Radical change in US airlines' policies

[unicorn]

I've been tracking the airfares for an upcoming trip we're going to take to Vienna/Danube cruise in May, and was shocked to see the business class fare increase from $7000 per person to $16,300 per person! I called American Airlines and found out that, in addition to those changes, one can no longer upgrade with miles or systemwide upgrade certificates, but rather, one has to buy the ticket first, then get presented with $$ or miles offers to upgrade. I checked those offers on upcoming LAX to MIA flight, and they were sky-high in price for either miles or $$ (160,000 miles per couple just for the way over, and over 200,000 miles for the way back!!). As far as I can tell, it looks as though Delta Airlines has taken the same strategy, since they're asking over $14,000 per person for to LAX-VIE roundtrip business class fare. Fortunately, the price for a United business class seat on a code-share on Austrian Airlines is less than half that, so we're going along with that before United joins the band-wagon. I hate to dump American (especially due to bad experiences I've had on United), but these policy changes seem too expensive to swallow. This is a copy of a complain letter I wrote to AA:

"I'm a Million Miler and long-time Executive Platinum member, but am shocked by the stratospheric increase in prices of business class seats and the difficult in getting upgrades. We are taking a trip from LAX to VIE (Vienna) in May, and were shocked to see the price of the business class ticket go from $7000 to over $16,000 per person. What's worse is that one can no longer use Systemwide Upgrades or miles until after one has purchased one's tickets, and then get surprised by an "offer" to upgrade. We looked at our offer for our upcoming trip to Miami, and it was off the charts! United is offering a nonstop LAX to VIE for $6861 per person. I'm afraid we had to take them up on that offer. After all of these years of loyalty to AA, I hate to break the relationship, but I'm not going to spend an extra $20,000 for the sake of loyalty, when that loyalty isn't rewarded. I have a suspicion that AA will lose its most loyal customers if these changes continue."
 

[floridarob]

A/A doesn't care..... really, they just don't care.

United is the best of the worse for US carriers....not that they're perfect, but when then mess up, they generally do the right thing to make up for it, sometimes with a little arm twisting, but they do.

 

[Riobard]

Air Canada LAX to VIE in May thru Toronto is an outrageous $14,900USD long-haul with one of the Europe legs code-share Austrian. Looks like you got a good deal with United code-share Austrian considering all three are Star Alliance and you have the luxury of non-stop. 

[PeterRS]

Many airlines abandoned loyalty decades ago. At the start of the 1990s, Cathay Pacific, my home airline in those days, offered lifetime Marco Polo Club membership with access to first class lounges whichever class being flown to those who reached 2 million miles within the decade. As a constant traveller, getting the miles was not very difficult. By mid-1998 I was up to around 1.7 million miles and confident I would reach that 2 million miles mark. Then in early 1999 CX cancelled the scheme with no perks even for those who had almost reached 2 million. That was when I switched my airline loyalty scheme for more than a dozen years.

As for the horrendous price hikes mentioned by @unicorn, I fear more airlines will jump on the same bandwagon. As the seats in business class are upgraded virtually to individual suites, so the total humber of seats in that cabin decline. And since it is the seats in the front of the plane that make a route profitable, the cheaper business class seats that many have got used to will disappear from many of the airlines.

Another reason for price hikes is less popular routes. I have no idea how popular or otherwise LAX to VIE might be, but I suspect not especially popular. Although a one-stop flight is boring, I wonder if LAX to MUC might be a good deal cheaper. If so, a second MUC to VIE flight might make the trip cheaper. On the other hand, I thoroughly recommend picking up a car and driving to Vienna, perhaps with an overnight stop en route. It is a beautiful drive.

[paulsf]

You have to be carefull and patient with AA pricing.   The high prices will usually drop a few days later.  It’s like a computer glitch. 
i was booking a Miami-Bangkok for next month.   AA web site kept coming up with $8k to 12k.  I just kept checking each day and finally got a fare of $4800.    I’ve run into this many times over the years.   I’ve got to much invested in AA to change, but it can be challenging at times.   
The Lax-Mia flights are high because the Hollywood crowd commutes back and forth.   They’ll’ pay anything.    

[floridarob]

12 minutes ago, paulsf said:

I’ve got to much invested in AA to change, but it can be challenging at times.  

I knew this topic would get your attention, lol

How many millions of actual miles have you flown with them again...??

[paulsf]

I’m at  5,250,000.   I’ve got Executive Platium status for life now.   Have’nt seen back of the plane in 10 years.   🙂🙂
I’m doing Miami-Boston more frequently now.   i’ll keep an eye open for you at Logan on one of your pass throughs.    
 

 

[unicorn]

Well, we'll be going to Indonesia in July, and so far R/T Business from LAX to Jakarta seems to be holding steady at $6000 (code-share JAL). We'll stick with American for now, but that's contingent on that airfare to VIE being a fluke. I dumped United over 20 years ago due to some bad experiences, but they may have changed during that period of time. 

