Platinum "anytime" lounge Access ceases from 1 February 2011

[pauly7]

Interesting changes. Let's see, I reckon not many WP's would use any time access. (I am sure to be blasted with that statement!) I will explain.

No, I completely agree.

This forum, as we state over and over is NOT a good reflection of the way the vast majority of flyers, yes even WP's think. I've walked around the office - not one person cares about this change!

Regular people care about the big stuff, they are looking forward to for example the next gen J and Y class being rolled out domestically.

Regular travelers want to minimize time in airports, not live in the lounges pre and post flights

The people saying they'll go to DJ, great, less talk more action - just do it! We need more people to go check them out and become experts on all things DJ, this site needs more people in the DJ forum, there sure isn't much going on in there now.

There has been much bleating and gnashing of teeth about this and now it's just getting incredibly repetitive and incredibly negative so that's it from me here

(for all those still very upset, I empathize but chin up!)

 

[drron]

Well since mrsdrron made WP we have used anytime access when flying to MCY on DJ.
But on this last trip I requalified AA plat and mrsdrron requalified WP.We both notice the change on our accounts but only I got an email-
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"We are happy to welcome you to another year of American Airlines AAdvantage Platinum® membership and benefits! [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Your new card will arrive by mail in just a few weeks, but in the meantime I want to express my appreciation for your business. We are pleased that your status is now extended through the next elite membership year, and will work hard to ensure your loyalty is rewarded. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Along with your membership comes a range of benefits designed to make your travel more enjoyable. Whenever you wish to review your membership privileges, we invite you to access your Benefits Guide online at aa.com/aadvantageplatinum.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]As one of our valued elite members, you are especially important to us. Thank you for your support of American Airlines and the AAdvantage® program.[/FONT][/FONT]
Yours truly,

Maya Leibman
President

AAdvantage® Loyalty Program"

​

Simple things can be appreciated.

 

[N860CR]

As both a qf and dj gold, I can only encourage those who are angry about this change to vote with their feet and give virgin a shot.

Since I've flown dj as a gold member, I can honestly say I've never experienced such great recognition of status both on the phone, on the ground and in the air.

I was very very anti-virgin not too long ago, but Qantas have failed me over and over again while Virgin have improved in leaps and bounds.

I would argue that qantas's "leading premium airline" bs is, in fact, real bs. Virgin trump them on all levels.

 

[markis10]

I dont think Virgn are up to competing with QF yet, thats the issue, QF dont have any real competition forcing them to keep the benefits at their current levels. Those of you who were status members in the early part of this decade will remember the flexibility of QF and rapid adding of benefits when it looked like Ansett were going to fly again.

 

[medhead]

No, I completely agree.

This forum, as we state over and over is NOT a good reflection of the way the vast majority of flyers, yes even WP's think. I've walked around the office - not one person cares about this change!

Regular people care about the big stuff, they are looking forward to for example the next gen J and Y class being rolled out domestically.

Regular travelers want to minimize time in airports, not live in the lounges pre and post flights

The people saying they'll go to DJ, great, less talk more action - just do it! We need more people to go check them out and become experts on all things DJ, this site needs more people in the DJ forum, there sure isn't much going on in there now.

There has been much bleating and gnashing of teeth about this and now it's just getting incredibly repetitive and incredibly negative so that's it from me here

(for all those still very upset, I empathize but chin up!)

I guess your survey is fair enough. But I think you are missing the point. Especially by referring to people bleating and being upset. Far from being upset I am actually disappointed.

This is supposed to be a program that rewards loyalty. My question is where is the reward for flying twice as many flights a year as a gold person? How is that loyalty being rewarded over and above the reward to gold.

Frankly anytime access was a good/big reward that recognised my loyalty on the odd occasion that I had to fly with another airline. Sometimes not by choice. Far from living at the airport my aim is to make my time there as comfortable as possible. Removing this benefit means that I have a choice, I can continue being loyal and be uncomfortable on the odd occasion. Or I can maintain gold with 2 airlines and be comfortable all the time. I certainly have enough flights to do that.

Yes, I realise there is the F lounge and international benefits but unlike my domestic flying I travel international with my family. Allowing me and one other into the F lounge just doesn't seem to be that useful since technically half the family would have to stay outside.

 

[dfcatch]

I'm off to the airport to use the anytime access later this morning when I drop my parents at the airport.

It's the only time I use the anytime access, when I take them to the airport, and it's nice to be able to allow them in to enjoy the lounge for 30 mins.

I too am disappointed (but not gutted) over losing this privilege.

I'm more upset about the QP & PS changes, as I was aiming for LTS, and know that I won't be WP forever.

 

[ejb]

I may be reading it wrong, but, I have looked over the website and I think we still have anytime access to the QP's just not the J lounge.

I may be wrong and just not looking hard enough.

ejb

 

[markis10]

I'm more upset about the QP & PS changes, as I was aiming for LTS, and know that I won't be WP forever.

LTS is a total waste of time now, having the priority check in was the main benefit for me, shortly I will be LTG, by which time I am sure an "enhancement" will come.

 

[medhead]

I may be reading it wrong, but, I have looked over the website and I think we still have anytime access to the QP's just not the J lounge.

I may be wrong and just not looking hard enough.

ejb

Check the + footnote on the lounge access table it says anytime access is removed from 3 feb 2011

 

[ejb]

Check the + footnote on the lounge access table it says anytime access is removed from 3 feb 2011

Thanks medhead.

I thought that the table had been altered to show the new rules as it showed access to J lounge only when flying.

ejb

 

[dfcatch]

LTS is a total waste of time now, having the priority check in was the main benefit for me, shortly I will be LTG, by which time I am sure an "enhancement" will come.

Exactly.

