American AAdvantage Unveils Positive Changes For 2024

Doing away with the 15% award rebate for the 175k LP level in the 2024-2025 loyalty year. This was very valuable for some, say on a two pax R/T in J to the South Pacific, a 48k miles rebate.

"Coming soon" please keep us updated when those changes are implemented.

Yeah, that’s the question… so these features r active now?

Sounds like March 1 2024 ? I spent about $2000 on upgrades this year so LPs are great ; maybe I’ll have EXP in sight. It doesn’t affect Concierge Key because they are already purchasing full fare F or J.

For FF Dining, figure 25k points minimum.

Upgrades are partners, fine. What about opening up AA's own inventory to partners? E.g., transcon premium cabins.

What does certain things being available only to AAdvantage members mean for people who are loyal to other oneworld airlines? Do they also extend those benefits to members (or elites) in partner programs?

The Hyatt/American airlines partnership is becoming more and more valuable and I'm glad i chose those programs as opposed to United/Marriot partnership. Hyatt earlier this year made real beneficial changes to their programs and now American follows. Looking forward to Hyatt's Mr Mrs Smith Integration and flying premium with AA partners (qatar, qantas, etihad, Gulf air) at the lowest redemption rates . Plus im especially looking forward to the new premium AA cabins. It's a win/win in my Book.

This. Does someone booking as a Mileage Plan elite lose the AAdvantage-only stuff?

I purchase a lot of upgrades because even an EXP upgrades are becoming tougher and tougher. Or you sit at the gate on a nail biter as number one on the list, zero seats, and therefore hoping for the no show/misconnect. Nice those dollars will count towards LPs.

Anything that makes ACs have more crowds is a big downer. Some of the ACs are already way overcrowded and dirty (ATL, CLT, PHX, MIA D30, TPA, MCO).

If I had a wishlist for AA changes, #1 would be to allow for AA award flights to be changed, and not just canceled. Delta has this feature, and with dynamic mileage pricing, I end up making lots of changes as flights get cheaper closer to departure. For AA award flights, I end up booking and canceling multiple times to get the cheapest award price.

Surprised AA didn't take this opportunity to add Oman Air as a partner, considering it is joining OW this year.

Seems like Flagship Dining should be an Emerald benefit (without miles). Emeralds get into OneWorld F lounges, like QF, CX, BA, etc. for no fee or miles. Flagship Dining is really just the so called F section of the lounge.

FWIW American wouldn't even give me a list of the international routes they operate for a Seat31B article. They're outright hostile to deal with. Not sure who I pissed off over there either, I think they just hate bloggers.

25k points? Insanity. Should be more like 7.5k pts (~$120 cash value)

18 months isn't accurate. Trip credit will be 12 months, non-members are losing 6 months: "For Trip Credit issued on or after March 11, 2024, AAdvantage® members have 12 months to use their Trip Credit when canceling their trip on aa.com or the American app and their AAdvantage® number is included in their reservation. Non-AAdvantage® members have 6 months."

As a "diehard AA loyalist" I am EXTREMELY happy with these changes/updates. ESPECIALLY the addition of possible earnings of paid upgrades AND the additional Loyalty Choice Reward options. As someone who is already a AAdvantage member, many of the options available to us on the first several levels reached were USELESS and disappointing. They should actually make these retroactive for this earning year actually. Thank You to AA for the bit of "good news" for loyal customers.

Where are you seeing this? I couldn't find it buried in all the announcements. If true, this is HIGHLY disappointing. Hopefully they will consider adding it or something like this valuable rebate to one of the AA Credit Cards? Barclay's needs a refresh of their products, something like this being added to one of their cards could be interesting...

Lovely.. Another incentive for fools with status to pay for what they were once given for free...

@GH That’s not how AA values their miles for non-flight redemptions.

Well said.

And still no changes to their woefully uncompetitive million miler program .

The 24 hour hold is the best feature for me

Yep, I saw that too. It's not 18 mos, but I THINK it's still an improvement and could get you validity for even for longer.

Currently "Trip Credit" is defined as "compensation, refunds, and remaining value when exchanging Flight Credit", so that's not currently how you get credit when you cancel a trip. You currently get "Flight Credit", which expires 12 mos from original ticket date.

But I'm interpreting the language to imply that as of 3/11, AA will issue Trip Credit instead of Flight Credit when you do it directly with AA (web/app). That is still something of an improvement, as you will get 12 mos from the time you cancel instead of from the original ticket date. So really you could get close to 24 months of validity if that's accurate (book today, cancel just prior to 12 mos from now, receive TC for another 12 mos).

Oops, flaw in my logic above. You have to cancel before you travel, so the most validity you will get will be 12 mos + the time period between when you book and your original travel date.

What I came here to ask, also!

I’m also wondering what this means for those with Oneworld (but not AA) status who currently get free standby.

@BenjaminGuttery Hidden in a footnote here: https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-program/aadvantage-status/loyalty-point-rewards.jsp .

Can't say these changes are amazing. Seems more like some basic things they should allow.

These benefits aren’t great at all. Not sure why some writers are making noise about them.

@Lucky - I agree these are overall good perks for random AA AAdvantage members, however, it is dilutive to those that fly a lot. (Adding in loyalty points... more beneficial at a low level... As a FF flyer I don't need them, thus zero value.)

It makes me consider my loyalty to AA. As I can get more and more benefits lower down, why not use my spend elsewhere?

Softening the blow. Mileage redemptions are about to go wayyyyy up. Just my prediction - gotta pay the pilots and likely the FAs soon.

IF AA did that, I would except the quality would go down significantly.

Since I'm down from PP to P, the same day standby is very helpful...

Is there any reason why you stated that AA's million miler program is "uncompetitive"?

Just to but a day pass on the flagship lounge is 15k miles ….
25k( at least) is what is going to be.

It essentially caps at Platinum and 2MM, while every competitive airline offers all the way up to invite-only status at this point

Great news, and I’m sure we will let Ben back into the loop on announcements. This is my primary AA fan club after all 🙂

Ok, I am a fan of a lot of things, but mostly the airline that moves my butt around. If you’re not a fan of the most reasonable form of travel for your need, why are you on it? I tried Delta this week for the first time in a decade, paid first for a domestic- it was okay except for the food and service.

Can you please verify your first point of earning miles AND LPs for buying an upgrade. According to the email AA put out it states miles only. Not LPs

Actually, the Delta system is essentially the same as cancel, redeposit, and book a new award ticket, it's just the interface is displayed differently. With AA partner only award bookings, actually you can make a change, so for example you're flying LAX-Doha-JNB, and down the road you see availability to Capetown, you can call AA and swap out the last segment to CPT and pay for the tax difference. With Delta you can't, you'd lose the whole award.

As a “Platinum for Life” member I continue to lose my “ADVANTAGE”. They sucked my first class upgrades away from my account and I have not received anything in return. I achieved multi million status within four years of the program start.