[floridarob]

have you looked at award seats?

When airlines do promotions of double miles when purchasing, check out award availability.... might be cheaper, or a credit card that transfers points to an airline?

[PeterRS]

1 hour ago, floridarob said:

have you looked at award seats?

In my experience, the number of award seats has also been reduced. For years I have returned for an annual visit to the UK using Qatar biz class - sometimes paid, sometimes award seats. I have never before had any problem with award seats. For this year's trip I checked award availability in early October last year for any two-week period in March. Given QR have five daily flights from BKK with one or two being A380s, I was sure there would be no problem. Nothing. So I expanded the period and asked about any two week period in the four months from 1 March to 31 July. Only one one-way flight allegedly was available.

[unicorn]

4 hours ago, floridarob said:

have you looked at award seats?

When airlines do promotions of double miles when purchasing, check out award availability.... might be cheaper, or a credit card that transfers points to an airline?

Not only are there no award seats for business class, but none for main cabin, either. Even if I change the dates for extra time in Jakarta. All these award miles have been fake promises. 😢

[floridarob]

I've been fortunate with award seats, but I'm extremely flexible and bese some of my trips on the airlines availability.

Going back at the end of this trip, I bought flying FROM Jakarta roundtrip to Boston coming back in March, ANA/United business class was 2900usd.

Coming to this side this time I got Cancun-EWR-Delhi on United Polaris, 88k miles.... originally was on Ethiopia connection form EWR, they did a sched change and I got someone at United to to put me on their nonstop instead at the same miles....he did. However, the 1st girl that answered the phone, I could tell was a bitch with attitude, so I hung up and luckily got the nice guy, I knew as soon as he answered the phone he was a queen and would do it 😝

[captainmick]

5 hours ago, PeterRS said:

In my experience, the number of award seats has also been reduced. For years I have returned for an annual visit to the UK using Qatar biz class - sometimes paid, sometimes award seats. I have never before had any problem with award seats. For this year's trip I checked award availability in early October last year for any two-week period in March. Given QR have five daily flights from BKK with one or two being A380s, I was sure there would be no problem. Nothing. So I expanded the period and asked about any two week period in the four months from 1 March to 31 July. Only one one-way flight allegedly was available.

Often the workaround for Thailand UK flights with Qatar is to fly from Phuket rather than BKK. Seems to be more Avios availability.

[Keithambrose]

2 hours ago, captainmick said:

Often the workaround for Thailand UK flights with Qatar is to fly from Phuket rather than BKK. Seems to be more Avios availability.

I've been lucky with Avios on BA. As a Gold member for life, they say more seats are made available. Which may be true.  Next year I have a return business  class trip to California,  and to Sydney,  twice, with Avios. I use Seatspy, where can check instantly  whether there is availability  in all classes, and set an alert to be told if seats come up. That's how I got one flight to Sydney. No luck with Bangkok though! I have to pay for that. I'm thinking of trying Ethiopian, good reviews, and quite cheap.

[unicorn]

8 hours ago, floridarob said:

I've been fortunate with award seats, but I'm extremely flexible and bese some of my trips on the airlines availability...

Typically, although not always, we need fairly specific dates due to cruises or land tours. I think AA made a major policy shift late last summer regarding frequent flier mileage availability and, apparently, fares. Business awards seem to have been made essentially unavailable, and even main cabin availability highly limited. If airfares are any indication, it looks as though Delta may have followed suit, but not United. As I said, I've been a loyal customer with AA for decades, and AA no longer seems to reward customers' loyalty. 

[khaolakguy]

7 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

I'm thinking of trying Ethiopian, good reviews, and quite cheap.

Are you sure?! I looked at them once as the price is certainly cheap for flights between UK and Bangkok(around £2K in Business), but the diversion to Addis Ababa is far from ideal and neither is a change of planes there. The reviews on Skytrax were not encouraging either.

[Keithambrose]

1 hour ago, khaolakguy said:

Are you sure?! I looked at them once as the price is certainly cheap for flights between UK and Bangkok(around £2K in Business), but the diversion to Addis Ababa is far from ideal and neither is a change of planes there. The reviews on Skytrax were not encouraging either.

Well, I am only talking about flights where you have to change, as the direct flights from UK, BA, Thai and EVA, are all expensive,  and strangely  similar in price! I have a friend  who went on Ethiopian, and he said it was fine. I used to go on Finnair,  but they have gone up, and are no longer refundable. If you want a refundable fare, price goes up, and, in my view, you might as well go directChina Southern,  and China Airlines  i looked at, but usually  a long wait to change planes, 12 hours etc. Emirates weren't much good, Turkish was a possibility,  but thet have 2 2 2 seating in business class, old style. Gulf looked OK for a while and Austrian,  but the fares come and go. You just have to keep looking! I realise that i am being fussy, and not taking the Vinapu route of changing twice, on airlines I had barely heard of!