I don't have many good things to say about American Airlines nowadays, so it's time for a compliment. ;) For the most part I don't think food in US domestic first class is worth eating. This isn't just limited to American, but also applies to Delta and…
American AAdvantage has just rolled out a new promotion with which you can earn up to 50,000 bonus AAdvantage miles for qualifying partner activity. On the surface I really like gamified promotions like this, where you can complete different tasks to…
American Executive Platinum members receive four systemwide upgrades every year when they qualify for status. These systemwide upgrades are issued when you earn the status, and expire at the end of January of the year where your status expires. I actually…
I don't actually have anything useful to say here, but couldn't help but share just how bad my luck has been with American lately. Of my last five flights on American, three planes have been "broken:" -- A few weeks ago I had a four hour mechanical delay…
American has just launched their latest promotion on purchased miles, valid through November 26, 2018. With this promotion you get a tiered bonus when you buy at least 10,000 miles in one transaction, as follows:
American has just announced some significant changes to the AAdvantage program, which kick in as of January 1, 2019. To start, let me note that there are no changes to the AAdvantage award chart for now (I don't know if any changes are coming or not,…
While virtually all airline tickets in the US nowadays are electronic (unlike back in the day when you had paper tickets, where you needed to surrender a voucher to get on the plane), US airlines do still issue some paper vouchers. Or perhaps more accurately,…
It has been really sad to see the decline of American -- I recently wrote about how I think the airline has hit rock bottom. The problem is simple -- the airline lacks a vision. Management doesn't seem to know which direction they want to take the airline,…
It’s approaching the end of the year, which means it’s a good time to start looking at your elite mileage balances, deciding which status levels you want to go for, and how you want to earn them. For as long as I can remember, American has offered an…
Online shopping portals can be a great way to pick up additional miles & points for purchases you’d make anyway. Just for following a specific link you can earn bonus points in addition to the ones you’d earn for credit card spend. The number of bonus…
Unless I'm on a longhaul international flight with a flat bed (or nearly flat bed), I try to avoid redeyes at just about all costs. Back in the day I'd do them all the time, but at this point they just take such a toll on me that they're not worth it.…
There are lots of things that contribute towards a great frequent flyer program. Obviously award redemption rates and award availability are both important, but there's also something to be said for the ease with which you can search award availability.…
Over the past few years, the "big three" US airlines have made qualifying for status more complicated. Airlines have not only started awarding redeemable miles based on how much you spend rather than how much you fly, but they've also added an EQD (elite…
We arrived at Miami Airport at around 5:30PM, plenty early for our 7:20PM flight to Quito. Unfortunately Miami Airport has some of the worst security lines in the country, in my experience, in particular for Pre-Check. The Pre-Check line was really long.…
It's not often I complain to airlines nowadays. I maybe send in a note an average of once per year, or so. With that in mind, I figured it would be interesting to share what I was offered as compensation for my recent delay. I was flying from Miami to…
Welcome to my next trip report, which will cover a quick trip to Ecuador on American Airlines' notorious Boeing 737 MAX 8, with a stay at an incredible lodge. Ford and I try to plan some sort of fun "bucket list" trips around our birthdays, and Ford's…
American Airlines announced their premium economy service back in 2016, and it has slowly rolled out across their widebody fleet since. On a recent trip from Philadelphia to Europe, I was lucky enough to try out the product. While this is certainly not…
American Airlines has just announced some negative changes regarding Admirals Club membership. Not only are the prices of Admirals Club memberships being increased (when paying in cash), but there will also be added restrictions. American notes that…
Well, it looks we now know the exact end date of a Citi increased welcome bonus. Since mid-July, Citi has been offering a nice welcome bonus on the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard®. The card is currently offering 75,000 AAdvantage…
My thoughts on filling out airline and hotel surveys after a flight or hotel stay have shifted over time. Why you should be filling out airline and hotel surveys I used to not fill them out because I tend to think my time is more valuable than filling…
Last year American took delivery of their first Boeing 737 MAX, of which they have 100 on order. Generally when an airline takes delivery of new planes it's good news for passengers. While the economics of flying new planes is better in terms of fuel…
