Delta Air Lines has, once again, extended status for its Medallion Members leaving American Airlines in a precarious position for its Advantage loyalty status holders.
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Delta Air Lines Extends Status Again
In welcome news from the most human company in the airline industry, Delta Air Lines is extending the expiry date for elite members’ status. This adds to a very big week for the Atlanta-based carrier of customer-friendly initiatives. Current Medallion status will now expire on January 31, 2023.
Delta CEO, Ed Bastian, gave a mea culpa on the airline’s significant call hold times this week, vowing to do better. Delta also announced it will allow basic economy tickets to be changed through the end of the year, despite the original restrictions on ticket changes.
Delta appears to be confident that the (unfortunately-named) Delta variant (no relation) of COVID-19 will cause disruption to flight schedules and notifications of changes would come eventually anyway.
Regardless, it was hero week for Delta, and others in the industry (Marriott) could follow its lead.
American Airlines Fall Offer
American Airlines made an offer to all elites this year in a bid to maintain their business:
Ways to retain your elite status through January 2023
Elite members who have not yet re-qualified for their current elite status or higher will have 2 opportunities to retain their existing status. They can spend on an eligible AAdvantage® credit card or fly on eligible tickets.
Spend $15,000 on an AAdvantage® credit card
You’ll retain your AAdvantage Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro or Executive Platinum status through January 31, 2023, if you spend at least $15,000 on eligible purchases with an eligible AAdvantage® credit card between July 15 – November 15, 2021.
View full terms and conditions
Fly on American or one of our partner airlines
You’ll retain your AAdvantage Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro or Executive Platinum status through January 31, 2023, if you earn at least $2,000 Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs) on eligible airline tickets flown between September 1 – December 31, 2021. – AA.com
Staying Competitive
This puts American Airlines in a difficult position. Some customers have already purchased tickets as part of the offer. Those AAdvantage members will be upset if status is extended for all customers despite spending the required amounts.
If they extend status, new targeted transactions will be lost, foiling its plan to add some revenue.
If the airline does not extend status for all, some may move to another carrier. Without a doubt, opportunistic Delta would seize the opportunity to award bonus miles and allow new elites to earn miles in an accelerated fashion both the rest of this year and next year to steal business from American.
Conclusion
Doing nothing will put a lot of AAdvantage elite status holders into questionable territory, but granting un-earned status extensions will anger the most loyal. Delta was smart to not follow American Airlines into the same position and now can force American to disenfranchise a certain amount of valuable customers no matter which way the airline chooses to go. United and Southwest haven’t indicated their direction, but if they follow Delta’s lead, they only further entomb American despite the carrier initially leading the way. American really can’t directly follow Delta, and also can’t afford not to do so.
What do you think? Will American extend? What about those who paid for an extension through the offers?
AA should make some offer perks for those who complete the $2k or 15k on credit card spending challenge. Like 2 SWUs, bonus miles, etc. To attractive them to do this.
This would incentivize me.
Having had already used one of the AA promotions and “butt in seat” miles to qualify for PP status, a blanket extension of status to those that haven’t been loyal to AA as I have been would seal the deal on my switch to DL.
This is the exact conundrum.
Let’s hope United follows suit!
The only way out is to follow up, is with another promotion rewarding those of us who have tried to achieve higher status by taking advantage of these promotions and spending money on AA. I will make EP unless travel shits down again, but would be a nice surprise to be awarded 4 instead of 2 SWU if I do make EP or bump me to EP anyway if things shut down again, Not likely but they need to do something.
Im confused by your bonus SWY proposition… Doesn’t EP get two award choices, which could already yield them 4 SWU?
I agree that if they follow delta, something needs to be done. Sure, those that organically earned status will have more EQDs than those that earned it with the latest accelerated bonuses, which in turn will have more EQDs than folks who just get status carried over. So upgrade priority will in some sense already be allotted appropriately for those with EP and possibly PP. But organically earned Platinums won’t stand a chance of ever getting upgraded if all the PP and EP folks get extended for free.
If AA again just gives blanket extension to every Dick, Tom and Harry it will be a slap in the face of everyone that is flying their butt off to make the reduced miles. I don’t care what Delta or United do because they seem to be desperate to “buy” their customers. If AA is extending status they should at least give Concierge Key to everyone that made the 2021 threshold.
Isn’t giving Concierge Key to “everyone” a bit rich? There isn’t a threshold for that, you have to be invited, and the minimum I’ve ever heard of anyone getting invited is like 3-4 times EP spend.
