How tAAcky! American Airlines adds elite lines while economy implodes

Like most other travel bloggers, I normally ignore any press releases sent to me on Monday night or Tuesday morning, because they’re what I like to call “paper fodder” — failed pitches to the marquee business travel columns in one of the dying national newspapers. But for this one, I’ll make an exception.

Here’s what crossed the wire a few moments ago.

AMERICAN AIRLINES TO INTRODUCE PRIORITYAACCESS PRIVILEGES FOR ITS TOP CUSTOMERS

Privileges Ease Check In, Security, and Boarding for AAdvantage Elite Status Members, First and Business Class Travelers, AAirpass Customers, and Passengers Traveling on Full-Fare Economy Class Tickets

FORT WORTH, Texas – American Airlines will soon introduce to its top customers PriorityAAccessSM privileges, which are an array of enhancements designed to make the airport process and overall travel experience more convenient.

American’s AAdvantage® elite status members, First and Business Class travelers , AAirpass customers, and passengers traveling on full-fare Economy Class tickets will receive more control and be offered an easier journey when they travel with dedicated PriorityAAccess check-in, security screening lanes (where available), and exclusive boarding lanes at the gate.

“American Airlines greatly appreciates the loyalty of our customers, and we have been working hard to deliver the product features and recognition we know they value and deserve,” said Mark Mitchell, American’s Managing Director – Customer Experience. “PriorityAAccess benefits provide a differentiated experience for our top customers at the ticket counter, at security checkpoints, and at the gate.”

American will introduce PriorityAAccess privileges on Sept. 30 and expects to complete the rollout by the end of October.

Following is a summary of American’s PriorityAAccess benefits. These benefits will be available to First and Business Class customers; AAdvantage Executive Platinum®, AAdvantage Platinum®, and AAdvantage Gold® members; AAirpass® customers; oneworld® Alliance Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby members; and customers traveling on full-fare Economy Class tickets, which are booked in American’s “Y” ticket category.

PriorityAAccess Check-In

PriorityAAccess customers will enjoy their own dedicated check-in area at the ticket counter with distinctive signage clearly identifying PriorityAAccess lines. In addition, “PriorityAAccess” will be printed on boarding passes, designating travelers as American’s top customers. American will offer PriorityAAccess check-in areas at all of the airports it serves worldwide.

PriorityAAccess Security Screening

Where permitted by airport policy and government security regulations, American will offer exclusive PriorityAAccess security screening lanes. Like the dedicated check-in lines, PriorityAAccess screening lanes will be clearly marked with special signage. Currently, American plans to offer PriorityAAccess screening lanes in its 10 largest airports, as well as in other airports where permitted by the TSA.

The airports that will have exclusive PriorityAAccess security screen lanes are: Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Miami (MIA), Los Angeles (LAX), New York JFK (JFK), New York La Guardia (LGA), St. Louis (STL), San Francisco (SFO), Boston (BOS) and San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU).

PriorityAAccess Boarding Lanes

To further enhance convenience for its top customers, American will offer dual boarding lanes at its gates – one for PriorityAAccess customers and one for general boarding. Customers with PriorityAccess privileges will be invited to board first or board at any time through their exclusive PriorityAAccess lane, which allows them to bypass lines after general boarding has begun.

“PriorityAAccess is aptly named on several levels since it highlights American’s priority to expedite and smooth our customers’ journeys,” Mitchell said.

I have just one thing to say: How tacky!

At a time when the economy is on the verge of a collapse, this is the last thing American should be doing. A more fitting move, if you ask me, is to give the least fortunate passengers — the ones who can barely scrape enough money together for an airline ticket — some relief.

American could start by lifting the fee for the first checked bag.

  • Paul Hoch

    While the timing may be less than great I know that Continental has been doing that same thing for a long while. I have “elite” status on American and I have flown Continental in the past where I don’t have status. When I saw their “elite” line for boarding I thought it was a great idea even though I couldn’t partake in it.

    I have been reading your blog for a while and I recognize that you aren’t exactly a fan of us “elite” travelers. Here’s the thing – I have flown over 1 MILLION miles on American airlines. Just about every year I fly over 100,000 miles. Often I have to buy expensive last minute tickets. The amount of revenue that I give to American Airlines is not insignificant. Why shouldn’t they treat me a little better? If you are a regular at a bar and go in all the time, spend lots of money, tip well, etc. wouldn’t you expect the bartender to give you a free drink once in a while?

