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Started By
Message
The rise and demise of the AAirpass, American Airlines’ $250k lifetime ticket
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:28 pm
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:28 pm
AAirpass story
Funny story. Never heard about this.
Funny story. Never heard about this.
quote:
For a one-time fee of $250k ($560k in 2018 dollars), this pass gave a buyer unlimited first-class travel for life. A companion pass could be purchased for an additional $150k, allowing the pass holder to bring along anyone for the ride.
Mark Cuban, an early AAirpasser, tells us it was “one of the best purchases [he’s] ever made.”
But the unlimited AAirpass had a fatal flaw: it was such a good deal that it ended up costing American Airlines millions of dollars per year — and the company set out to revoke the contracts of its top customers by any means necessary.
14
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:33 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
When marketing something to people this wealthy , you need to make sure it isn't flawed first. Most of those people got where they are for a reason.
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:34 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
Yeah, a couple of guys started selling their companion tickets for overseas travel. Unbelievably, it was not forbidden in the contract they had with the airline. The courts later found for the airline anyway and took away their privileges , effectively ending the program.
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:35 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
Seems like a no-brainer for someone who could afford it, especially if they’re younger.
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:36 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
How they did they not realize that people would milk the crap out of those passes?
Living like an OT baller
quote:
He took hundreds of trips to NYC, LA, and SF. He went to London — sometimes a dozen times per month. He flew up to Ontario just for a sandwich.
He used his pass to catch all of his son’s football games on the East Coast. He popped over to France or London just to have lunch with a friend. When his daughter had a middle school project on South American culture, he took her to Buenos Aires to see a rodeo and flew back the next day.
Living like an OT baller
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:38 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
They should have been given a refund.
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:39 pm to Tiger Prawn
If you lived somewhere on the east coast with AA flights overseas to Europe you could do long weekend trips all the time. No way that was a great idea.
They should have put a time limit on it, like 10 years.
Domestically, I don't see it as good of a deal. Outside of the free flights, its not a game changer. Domestic seats aren't that much better to warrant the purchase IMO. If you could afford the ticket, you could fly anywhere domestically on a whim anyway.
They should have put a time limit on it, like 10 years.
Domestically, I don't see it as good of a deal. Outside of the free flights, its not a game changer. Domestic seats aren't that much better to warrant the purchase IMO. If you could afford the ticket, you could fly anywhere domestically on a whim anyway.
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:41 pm to baldona
quote:
If you could afford the ticket, you could fly anywhere domestically on a whim anyway.
The people buying this ticket weren't punching a clock, friend. They were flying internationally on a whim, it says as much in the article.
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:41 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
quote:
Jacques Vroom
I dated his sister in law for a while. Interesting family to say the least. I'll say no more than that...
ETA: his son was a big LSU fan. I think he ended up going somewhere else to college, but it wouldn't surprise me if he lurks here.
This post was edited on 4/12/18 at 4:48 pm
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:41 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
Isn’t this basically what movie pass is on a much smaller scale?
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:48 pm to baldona
quote:
Domestically, I don't see it as good of a deal. Outside of the free flights, its not a game changer. Domestic seats aren't that much better to warrant the purchase IMO. If you could afford the ticket, you could fly anywhere domestically on a whim anyway.
To a man with time to burn, he could roll up to a ticket counter anywhere in the world and ask for the best FC seat the to best destination departing in the next hour. I can't imagine the meals I would have just for the frick of it.
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:49 pm to Sao
quote:
Over the next 2 decades, Vroom flew an average of 2m miles per year. He used his pass to catch all of his son’s football games on the East Coast. He popped over to France or London just to have lunch with a friend. When his daughter had a middle school project on South American culture, he took her to Buenos Aires to see a rodeo and flew back the next day.
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:50 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
Member when the airlines said the baggage fees were in response to "skyrocketing fuel costs"?
I member.
I member.
Posted on 4/12/18 at 4:59 pm to Priapus
quote:
effectively ending the program.
According to the article, they have only canceled the passes of three people. Everyone else still has use of it.
Posted on 4/12/18 at 5:10 pm to Jim Rockford
Vroom's last name just seems right for unlimited first class travel.
Posted on 4/12/18 at 5:11 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
Can you still get one?
Posted on 4/12/18 at 5:13 pm to el Gaucho
quote:
Can you still get one?
I'm sure one of your baggage handling tio will set you up with a buddy pass.
Posted on 4/12/18 at 5:18 pm to Tiger Prawn
quote:
Living like an OT baller
That sounds miserable actually
Unless you enjoy sitting or sleeping on an airplane for that long
Posted on 4/12/18 at 5:23 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
Posted on 4/12/18 at 5:23 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
So, who has done the math? How many flights before the airline starts to lose? 250?
They should have capped the number you could do each year. Think of the number of current youtube celebrities who could use this.
They should have capped the number you could do each year. Think of the number of current youtube celebrities who could use this.
This post was edited on 4/12/18 at 5:24 pm
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