American Airlines has announced a massive devAAluation of its award chart for awards booked on or after March 22, 2016. (It also announced negative changes to status and revenue-based award mile-earning on paid flights.)

The only two things I like about the announcement are that a few prices go down slightly and that we were given solid notice. You have just over four months to book awards on the current American Airlines award chart.

Today American Airlines announced mostly negative changes for earning status in 2016 for 2017. (It also announced negative changes to earning award miles on paid flights and to its award chart.) The five big changes to status earning:
1. No More Elite Qualifying Points
There used to be three ways to earn status: elite qualifying points (EQP), elite qualifying miles (EQM), segments. In 2016, there will be two, with EQP getting the axe.

The number of elite qualifying miles and segments needed to qualify have not changed.
2.

Starting in the "second half of 2016," you will earn award miles on American Airlines tickets according to the cost of the ticket instead of the distance flown.

5 miles/U.S. dollar – AAdvantage member
7 miles/U.S. dollar – Gold
8 miles/U.S. dollar – Platinum
11 miles/U.S. dollar – Executive Platinum

Delta announced a nearly identical move in February 2014, and United copied Delta in June 2014. Both changes are already in effect, so American is just playing catch up (catch down?) here.

ANA is devaluing its award charts for bookings made October 15, 2015 or later. This is all the notice they've given. (Hat tip @saianel on Twitter.) To beat the devaluation, book by October 14 for travel through mid-September 2016.

This devaluation affects you because you "have" ANA miles in the form of Membership Rewards and SPG Starpoints, both of which can be transferred to ANA miles.

Aeroplan, the frequent flyer program of Air Canada is devaluing its award chart, effective for awards booked December 15, 2015 and later.

This is one of those devaluations that I consider almost good news because we are getting three months' notice, the changes are minor, and one big improvement was made.

Americans should pay attention to Aeroplan miles because Aeroplan is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards and SPG Starpoints, has a fair award chart with a few gems, and doesn't impose fuel surcharges on many Star Alliance partners' award flights like United, Air China, Turkish, and SAS.

Delta has introduced revenue-based awards today and higher priced upgrades for travel beyond June 1, 2016. You can currently book award travel and upgrades through June 9, 2016.

Delta's Statement
Here's what Delta says about the changes:
We know your miles are important, so we want to provide the most notice possible regarding Award price changes. For travel on or after June 1, 2016, the number of miles needed will change based on destination, demand and other considerations. But most Award prices will remain unchanged.

According to Delta's SkyMiles FAQs, mixed cabin awards are no longer allowed.

Mixed cabin awards used to be explicitly allowed (and indeed this FAQ at a slightly different URL has the old language.)

If mixed cabin awards were totally banned, that would terrible news. I can see three possible maladies:

Delta has "five" cabins: economy, Business, Business Elite, First, and One. Each plane has only two cabins but the front cabin is branded several ways.

Wandering Aramean got "part of an internal memo describing [United's] plans for the coming year." It says:
Deliver first phase of united.com 2.0 by 2q 2015, including bundled ancillary offerings;
Some time in this quarter (by June 30), United plans to roll out a new website with new bundled fare options, which sounds like what American Airlines offers. Not that interesting. Moving on...
begin introducing dynamic award pricing.
Uh-oh!

"Dynamic award pricing" would mean that award prices change, presumably based on the cash price of the underlying ticket.

Wandering Aramean got "part of an internal memo describing [United's] plans for the coming year." It says:
Deliver first phase of united.com 2.0 by 2q 2015, including bundled ancillary offerings;
Some time in this quarter (by June 30), United plans to roll out a new website with new bundled fare options, which sounds like what American Airlines offers. Not that interesting. Moving on...
begin introducing dynamic award pricing.
Uh-oh!

"Dynamic award pricing" would mean that award prices change, presumably based on the cash price of the underlying ticket.

I was explaining to my brother the changes that Delta has made in 2015, and I mentioned that the one I just couldn't believe was that Delta eliminated its award chart. It seems self-evident to all of us in the miles game that Delta eliminating its award chart is insane and unjustifiable.

(Delta deleted the chart from its site, but the possible priced for awards are the same now as they were when the chart was on delta.com.