American responds to no-notice basic economy mileage cut

Zach Griff

2 hours ago

ZACH GRIFF

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For the past few weeks, it seemed like American Airlines was on a roll.

Between the introduction of the Airbus A321XLR, investments in premium cabins, and a slate of exciting lounge investments, there’s been plenty for the airline’s premium frequent flyers to get excited about in recent weeks.

But if you’re someone who routinely books the cheapest ticket on American, you’ll want to pay close attention.

The airline has quietly eliminated all AAdvantage mileage and elite status earning on basic economy fares — without any notice.

American eliminates AAdvantage earning on basic economy

American has updated the terms on its website to confirm that basic economy tickets purchased on or after Dec. 17, 2025, will no longer earn any AAdvantage miles or Loyalty Points. The news was first spotted by xJonNYC and reported by Thrifty Traveler.

That’s a pretty stark reversal from the airline’s previous policy.

Until now, American has awarded two miles and two Loyalty Points per dollar spent on basic economy fares. This was already lower than the standard five miles and Loyalty Points per dollar that non-status travelers earn on regular economy, premium economy, and business-class tickets.

The updated policy applies only based on the purchase date, not the travel date. So if you bought your basic economy ticket on or before Dec. 16, 2025, you’ll still earn based on the old rules.

What American says about the change

American confirmed the devaluation in the following statement.

“We routinely evaluate our fare products to remain competitive in the marketplace. Customers who purchase a Basic Economy ticket on December 17, 2025 and beyond will not earn AAdvantage miles or Loyalty Points towards AAdvantage status. Basic Economy customers will continue to receive one free personal item and one free carry-on bag, free snacks, soft drinks and in-flight entertainment.”

I pressed American to explain why it made the change without any notice, but the airline declined to share additional details.

As you can see, the airline is framing the move as a competitive adjustment. The only problem with that logic is that no other major competitor has recently changed its basic economy policies.

(Delta hasn’t awarded miles or elite credit on basic economy tickets for a while. United offers limited MileagePlus earnings on basic economy, but it has tighter restrictions related to baggage.)

American has recently taken a more generous approach to basic economy. It’s possible the airline decided that too many engaged travelers were comfortable booking the cheapest fares. And by eliminating mileage and status earning, more flyers would buy more expensive tickets.

Nevertheless, this doesn’t necessarily explain why it published the decision without any notice. This, to me, is the most frustrating part of the announcement. (Even saying that as someone who has never purchased an American basic economy fare in my life. Not even for my family and friends.)

The no-notice move also doesn’t necessarily fit with how American has spent recent months signaling a renewed focus on premium travelers and product quality. Quietly stripping loyalty earnings from its cheapest fares could potentially risk undercutting some of the goodwill it’s recently received. (The move already generated a wave of negative headlines for American.)

Regardless, the underlying strategy seems pretty straightforward. Push all customers, even those who rarely fly the airline, to pay more on every trip.

Zach Griff Author

Zach Griff is a travel expert who’s covered airlines, loyalty programs, credit cards, and travel tech for nearly a decade. He’s visited 60+ countries and regularly shares his insights across Instagram, TikTok and X — and at From the Tray Table.