The End of Cheap Status

[Princess Fiona]

Domestic First to be re-coded as J - FlyerTalk ForumsAA is changing non-transcontinental domestic F into J class for booking codes. Big implications for anyone looking to leverage WP from cheap status runs. Reported on FT

 

[anat0l]

At this stage, there's no date announced and no authoritative source, but JonNYC on Flyertalk is pretty spot on with upcoming announcements.

 

[Princess Fiona]

At this stage, there's no date announced and no authoritative source, but JonNYC on Flyertalk is pretty spot on with upcoming announcements.

I'd definitely regard JonNYC as a reliable source.
Would be astonished if it isn't accurate.

 

[Quickstatus]

It is consistent with AA changes (reduction) to checked luggage allowance for non transcontinental and Less than 3 cabin flights

 

[Isochronous]

Devastating news!

 

[Hvr]

So another great resource goes away. Like JASAs and unlimited credit card points.

Still it was fun while it lasted and we will remember them with a touch of sadness.

Glad I've got mine booked for this year and especially that LTG is locked in.

 

[CaviAck]

It's not exactly the end, it's only a 33% loss of SC or effectively a 50% increase in costs. That $2/SC run is now going to be $3/SC, which isn't too bad.

 

[opusman]

Does this mean that an F booking e.g. MEL-LAX-ORD would only earn J SCs on the LAX-ORD leg?

 

[serfty]

Oh well, it means a likely 25% reduction in earn ...

 

[hotpaws]

Oh well, it means a likely 25% reduction in earn ...

And of course, this is in addition to the reduction in AA SC for short haul trips in the most recent (albeit some time ago now) "Simpler and Fairer" changes.
I wonder how they will handle bookings already made, I have a nice little HNL-DFW-MIA-MBJ return trip booked for May next year, with domestic flights in F and MIA-MBJ in J?
As it stands, 600SC at under $3 per sc - the best I could find from HNL.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Think of the bright side; it might mean that you now only need enough points for a Partner J award instead of awards costing F prices.

 

[anat0l]

Think of the bright side; it might mean that you now only need enough points for a Partner J award instead of awards costing F prices.

Just because the fare class is reclassified as a Business bucket doesn't mean that the class of service will also be rebranded as Business. This means that the award will still cost First prices.

Of course, the odd part of this is whether Qantas would "rewrite" the AA table to make an exception, such that J on short haul domestic USA or what not is classified as First earn rather than Business, resetting everything back to how it was. Oh well, so we can dream! Just kidding :mrgreen:

The other way this all could have panned out is that Qantas (and BA) rewriting their AA earn tables to make an exception for these affected flights, classing them as Business earn rather than First. That would have allowed AA to keep the same bucket it uses right now. Of course, AA making the change also affects its members of its own programme.

I wonder how the BAEC people are going to take this change (not necessarily on this board, just in general and I guess more specifically in the home market).

 

[anat0l]

One note: when AA decide to recode their flights from F to J, what will happen to existing bookings which are booked to fly on dates after the change cut over date? Will they earn at the old rates, and if they do, will they include:

• Any bookings made before the announcement of the change, or
• Any bookings made before the change cut over date?

I imagine that any bookings made before the announcement or at least before any YUPP fares are covertly switched to sell as J rather than A or P will remain at those booked codes (i.e. A or P), thus ensuring that anyone in any of those cases above will still earn in First.

For AA to effect a change on all bookings after a cut over date, they would need to issue new / changed bookings which may not change the flights but would change the class codes.

 

[Fifa]

I did two AA mileage runs earlier this year and achieved QF LTG as planned.
In future we will need to spend a little more but there are still some amazing deals out there for those who want to do the research .

 

[mviy]

Sounds like I'm likely to be hoping for more DSC offers from QANTAS rather than being as likely to consider doing a run in the US (have never done a run over in the States yet).

 

[Himeno]

If this goes ahead, then the oneworld fare products with a "2 class flight in D books as A in NA" rule is no longer needed, and my reason to avoid QF codeshares in north america and the AA A321Ts on future DONEx's goes away.

 

[samh004]

It's not exactly the end, it's only a 33% loss of SC or effectively a 50% increase in costs. That $2/SC run is now going to be $3/SC, which isn't too bad.

Exactly what I was thinking, sure it's a loss, but it's still (relatively) cheap.

Just because the fare class is reclassified as a Business bucket doesn't mean that the class of service will also be rebranded as Business. This means that the award will still cost First prices.

Would seem a bit odd and contrary to common sense/thinking to call a product "First" but use the "J/C/D/I" fare code. What's next, we'll call the product "Business" but the booking code is "Y" or perhaps "G"? It defies logic to call a product one thing and sell it as another. I'm sure it happens constantly, but it's a slippery slope. Would be easier to re-badge domestic First to domestic Business I reckon, avoids confusion. Call a spade a spade.

 

[Pleb Status]

Would be easier to re-badge domestic First to domestic Business I reckon, avoids confusion. Call a spade a spade.

We are talking about Americans here.....

 

[CaviAck]

Would seem a bit odd and contrary to common sense/thinking to call a product "First" but use the "J/C/D/I" fare code. What's next, we'll call the product "Business" but the booking code is "Y" or perhaps "G"? It defies logic to call a product one thing and sell it as another. I'm sure it happens constantly, but it's a slippery slope. Would be easier to re-badge domestic First to domestic Business I reckon, avoids confusion. Call a spade a spade.

It's not new to the 'Muricans, UA already do it with Business First....

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Cost saving measure by AA.

By coding it as 'J/D/I/C' they effectively don't have to pay as much to the host airline FF program for the passenger.