American AAdvantage

Pros: Free hotel nights cost more than a free Airline ticket
Cons: having no miles for a last minute trip

Frequent flier miles are becoming increasingly difficult to use. American AAdvantage is a case in point. I use to use my miles for last minute trips, but that has become very difficult on American. I no longer fly as much as I use to, so now I...

Pros: free tickets
Cons: restricted times, limited seats

I am a research scientist so I travel on occasion to attend meetings both nationally and internationally. The mileage program is wonderful until you want to claim your miles. My experience was travelling to Jamaica from San Francisco. I have both...

Pros: Good AAdvantage Staff Service
Cons: No Special Considerations for Elite Members

I actively used the America AAdvantage program this year. Within six-months, I made Gold status, and within 10 months - Platinum. American Airlines including the OneWorld consortium automatically award first class upgrades whenever and wherever I fly...

Pros: everything!
Cons: i do not have enough time to use them all!

This has been a wonderful experience for me. The frequent flyer program from american airlines has been the easiest and fastest way for me to get free airfare. they have many different ways of earning miles. I use my tom thumb reward card, which earns me...

Pros: None that I can think of
Cons: Terrible customer service

AA cancelled my over 64,000 frequent flier miles back in 2004. At the time, they gave me the run-a-round about lack of activity on my account (although I had flown just three years earlier, just before 9/11). I hadn't received any kind of notice that the miles were expiring, but although I was angry I thought I had just experienced some terrible luck and chalked it up to experience. I find out now from a friend that she has AA miles that are over 8 years old and she hasn't had any flight activity in that time, but her miles are still intact! In fact, they just extended her miles, which were supposed to expire in January 2007! The cavalier attitude with which AA treats some customers is incredible. They'd be better off spending less money on expensive advertising and more on not ticking off long-standing customers. I haven't flown AA since 2004 because they expired my miles so unceremoniously and now I'm so angry I don't think I'll ever fly the airline again.

Pros: Hard to think of any.
Cons: Terrible schedules for award flights.

Here it is early March and we're trying to book flights from San Diego to Charleston, SC, the week after Memorial Day at the end of May. How do you like a 7-hour layover in Dallas? Or the 6:20 am departure from San Diego? Or a 9:55pm arrival in Charleston? AA never seems to have reasonable flights to anywhere we fly. Most of the other available flights are red-eyes.

When we used our AA miles to travel to Mazatlan, Mexico, two years ago, the only flight we could schedule, several months ahead, was an evening flight from San Diego to Los Angeles and a 4:30am flight out of Los Angeles to Mazatlan.

This is totally ridiculous!! We have never gotten a reasonable flight out of AA. Apparently it works if you are in a few select cities and usually travel to a few other select cities. But we're switching to a card that has no restrictions on flights or airlines.

Pros: You can daydream about using your miles.
Cons: Only a few seats per plane and you can never reserve one.

I've been in AA freq Flier program for years.

Every time I want to fly somewhere, there are no seats open for Aadvantage customers.

They probably have like 2 seats per plane and once those fill up, it won't matter if the rest of the plane is empty, you can't use your frequent flier miles.

Forget about hawaii. You'd have to call up the same day tickets for a flight become reservable (about a year in advance).

I don't plan my vacations that far ahead. If your life is that pre-programed, you may be able to use your miles. I have wound up giving them away to retired relatives who can plan 4-12 months ahead.

Just one more reason to hate the experience of flying.

Pros: Generous elite bonus, Anytime awards on all flts, eVIP upgrades, uniform partner awards
Cons: Partner awards difficult to get. Merchandize awards too expensive. Demand for popular awards exceeds supply.

I am an EXP (executive platinum) flyer on AA with a lifetime Platinum status (getting close to 4 Million lifetime miles - including citicard miles and others). I appreciate the benefits for elite flyers (unlimited domestic upgrades for EXPs, no expedite fee for mileage awards within 21 day window, no phone agent charges, etc.) but with planes so full and average service, the delight of being a frequent flyer has dramatically come down.

The value of the miles has dropped a lot ever since international upgrades required $250 each way fee. Availability of popular awards has came down. With load factors of 85% where is there room left for flight awards.

