Update 5/31/24: This has now been cancelled entirely and isn’t being brought in according to American Airlines CEO Robert Isom.
Update 4/23/24: Start date has been pushed back from May 1, 2024 until July 11, 2024
American Airlines has announced that starting May 1, 2024 changes will be made to bookings that earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points. Customers will earn miles and Loyalty Points on flights when they:
- Book directly with American and eligible partner airlines.
- Book travel anywhere as an AAdvantage Business™ member or contracted corporate traveler.
- Book through preferred travel agencies. American will share a list of eligible preferred agencies on aa.com in late April.
I assume that American Airlines isn’t providing a list of preferred agencies yet as they wanted to make this announcement to strong arm online travel providers into joining this program. This is what hotel loyalty programs already do, although it is slightly different in that commission on hotel bookings can be anywhere from 10-25% and hotel loyalty programs generally manage the properties rather than owning them. American Airlines also announced an increase in bag fees.
There’s some discussion around this in the most recent episode of Air Show podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4bO2bErFTsS8nNLGzhrzGe
Now we only need Amex to adjust their airfares back down to equal price what’s found on AA. I’d like to use my points with the 30% refund again. Has been totally useless for past 4-5 months or so.
AA is out to take the last penny out of your pocket. Baggage fees, flight change fees, upgrade fee in economy class. They haven’t discovered toilet use fees and tissue fee based on number of sheets you use when you p**p. When nickel and dimed on every facet of air travel, I’d pack my bags and switch to another airline that treats me with respect and dignity.
When you find that “other airline” please do let us know lol
Wonder if this might impact possibility of AA coming back to Bilt as a transfer partner.
Glad Raja was fired..he was going to run AA into the ground
Seems the deterrence was successful. They are still going ahead with the bag/pet/.. fee increases, and no one cares.
Glad they came to their senses in the last minute 😅
MADARCHOD ceo @ AA
Thank goodness American is not proceeding with this.
However, the reputational damage is already done.
Like many travelers, I like to plan my trips well in-advance, and the possibility of these changes led me to switch my bookings from OneWorld to SkyTeam partners instead.
Things aren’t well with AA lately, between this odd policy, a possible flight attendant strike this year, and recent incidents (filming in the broken toilet; 8 men removed from a flight).
Well, it *BEATS* being involuntarily “re-accommodated” from #UA3411
They started with Amex points fares (and cash) bing much higher and sometimes double for the past couple months. I was wondering how long that last but seems to be something that’ll stay as well. Makes no more sense to use Amex Plat Business for 30% refund. Guess it’s time to switch to Delta