American Airlines AAdvantage
American Airlines AAdvantage program was set up over 25 years ago. It was the world’s first travel awards program, and to this day remains the largest. The program allows members to collect miles both with American Airlines and a variety of airline partners, giving consumers greater choice when it comes to booking flights. Members can also gain points through purchases with various financial and retail partners; so, even if you are not a frequent flyer, you can still build up points. Points are available on all classes of flights, so customers on different incomes can all benefit, and more points are available for Business Class and First Class flights.
About American Airlines
American Airlines is one of the USA’s major airlines and is the second largest in the world in terms of passenger miles, passenger fleet size and in operating revenues. It has 603 aircraft in its massive fleet, making it the third largest airline in the world in terms of the amount of aircraft it operates. American Airlines run flights all over the United States, Canada and Latin America, as well as the Caribbean, Europe, Japan, China and India. Within those states, American Airlines flies to 260 cities.
The sheer magnitude of the company is testament to its high standards; in 2005 alone, American Airlines flew more than 138 billion passenger miles. American Airlines is a member of the Oneworld Alliance, one of the world’s largest airline alliances, which includes British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas Airways.
Flights with American Airlines
As you would expect from an airline so large, American Airlines has four hubs, all of which are in the United States. The main hub is Dallas/Fort Worth, from which 85 per cent of American Airlines flight operate. The other hubs are Chicago, Miami and New York. As well as these four hubs, American Airlines has four focus cities, which are Los Angeles, St. Louis, San Juan and Boston. Flights go to ten major cities in Australasia, over 20 in Asia, and 11 in Europe, so there is a great opportunity to earn points whatever your destination with American Airlines.
AAdvantage Entitlement
Membership of various tiers of American Airlines AAdvantage gives customers a whole host of perks to make traveling more pleasant. Those perks include complimentary upgrades, preferred economy class seating, a special service desk to help beat those queues, as well as access to the very comfortable Oneworld Alliance Business Lounges at various airports. Members can also get discounted membership with the Admiral’s Club, which includes the use of plush lounges and conference rooms at airports around the world. Membership of the Admiral’s Club provides customers with free wifi, access to copiers and fax services, and exclusive special offers with hotel chains such as Four Seasons and Park Hyatt Chicago, delicious snacks, sandwiches and meals.
Earn AAdvantage Points
With membership of American Airlines Advantage, you can earn miles on every eligible, published-fare ticket you buy from American Airlines, American Eagle, American Connections, or any of American Airlines’ partner airlines: British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia,Japan Airlines, LAN Airlines, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Mexicana, Qantas Airways, Royal Jordanian Airlines, Air Pacific, Air Tahiti Nui, Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air, Brussels Airlines, EL AL, GOL, Gulf Air, Hawaiian Airlines, and Jet Airways.
Points are calculated per mile, and there are varying numbers of points per mile depending on what class you fly in. First Class flights A, F and P, Business Class flights D, I and J, and Full Fare Economy Class flights B and Y earn 1.5 points per mile; Discount Economy Class flights H, K, M L, W and V earn 1 point per mile; and Deep Discount Economy Class flights G, Q, N, O and S earn 0.5 points per mile.
Points expire after 18 months, so this scheme is great for frequent flyers who will be able to use up all the points that they possibly can to get the best value for money.
Aside from flights, members of American Airlines Advantage can earn points using various credit and debit cards including selected cards from Citibank, Credomatic and Republic Bank. As if that wasn’t enough, points can be earned with various restaurants, financial service providers, hotels, phone and internet companies, real estate companies, mortgage lenders, rental car companies, shops and other retailers, and travel companies such as cruise hosts.
There are plenty of opportunities to upgrade your American Airlines Advantage membership, making it even easier to get more for the money you spend on flights. Once you reach 25,000 points, you qualify for Gold membership; at 50,000 points, you get Platinum membership; and at 100,000 points you get Executive Platinum membership. Each comes with more benefits, but to give an example, Executive Platinum members are entitled to guaranteed economy class availability, unlimited free upgrades, wait list priority for Business or First Class seats, priority baggage delivery, and much more.
As far as spending points goes, there are even more opportunities to save. American Airlines provides a regularly updates selection of special offers for Advantage members, such as flights to certain locations for 10% less than usual, or earning 10,000 miles. These bonus offers make it even easier to store up points, spent points wisely or save money on flights, accommodation and car hire.
AAdvantage Eligibility
You must be 18 years of age to be a member of this program.
