JetSMART Adopts American AAdvantage As Loyalty Program

In 2022, American Airlines invested in JetSMART, which is a South American ultra low cost carrier. There’s now a significant development when it comes to loyalty benefits, as JetSMART is essentially going to use American AAdvantage as its loyalty program.

Earn & redeem AAdvantage miles on JetSMART

JetSMART is adopting American AAdvantage as its loyalty program, effective immediately. JetSMART doesn’t have a traditional loyalty program, so JetSMART travelers will now be encouraged to sign-up for American AAdvantage in order to be rewarded for their flights.

It’s possible to earn AAdvantage miles for travel on JetSMART effective immediately. The mileage earning rates largely reflect what you’d earn if flying American:

• You earn 2x miles for Travel LIGHT fares, and 5x miles for Pack SMART and Pack FULL fares
• AAdvantage elite members receive their typical bonuses, so Gold members get a 40% bonus, Platinum members get a 60% bonus, Platinum Pro members get an 80% bonus, and Executive Platinum members get a 120% bonus
• All the miles earned qualify as Loyalty Points, so count toward AAdvantage status
• You can earn miles even if just traveling on JetSMART and booking directly with the airline, so this isn’t one of those partnerships where you’re only rewarded if you’re flying on a codeshare service

As of later in 2024, it’ll be possible to redeem American AAdvantage miles for travel on JetSMART, but that functionality isn’t yet live.

Here’s how Scott Chandler, American’s SVP of Revenue Management and Loyalty, describes this development:

“We are excited to welcome JetSMART and their customers to the AAdvantage® program, the most valuable travel rewards program. This is a significant milestone in our partnership that offers customers more low fares and more travel options throughout South America.”

Meanwhile here’s what Estuardo Ortiz, CEO of JetSMART, had to say:

“From the beginning, we have been innovators in South American aviation, offering ultra-low fares and an extensive route network, often connecting cities for the first time. By deepening our partnership with American, we are continuing to make history, furthering our mission of bringing air travel to every corner of the continent. Our customers will now be able to earn miles when they fly on the JetSMART network and connect to American’s global network. As the fastest-growing airline in South America, this alliance strengthens our position as we work toward our vision of reaching 100 million passengers and 100 aircraft by 2028.”

My take on this AAdvantage loyalty development

I have a few thoughts about this announcement. First of all, it’s nice to see some frequent flyer program benefits finally rolled out, given that American has now owned a stake in the airline for quite some time.

I do find the concept of having other airlines essentially adopt AAdvantage as their loyalty program to be a bit unusual. Fiji Airways plans to do the same thing in 2025, when it joins the oneworld alliance. On the one hand, I can understand that loyalty programs aren’t equally lucrative around the globe, and that they can be a cost center rather than a profit center. On the other hand, you completely lose your brand identity when you do this.

American is obviouly doing what it can to compete in Latin America. American used to be a powerhouse in Latin America, when it partnered with LATAM, but then Delta swooped in and bought a stake in the airline.

So that has forced American to get creative, and it’s why we’re now seeing American partner so closely with both GOL and JetSMART. Are these airlines the perfect fit? No. But they’re better than nothing, and options are limited. Some partnership is better than no partnership.

I do wish we’d see some actual elite perks rolled out for travel on these airlines, given what we’ve lost with LATAM. However, I get that this kind of cuts into the margins for regional low cost carriers like this, so that comes with its own challenges.

Bottom line

JetSMART will begin using American AAdvantage as its loyalty program. Effective immediately, it’s possible to earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points for all JetSMART flights. Then as of later this year, it’ll be possible to redeem AAdvantage miles on JetSMART.

It’s always nice to have more options for earning and redeeming miles, so I’m happy to see this. However, JetSMART isn’t exactly a global or aspirational airline.

What do you make of JetSMART adopting AAdvantage as its loyalty program?