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News / Booking directly with American Airlines and its airline partners makes travel even better for AAdvantage® members
American is updating the way customers earn AAdvantage® miles and Loyalty Points on flights
When booking directly with American Airlines, customers enjoy the best possible travel experience. It's simple to manage trips online, receive travel credit for canceled trips and more. When booking travel and earning with American, AAdvantage® members can unlock rewards and endless ways to use miles.
Starting with tickets issued on May 1, 2024, American will update the way customers earn AAdvantage® miles and Loyalty Points on flights, depending on where they book.
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.
Basic Economy fare tickets will only earn when booked directly with American and eligible partner airlines.
AAdvantage® members will also continue to earn miles and Loyalty Points through non-airline partners, like the AAdvantage® eShopping℠, AAdvantage Hotels™ and AAdvantage Events™ platforms and more.
Adjustments to ancillary services
For the first time since 2018, American is adjusting bag fees for first and second checked bags for travel booked on or after February 20. The new bag fees for domestic flights including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are $35 for first checked bags purchased online or $40 for first checked bags purchased at the airport. The second checked bag fee is $45 purchased online or at the airport. The new bag fees for Canada and short-haul international flights are $35 for first checked bags and $45 for second checked bags purchased online or at the airport.
Certain AAdvantage® members and credit cardmembers still receive important benefits:
- All AAdvantage® status members will continue to receive complimentary bags on American Airlines flights.
- Most AAdvantage® credit cardmembers* also get their first eligible checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries.
Customers who purchase premium cabins on domestic and international flights will continue to receive complimentary bags. American also offers complimentary bags to active-duty U.S. military personnel on all American flights.
The pet-in-cabin fee is now $150 for tickets purchased on or after February 20.
Save money on oversize and overweight items
American is introducing the lowest fee ever for checked items that are only a few pounds heavier or a few inches larger than a standard bag. The lower costs and simpler fee structure for oversize and overweight checked items result in savings of more than $350 for some customers.
| Checked item | Current fee | Travel on/after April 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Bag +50–70 lbs. | $100–$200 | +50–53 lbs. / $30 +53–70 lbs. / $100–$200 |
| Bag +70–100 lbs. | $200–$450 | $200–$450 |
| Bag +62 linear inches | +62–126 inches $150–$200 | +62–65 inches / $30 +65–115 inches / $150–$200 |
| Items that are both oversize and overweight +50–70 lbs. | $250–$400 | $30–$200 (one single fee instead of two) |
| Items that are both oversize and overweight +70–100 lbs. | $350–$650 | $200–$450 (one single fee instead of two) |
American is also reducing the oversize limit to 115 linear inches and will no longer allow javelins, pole vaults and hang gliders starting April 17. For more information, check aa.com.
Book travel and earn with American, and enjoy these great benefits
As previously announced, American will continue to enhance the AAdvantage® program so that loyalty with American goes even further for members.
Some of these benefits have already rolled out:
- Transfer AAdvantage® miles for less: Want to move miles to another member's AAdvantage® account? Now, transfer costs are 66% less than before.
- Use miles to stay connected: Later this year, members will be able to use miles to pay for Wi-Fi on select flights.
- Upgrade with our partners: Members can redeem miles for upgrades with select airline partners in 2024.
- Cancel Basic Economy tickets: Members can cancel non-refundable Basic Economy tickets and receive a partial Trip Credit for a fee* as an AAdvantage® member.
- Same-day standby: Beginning March 1, members can stand by for an earlier domestic flight free of charge.
- Extended Trip Credit: Beginning March 11, members can enjoy six more months to use Trip Credit than non-members when canceling travel online.
