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American Airlines AAdvantage: The Ultimate Guide
Lori Zaino
Written ByLori Zaino
Credit Cards Writer
& 1 other
Updated: Aug 5, 2024, 9:12am
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations.
American Airlines AAdvantage: The Ultimate Guide
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American Airlines is one of the world’s largest and most recognizable airlines. A member of the Oneworld alliance, it has numerous partners (20-plus airlines, 1,200 retail, 10 car rental companies and more), making it easy to earn miles to later redeem for award travel. The airline overhauled its massive loyalty program in 2023 and continues to make positive changes in 2024, augmenting how members earn miles and incorporating dynamic award pricing.
From the difference between Loyalty Points and AAdvantage miles to how to earn and redeem them, find out everything you need to know about the AAdvantage program.
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American Airlines and AAdvantage Background
American Airlines serves more than 350 destinations worldwide in over 60 countries. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, AA has hubs conveniently spread throughout the U.S., including:
Charlotte (CLT)
Chicago-O’Hare (ORD)
Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
Miami (MIA)
New York (LGA)
Philadelphia (PHL)
Phoenix (PHX)
Washington, D.C. (DCA)
The American Airlines loyalty program is called the AAdvantage Program. AAdvantage dates back to 1981 and is the oldest airline loyalty program still in existence. It’s free to join, so start by signing up.United Airlines said more than 18,000 passengers managed to avoid a middle seat last month, even when they thought all hope was lost.
The airline announced a new feature in its app in March that allows travelers to designate a seating preference in their reservation and get moved automatically, for free, if a better seat opens on their flight. The options include window, aisle, exit or bulkhead rows.
These United Airlines passengers got switched to better seats for free: How you can do it
Portrait of Zach WichterZach Wichter
USA TODAY
United Airlines said more than 18,000 passengers managed to avoid a middle seat last month, even when they thought all hope was lost.
The airline announced a new feature in its app in March that allows travelers to designate a seating preference in their reservation and get moved automatically, for free, if a better seat opens on their flight. The options include window, aisle, exit or bulkhead rows.
Almost 40% of travelers who made the requests were able to move into their desired location prior to departure, according to United.
United will move passengers into their preferred seat type if it becomes available in the same class of service as their original seat up to 12 hours before departure. Most travelers go out of their way to avoid the middle seat, but seasoned flyers often have preferred rows or specific seats that are to their liking.
Sites like aeroLOPA can help passengers figure out which seat has the best window alignment, for example, and can inform how they set their preferences in United’s app.
