American Completely Revamps Its AAdvantage Program
American Airlines made a big announcement today for its AAdvantage members. The airline is completely revamping its loyalty program, starting next year.
The award chart will stay the same for but the way you earn and keep status will be based on a whole new model. The airline will get rid of elite qualifying metrics, and will instead introduce Loyalty Points. For 2022, AAdvantage members can earn status by flying, using an AAdvantage credit card for purchases or spending with an AAdvantage partner.
“Loyalty should be simple, and we have reimagined our AAdvantage program to a single point system that provides a clear path to earning status for our members,” Chief Customer Officer Alison Taylor said in the announcement.
While the new system will be simpler, it will also increase the spending required for AAdvantage elite status. On the plus side, you can earn status with credit card spending. Let’s get into all the details of the new AAdvantage program.
Earning AAdvantage Elite Status
For every qualifying AAdvantage mile earned, members will earn one Loyalty Point. Here’s how to earn points:
- Members can earn 5x Loyalty Points per dollar spent by flying on American or one of its eligible partner airlines. Elite members earn bonus Loyalty Points:
- AAdvantage Gold 40% bonus
- AAdvantage Platinum 60% bonus
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro 80% bonus
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum 120% bonus
- You can also earn Loyalty Points when you use an AAdvantage credit card for purchases.
- Earn Loyalty Points every year just by shopping online or dining out.
But there are exclusions:
- Bonus miles earned from special promotions
- Miles from Buy, Gift, Transfer transactions
- Government taxes, fees, and other charges associated with buying a ticket do not count toward earning AAdvantage® miles and do not count toward earning Loyalty Points
- Conversion of another program currency to AAdvantage® miles
- For AAdvantage® credit cards, “accelerators” or “multipliers” such as: welcome bonuses, extra miles for purchases in specific categories, with specific merchants (such as American Airlines purchases) or purchases made abroad
- AAdvantage® credit cards new account or welcome bonuses, spend bonuses, etc.
Which AAdvantage Miles Earn Loyalty Points?
As an AAdvantage® member, you’ll earn Loyalty Points as you earn eligible AAdvantage® miles. One eligible AAdvantage® mile equals one Loyalty Point. Eligible AAdvantage Miles include all base miles you earn, as well as elite bonus and cabin bonus miles you earn from flying.
Only flight activity contributes toward Million Miler status. Neither AAdvantage miles nor Loyalty Points earned through your card contribute to Million Miler status.
AAdvantage 2022 Status Requirements
| Status | Loyalty Points |
| AAdvantage Gold | 30,000 |
| AAdvantage Platinum | 75,000 |
| AAdvantage Platinum Pro | 125,000 |
| AAdvantage Executive Platinum | 200,000 |
Upgrade Priority
With EQDs going away, Loyalty Points be used to determine upgrade priority:
- Beginning March 2022, your 12-month rolling Loyalty Points value will be used to determine your upgrade priority.
- 12-month rolling EQDs will continue to determine upgrade priority through February 2022.
- Your starting rolling 12-month Loyalty Points will be composed of a combination of your 12 month rolling EQD value as of March 1, supplemented with Loyalty Points as you earn them. As of March 1, 2023, the rolling 12-month Loyalty Points value used for upgrade priority will be solely composed of Loyalty Points.
Extending Status
American Airlines is extending the current AAdvantage status for all members through March 31, 2022, as the program transitions to the new Loyalty Points system.
And members can also double dip as any qualifying activity earned in January and February will count towards both 2022 and 2023 AAdvantage status. This gives members an extra two months to earn elite status for both years.
In the future, members will qualify for status from March through February, with status valid through March 31 of the following year.
Loyalty Choice Rewards
Next year, AAdvantage members can unlock Loyalty Choice Rewards, which were formerly called elite choice rewards. Loyalty Choice Rewards is a menu of rewards awarded to members that earn Platinum Pro status or higher and fly at least 30 flights on American or qualifying partner airlines.
Members can select the Loyalty Choice Reward they value the most, including an Admirals Club day pass, systemwide upgrades or bonus AAdvantage miles. Additional Loyalty Choice Rewards are available to unlock as members accrue more Loyalty Points.
Reward Level
Loyalty Points required for each level:
- L1 – 125,000
- L2 – 200,000
- L3 – 350,000
- L4 – 550,000
- L5 – 750,000
Conclusion
American Airlines has completely revamped its AAdvantage loyalty program. The airlines will introduce Loyalty Points next year, which will be used to earn elite status. You can earn these points by flying, using your American Airlines credit cards, or spending with partners.
More spending is needed, but you can earn elite status just using your credit card for example. Welcome bonuses, and other points earned through promotions will not count, but base points will.
Let us know what you think of these changes!
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What about bulk fare calculations like the miles and EQDs earned from packages. Car, hotel, airfare bundles where EQDs and Award Miles AM are calculated by distance flown not $ spent on fares?
Will this remain in place?
Great post! What about miles earned through the AAdvantage shopping portal? Would those count towards loyalty points? Thanks!