News To Me: American Restricts Elite Benefits On Partner Award Tickets

It’s usually possible to update the FF number from BA to AA through RJ’s website (or another oneworld airline that will accept BA’s Amadeus PNR). In light of this ability, a policy like this makes even less sense to me.

It should be possible for BA to update the number on their end. Usually you won't be able to do it online, but you should be able to if you call BA.

In a way, this is similar to awards being treated as Basic Economy fares. At least with Delta, no upgrade and no advance seat assignment.

Tread carefully here. There is a workaround if you book via the web. If this starts getting enforced, this is a HUGE negative to whats left of the Aadvantage program.

They’re really going for great with this policy.

AA's Twitter Team seems to be the main gatekeepers here... I ran into it for the first time last month. The old workarounds also are not working anymore (Finnair and RJ), as it appears AA has gone to the length to make those changes not actually take effect in AA's specific IT system. Frustrating for sure.

"I also question American’s ability to enforce this rule"

Dumb. Danger Will Robinson.

This is probably not a difficult software change.

Agreed that this policy seems silly as you’re not ‘double dipping’ on benefits but one of the examples you gave of earning American miles while using LATAM status to get lounge access is generally restricted by airlines. For example on United to get domestic lounge access for a non-PS flight you can only use other star alliance status if it’s attached to the ticket/reservation. This your miles would also credit to that program. I’ve seen people try to get United credit and show their Turkish or other *gold status and the lounge agent has refused access unless it’s electronically attached to the ticket. I’m sure enforcement varies but given that this is trying to skirt the rules restricting domestic United status holders from access I think it makes sense.

I dunno. In the opening paragraph, you say:

"This is referring to booking a ticket using British Airways Avios for travel on American. This is a great value since they have a distance based award chart, and also since they don’t charge the close-in ticketing fees of up to $75 that American charges if booking with AAdvantage miles."

You don't want to pay the charges or be held to the restrictions AA has in their program, but you still want the benefits AA has in their program.

I can see AA's point -- if you want the benefits, you should be willing to pay the cost. You're using a workaround to have your cake and eat it too.

Of course it makes sense - cherry picking benefits from 2 airlines on a single journey is and should be against the rules. In fact, not enforcing this is a dis service to other elites, who face over crowding

Like many, I book using ba.com and simply add my AA Frequent Flier number. Then I go to the AA.com's website to make sure my reservation shows up, and I get all of my elite benefits, including free standby (which I use on Avios bookings regularly). Hard to see them really changing this - I always thought that how you "buy" a ticket (cash via phone or online, AAdvantage miles, partner miles, online travel agency) is totally separate from benefits you get as an elite.

There used to be a way of having both numbers made with BA - FQTV and FQTS - so you had one for earning and one for status.
No idea if that remains the case as haven't done it for years, but the problem back then was getting an agent who both knew how to do it, and could be bothered to do so.
It was also a colossal pain in the ass when it credited to the wrong scheme as well..

For what it's worth if booking online at Ba.com you can book yourself as a traveler other than the BA account holder. On this 'second person' you can put in your AA account number and it will automatically populate through. No need for rj/finnair changes at all.

@ Deepak @ Mike Coffey -- You're not cherry-picking elite benefits. You're not taking advantage of any benefits of status with BA here.

Thanks American.

I am a bit lost at the moment, does this mean that I will not be able to change from my Qatar Gold (OWS) card (with which I have chosen MCE seats) to a basic Finnair (no status) and get miles on the Finnair number?

If I can still change these what is the best way to do it and when, will the check-in/boarding agent do it?

If you book with avios a domestic segment and add your AAdvantage number with EXP status, will you be able to get a free upgrade?

I first noticed this issue at the end of April. I had revised my frequent flyer number on a BA award from BA to AA using the Finnair website. The switch did not work. On the outbound, I did not receive PreCheck or Group 5 boarding, all benefits tied to my AA FFN. On the return flight, I added my known traveler number online at AA.com which I was happy to find out enacted PreCheck. To enact the group 5 boarding benefit from Aviator card, I had to ask gate agent to switch out BA FFN to AA FFN. I hope AA is not directing gate or check-in agents to stop assisting with this issue.

If I am a BA silver who books an award ticket on American, do I still get elite benefits?

Update: books an award ticket on American WITH AVIOS (Ba Miles)

US Airways used to be very strict in the *A days, if there was already an FF # in the reservation, no one would touch it. I guess this is someone from US's doing to try and cut costs.

@ Ben -- AFAIK, you can't change a UA or LH number when you use your UA or LH account to book an award. PLEASE tell me there is a way!

This was always against the rules back when I flew NWA and credited to AS. Changing the number resulted in losing the benefits of my status unless I was sneaky about it. The logic was simple, my benefits were associated with my FF number... when the number went away, so did my benefits.

