American AAdvantage moves to revenue-based mileage earning on British Airways and Iberia
American Airlines is changing how AAdvantage members earn miles and Loyalty Points on flights marketed and operated by British Airways and Iberia, as first pointed out by Olouie on X, formerly known as Twitter, and confirmed to TPG by American Airlines.
Starting Oct. 18, AAdvantage members will earn miles based on the price of their tickets rather than the distance flown and their fare class. AAdvantage members will earn 5 miles and Loyalty Points per dollar spent, with additional elite bonuses for AAdvantage Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members, which aligns with how you earn on American-marketed flights.
Here's what you need to know about the changes to what you'll earn on BA and Iberia tickets.
Revenue-based accruals on British Airways and Iberia
When you fly American, you earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points on the base fare of your ticket. But if you buy a ticket directly from one of American's partners, these airlines use different ticketing systems, so American has historically credited partner tickets based on three factors: the operating airline, the fare class and the distance of the flight.
Each partner has a dedicated AAdvantage accrual page.
Since there's not always a direct correlation between these three factors and your ticket price, AAdvantage members can sometimes earn far more miles and Loyalty Points on partner-marketed and -issued tickets than they would on American. That's why news reporter Caroline Tanner earned AAdvantage Platinum with Finnair last year.
And that's what is changing — AAdvantage members will soon earn on the price of their British Airways and Iberia tickets rather than the fare class and distance of the flight.
The new British Airways and Iberia earning charts have already been loaded onto American's website.
This change is motivated by British Airways and Iberia also transitioning to revenue-based earning in their loyalty programs, which happens Oct. 18.
And this change is reciprocal — British Airways Executive Club and Iberia Plus members will also earn Avios on the price of their American Airlines tickets (rather than the distance and fare class).
For now, no changes have been announced to how AAdvantage members earn on Qatar Airways, the other Avios Oneworld carrier. Next year, Finnair will join the Avios currency, but as with Qatar Airways, no changes to Finnair accruals have been announced.
We reached out to American to find out if it's planning to extend revenue-based accruals to other partner airlines.
An American spokesperson said, "Regarding other partners, we don’t have anything else to share at this time."
Bottom line
Apart from British Airways and Iberia, for now, all other partner tickets will continue to earn miles and Loyalty Points on the three factors mentioned: the operating airline, the fare class and the flight distance.
This shift may not be favorable for British Airways and Iberia customers as revenue-based programs typically offer fewer opportunities for maximizing accruals on discounted airfare. But it's consistent with airlines' shift to award miles and status to high spenders instead of just frequent long-distance travelers.
It could take time for American to implement the technology to credit revenue-based accruals on other partner airlines. But for now, we know you'll earn on British Airways and Iberia just like you earn on American-marketed flights.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.