biz or first on those carriers, it is a whole other ball game!

Oh, and the ERJ and CRJ is just awful wrt coach, sardine cans would be an upgrade.

 

[eaglefly]

Personally, I blame those wily Eagle pilots and their RJ's.

They're the cause of all our troubles !

 

[jetexas]

On behalf of Eagle pilots worldwide, I take full personal responsiblity!