American Airlines extends mileage earning period for tickets purchased through travel agents until July 11th
American Airlines announced in February that tickets booked through many third parties would no longer earn miles starting May 1, but did not make an announcement. list of sites Those reservations will not be eligible to earn miles until late April.
- It was unclear which sites would be excluded.
- This was all about moving agents to “new distribution techniques” that would lower American's costs, while also allowing agents to sell not only tickets but also accessories such as bags and seat assignments.
After much drama, American Airlines has pushed back the date on which you can no longer earn miles on certain tickets to July 11, 2024. On that date, you can earn miles on your ticket only if:
- Book directly with U.S. airlines and eligible partner airlines
- Book non-basic economy fares through your preferred travel agent
This policy does not apply to AAdvantage Business members and corporate travelers. An agent other than your preferred agent can also add her AAdvantage Business number to the reservation (but will not earn money in his AAdvantage Business program for that trip).
This is all to force agencies to adopt the technology that American prefers, but many complain that the technology is clunky and doesn't work perfectly. The company has also cut back on staff who help agents make reservations.
American Airlines is large enough that many agencies are doing their best to figure out the best way to comply. In some cases, that means adopting technology (and moving reservation volume to the platform). In other cases, it means working with a compliant host institution.
There's been enough confusion that it's taking longer than the originally unrealistic schedule, so it's no surprise that the U.S. would extend the deadline here.
