American Airline – Loyalty isn’t dead—at least not for these road warriors with top-tier, hush-hush status
Last week, Bonnie Crawford was on the verge of missing her board meeting in Toronto due to a missed connection flight. However, an agent from United Airlines intervened to save the day.
She was rescheduled in business class on an expensive nonstop journey on Air Canada without charge.
You’re probably thinking “I never get that done by an airline” Crawford isn’t your average frequent traveller. United has extended invitation-only Global Services status to a Portland, Oregon resident who serves as the chief customer officer for a software company.
Big spenders aim for this semi-secret, status-on-steroids level every year. ConciergeKey and Delta 360° are the pretentious names for the upgraded statuses that American and Delta have as well.
The airlines are reluctant to discuss the requirements for receiving an invitation, the number of persons who hold this status or even the benefits. Not even the high rollers themselves are certain.
Joining these private clubs entitles you to priority upgrades, speed dial customer care, flight rebooking before you ever realize a problem, lounge access, and more.
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Not to mention goodies and bragging rights. On YouTube, some even share unboxing videos of their invitations.
Anyone with this elite status doesn’t have to worry about frequent flyer points losing value or airline loyalty being worth less.
Crawford became enthralled with Global Services after receiving an invitation. It was her first experience with the enchantment elusiveness and very amazing status, she adds.
She wasn’t called back until this year and she worries that because her new job requires fewer expensive overseas flights, she won’t be welcomed back the next year.
Covered in mystery
Airlines do not release the requirements for ConciergeKey Delta 360° or Global Services. Despite this, road warriors continue to conjecture in online forums about the necessary spending thresholds (over $50,000 per year is frequently mentioned) and travel habits (many expensive international flights in premium cabins on the airline not partner carriers).
Complicating matters is the fact that some airlines grant the status in exchange for a corporate contract, allowing businesses to designate their own nominees.
No analytics will be released, according to American Airlines senior vice president of revenue management and loyalty Scott Chandler.
According to him American invests a lot of time and money on its highly sought-after ConciergeKey program since its customers are its most valuable asset.
Requests for interviews were denied by Delta and United, who only provided comments regarding the programs exclusivity.
According to Chandler travelers can accumulate ConciergeKey status by using credit cards shopping portals and American Airlines flights.
To what extent? He declined to reveal or validate the $50,000 estimates According to him the membership is more diverse than most people realize.
“They basically communicate with Americans every day, not just when they’re in the air,” he claims.
Managing director Steve Giordano of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, runs a flight test and aircraft delivery business that transports pilots to and from assignments all over the world.
He has served as ConciergeKey for a number of years, and the corporation spends up to $2.5 million annually on travel.
He recalls one instance wherein the committed customer service desk informed him of a cancellation in Dublin prior to the pilots of the flight even being aware of it. (He and the pilot were pals.)
The airline informed him in April that he was not eligible for this year. Because he flies United more frequently and has Global Services status he claims he wasn’t overly unhappy. Giordano claims to have observed a decline in ConciergeKey service.
He claims that after a string of flight problems on a trip to Colombia earlier this year, the dedicated customer support number and a gate agent were of little use in getting him home.
After he protested, he got a canned letter in response. ConciergeKey members have greater satisfaction ratings from the airline than any other customer category, according to a spokesman.
In May, the airline sent him an email renewing his status after all. America is suffering through a self-induced business travel slump and working to woo back travellers.
Ace problem solvers
During a close connection, Giordano has also profited from luxury automobile chauffeur drives to the gate. When they arrived in Houston United met him and his business partner at the tarmac and took them to their next plane in a Jaguar Delta drives an American SUV and a Porsche.
Gayle King co-host of “CBS Mornings,” has ConciergeKey and used it to get a lift in April. She thanked the American Airlines staff on Instagram for their assistance.
Such transfers are not at that typical. According to travelers with the status, receiving prompt assistance in the event of any flight issues is the most valued benefit.
A United Global Services representative called a senior partner of a big consulting company a few weeks ago when he was en route to the airport.
The partner has achieved status in all three programs. It was almost time for him to lose his seat. He verified he was on his way, so they saved his seat.
Last week, when the CEO was rushing to his next aircraft in Charlotte, North Carolina, a ConciergeKey representative called the airport to confirm that the gate agent was aware of his arrival.
The boarding process was over. He boarded the Plane
He states “That’s the stuff that makes the difference” “That’s the way you get home.”
There is of course a limit.
He states “They don’t hold the plane” “They might not close the door as quickly if they anticipate your arrival”
He is unable to use his superior standing to benefit others much to the dismay of his parents. And no amount of status in the world can compensate for bad weather delayed flights or missing workers.
Kim Anderson, the CEO of an online loan company, is a Fort Lauderdale, Florida resident and a lifelong Delta supporter.
Prior to receiving his Delta 360° invitation Anderson had inquired with a few staff members about the situation throughout the years after noticing other travelers carrying the 360 bag tag on their backpacks but he knew very little more.
He purchases seats with extra legroom or better joins Sky Club on a regular basis and uses his American Express card to transfer points to Delta He flies a few times a month He calculates that over the previous few years he accrued 200,000 Delta miles annually.
A few years ago Anderson was still taken aback to discover an invitation in his inbox and he claims he still doesn’t know the code.
“I would put it in a bottle and sell it on Amazon if I knew that” he declares. This year he was invited again.
The client service, according to Anderson is exceptional. Before he landed, he received a response to his email on the hurried first class in-flight service on a recent flight, along with bonus frequent flyer miles.
“I can assure you that those are not their trainees,” he claims.
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