Oneworld member American Airlines made its loyalty program AAdvantage a lot less attractive for budget travellers – and literally did it overnight. On December 17, 2025, the program quietly implemented new earning rules for the cheapest economy tickets of itself and six affiliated airlines. If you have booked a ticket on or after December 17, AAdvantage won’t credit any of these fare types:
- Aer Lingus Saver Economy
- American Airlines Basic Economy
- Alaska Airlines Basic Economy
- British Airways Basic Economy
- Fiji Airways Economy LITE
- Iberia Basic Economy
You can find the new earning regulations on the AAdvantage website:
While the move itself is textbook anti-consumer policy, the airline chose an even worse way to announce it. Instead of any official press release or announcing the impending changes in advance, the airline quietly altered their terms&conditions overnight. In the past days, the aviation centric Twitter X account JonNYC and blogs like LoyalyLobby and One Mile At A Time picked up and pointed out the changes.
Members of other programs like the British Airways Club or Iberia Plus can rest easy – as of now, credits for the cheapest economy fares in those programs remain unchanged. So no matter if you fly American Airlines, British Airways or Iberia Basic Economy, you can still earn miles on any affiliated program, except AAdvantage.
Editor’s Note: While most American loyalty programs have become revenue based, this is an especially disappointing change for many frequent flyers. Interestingly, it was done by the only US airline that actually offers an alternative within the same alliance: If you fly primarily in the USA and wish to keep your Oneworld status through the cheapest tickets available, Alaska Airlines’ Atmos is an alternative. While American won’t let you earn award miles or status points for some cash tickets, Atmos lets you earn status miles through award flights.
Cover Picture: Ditmar Lange