    Another scenario that I am often faced with is I will need to buy a last minute ticket to fly somewhere. I’ll end up spending $1,300. and the only seats left are middle seats in the back. Meanwhile, the “tourist” family that booked their vacation months ago bought their tickets for $199 and they have window/aisle seats. While it’s not their fault that they were able to plan in advance, it’s not my fault that I couldn’t plan in advance. When I’m paying nearly 10 times the fare for a middle seat I really don’t object to the airlines charging $15 for a window/aisle seat.

    When you have to travel for your living sometimes the only thing that makes it palatable are the little perks here and there that you get as a reward for it.

  • http://www.bootsnall.com/ Donna

    This reminds me of Seth Godin’s post from this morning, “How much extra for nice?” I guess the ailing economy means that decent customer service is now a luxury. It sure seems that way for the airlines. This move on AA’s part is indeed tacky (tAAcky, even).
    Donna @ BootsnAll.com

  • Carver Farrow

    I respectfully disagree. I am a small business owner. Consequently, all of my travel expenses are paid by me. I am an AA platinum member because I have to travel for business and anything that allows my travel dollars to go further or reduce the burden of travel is welcome.

    Particularly with the economic downturn, it is very appropriate for AA to thank those folks who are reaching deep in our pockets to fly AA.

  • Mike

    I’m with Paul and Carver. It’s one of the little rewards for spending a lot of money with one airline, instead of always looking for the cheapest fare no matter what airline. I could have flown 15-20K miles with 5 different airlines, but instead I will hit 20K with Alaska and 100K with American.

    I think the bar analogy is a good one. If you are a regular, you will probably be served a little bit faster, or perhaps checked on a bit more often. One of our favorite restaurants actually gives us a 5% loyalty discount if we are waited on by one of the regular servers.

    Why shouldn’t people who are at the airport several times a month get the chance to jump a few lines? Those time savings don’t matter if you fly once or twice a year, but they really add up if you fly 50-100 trips a year.

    The fact is that most of these perks already exist in one form or another. I’m currently AA Platinum and can go to the business class line at any airport (or first class if there is no business class line). I can use the first class security line if there is one at the airport. Now they are going to standardize the name and change the signs. Seems like much ado about nothing.

  • Joe Farrell

    I’m lifetime Gold with AA, [1M actual miles flown] and working toward Lifetime Platinum [opposed to annual platinum] and can confirm that there is no difference between the formalized process and what happens in reality. I routinely received stickers and whatnot to get to the front of the security or whatever line there was. It just makes the process more uniform and less hap-hazard and dependent on the employee doing their job correctly.

    Further, once you are lifetime Gold the chance of ever flying coach on a 757 and up size airplane is pretty much non-existent.

    I will say that I am flying from the east to west coast the end of October for our 20th wedding anniversary and this is the first time in 2008 that i will have flown on American in 2008. I’ve been flying myself more and more often and dealing with the TSA hassle less and less.

  • Beth

    I think Elliott’s right on this one. I agree that frequent travellers deserve perks and rewards, but all I seem to read in the news is how much airlines are hurting financially. The airlines seem to always been raising fees (and creating news ones) and decreasing service to help their bottom line.

    This program can’t be cheap to implement and maintain. If the airline is hurting for money, shouldn’t it be putting its revenue to better use? If it’s got all this extra cashing floating around, it should take a page out of Air Canada and WestJet’s book and start cutting back fees. That might get more people flying, rather than rewarding those who already do.

  • karen

    It is funny that people think that the airlines make money on the cheap shoppers who continue to take away from the ability to offer a good product. I think it is smart business to treat the customers that pay for the flight. The regular customers that keep the machine moving, and the people who usually do not complain, smile and rebook. The number one customer for airlines is the MAIL!!
    the second customer :are the people that fly all over the world and rack up millions of miles. These customers have the airlines credit cards.
    The people in the back who just complain, do not even cover their cost for the seat.. The airlines could make more money moving mail.
    If you do not believe me, FedEX AND UPS are doing GREAT!. They surcharge for gas expenses and no one complains. Watch out keep complaining and the airlines will go away and you will have to drive and really spend money.

    This is not a socialistic state, you know. You have a choice.I choose to use my miles and keep on flying comfortably.

  • Liz

    Wait, AA doesn’t already do these things? I’m a United flier and United has had dedicated check-in and boarding for as long as I’ve been flying. IAD has priority security screening for elites of all airlines.

    How is this news? And why did AA wait so long to jump on this particular bandwagon?

