Every airline has its own member rewards program, because creating customer loyalty is the name of the game in the aviation industry. There’s a lot of competition out there, so locking in a returning customer is of the utmost importance.
Of course, not all rewards programs are created equal. They all have their own by-laws, which can be a bit confusing if you’re coming at it from the outside, and they all have different ways of acquiring loyalty points, which can eventually be redeemed for free flights, upgrades and other perks.
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For example, American Airlines (AAL) has the “Elite” status, which you can earn through AAdvantage miles, which can be earned through using an American Airlines credit card, flying on the airline or one of its partner airlines or partner retail establishments, including AAdvantage Dining, AAdvantage eShopping, SimplyMiles and others. Statuses range from Gold (which comes from earning 40,000 points) all the up to Executive Platinum (125,000 points).
And now American Airlines has found a way to make the Elite status even more valuable.
Everyone with Elite status will be eligible for complimentary upgrades on tickets purchased with AAdvantage miles, starting on June 9. So if you’re flying Basic Economy, you might get an upgrade to Business.
The upgrade will also extend to up to one traveling companion. But it must be a flight in the United States and some limited short-haul international flights to Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Bermuda and Central America.
Previously, paid tickets were the priority when it came to upgrading, but now that is no longer the case. Typically, upgrades happen when there are unsold seats in the first class or business class sections, but the main cabin is oversold. But as more airlines sell last-minute first-class seats for a discounted rate, these free upgrades might become more rare.
There’s also been a tweak so that all flight companions will now automatically appear next to their highest-status elite traveler, as there had been some mix-ups in the past.
