stant

True, but reaccommodation is done at the ck call center, no? so if all the premium services agent is doing is standing next to you at the gate all american really would need to do is tell the GAs to make sure they call ck first, somerthing they SHOULD be doing already, and then they wouldnt even need the premium services agents in charlotte if they arent doing gate transfers any more... shift them somewhere they could be used more effectively.

stant

oh, just for the record, CLT has been communicative durring irrops. what i mean is i USED to get contact from them just as a courtesy, running late or otherwise, just to say 'hey we know you are in town and we are watching out for you' via text or phone. I havent got that in a while

snydert

I have never used 5 star so am a but unfamiliar with the program. When you say "proactive monitoring", I assume that doesn't include IRROPS support and next flight guarantees if the flight situation degrades day of?

stant

i would buy in @ 5-10k + qualifying activity, but if I'm paying cash for the service you darn skippy sure the service would HAVE to be consistent.

5 star basically provides everything that you get as a CK, but those customers are prioritized OVER ck even. The only problem is that it's only at about a dozen airports and you only get the service at the airport in questions. so say you fly tampa to dallas to tulsa. 5 star is only as DFW on that itinerary. At DFW you are ranked higher than a CK for everything including accommodation, gate transfers, etc. At tampa and tulsa you would be on your own. If you dont have status you would be a nobody to the airline.

snydert

But do you get the same itinerary IRROPS protection with 5 star? Will they back you up in first on the next 3 flights? Pull off a PAX to get you on? Etc?

HaleiwaFlyer

Let’s find out, I’ll email the Five Star email.

stant

my understanding is if there is a flight with 100 CKs on it and only 100 seats, if you misconnect and that ck laden flight is your next option they would boot a ck off the flight to put a 5 star pax on it.

5 star is higher priority than CK, but only at the very limited number of locations (about a dozen iirc) where 5 star is available.

astebel

Yes. 5 Star prioritizes over CK. So my situation last week was that I was told I couldn't get help navigating between terminals at DFW because there were 2 5 Star that were being taken care of. There is 5 Star and 5 Star select. So as a CK, you can pay up to select then you would be prioritized as far as gate transfer with cart or tarmac with car. They are being monitored more proactively as well. 5 Star doesn't get you gate transfer unless you get the select to get you in first position for that. But they have priority, unless you are on the do not miss list, then you would be on top.

Marioparty

.....

ryanbriar

I think the real value-add would be walking a CK down the jet bridge if he / she shows up after the CK group is called. Could be a bit “extra”, but would take some of the pressure off showing up at T-40 (which sometimes isn’t possible) to avoid standing in line.

On the delay front, I’ve come to accept this as reality headed into the summer, as I’m sure most of us have. What will be telling is how quickly AA can recover and get us here we need to go as soon as possible. I also think that my travel patterns lend themselves to higher likelihood of delays (Eastern seaboard, Chicago and Dallas).

HaleiwaFlyer

Update: So apparently the Five Star email just gives you an autogenerated email to call the five star team. Called and tried to actually book the Five Star Select service at DFW for this Sunday arrival. No points allowable for the select, and just cash.

Apparently they are capacity, and couldn't book it; so which is a good and bad sign. This means the premium service team is projected to be at capacity on Sunday already, so a bad thing for CKs. Good thing is AA won't overbook premium service reps just for money, which is a positive for CKs, as to not spread the premium service team too thin.

As for Five Star Select IRROPs, they had no clue.

stant

i was about to agree with you, but if you dont show up within a minute or two of ck being called, it's likely that the forward cabin's overhead space is going to be close to as full as it's going to get, so at that point you might as well just wait till the end of boarding. not to mention, for me at least, I'd be a bit self conscious having the premium services agent making an entire jetbridge make way for you to cut the line. it's one thing to push forward when they call ck, but it would take some major stones to skip past the line and then sit in the front where everyone you cut in front of has to pass you by...

astebel

This is interesting but to let you know, just because 5 star is booked, indicates how the premium services have decreased, not that there are so many booking services. When I had my issues last week, I was told there were only 2 agents available and they were booked with 5 star. That was only 2. No others available.

I agree with you. It is bad enough trying to get through the masses who are crowded at the group 1 line. When I went to stand in front once, a pax angrily said she was there first and another in front of her and asked snidely.... are you a CK or something. It is awkward. It would help to call names to have us stand to the side as UA does with their GS and 1K. I have mentioned this to AA many times telling them how aggressive passengers are at boarding. They agree it is a problem and I have offered those solutions. I think we just need to continue to write to AA suggesting the same.

32LatT10

Ten years ago I would have been of the opinion that calling names is fine, as a UA GS in a previous life I had this happen often. These days people are crazy with a hair trigger, especially on social media where they are accountable to no one for their actions. People "take to Twitter" (or Reddit) to post the most trivial of slights including identifying photos of people (like cutting someone in line or the perception of it) and air their grievances into an echo chamber. Maybe I'm paranoid (and I don't even have that uncommon of a name) but I think giving information that could potentially allow for doxxing of someone or their family, employer, etc. may not be the best idea in this day in age. I personally am a fan of paging "Concierge Key members" perhaps with a side of "If you don't know what it is, you're not it. "

snydert

You just need to elbow through the masses. I have no problem giving the CK flex on the Group 1 folks trying to be difficult...