 | |
| Type | Frequent-flyer program |
|---|---|
| Owner | American Airlines |
| Introduced | May 1, 1981 |
| Website | aa |
AAdvantage is the frequent-flyer program of American Airlines. Launched May 1, 1981, it was the second such loyalty program in the world (after the first at Texas International Airlines in 1979) and remains the largest, with more than 115 million members as of April, 2021.[1][2][3]
Miles accumulated in the program allow members to redeem tickets, upgrade service class, or obtain free or discounted car rentals, hotel stays, merchandise, or other products and services through partners. The most active members, based on the amount and price of travel booked, are designated AAdvantage Gold, AAdvantage Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum Pro, and AAdvantage Executive Platinum elite members, with privileges such as separate check-in, priority upgrade and standby processing, or free upgrades. They also receive similar privileges from AA's partner airlines, particularly those in oneworld.[4] AAdvantage co-branded credit cards are also available and offer other benefits. These cards are issued by Barclaycard and CitiCards in the United States, and by Butterfield Bank and Scotiabank in the Caribbean.
AAdvantage allows one-way redemption, starting at 7,500 miles.[5]
- ^ "AAdvantage Celebrates 40 Years of Loyalty Innovation".
- ^ David M Rowell (August 13, 2010). "A History of US Airline Deregulation Part 4 : 1979 – 2010 : The Effects of Deregulation – Lower Fares, More Travel, Frequent Flier Programs". The Travel Insider. Archived from the original on August 16, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2010.
- ^ "American Airlines AAdvantage Program Details". Aa.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
- ^ oneworld Alliance Archived December 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Aa.com (2010-10-01). Retrieved on November 4, 2010.
- ^ "Use miles on American Airlines". American Airlines. Retrieved July 24, 2024.