  • Aimee

    @Karen-

    FedEx and UPS have their own planes. The USPS has a contract with them to fly their packages for them. Therefore, I sincerely doubt that the mail is a number one money maker on all commercial flights. I can believe commercial flights make a lot of money off of people paying $150 to send a package on the flight. However, the USPS, FedEx and UPS do not fly commercial airlines so I fail to see where the mail is their number one customer.

    I don’t think people are arguing that if you pay for a first class ticket you should not get first class ticket things. The whole problem is that the airlines are struggling financially and taking services away from coach at the same time they are adding fees. All of this is in the name of cost efficiency. So to have this new AA program, which doesn’t help with the bottom line but instead will COST them millions to implicate is fiscal mismanagement. You can’t complain about being so poor and then spend your money on unnecessary expenses. I’m hearing a Marie Antoinette moment of “let them eat cake” here.

    And just to keep myself from being completely shredded by frequent flyers, I do have elite status, although it’s not with AA. Yes, I fly first class. And this is still wrong.

  • Mark

    The only real change in the AA boarding process here is that if you are elite (or business or FC) and show up at the gate after general boarding has started, you can essentially cut the line. AA has long boarded First, Business, Elite high to low, then general boarding, and this will still be the case.

  • SirWired

    Gee, here in RDU, there has always been a first-class/elite priority security line in Terminal C, which for a while was an AA-only terminal. (Even now, it is still mostly AA.)

    I can’t imagine this really costs much; just some signs and a rearrangement of the line barriers.

    What does annoy me is all the airline ads boasting about their improved seating, better food, and extensive wine list up front… I know that the premium fliers pay more money, but to me it just serves to rub in the fact that coach leg room is getting shorter and narrower, there is NO edible food (free or otherwise), and only a couple varieties of box wine, should you choose to pay for it.

    SirWired

  • Stewart Sheinfeld

    Delta and United have offered this for a while AA is just getting on boardd late it really has nothing to do with the economy

  • Christopher Elliott

    @everyone. Not as troubled by these amenities as I am about the timing. Doesn’t anyone else think that American should be doing more to help rank-and-file passengers?

  • Carrie C.

    I think the “elite” frequent and higher-price paying customers should have access to more perks. But every flyer should be treated as a respected and valued customer. The airlines have no control over TSA attitudes, but they do have control over how their employees act to all “classes” of customer. The airlines should charge more for a ticket and take away the petty surcharges. I pay less now to fly trancontinentally than before 9/11. That just doesn’t make any sense.

  • Ian

    I’m not at all shocked by this. I’m elite on USAir and the only difference is American is adding the special line at the gate.

    Sure it’s good for the elite customers, and I love the ‘perks’ I get, but most of the perks at this point are merely exemptions to the new fees that didn’t exist when I became elite or have been flat out taken away, like bonus miles.

    And yes, American and other airlines should be doing more to help out the normal people, but who expects them to do anything remotely kind in terms of general customer service anyway? I expect to get railroaded when I am forced to fly American, from their dingy MD-80s to their inability to get you there on time.

    Southwest…At least there’s one airline doing it right.

  • http://www.real-time.org Doug Jensen

    I’m with the rest of the people who note that we elite customers subsidize the infrequent fliers so it is not unfair that we get priority treatment. When I pay $1500 for a coach ticket and sit next to a person who paid $150 (assuming I don’t get upgraded, which I don’t always), it isn’t unreasonable that I am allowed to board before him so I am able to get my carry-on in the overhead instead of having to check it.

  • David

    I am priority and never board first. If you have an isle you get killed by all the “kitchen sinks” allowed onboard. If you are in first you really come across as a snob, which I am not. Board from the back of the plane and get it in the air. That is more important to me. What is more important, getting on a hot crowded plane first vs waiting in a cool concourse and perhaps leaving on time. How about each passenger getting an allowance of 275 pounds(an arbitrary number) and then you get charged for your weight and any luggage over that?

  • Kathleen

    All this does is make it absolutely certain that I will not be flying American anymore. I might have reached elite status, but not super-elite. Much as I dislike United, I’ll stick with them because I have Premier Executive status and get a few of these “perks”–which ought to be simply courteous service to all its passengers.

  • Scott

    Where is the story here? I thought this was common practice. I have seen it with Continental, Northwest and United. Being able to board first, and use the Elite line at security were big motivators for me to at least try to contain my flying to one alliance and earn Elite status on Continental. If I don’t have to cram a carry on in the overhead, I don’t bother with boarding first, but I have had several occasions when flying Continental internationally in to Newark where having my bag come off the plane first, and being able to use the Elite line at security was the only way I made my connection.