When MRTC was removed, upgrades became important. If you're not EXP, you have limited domestic upgrades (or buy upgrade credits). United has E for its basic and mid-tier elites.

There are not many alternatives either. In flight service is better in Continental but AA has a better top-tier elite benefits. Mid tier elites are probably better off at some of the competitors.

Pros: Miles can add up quickly for those who buy ad specialty items.
Cons: Sometime posting takes almost a month – too long.

Last year, while surfing the net, I came across a company that offers AAdvantage Miles to folks who buy Promotional Products and Company Apparel: DigitizedLogos.com. Being a sales & marketing executive, I am always looking for an overall value. This company gives me both, competitive prices and miles. While I am happy that I’ve discovered DigitizedLogos.com, I am equally sad to miss the opportunity to earn hundreds of thousands of miles over last several years.
Anyone who buys these types of products should check them out. Even if you don’t fly frequently or currently part of AAdvantage program, I strongly suggest you should consider joining American Airlines AAdvantage – you’ll be enjoying a free trip from DigitizedLogos.com. Please note that miles do not cover airport taxes.
Lastly, don’t forget to ask for 1,000 bonus miles – only if you are a first time customer.

Pros: Great if you plan 1 year in advance or fly only domestic
Cons: $250 "service fee" + 25K miles each way to upgrade internationally is excessive

I wanted to upgrade a trip to Italy, and AA told me there's a $250 FEE EACH WAY to UPGRADE from coach to business class, in addition to using 25K miles each way. This was after I tried to book my Italy trip using miles alone. I was told by the agent I needed to book the trip 1 year in advance if I actually expected to get a seat... I tried booking 4 months ahead; no seats available. Also, AA is quite limited when flying to Europe. Other airlines are much better for redemption of miles and larger # of international partners (e.g. United).

Pros: great online booking functionality for worthless miles
Cons: you will never find a flight for your preferred dates and times

I'm trying to find flights months in advance, and AA simply will not let me use my miles. To suggest you can fly somewhere when you want for 25K miles borders on false advertising. Please go to AA.com and try to book an award flight. They have a handy calendar that lets you scroll forward or back in order to find a date when you can use a certain award ticket, but if you want to fly somewhere in Dec or Jan, it doesn't do much good to see what's available in March- and nothing will match convenient dates within two months of today. Oh yeah, when you do find a seat to your location, on the day you want to go, most likely there will be two plane changes and you'll leave at 6am and arrive at your destination sometime after 10pm. I simply don't understand how anyone can give this awards program more than one or two stars without being an airline shill.

Pros: They say its "free"
Cons: Its a scam like saving green stamps

I have over 80,000 miles on this program.
Everytime I want to use it for a trip the answer is
we don't have any seats. We don't go there. If we go there
you have to go to Chicago then to Chattanooga.
I go to the website like you are encouraged and my destination is unavailble
I call my travel agent can you get two seats to Miami from
Wash DC with these miles next month.
Answer no seats available. I get on plane and there are 20 empty seats.
Get the gist.
I guess if you go from New York to Los Angeles it might work as per some of the reviews. But for me its like the warranty on your refrigerator. When it finally breaks your not covered.
You are better off just booking the tickets after looking at all the airlines and getting the one you want.
I guess if you want to waste your time this is for you.

Pros: Many places you can fly
Cons: Miserable customer service

Both my wife and I were Platinum AAdvantage two years ago. My wife fell one segment short of maintaining her status due to an AA cancellation. They were so strict that they refused to continue her status. We both quit flying AA. We went to Gold status the following year and no status this year. In our account, we had a significant number of upgrade coupons, each with a value of around $40. We find now they are of no value and we lose several hundred dollars as the coupons are useless, even if we fly again with AA. Be very careful if you plan to cease flying with AA; use your upgrade coupons up before leaving.

Pros: American has lots of flights to lots of places.
Cons: POOR availability of seats for award travelers!

I find it nearly impossible to redeem miles on desired travel dates,even several months in advance. AAdvantage customers are definitely second class citizens!

Pros: Plenty of leg room.
Cons: With all the air circulation the plane can get a little cold inside.

I've flown on American Airlines in the past using their vacation program to Europe. The prices for their vacations are very reasonable.