Attention, American Airlines members: If you’re pursuing elite status with the carrier, you should check your American Airlines AAdvantage account, as you may be targeted for a year-end promotion. Some TPG staff members were targeted with a new American Airlines promotion to earn loyalty points on award flights.
This offers:
- Earn 100 loyalty points per 1,000 AAdvantage miles you redeem (up to 20,000 loyalty points).
- Earn 50 loyalty points per 1,000 AAdvantage miles you redeem (up to 20,000 loyalty points).
Offer Terms:
- Register and book travel by October 7, 2024.
- Complete the journey by December 31, 2024.
- Only award flights on American and American Eagle qualify for this promotion.
- Earn up to 20,000 loyalty points.
- Loyalty points will be posted six to eight weeks after your completed journey.
To check, log in to your AAdvantage account. Under “Rewards Hub”, click on “Promotions” to see if the offer is available in your account. Unfortunately, if you were not targeted for this offer, you will not be able to register for the promotion.
Related: American Airlines Chasing Elite Status? Here are 15 ways to earn loyalty points
It looks like American Airlines made this up too much Targeted promotion, as most TPG staff members do not have this offer in their account. However, TPG’s managing editor of news and current AAdvantage Executive Platinum member Clint Henderson and TPG’s director of travel content and current AAdvantage Gold member Eric Rosen were targeted.
Changes to the American Airlines Loyalty Program
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In August, American finally implemented the opportunity for AAdvantage members to earn miles and loyalty points on upgrades purchased on American-operated flights.
“Until now, airlines have not allowed loyalty members to earn miles and status credits from upgrades. For me, this is usually a reason to avoid buy-up offers and change my ticket to a business- or first-class fare instead. Makes sense,” TPG senior reporter Zach Griff noted in his article. “But now, I’ll be more tempted to buy an upgrade with American when I get a reasonable offer.”
Related: Best Uses of American Airlines AAdvantage Miles
So, could this September targeted promotion be a potential kickoff to a larger program implementation?
Currently, AAdvantage members earn loyalty points on American-operated flights (and with American partners), through credit card spending, through the AAdvantage dining program, through purchases through the AAdvantage online shopping portal and through partnering hotel brands. Car rental, cruise and more.
However, when members book award flights and redeem their AAdvantage miles, they do not earn loyalty points. Will American change this to a permanent program in 2025?
In 2022, Delta Air Lines officially implemented awarding medallion qualification dollars on award flights. On your award ticket, you’ll earn 1 MQD per 100 SkyMiles redeemed.
Additionally, fellow competitor United Airlines allows program members to earn Premier qualifying points based on the number of miles redeemed at a rate of 1 PQP per 100 miles earned.
The bottom line
While it appears few were targeted for American’s latest promotion, it’s interesting that the airline appears to be “testing” how customers respond to the opportunity to earn additional loyalty points before the end of the status qualification year (Feb. 28, 2025). can give .
Although fellow competitors United Airlines and Delta Airlines have already implemented the ability to earn elite qualifying points into their programs, American is determined to continue. Having rolled out changes to its loyalty program over the past year, we think this could be part of another program upgrade – at least, a welcome one – in 2025.
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