AAdvantage Executive Platinum Status – Would I Miss It?

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The recently announced devaluations to the American Airlines AAdvantage program have had me considering my “loyalty” to the airline over the past few weeks and I’ve been considering my options.

I’ve put “loyalty” in quotes because it isn’t that I have any loyalty to the airline in the traditional sense (that would be remarkably foolish), it’s more that I’m happy to pay a small premium, if necessary, to keep myself flying on American Airlines because the overall benefits usually outweigh any premium.

But now I’m asking myself if the benefits of flying American Airlines are still what they used to be before the devaluation? And if they’re not, then should I be looking to another airline or booking flights purely on price?

So what would I be giving up if I lost my Executive Platinum (EXP) status

Benefits I Would Lose

4 Systemwide upgrades (SWUs)

Executive Platinum members used to get 8 SWUs every year but, from next year, this will drop to 4.

SWUs have long been the single best benefit of the AAdvantage program – paying for deeply discounted economy class tickets and then finding yourself in Business Class across the Atlantic is a particularly nice experience. Missing out on SWUs would probably be the biggest blow if I lost/gave up my EXP status.

Complimentary upgrades on domestic flights

These were fantastic when I spent more time back in the US but, now that most of my travel is international, I can’t say that this is a benefit that I’d miss to any great degree. Sure, when I go back to the US and have to sit in coach I’ll probably miss it a bit but it’s not something I’d mourn the loss of.

Domestic First Class on an American Airlines 737 – not the most glamorous of cabins!

Increased mileage earning rates

When AAdvantage transfers over to being a revenue-based loyalty program (some time in 2016) EXP members will earn redeemable miles equal to 11 x the cost of their fare (less taxes). As I have lifetime Platinum Status in the AAdvantage program I wouldn’t see my earning level drop to very very bottom but it would be cut to 8 x the cost of my fare (less taxes).

I’ve already worked out that, under the new system, even if I retain my EXP status going forward, my yearly redeemable mileage earnings are likely to drop my 50% so, to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure a further drop is going to hurt me that much more.

AAdvantage award change and reinstatement charge waived

American Airlines charges on Miles SAAver Awards (the only ones I book):

• Origin or destination changes – $150
• Reinstating miles from a cancelled award – $150 for the first ticket and $25 for additional tickets.
• Fee for date and routing changes (where the origin and destination remain the same) – $0

I doubt a month goes by without me booking, cancelling or changing an award so the lost of this benefit would either significantly change they way I plan my travels or cost me a lot of money.

Complimentary same-day flight change

I can’t remember the last time I used this benefit so I’m not exactly going to miss it if it’s gone.

Access to First Class lounges in the OneWorld network

Not being able to access the amazing Qantas first Class lounges or some of the better First Class lounges in Asia isn’t ideal but it’s not exactly a major loss. My lifetime Platinum status would still get me in to OneWorld Business Class lounges around the world and my Priority Pass membership would get me access elsewhere.

Qantas First Class Lounge LAX

Executive Platinum desk

There was a time when the staff manning this desk were absolutely fantastic and having access to them was almost reason enough to hold on to EXP status. They were super helpful, had the power/authority to override all kinds of annoying rules and would genuinely work as hard as they could to help an EXP.

Nowadays a lot of those staff are gone and they appear to have been replaced by less helpful, less enthusiastic staff members who also have a lot less authority to do anything out of the ordinary. The desk is just not that special any more….but I’d still miss it because it’s still a lot better than regular customer services.

Free snack and drink when sat in domestic Economy Class Coach

If I’m going to be sitting in coach I always have my own snacks with me – most of the food served in domestic coach is absolutely terrible – so I wouldn’t miss this benefit at all.

Priority on upgrades and in times of unexpected delays/cancellations

Thanks to a combination of usually booking my flights early and having EXP status, I usually find myself in the top 3 on the upgrade wait-list…and that gives me a very good chance of sitting up front. The loss of EXP status would see me drop behind all the EXPs on the list and upgrades would be a lot harder to come by.

The bigger loss would be the loss of priority when things go wrong with flights. I’ve been caught up in a few severe weather systems that have brought air traffic to a standstill and my EXP status has got me out of trouble every time – I’m not at all convinced that I would have received same level of  help and service had I not had top-tier status.

It may look pretty, but an airport is the last place I want to be when the weather is like this

Benefits I Would Still Have

Thanks to lifetime Platinum status in the AAdvantage program I would still have the following benefits I consider important:

• 2 free checked bags
• Complementary Main Cabin Extra seats
• Access to OneWorld Business Class lounges outside of the US
• Free seat selection at the time of booking on all OneWorld airlines
• Check-in at Business Class desks

So What Do I Think?

There are a good number of EXP benefits that I could live without and, if I continued to plan my travels around OneWorld airlines my lifetime Platinum status (OneWorld Sapphire status) would give me most of the flight benefits that I need.

But there are a few benefits that make a huge difference to my travels which I’d miss if I lost EXP status:

• Systemwide upgrades
• Waived fees on award changes/reinstatements
• Help during irregular operations.
• Upgrade priority

I’m not going to qualify for top-level status on any other airline any easier than I would on American Airlines. And no other airline appears to have better top-tier benefits for someone with my travel patterns than American Airlines. So those factors appear to rule out a move over to a competitor airline.

I could become a free-agent and just book my travels on price but, because of the routes I fly and where I’m based, American or one of their partners is one of the cheaper options at least 80% of the time. So if I’m booking 80% of my travel on American anyway I may as well go the extra mile and make sure I renew EXP status.

It appears that, while I remain primarily a purchaser of Economy Class tickets, it’s probably worth my while retaining American Airlines Executive Platinum status – the benefits will make a difference to the quality of my travels.

So What Would Make Me Jump Ship?

• If American Airlines was to introduce a Premium Economy cabin that prevented upgrades from Economy to Business Class – SWUs would suddenly become a lot more expensive to use.

• If I was to ever find myself primarily purchasing premium cabin tickets then the big status benefits like SWUs, upgrade priority and help during irregular operations would be less important. I’d be getting most of them as part of my ticket anyway and that’s when status suddenly becomes a lot less relevant.

• If American introduced an official status level above Executive Platinum and devalued the EXP tier further.

• If American Airlines began adding surcharges to award tickets.

• If another major airline improved their loyalty program offering.

Bottom Line

After working through my options it’s becoming easier to see why American Airlines devalued AAdvantage as much as they did. The did it because they could.

There’s no doubt that the airline’s executives crunched the numbers and worked out that, even if they halved the number of SWUs they hand out and halved the number of redeemable miles they give away, AAdvantage members like me don’t really have another viable option while our travel patterns remain as they are.

The benefits of Executive Platinum status are still just about good enough to keep us flying American and crediting our miles to AAdvantage. They’re the airline passenger equivalent of golden handcuffs – they’re just not as shiny as they once were.