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American Airlines has not only been buying new planes, it also just recently signed Air Berlin as a One World partner. Since its launch in 1978, Air Berlin has grown into Germany’s second largest airline. It serves over 160 destinations in 40 countries and joined the oneworld alliance in 2012. The airline's hubs are Berlin, Dusseldorf, Palma de Mallorca and Vienna.
As an AA ff member, this increases our possibilities dramatically.
American Airlines announced this week a change to all AAdvantage miles earned before July 1, 1989, which previously didn’t expire. Starting on November 1, 2012, these miles will be converted to miles that will be subject to expiration.
As long as you earn or redeem AAdvantage miles at least once every 18 months, your miles will not expire. On November 1, the original AAdvantage award structure will be discontinued.
AAdvantage Mileage Conversion
When you are in money problem mode, you start to change and decrease the perks you give to customers - even if you are an elite FF, your stuff will change. No suprise here. I was a FF with Continental and their miles did not expire, once they merged with United everything changed - now the miles expire. I try and fly at least 1x a year with them just so my miles do not expire.
I don't see the changes in the AAdvantage program as a negative, at least for me. At the end of the day I will gain some bonus miles when my never expire miles are converted and I do fly AA often enough to avoid losing them.
I'm pulling for AA to get our of bankruptcy and remain on their own. I'm still a fan of AA.
I am just starting with AA and my flight to CR in November will be my 1st - so far have not been too happy but I have an open mind and am giving AA a chance. I was a loyal Continental customer for many, many years and loved them for all the great priced flights to Latin America, they merged and now Continental is no more - swallowed by the horrible United behemoth - hope the same things do not happen to AA. We need more choice not less!
Since American Airlines only hub in Germany is Frankfurt am Main, and it is a long haul to Munich and then to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the South of Germany, I discovered that I can use their OneWorld Partner Air Berlin. Air Berlin lets me fly from Fort Myers, FL to Duesseldorf, Germany and then on to Munich for a mere 30K Miles one-way in high season (unfotunately no business class available with FF miles), and the cost is just $22.50 in Fees and Taxes with my AA FF Miles. Alas, I had to pay the $25 Agent Booking fee since these flights cannot be booked on the internet. Nonetheless, this seemed quite a good alternative for us compared with the AA flight to London with its extremely high Fees and Taxes and then BA from London to Munich. I consider this arrangement, using Air Berlin as a OneWorld AA Partner quite a bargain.
Denise,
You don't have to fly to keep your UN miles (or with any airline) to expire. Just use one of United's credit cards to purchase one item a year and charge it to the credit card, and your miles will be safe for another year or 18 months. You can get a United Explorer card with no fee for the first year and also earn 30 or 40K.
Or does the airline have a frequent dining plan? Most of the airlines do.....where you register your credit cards and then when you dine at a restaurant in the dining network, using that credit card, you automatically earn miles, even if you didn't realize it was a restaurant in the network!Quote:
Originally Posted by LL_Travelfan
Also, another way to earn miles is to use the airlines online shopping mall. For example if Best Buy or Land's End is a favorite store where you like to shop, do so online via the airlines shopping mall. With Best Buy, you can earn both frequent flier miles plus Best Buy points, and pick your purchase up at your local store. I do it all the time!
With either of these 2 approaches, you don't need a specific airline credit card, and you will still keep your miles intact. Just be sure to do it at least once a year.
Where do you find more info on these FF airline programs? Go to their website, and under their program, look for ways to earn miles with non-airline partners.
I always forget about the online shopping mall as a way to keep the miles going. Will have to write myself a note to do this. No airline credit cards for me. As much as I would love to be one of those "platinum" Chase, AMEX, etc. card holders, I am not a customer they want anytime soon.
Actually, AA's management ('the suits') is continuing to follow a predictable strategy in their march through bankruptcy. The goals appear to be several, including forcing older/senior employees into early retirement, pushing back on their unions and securing concessions, eliminating leases on older aircraft and dropping a number of their less profitable routes.
The new aircraft orders (and options to purchase some of these next generation planes) have been in their pipeline for some time. Airlines don't like to lose their options to purchase new aircraft...a company like Boeing accepts 'orders' for new aircraft, but the purchasing entity is assigned a completion and delivery date for each aircraft....so the 'option' is a valuable asset, should the company be sold or taken over.
As for AA-B777s, they have been operating on the MIA-EZE route for almost two years (maybe more).....however, these aircraft do not have the recently announced 'new' interiors which were mentioned in the link provided by jmbklj. 1st class does have true lay-flat seats and BIZ offers the 'almost flat' seats.....both are really comfortable.
AA may surprise all of us at the end of their bankruptcy.....they are raking in big bucks on their South American routes from passengers and especially from freight!