American Advantage: Quite Advantageous
Written: Sep 11 '04 (Updated Sep 11 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Many ways to earn miles. Large number of destinations. Flexibility
Cons: Fee and high interest rates for co-branded card. Some deterioration in airline service.
The Bottom Line: A well-designed, customer-friendly program for those who can use the system to earn free travel.
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| mrlarry's Full Review: American AAdvantage |
It used to sound too good to be true—earn free airline trips on the ground. After ten years in the American Airlines Advantage program, I can assure you that this program is the real deal—a way for customers who know how to use the system to fly to places they actually want to go at times when they actually want to go there.
How It Works
American Advantage works the same way as most airline loyalty programs. You get a point for each mile flown. You earn more miles if you fly first or business class. You also can earn miles through the co-branded MasterCard (one point per dollar spent), stays in hotels, rental cars, restaurant meals, long distance services, and a host of other offerings which are detailed on www.aa.com.
A domestic flight usually costs 25,000 points; a flight to most other Western Hemisphere destinations 30,000 flights; other flights 40,000 to 65,000 depending on the time of year and other factors. Reduced mileage flights are sometimes offered and Advantage members are often given notice of special fares to rack up the miles.
Why It Works Well
I have been in this program for about ten years and have definitely kicked the tires. While I have heard of frequent flyer horror stories, my own experiences have been excellent. Here are a few examples:
Last month I was scheduled to fly to New York. My shuttle didn’t come to my house on time, but that was absolutely no problem. At no extra cost, I was put on a later flight with a confirmed reservation. American took care of it all.
American allows a stopover, so you can take two trips in one. For example, two years ago I wanted to go to both Minneapolis and Raleigh to visit people I know there. At no extra cost (cash or mileage), I was able to fly to Minneapolis, stay there a week, and then fly to Raleigh. This would be a very expensive flight.
A year ago, I had about a week’s notice for an event in Washington DC. A flight with that little notice would cost $1000 or so on most airlines. I was able to use my Advantage miles with a $75 fee (which now has been reduced to $50) for not booking 21 days in advance.
The company has been eliminating blackout dates and taking other steps to make the program more attractive.
The large number of partners allows you to go from just about anywhere to just about anywhere. While American does not fly to Israel, for example, it partners with British Airways that does.
The large number of partners also makes it extremely easy to earn miles. You can increase your balance by talking on the phone, ordering flowers, eating out, staying in hotels, using a MasterCard, refinancing your house, and, oh yes, by flying. If you put yourself on their e-mail notification list, you will get advance notice of special opportunities to earn miles and reminders about existing programs.
How To Make It Work
I have read that the majority of people who enroll in a mileage program never earn a free flight on that program. If you know how to work the program, however, you can earn miles quite rapidly. I earn about a trip a year without flying.
If you don’t carry a balance and can use a MasterCard regularly, the Citibank co-branded card is a good deal. Sure, you will pay a $50 annual fee, but if you charge all your everyday purchases (including that $6.21 at the Supermarket), your annual fee is a bargain.
If you travel frequently, a good strategy is to pay for inexpensive flights while using your miles for long flights. Right now, for example, American is offering $198 round trip from Long Beach to New York. Paying for that flight would probably earn you more than 5000 miles (with an estimated value of $100 since it’s estimated that a sum of miles is worth 2% of the mileage total in dollars).
It really helps to learn the program. That way you can see how their offerings fit your spending. For example, one sandwich shop I really like is part of their dining program. When I travel, I always look at which of their co-branded restaurants are located where I am going. Last month I discovered a great Jewish deli in New York thanks to the Advantage program.
Your miles expire in three years, however that expiration is deferred as long as there is some activity on your account. When you redeem miles or earn miles, expiration on all the miles you have is deferred for three years. Therefore, if you use the MasterCard regularly, your miles basically don’t expire.
A Few Downsides
The very few downsides of this program aren’t with the program itself, but with some of the steps American is taking as a result of current economic conditions.
Food service has deteriorated. Many flights that used to serve meals now serve only a snack. I don’t find that a big deal, but I need to mention it.
Also, American just instituted a $10 for issuing a ticket in any manner other than online. They say they need to do this in order to compete with low fare airlines which also charge these fees.
There probably are a few more possible downsides that might bother some travelers. But most are a small price to pay for a program that, if you know how to work it, can give you a great deal of free travel.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
mrlarry
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Member: Larry Wiener
Location: Alhambra CA
Reviews written: 64
Trusted by: 14 members
About Me:
II'm a black-belt bargain hunter. Check on my e-book at www.betterbudgeting.com/
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