American Airlines removed its AAdvantage miles from third-party booking sites without warning, forcing travelers to book award flights directly through its website. The move saves the airline $15 to $30 per transaction while enabling direct upselling and credit card promotion, but eliminates the convenient comparison shopping tools millions of travelers relied on.
American Airlines Makes Its Move
From American Airlines’ perspective, the decision wasn’t arbitrary. It was strategic. The airline cited the need to protect customer data and provide a more personalized booking experience. Official statements emphasized that direct relationships enable better service and more targeted offers for loyal customers.
But peel back the corporate messaging, and the financial motivations become clearer. Third-party platforms charge airlines $15 to $30 per transaction, adding up to tens of millions annually for a carrier the size of American. Cutting out the middleman means keeping more money in-house.
Direct bookings give American complete control over upselling opportunities. When you book through their website, every screen becomes a chance to offer seat selection, priority boarding, extra baggage, or upgrades. Ancillary revenue from these add-ons represents a growing percentage of airline profitability, sometimes exceeding the ticket revenue itself.
Perhaps most significantly, American can now exclusively promote its own credit card partnerships during the booking process. Credit card partnerships generate billions in annual revenue for major airlines through signup bonuses and ongoing spending, making this channel worth protecting.
What This Means for You
So where does this leave the average traveler with a stash of AAdvantage miles? Adaptation becomes key.
First, accept the new reality: booking award travel now requires going directly through American’s website or app. This is the only gateway to redeem AAdvantage miles for flights. The platform has improved over the years, and while it lacks the comparison features of aggregators, it remains functional.
Consider diversifying your loyalty strategy. Putting all your miles in one basket carries risk, especially when that basket’s rules can change without notice. Spreading miles across airline programs provides flexibility if one carrier’s policies shift unfavorably. Transferable points programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards offer the ability to move points to airline partners, providing a buffer against single-program changes.
Timing matters more than ever. Book award travel as far in advance as possible, since popular routes often see award space disappear six to nine months before departure. The early bird genuinely gets the worm, or in this case, the affordable award seat.
