American Airlines elites now receiving personal pre-flight assistance texts from Admirals Club
Having elite status with an airline opens the door to a lot of perks and a heightened level of customer service that can truly upgrade your traveling experience — including free checked bags, complimentary upgrades, lounge access and more. American Airlines has recently added a new perk to the list of benefits some elite status members receive: Admirals Club texts from Premium Guest Services.
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Some elite status members have reported receiving updates from an Admirals Club agent while they are headed to the airport to give them updates on the status of the lounge, COVID-19 procedure updates and other important flight information. These texts aren't automated, so you'd be getting real-time updates and personalized help from an agent. In an increasingly automated customer service world, interactions with a real person can be rare and refreshing.
TPG founder Brian Kelly's friend Lenny is among the elites who have benefited from this new perk:
Lenny is an Executive Platinum elite, meaning you don't have to be a top-tier Concierge Key status holder to enjoy this benefit.
Related: Complete guide to American AAdvantage elite status
As reported by View from the Wing, some people have even received updates from an agent saying that they've blocked the middle seat in their aisle in cases when an upgrade clearing is unlikely. This isn't a guarantee that the middle seat will be empty if the flight is full, but it does prioritize elite status members to ensure they have the greatest chance of flying without someone in the middle seat.
More room on the plane is always a good thing, but an empty middle seat also means a safer flight during the pandemic.
Bottom line
As travel starts to make a comeback with vaccines rolling out and travel restrictions starting to lift in some destinations, it will be interesting to see benefits airlines incorporate into the customer service experience for elite status members. Will more airlines prioritize elite status members with blocked middle seats when possible? Will we see even more personalized airport experiences to help avoid crowds?
In the meantime, this new service for American Airlines elites adds a personalized touch to the airport experience and can help elites save time and headache while flying, and middle seat blocking for elites is a great benefit for those who may not luck out by clearing the upgrade list.
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Why We Chose It
The Citi Premier’s 3 points per dollar spent across a wide range of popular categories is one of the more lucrative offerings in the world of points and miles. The Citi Premier comes with a $95 annual fee and is currently offering a solid sign up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months. It also has some valuable transfer partners to make the most of your rewards. Add in access to Citi Entertainment plus a $100 hotel credit for any single-stay hotel booking that exceeds $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through the Citi travel website, there are few reasons why the Citi Premier should not be in every traveler’s wallet.Pros
- Earns 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
- $100 annual hotel savings benefit (on single hotel stay bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through thankyou.com)
- Points transfer to 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection.
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with
- For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases