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Just weeks after American Airlines announced positive changes to its loyalty program, the airline announced two negative changes to how you earn miles and how much it charges for checked bags.
First, the airline will soon encourage travelers to book directly. When a customer books through an online travel agency like Expedia, the airline must pay the company a commission for each flight booked. American will stop awarding AAdvantage miles on flights booked through many travel agents in an effort to encourage travelers to book directly with the airline.
The airline is also raising checked baggage and pet fees across the board, making travel more expensive for those who don't have an American Airlines credit card or elite status with the airline.
Let's take a look at these changes and how you can avoid their negative impact on your travel experience.
American Airlines
You'll soon only earn AAdvantage miles on American flights when you book directly with the airline or through a preferred partner.
To encourage travelers to book direct, American Airlines will soon change the way you earn miles on flights booked through a third-party travel agent.
Starting May 1, 2024, AAdvantage members will only earn miles and loyalty points if they:
- Book directly with American and eligible partner airlines.
- Book through preferred travel agents.
- Book travel anywhere as an AAdvantage Business member or contract traveler.
Even if you book through a preferred travel agency, mileage credits are not possible for basic economy fares. For these fares, the only way to earn miles is to book directly with the airline (or an eligible partner airline).
The airline also says the list of preferred travel agents will not be available until the end of April.
American Airlines is the first U.S. airline to implement such a policy to discourage travelers from booking through a third-party system. And when one airline makes a big change, we often see many other major airlines follow suit in the following months.
While most loyal airline fans book direct, for those who travel infrequently, this is a big adjustment Traveler who may use an online travel agency to compare flight prices across multiple airlines.
It could also be a hit with their credit card rewards for travelers who book through American Express Travel, Capital One Travel, or Chase Travel. You currently collect miles when you book an America ticket via these portals. However, we are still not sure whether they will be considered preferred travel agents after the change.
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American just increased its checked baggage fees.
Additionally, American Airlines announced changes to its checked baggage policy — and not for the better.
For travel booked beginning February 20, 2024, travelers will pay up to $10 more when checking their first or second bag on select flights. For domestic flights (including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), your first checked bag will cost $35 if purchased online and $40 if purchased at the airport. The fee to check a second bag is now $45, whether you purchase it online or at the airport.
For flights to Canada and short-haul international flights (e.g. Central America and the Caribbean), the checked baggage fee has increased to $35 for the first checked bag and $45 for the second checked bag.
Taking your pet on board has also become more expensive. Bringing your pet on board now costs $150, a significant increase from the previous $125.
However, there have been no changes to the checked baggage policy, which you get as a benefit on many American Airlines co-branded credit cards. For example, Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® holders can check one piece of baggage free on all flights.
With these newly announced changes, it's clear that booking direct and packing as light as possible (or having an airline credit card) is the way to go. We've already seen some airlines increase their checked baggage fees, but American Airlines is the first major U.S. airline to implement such a policy of not earning miles when booking through a third-party system.
We're hoping American Airlines' preferred travel agents list will include many popular online travel agents and credit card travel portals, but we'll have to wait until April to find out.
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