American Airlines really doesn’t want you shopping around, but the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline is currently delaying flights The changes were previously announced booking travel experiences that encourage passengers to transact directly with the airline.
It has teased many of these updates over the past few months, but things like earning miles and Loyalty Points will soon only be possible when booking through a US-approved channel. That may not include some popular third-party booking channels like corporate travel booking sites.
These changes will take effect July 11 instead of May 1 as initially reported.
American Airlines told TPG:
“We’ve decided to expand the update on how customers earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points on flights through July 11. This expansion gives those agencies the opportunity to complete the transition . We will continue to work closely with travel agents to support them through this transition for our mutual customers.”
It’s clear that companies need more time to perfect the system to allow customers to continue making money. American Airlines AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points.
You’ll find some details about the currently delayed changes below. We will have more information about the new booking policy in the coming days.
Earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points
Beginning with tickets released on July 11, American will exclusively award AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points for flights booked through select partners and preferred travel agents.
American hasn’t shared the full list yet — it’s expected to drop in June. However, the carrier has outlined three booking channels that will be eligible to earn miles and status credits:
- Book directly with eligible US partner airlines.
- Book a trip anywhere like one AAdvantage Business Member or as a traveler under a company contract.
- Book through preferred travel agencies.
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Basic economy tickets will earn miles and Loyalty Points only when booked directly with American.
For casual travelers, the move means any trips booked through non-preferred travel agencies will no longer earn miles or Loyalty Points.
It remains to be seen which agents will qualify as “priority”, but hopefully this includes some of the biggest names.
This could be especially important news for those who like Redeem transferable credit card points directly through American Express, Chase and Capital One platforms.
Hopefully these partners will be on the list because otherwise bookings through those portals may no longer earn miles or status credits.
Overall, this is a big step for American – the first US airline to limit mileage earnings for certain booking channels.
From the airline’s perspective, the move makes sense. It gives the carrier greater control over the overall experience and can lead to upselling opportunities, such as upgrades and preferred seating, during the booking process.
In a statement to TPG, American Airlines said:
“Customers are at the heart of what we do. American is evolving to give customers the travel management experience they expect, and we invited the entire industry to join us. We got received great feedback from dealers.” There is increasing adoption of modern retail technology and many have achieved preferred retailer status. The majority of our indirect orders are now placed through a dealer with NDC capabilities and the list of dealers currently covering over 30% of NDC orders is already very impressive. is on the cusp of doing that very soon, which will provide customers with great preferred dealer options alongside our offerings on aa.com.”
It remains to be seen whether other airlines will follow suit, but the move shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise to those in the industry. In recent years, the airline has been rethinking the way it conducts business with travel agents, forcing many of them to adopt the latest technological standards if they even want to sell trips. American flight.
“We just want to make sure that customers understand what they’re getting when they book with their particular agency. … So it’s really for the customers so they understand that there’s a better way to find product and understanding what that product is buying,” Scott Chandler, senior vice president of revenue and loyalty management at American, said in an interview with TPG earlier this year.
American increases checked baggage fees
In February, the airline also announced it would increase checked baggage fees across the board, effective immediately.
The new fees for domestic flights are:
- $35 for first checked bag purchased online
- $40 for first checked bag purchased at the airport
- $45 for a second checked bag purchased online or at the airport
Short-haul international flights, including Canada and Mexico routes, have a different fee structure:
- $35 for first checked bag purchased online or at the airport
- $45 for a second checked bag purchased online or at the airport
With this move, American now holds the title of most expensive checked baggage fee of all major airlines in the US network.
Alaska Airlines increases checked baggage fees for the first time from $30 to $35 just a few weeks ago, and now American is giving its Oneworld partner a one-time price increase.
Not to be outdone, JetBlue also increased baggage fees and then went even higher by saying they were setting flexible rates for baggage fees. In other words, if you fly during a busy period, you may have to pay a higher cost per bag.
“We have not adjusted domestic baggage fees since 2018. Due to inflationary pressures, we are making our first adjustments since then,” Chandler explained to TPG.
The good news is that Americans will maintain it all Existing free baggage allowance that it currently offers.
