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American Airlines Strips Key Seating Benefit From Gold Elite

June 05, 2018
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3 min read
AA American Airlines 787-9 789 Main Cabin Extra second bulkhead legroom
American Airlines Strips Key Seating Benefit From Gold Elite
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One of the current benefits of reaching American Airlines elite status is access to "Main Cabin Extra" extra-legroom (including exit row) seating on AA flights — either for 50% off before check-in or for free at check-in. Unfortunately, AA just announced it's cutting back this benefit in exactly three months.

For seat selections starting on September 5, AAdvantage Gold elite members will no longer be able to purchase Main Cabin Extra seating with a 50% discount. Gold elites will still be able to choose Main Cabin Extra seating for free within 24 hours of departure.

This was originally announced via an update to American Airlines' elite status page Tuesday morning: "Gold members who buy Main Cabin Extra seats on or after September 5, 2018 will no longer receive a 50% discount."

This announcement comes the same day that American Airlines began serving free alcoholic drinks in Main Cabin Extra. And it seems the two weren't unrelated. A spokesperson for American Airlines confirms that "as we enhance the onboard experience and increase the value of the onboard product, we made the difficult decision to limit discounts from certain customer groups."

The good news: I was able to confirm that this was the only elite change that has been made at this time. Platinum, Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum elite members will still be able to select Main Cabin Extra seating for no charge at any time. And all other Gold elite benefits will remain the same.

Gold elites will soon have to pay full price for exit row and other MCE seating before check-in.

My take: This feels like a petty change to make. After all, it's not like American Airlines was giving away these seats for free to Gold elites. Providing a 50% discount on extra-legroom and exit row seats seemed to be a fair benefit to reward these members' loyalty.

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Also, there's the timing of this change. Instead of waiting until the end of the elite status year (January 31, 2019), it's disappointing that the airline is making this change mid-year. There are certainly elites that factored this benefit into their decision of which airline to be loyal in 2017. Even worse, there's likely flyers that purchased Gold elite status factoring in the advanced-purchase savings on these extra-legroom seats.

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Why We Chose It

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Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.