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American Airlines announces improvements to the AAdvantage Business program
Ben Smithson
Senior writer
Ben Smithson is a travel loyalty expert based in London.
July 17, 2024
•
3 min read
American Airlines announces improvements to the AAdvantage Business program
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AAdvantage Business, American Airlines' corporate loyalty program, has announced several changes, which should be welcome news to business travelers.
Effective immediately, AAdvantage Business members will now earn Loyalty Points and AAdvantage miles for bookings made through third-party travel agencies.
This reverses a recent decision to restrict earnings to those booking directly with the airline or AA-controlled booking channels. AAdvantage recently reversed this controversial policy for consumer bookings and has now reversed it for corporate bookings as well.
Another positive improvement is the introduction of dedicated phone support for AAdvantage Business members, available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central time on weekdays by calling 877-229-8278.
As first reported by Travel Weekly, based on email communications sent to travel managers, future improvements to the program include:
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- Later this summer: Redeem and manage AAdvantage miles directly from AAdvantage Business accounts without transferring them to a personal AAdvantage account first, and store payment card details in AAdvantage Business accounts.
- By the end of 2024: Redeem and manage shared trip credits as well as show individual company travel policies all within AAdvantage Business accounts, and allow name change waivers for all registered travelers in the account, allowing companies to transfer tickets between employees.
Currently, AAdvantage Business accounts can earn 1 AAdvantage mile per dollar spent on eligible flights through the AAdvantage Business program. Going forward, travelers will still earn miles as they typically would through the AAdvantage program (5 miles per dollar spent and 5 Loyalty Points per dollar on eligible flights).
Spending on a cobranded business credit card, such as the Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees), earns miles toward an AAdvantage Business account, not a personal AAdvantage account. However, individuals will earn 1 additional Loyalty Point per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases in their personal account when spending on a business cobranded card.
This is a way of rewarding both businesses and business travelers for booking their corporate travel through the AAdvantage Business program; hopefully, these recent improvements make the program more attractive to travelers.
Related reading:
- Complete guide to the AAdvantage Business program
- What hotel loyalty program is best for business travelers?
- How to earn miles in the American Airlines AAdvantage program
- American Airlines backtracks on changes to how passengers earn miles and Loyalty Points
- 14 best business travel backpacks for every budget
Featured image by ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Best for businesses with high spending
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
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Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month