Those with AAdvantage or Oneworld elite status or those flying in a premium cabin will continue to receive their share of free checked bags, as will those keeping one of these bags. American co-branded credit card.
With this move, American is making it more attractive to get one of the carrier’s credit cards to avoid higher first checked bag fees. However, we’ll see if this actually results in more signups.
Note that the above baggage fees only apply to standard sized checked baggage. Bags that exceed the standard size (62 linear inches) and weight limit (50 pounds) will be charged an additional fee, as you can see below.
American’s new oversized and oversized baggage fees
Along with increasing baggage fees, the airline has changed the way it prices oversized and oversized luggage.
Previously, any bag heavier than 50 pounds but lighter than 70 pounds would cost an additional $100 to $200. (The same is true for bags larger than 62 linear inches.)
Now, that fee will be divided into two groups as the following table shows.
| Selected item | Previous fees | Travel on/after April 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Bags range from 50 to 70 pounds | $100 to $200 | For bags between 50 and 53 pounds: $30 |
| Bags range from 50 to 70 pounds | $100 to $200 | For 53- to 70-pound bags: $100 to $200 |
| Bags range from 70 to 100 pounds | $200 to $450 | $200 to $450 |
| Bags larger than 62 linear inches | For bags 62 to 126 inches: $150 to $200 | For bags 62 to 65 inches: $30 |
| Bags larger than 62 linear inches | For bags 62 to 126 inches: $150 to $200 | For bags 65 to 115 inches: $150 to $200 |
| The items were both oversized and weighed between 50 and 70 pounds | $250 to $400 | $30 to $200 (a single fee instead of two) |
| The items were both oversized and weighed between 70 and 100 pounds | $350 to $650 | $200 to $450 (a single fee instead of two) |
As part of this move, American is reducing the oversize limit from 126 linear inches to 115 linear inches; This means the largest bags will no longer be accepted on US flights. Javelin, pole vaulting and hang gliding will also no longer be accepted.
Additional benefits available only to AAdvantage
At the start of the year, American shared a big 2024 loyalty update, including news that some benefits would soon be restricted to AAdvantage members.
The airline has made good on that promise with the following news:
- Same day standby: Any AAdvantage member can wait for an earlier domestic flight for free.
- Extended trip credit: AAdvantage members now have an additional six months to use Trip Credits when canceling online. Non-AAdvantage members will only get six months to use Trip Credits.
- Cancellation of basic economy tickets: American has implemented the ability to cancel basic economy tickets to receive partial Trip Credits (minus the $99 cancellation fee). This benefit is exclusive to AAdvantage members.
- Transfer AAdvantage miles: American says the cost of transferring travel miles between AAdvantage accounts is now 66% cheaper than before.
- Upgrade with partners: American introduced this major update in January. The airline declined to provide any further details, but it said you’ll be able to redeem miles for upgrades with “select partners ” later this year.
- Redeem miles for Wi-Fi: Unlike some of it biggest competitor, American has done nothing to make its Wi-Fi service more attractive. Airline tickets still start at around 19 USD for domestic flights. That said, the airline will introduce the ability to redeem AAdvantage miles for Wi-Fi later this year at an undisclosed price.
Several other perks and benefits unique to AAdvantage, such as free 24-hour reservations and the ability to purchase lounge passes, were announced in January.
While American says these benefits are now exclusive perks of being an AAdvantage member, the airline once offered all of these perks to all travelers, regardless of AAdvantage membership .
As a result, American appears to be focused on growing its member base with these new benefits. It seems like the airline is making every effort to add new perks and limit access to other benefits for AAdvantage members.
Bottom line
American is making some big changes to how you do business with the airline, but they’ve delayed some of those changes a little longer.
The carrier will limit the ability to earn miles and Loyalty Points depending on how you book your flights starting in July. We’ll dig deeper into these changes in an upcoming story.
Meanwhile, the carrier is adding more perks and limiting certain benefits to AAdvantage members as it continues to double down on its mission to increase enrollment and engagement with its customer program close.
The carrier has long said that loyalty program members do more business with the airline, and with these announcements, American has sweetened the deal to encourage people to become AAdvantage members , book directly with the airline and apply for a co-branded credit card.
Whether or not this will happen is anyone’s guess, but it certainly seems to be the airline’s focus right now.
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