Check Your Account: Earn American Airlines Loyalty Points on Reward Flights (with Target)

Attention, American Airlines members: If you are pursuing elite status with carrieryou should check American Airlines AAdvantage account, as you may be targeted for a year-end promotion. Some TPG employees were targeted with a new American Airlines promotion to earn Loyalty Points on reward flights.

Benefits:

• Earn 100 Loyalty Points for every 1,000 AAdvantage miles you redeem (up to 20,000 Loyalty Points).
• Earn 50 Loyalty Points for every 1,000 AAdvantage miles you redeem (up to 20,000 Loyalty Points).

Preferential terms:

• Register and book your tickets before October 7, 2024.
• Complete the trip by December 31, 2024.
• Only American and American Eagle award flights are eligible for this promotion.
• Earn up to 20,000 Loyalty Points.
• Loyalty points will be accumulated within six to eight weeks of completing your trip.

To check, log in to your AAdvantage account. In the “Rewards hub,” click “Promotions” to see if this offer is available in your account. Unfortunately, if you are not eligible for this offer, you will not be able to sign up for the promotion.

Related: Pursuing American Airlines Elite Status? Here Are 15 Ways to Earn Loyalty Points

It looks like American Airlines did this. very targeted promotion, as most TPG employees do not have this offer in their accounts. However, Clint HendersonTPG managing news editor and current AAdvantage Executive Platinum member, and Eric RosenTPG’s director of travel content and current AAdvantage Gold member, was targeted.

Changes to American Airlines’ frequent flyer program

American’s loyalty program has undergone some changes. last year and it appears the airline is targeting a select few to test whether earning Loyalty Points on reward flights affects how customers plan, book and spend with the airline.

In August, American rolled out the opportunity to its final AAdvantage members. Earn miles and Loyalty Points when you upgrade purchased on US-operated flights.

“Until now, airlines have not allowed loyalty members to earn miles and points from upgrades. For me, that’s a reason to generally avoid these add-on offers and instead change my ticket to business or first class if fares become more reasonable over time,” Zach Griffa senior reporter at TPG, noted in his article. “But now, I’ll be more tempted to buy the American upgrade next time I find a decent deal.”

Related: How to best use your American Airlines AAdvantage miles

So, could this targeted September promotion be a potential first step toward rolling out a larger program?

As of now, AAdvantage members earn Loyalty Points by flying on American-operated flights (and with American partners), through credit card spending, through AAdvantage Dining Programby making a purchase through AAdvantage Online Shopping Portal and from partnerships through hotel brands, car rentals, cruises and more.

However, when members book award flights and redeem AAdvantage miles, they don’t earn Loyalty Points. Will American make this a permanent program change in 2025?

In 2022, Delta Air Lines officially launched the award ceremony Dollars eligible for medallions on award flights. For award tickets, you will earn 1 MQD for every 100 SkyMiles redeemed.

Additionally, competitor United Airlines allows program members to Earn Premier Qualifying Points based on miles redeemed with an accumulation rate of 1 PQP for every 100 miles.

The last line

While it appears that only a small number of customers are being targeted by American’s latest promotion, it’s interesting that the airline appears to be “testing” how consumers might respond to the opportunity to earn additional Loyalty Points before the end of the upgrade eligibility year (February 28, 2025).

Although competitors United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have rolled out elite qualifying points earning capabilities in their programs, American’s determination to continue roll out changes to your loyalty program over the past year leads us to think this could be part of another upgrade — at least a welcome one — in 2025.

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