A passenger on an American Airlines flight has described his terror after he heard a loud bang and the plane dropped thousands of feet in minutes.
27.07.2023 - 18:40 / smartertravel.com / Airlines
American’s AAdvantage program isn’t the only loyalty scheme converting to spend-based points accrual later this year. Starbucks, the world’s largest purveyor of coffee-based beverages, has announced plans to make a similar change to its Rewards program, effective some time in April.
According to the company:
It’s an exciting new program that reflects the #1 request we heard from members: more Stars awarded based on what you buy, no matter how often you visit.
The big news is that, in the new Starbucks Rewards, you’ll earn 2 Stars for every $1 you spend, which means more Stars for your favorites—from coffee and drinks to food, mugs and more.
Rewards members may earn more Stars, but for most of the caffeinated crowd, they’ll be worth less.
RELATED: The Uber Dilemma: To Tip, or Not to Tip
Under the current scheme, program members earn one Star per visit, and attain Gold status after 30 visits. Having reached Gold status, members receive a free drink or food item after every 12 visits. (Sub-Gold members receive little beyond a free birthday drink.)
Under the new scheme, members will earn two Stars per $1 spent, but will need 300 Stars to reach Gold status. And a free drink or snack will require 125 Stars.
So, today a Gold member can earn a freebie after spending as little as $24, for 12 $2.00 cups of coffee. With the new spend-based system, the same freebie will require at least $62.50 in purchases.
Bottom line: If you spend less than $5.21 per visit, on average, the new Rewards scheme will be less rewarding than the current program. Starbucks doesn’t divulge the average per-visit spend of its customers, but it’s a safe bet that it’s less than $5.21 for the great majority of coffee drinkers. And the freebie calculation is moot unless you can qualify for Gold status, which will require $150 in purchases during a calendar year.
Members of airline and hotel rewards programs will no doubt find the Starbucks program devaluation all too familiar. But for many of Starbucks’ 11 million-plus U.S. Rewards members, the changes will be as unwelcome as they are unexpected.
Reader Reality Check
On average, how much do you spend during each Starbucks visit?
More from SmarterTravel: Starwood Follows Marriott in Raising Prices for Award Nights Airlines to Harried Flyers: ‘Relax, Have a Pretzel’ Do You Know What’s Really in Your Lobster Roll?After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.
We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept
A passenger on an American Airlines flight has described his terror after he heard a loud bang and the plane dropped thousands of feet in minutes.
Police bodycam footage obtained by the New York Post offers a glimpse into what happened after an American Airlines passenger — known for the viral "not real" video — was removed from the flight.
Venus Williams said it's become her "full-time job" to track down her luggage that American Airlines lost.
A first-class passenger said American Airlines overbooked his flight back to the US and gave his seat away, leaving him stranded in Europe.
A woman who traveled on an American Airlines flight in April said the airline didn't directly acknowledge her complaints after her wheelchair was returned damaged, USA Today reported on Tuesday.
Last month, American Airlines made headlines when it punished a teenager for "skiplagging."
As America faces a storm of geopolitical threats, endures a flood of fentanyl streaming across a largely open southern border—now killing some 100,000 Americans annually, wrestles with soaring inflation, and experiences unmitigated crime in many of our largest cities, the Biden Administration’s recent move to defund schools that offer hunter safety and archery programs has many questioning President Biden’s priorities. The administration seems to be misfiring on many cylinders and, not surprisingly, Joe Biden’s approval rating continues to plummet. “It’s right up there with jock itch,” recently quipped Senator John Kennedy.
20-year-old Marley Stevens has put out a viral PSA on TikTok not to fly with Frontier Airlines after she claimed the airline wouldn't let her on her flight over the weekend — and proceeded to reschedule her for a flight leaving two days later. She told Insider she flew to her destination on a different airline, but she's still awaiting her refund for the gaffe.
This week, on March 22, American’s new AAdvantage award chart takes effect, the first in a two-step devaluation of the oldest and largest airline loyalty program.
For most of the 35 years since American Airlines’ AAdvantage program made its debut in 1981, U.S. travel-rewards programs have measured loyalty in miles. Fly 1,000 miles, earn 1,000 miles. Earn 25,000 miles and redeem them for a free domestic coach ticket.
In February, when Starbucks announced it was converting its frequent-drinker program to a revenue-based scheme, there was a collective groan from the caffeinated crowd. As with similar conversions by the major airlines, Starbucks’ new earning rules would mean fewer rewards for most customers.
By traditional measures, Alaska Airlines is a carrier of decidedly modest size, even after its acquisition of Virgin America. Its own flight network is small, compared to those of American, Delta, and United. And it’s not a member of one of the three global airline alliances.