American Airlines has quietly stopped offering complimentary upgrades to Main Cabin Extra for mid- and top-tier oneworld elites outside the AAdvantage program.
American Airlines Cuts Main Cabin Extra Benefit For oneworld Elites
For years, American Airlines has offered free access to the Main Cabin Extra for oneworld emerald and sapphire members of other oneworld airlines, including:
- British Airways Executive Club Silver and Gold
- Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Club Gold and Diamond
- Finnair Plus Gold and Platinum
- Malaysia Airlines Enrich Gold and Platinum
- Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold and Platinum
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club Gold and Platinum
(among others)
Oneworld ruby members could also assign these seats upon check-in at no extra charge.
Main Cabin Extra seats are still economy class seats, but provide up to six extra inches of legroom and are located near the front of economy class section.
In fact, American Airlines not only offered these seats to oneworld elites, but also up to eight people traveling on the same reservation.
That policy has now changed. An American spokesperson confirmed the elimination of that benefit, but stressed that so-called “preferred” seats are still complimentary:
“For our oneworld elite status members, we will continue to offer complimentary access to Preferred seats, which is consistent with the benefit offered by other oneworld airlines.”
Preferred seats are the better-positioned seats in the Main Cabin. That includes many aisle and window seats or rows closer to the front of the aircraft. It might also include sections of two on a plane like the 777-300ER when most of the cabin is 3-3-3. Preferred seats do not have extra legroom.
Why the change, especially now? American would not elaborate but perhaps it is simply a move aimed at try to funnel more loyalty into its AAdvantage program, the most lucrative element of its portfolio (much more lucrative than flying).
CONCLUSION
Note that AAdvantage Platinum, Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members will continue to receive complimentary access to Main Cabin Extra. AAdvantage Gold members can also still assign Main Cabin Extra seats from 24-hours prior to departure.
What do you make of AA’s erosion of benefits for oneworld elite members outside the AAdvantage? Did you run into issues of Main Cabin Extra availability when traveling with AA as an elite?
image: American Airlines // H/T: Zach Griff
As a United flyer with BA status it was always good on the flights from LGA to DFW and DCA where United has little presence.
Now no more.
My exact scenario as well. I’ve been ok with taking AA on the occasional short domestic hop for the non-stop out of DCA. However, with this benefit removal, coupled with my own move to PDX, AS will be come that go to (also have MVP status).
As a BA Emerald frequent flyer based in North America, this was arguably one of the most compelling reasons to stay loyal to oneworld (since United and Delta don’t offer the same policy for Star Alliance/SkyTeam elites) — along with access to Flagship lounges when travelling domestically. This won’t affect my loyalty to AA/BA/oneworld, but is extremely disappointing nonetheless
Definitely disappointing – I am glad I booked our Avios Award Tickets, on AA, for Christmas, prior to this announcement – AA website still shows that our family of 4 have our MCE seat assignments (we are all OW Sapphire), so I am guessing only applies for new reservations?
I’m AA platinum and the biggest benefit by a mile for me is these “upgrades” For the whole family at booking (5 of us)
just part of the continued erosion of cross alliance benefits…look for more to come…at some point, it will be hard to truly make the case for the advantages of alliances…there will be more to come. none of these guys do these things without figuring an angle…remember, they dropped a bunch of “fees” that caused much public irritation at the point of charge, so now this is another way to sneak them back in. In six months, the next “benefit” to go will be lounge access….
AA has become very undesirable. That became very evident to me back in March when I needed to change/cancel some domestic bookings. AA was unresponsive, with a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude, Byzantine procedures for varying the bookings; United was infinitely better. It was chalk and cheese. I got far better treatment from United ( with only Gold status in Stat Alliance) than AA ( with top tier One World via QF platinum) .
I can’t imagine OW pax were really taking up all that many MCE seats. Seems unnecessary to me. I’m all for alliance-wide benefits.
Maybe they were enjoying too many free cans of TRULY in MCE.
+1. Poor decision. Isn’t the entire premise of alliance elite benefits to offer such things as an enticement? Making customers feel much less valued when you’re desperate for business in the middle of a global pandemic – what could possibly go wrong?
As if i needed ANOTHER reason NOT to pick AA!
-One World (not AA) Sapphire
This is the crap UA pulled with Star Golds a while ago. I assumed that Oneworld had stricter policies that required all Sapphires/Emeralds to be offered economy plus.
“It might also include sections of two on a plane like the 777-300ER when most of the cabin is 3-3-3.”
I think most if not all AA 777 aircraft now have been reconfigured with 10 seats across seating in the Main Cabin (with the exception of the rear of the cabin where the fuselage is narrower). And even when it was previously 9 seats across, I don’t think it was 3–3-3; it was 2-5-2.
Boring!
Wow, as a BA emerald flier originally from the States I would always use AA domestically despite their appalling on-time performance, because of the MCE upgrade and access to Flagship lounges. Half of that equation has just been removed, and these days they arguably offer the worst domestic First Class product of any of the big 3, especially with the awful new project oasis cabin, so not tempted to pay for that privilege either.
The lounge access is useful, but perhaps time to consider other US carriers for domestic travel… strikes me they could lose a lot of ancillary business customers when international travel resumes, over a relatively inexpensive benefit.