Good discussion. I’ve over spent but wanted to do it in style so in late October (hope Equipment holds B77W) doing First DCA-MIA-LAX overnight at H w HHONORS free night Return next night red eye to JFK (best value by far for premium service) then home to DCA Spend is about 50% more than required not counting Sept Colorado return. So I’m playing along. I’ve paid approx $1,600 each of the past several years to maintain my Platinum. Even traveling less, status has its perks This is more out of pocket for me, but hey, swivel seat between MIA – LAX. lie flat LAX – JFK Party on
If status gets extended, free changes so could cancel & use $$ for other trips Or still travel, maybe new bonus for the $2,000 spend folks, and enjoy the flights
My BA Silver status has been extended until Sept 2022. I flew 1 time in business class, got Bronze and they upgraded me to Silver a few months later. Flown a few times since, but was the easiest status I’ve ever made.
Along with others I agree that the best bad solution is to in some way reward those who earn status over those who simply got theirs extended. As one who has already re-qualified for 1K and will re-qualify for EP, it would certainly sting to see others who didn’t fly in 2021 above me on the upgrade list next year. DL has somewhat addressed this by promising that earned upgrades will clear before extended ones, and I would hope that AA/UA would follow suit should they do a blanket extension. Offering bonus miles/SUs/etc would also sweeten the pot and help 2021 loyalty not feel like it was for nothing.
Such is life regarding the earlier promotions. If American wants to keep more members who will choose them over another airline due to status then they’ll have to extend. There are some members who will flee to delta or United or allegiance because they feel aggrieved (which I sympathize with) but that won’t outweigh the majority who’ll pour revenue into American (like me). It’s why a lot of carriers slowly trickle you down tiers over years instead of dumping you to zero (like American Airlines do). They recognize people who spend over years and who drive revenue.
Working on the $15k on the credit card but this doesn’t guarantee my exec plat. My company essentially grounded everyone and my customers overseas aren’t allowing even vaccinated visitors. Based on million mile plus and plat exec for 10+ years, if they don’t extend, Delta will get an opportunity for my business. American’s service and treatment of elite flyers has gone down the sh*tter over the last 4 years. No reason to stay if they don’t extend.
Tom I agree with you 100%/
I am grounded for the most part and if AA doesn’t extend as others I will absolutely status match.. If no pandemic I would have been to Asia already 4 times this year and multiple domestic trips. I made my first trip and only for this year. Bon Voyage AA after over 20 years of my dedicated support. I truly do not want to leave however you may force me and other elites out.
Ben I agree with you 100%/
I am grounded for the most part and if AA doesn’t extend as others I will absolutely status match.. If no pandemic I would have been to Asia already 4 times this year and multiple domestic trips. I made my first trip and only for this year. Bon Voyage AA after over 20 years of my dedicated support. I truly do not want to leave however you may force me and other elites out.
My travel has never stopped since my job is essential. I requalified on UA 1K by April this year based on the precovid conditions. Giving away status is a slap in the face. The 1k is flooded anyway. Seems to devalue it
As a long term AA traveler I never look at other airlines when booking travel for business or personal because of my AA status. If AA does not extend status to 2023 I will surly leave to another airline as I have to start over building status.
Wake up team AA you are being a penny wise and a dollar foolish.
There are several things AA could do for those who already met the goals:
– gift double miles to those who met credit card goals (I blew thru the cc goals months ago, but the EQD means nothing because can’t meet EQM or flights because travel was restricted for so long this year and it’s already August)
– count credit card miles that met goal for MM status
– bonus miles for flights meeting goals
– “thank you” miles for meeting goals, sweeten based on years of elite or MM status.
These don’t appear to be terribly expensive but acknowledge those so loyal they worked hard to meet the goals.
TOTALLY agree with you an drive your proposals. I just feel like knowing AA they won’t post date ANYTHING. It will be like “CC spend in December counts to MM” and they will tell us that Nov 16th after we’ve already spent so much to reach the 30k EQD waiver AND the 15k status extended too. I’m a long time Plat Pro and have done EVERY bonus anything they’ve done this year. My actual EQM’s are already above Plat Level, but my EQD’s aren’t even at gold level. I’ve flown 6 paid first class domestic RT’s this year and only have 1 FC RT trip left in the year this year. Plus there is NO INCENTIVE to step up levels either.
I literally just dropped 12k on a trip to Australia on August 28th… Do you think I should ask for a wavier? If not, I’ll not even hit gold and I’m EP.
I don’t quite understand. If you dropped $12,000 on a trip to Australia and you’re an Executive Platinum you will certainly requalify. Even in a normal year that would put you at least at Platinum assuming it’s a business class ticket which I would assume it would have to be in order to get to that price point.
But if you spent the $2000 during the promotional period (still ongoing) – you will have whatever you had last year, which in your case, is Executive Platinum.