@Lucky, interesting post. I had always assumed that that status benefits (like priority boarding) are offered just by showing your elite card (even if the number isn't in your reservation). I actually wanted to ask you how you handle this sort of thing if you already have status already with a partner airline but want status on another carrier. For example, I wanted to get elite status on AF (for an F reward) by crediting DL flights to an AF account (I am platinum on DL). Shouldn't the carrier honor status regardless of which number is entered into the reservation--at least as long as you can show a valid membership card?

This is a big problem for me. I recently moved 120,000 Amex MR points to BA in anticipation of using them in the future on AA domestic flights. I am lifetime gold on AA (and I am unlikely to requalify for any status again) but I needed to stash the points somewhere. If I had known of this policy I would have moved the points to Delta or Aeroplan since I don't have any status on those airlines or alliances.

I have yet to book any flights using my BA avios yet. From Mike's comment it sounds like I can just book the ticket for another person (not myself) and that person will be my name with my AA FF number. I have no interest in ever booking a flight with my BA number, just AA. Can anyone confirm this still works?

Not sure when this policy was implemented on AA, but I flew to DFW-LAS this past Monday issued as BA award ticket on AA.

I called up AA and had them add my AAdvantage # no problem at all.

Ticket was booked on 5/25

@Price

My last booking in this manner was booked in April this year.

The aa policy does make sense given how the airlines are trying to collect fees (and they realize it's a big revenue stream). Overall sadly your post doesn't have a lot of logic but mostly complaint that you can not benefit from your aa status but still want to use cheaper avois, which is exactly aa wants to avoid, it seems to me. For your simple example of non elites because there is no benefit for them (financial benefit not known traveler number etc) aa doesn't care and my guess is that the it has something to do with it. Either way I see this new enforcement is the cheapest way for aa to enforce the rule. Do I like it? No. Does it make financial sense? Yes for aa but not for customers. Does your post make a logical argument? Sadly not so much.

@Lucky For Oneworld it should be the operating carrier that pays for the lounge visits, irrespective of status or class driven. In Star Alliance status driven visits are paid for by the FFP. So in that aspect, AA's policy makes financial sense.

Can't be 100% certain though, as the this is not public information. It is gathered from comments on blogs and fora.

Sounds like you want to double dip despite your protesting of not double dipping. Why not just directly book domestic AA first class using avios than to hope for an upgrade? By them enforcing the rule it means if you want domestic first class seat and priority boarding, you have to fork over more avios points. Plain and simple. Makes sense to me. Sucks for people who want to double dip.

The AA credit cards give priority boarding in zone 5. This is a credit card benefit and not an AAdvantage benefit, but the use of this benefit requires you to link you AAdvantage number to the reservation. Seems like they might have a CFPB issue here if they deny use of this benefit in violation of the credit card T&C. Has nothing to do with status.

Not going to lie, see no problem with this. If you want AA status benefits redeem AA miles. If you redeem miles from another airline then you aren’t “loyal” to AA with that flight or how you earned the miles so why should they throw you some freebies?

Don’t like it but 100% fair. Programs are very intentionally designed to reach a balance of benefits, earn/burn, redemption opportunities, etc. AA happens to be better on both on average, but they make an intentional choice not to be the best, for example, with short haul redemptions. To pick elements of one program to combine with elements of another really messes with their design choices. That’s treating the programs transactionally, just like we don’t want them to. hard to argue they are only rewarding loyalty with “certain transactions” when that’s exactly what we all do - we’re loyal for certain transactions.

That said, still makes our lives harder 🙁

LATAM doesn’t pay a single dime for your lounge benefits. In oneworld it’s the operating airline of the flight that pays for lounge access.

@Lak

That seems like a bizarre policy. I wonder why it is designed that way.

I booked AA flights on BA website with Avios for myself and my wife. My BA number populated automatically but no FF number for her. Went to website and added her AA FF number (she's a Platinum Pro at the moment). Was able to change seats from back of the plane to preferred seats for both of us on the website. This rule makes no sense and the inconsistency that it will be enforced will drive people crazy.

Today I flew American on a BA award using Avios. I do not currently have any AA status.

After I booked the award I added my AAdvantage number to the reservation using the FinnAir website.

Part of my AAdvantage profile is my Known Traveler Number (through Global Entry) and when traveling on AA my boarding pass always reflects TSA PreCheck.

But today, it did not.

I should have noticed this at the ticket counter and requested a new boarding pass. But, want to share this as a data point.

It’s been going on a few years now and the arrogant lying folks at Americans customer service denied there had been any changes
My work around ? Continue to fly other competing airlines who appreciate my tens of thousands annually I spend
F# American you are the absolute most greedy blood suckers of the universe
Destroying customer loyalty one day at a time