  • Joe Farrell

    @Chris – most businesses do not make much of an effort to help customers who lose money for them. The ‘rank and file’ coach pax loses money for an airline. The profit comes from the full fare / negotiated business fare and C/F fares.

    AA has been doing this for a while – so what if its only publicizing it now?

  • Carver Farrow

    I think the people who don’t understand why American is rolling out more services for the “elite” customers really missed the point. Elite customers tend to be high revenue business customers. Who else regularly flies 50k or 100k miles each year? AA wants to make sure that those customers are well taken care of so that they don’t ditch to JetBlue or Southworst or some other legacy carrier.

    I completely agree that all passengers should be treated with respect and dignity. The reality of the situation though is that less frequent travelers tend to pay less for their seats, costs the airlines more money due to their inexperience, and tend to be the most price sensitive. All of that translates into a low revenue passenger.

    That’s why we are unlikely to see AA or the other airlines expending a lot of resources on these folks.

  • James Hammett

    Since they had almost all of this before, but now changing the labeling and making it more prominent seems like a snub to the non-elites.

    The only thing new is the express boarding lane at the gate. (Which several other airlines also have).

  • Lisa

    I just don’t see cause for indignation here. I fly Delta primarily, and they already offer this service as does Continental. I’m not elite on any airline, but I fly about ten times a year, usually trans-cons, and I fly first class because I really appreciate perks just like this. Most major airlines already have first class lanes at TSA checkpoints.

    I think we all agree that coach service on most domestic airlines is abysmal, which is why many people have stopped flying, and many people like me gladly pony up the extra money to avoid the misery. But the airlines are not social service agencies. They’re not required to treat low-paying customers in the same manner as higher-paying ones.

    By your logic, Chris, everyone going to a car dealership should be handed a Lexus, even if all they can afford is a Chevy. The fact of the matter is that in order to bring coach back to bearable standards, prices are going to have to go up. And I think most infrequent travellers vote with their pocketbooks and choose the cheapest fair. And the cheapest fair is never going to come with warm nuts and champagne and priority lines.

  • Matt

    Don’t the less fortunate fly Southwest anyways?

  • Jennifer

    I agree with Chris that this is very tacky. Since all the elite flyers have recognized and pointed out that there aren’t really any changes from what’s already happening, AA must not be trying to con its elite flyers into thinking these are new perks. The only reason for AA to make such an announcement must be to snub us poor non-elite flyers This is especially offensive in a time when lots of services that used to be free are being taken away. If the airlines are really losing so much money from passengers who don’t pay the full fare, why can’t they just raise the prices? There’s no one stopping them from doing so, and if they all raise their prices, it’s not like customers can go elsewhere. The only thing that will happen is that people who can’t pay will stop flying, which is what the airlines seem to want anyway.
    I was recently on a trip where my family and I flew as non-elite passengers. We were yelled at by a customer service lady for asking a question, and she used a microphone even though she was standing right in front of us. Thinking about that experience along with this news release just makes me averse to flying. Never has anyone made it so obvious to me that they think I’m dirt right after I’ve payed them hundreds of dollars. Yes, that’s not much money compared to what elite flyers are paying, but the airlines sure seem to be wanting it by the way they are nickel and diming everyone.

  • Charlotte Johnson

    I”ll take Southwest anyday after my bags were lost 7 out of 10 flts. Also, bags of xmas gifts stolen, flts changed 6 times over 2 month period, with my connecting flt having already left. Yea, the big guys are good alright! I gave up on UAL and AA. I meet some nice people on SWA. I only met snobs in First. Besides all your rumble about amenities, your flts are a write off. Tried to use an award nonstop? I still have tix left and can’t seem to get anywhere without going to 3 different cities. Wish I could trade them for SWA Awards. No hassle!!!!!!!!!!

  • http://debsmouse.net Deb Smouse

    I’m Executive Platinum with American and I have to say that after several weeks of traveling with this, all it does is add confusion – and lumps all AA Advantage Gold and above together…..

  • Carl Wolf

    I have only good things to say about AA – they have treated me fairly for several decades. When a friend and I used FF mileage to fly from St. Croix (USVI) to San Jose (CA), AA had our itinerary zig zg from FL to TX, and to several California cities, before landing in San Jose. As we got into line in FL, the ticket agent told us there was no need for us to spend the day in the air, and routed us directly to San Jose. Best of all, AA gave us our original seat assignments and special meal request.

  • Carol

    AA are expending a lot of resources on the folks it’s good one only and they treat folks in a well manner!!
    ___________________
    Carol
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