I'll be 64% LTS in the next 6 months, but LTG is a pipe dream away....

 

[extracta]

I Imagine a long day in SIN then not being able to grab a beer or shower at the lounge before your 3K flight to PER or AKL?

Maybe AFF could arrange corporate membership with PRIORITY PASS I notice they are advertising on this site.

Corporate Discounted Rates

Priority Pass is designed to allow travelers to enjoy the peace and quiet of airport VIP lounges whenever they travel, and with millions of members around the world, it has proved its value time and time again.
As well as individual membership, we offer several ways in which the benefits of Priority Pass can be used to help your business achieve its goals. Here are some ways in which we work together with organisations worldwide:

• Corporate membership
  Downgrade to economy and keep your staff happy. Turn business travel time into productive time, and help make staff feel valued. We offer special terms on memberships for groups of 10 or more. Want to know more about Priority Pass corporate membership? click here

 

[PineappleSkip]

Downgrade to economy and keep your staff happy.

:shock::shock: The horror! The horror! :shock::shock:

That would not keep me happy. That would keep me angry:evil:

Re the representativeness of AFF members, yes they are unrepresentative, but I think they'd capture a much more representative segment of WPs

Cheers skip

 

[djfuzz]

Thanks medhead.

I thought that the table had been altered to show the new rules as it showed access to J lounge only when flying.

ejb

Removing J lounge anytime access might have been a softer intermediate step, rather than removing the benefit entirely.

They could have genuinely examined usage patterns and feedback (ie those useless, self-serving email surveys they send us under the pretence of improving service to accommodate us), and adapted the benefits to meet their underlying commercial objectives of some cost savings, preventing abuse of the benefit, and encouraging travel on their brands, while retaining enough of the benefit to continue to engender loyalty.

For example, they could have removed anytime access but allowed access "on the day" of a QF/JQ/OW flight (ie departing or arriving) or when an accompanying guest is departing on a QF/JQ/OW flight. This would eliminate access when flying other airlines (though they could have expanded the list to include the various JQ subsidiaries or even international flights), as well as random use when not travelling (not optimal when picking up guests, but a smaller sacrifice). They could also have made such access subject to reasonable capacity controls.

Removing the benefit entirely without retaining some of the sheen that distinguishes the WP tier (for what is likely very little cost or operational inconvenience) is probably going to hurt them quite a bit.

 

[Leumas]

I wonder if they are introducing the evil boarding pass scanners at the Dom J lounge?

I think they pretty much have to now, regardless of this incoming change. With this 'next generation' check-in, everything is on your card... What they can do is like the Myki set up, this will be much simplier and less work for the staff too.

 

[djfuzz]

I think they pretty much have to now, regardless of this incoming change. With this 'next generation' check-in, everything is on your card... What they can do is like the Myki set up, this will be much simplier and less work for the staff too.

Interestingly, I don't think the technology itself would necessarily have been fatal to anytime access - they could easily have retained it on the WP chipped cards, even with some of the above qualifications.

 

[simongr]

You do realise that this probably came about through those "useless" surveys - people like me saying they wanted something above platinum and probably saying they werent bothered by anytime access to the lounge (my preference is to fly OW in J int'l if I can, then fly in J (thus getting some lounge access) with someone else or not fly at all).

I think if you read more into this then they are rewarding the WP who they probably value more - the int'l J flyers. Overall over the past few years that travel experience has been greatly enhanced.

What I don't understand about the "I am going to switch to DJ" comments is that if you do switch you wont be getting any benefits surely? If people get to QF SG and then jump ship they wont be enjoying the benefits of SG.

Personally I will stick with QF dom as I get flexible fares anyway (soft budget this year) so the cost savings (which I do care about as I am a budget holder) arent that great.

I am really looking forward to better food in the J lounge and NGCI as these are real enhancements to me. If that is funded by someone else not getting free access to the lounge when not flying QF then I dont see an issue.

I do like the BA benefits of their super fliers - though comparing two simple DONE4s I would earn more SCs than TPs making those premium rewards pretty hard to catch...

 

[djfuzz]

simongr, what's keeping you from crediting back to AA and returning to AA EXP? :?:

 

[oz_mark]

LTS is a total waste of time now, having the priority check in was the main benefit for me, shortly I will be LTG, by which time I am sure an "enhancement" will come.

Priority check-in will still apply to international. For my most common airports, NGCI will be in place, and I am not sure how priority check-in even fits into that. So if I were to fall back to silver, I probably wouldn't be too badly affected.

Of course, at ports where there is no NGCI it will have an affect - just need a workaround for that (OLCI and no checked luggage I guess!)

 

[simongr]

I switched to QF as I was getting coughpy domestic seating assignments as an EXP and I was not expecting to fly enough to attain EXP. In fact the timing and pattern of my travel would mean I probably wouldnt have made EXP this year.

I am hoping to hit WP again in my 2011 status year by around June potentially. At the same time I expect a change in role - if that means I can attain EXP then I might switch back to AA.

One of the big changes/issues for me is that I am earning increasing amounts of CC points through Amex (incl. 750K through the 2008 messed up promo) which can't efficiently go to AA. I expect also in 2012 to be paying for personally funded Oz-Cyprus J flights so status and points wont particularly matter.

For me at the moment domestic flights are a bus trip (I dont do as many as many people here) to MEL or BNE so status is only relevant in getting to the front of the bus. So the most important thing for me for the next 12 months or so as all my int'l travel will be business (i.e. no family) is to be able to walk straight to the F counter in SYD, whiz through immi/security and be in the F lounge in comfort within 10 minutes - that is worth more to me than points. Add in the F lounge access in HKG and LHR and you have the reasons why I enjoy flying. QF is the easiest airline for me to attain that with based on my current profile of flying.