American Airlines Changes Mileage and Reward Earning on Basic Economy Tickets
American Airlines has revised the mileage and reward earning rules for Basic Economy tickets under its AAdvantage loyalty program. The change applies to Basic Economy tickets purchased as of December 17, 2025.
Under the new policy, passengers purchasing the lowest fare class will no longer earn AAdvantage miles or loyalty points. Previously, even Basic Economy tickets earned miles and status points based on the ticket price; this benefit has now been completely removed.
As stated on American Airlines’ official website, Basic Economy passengers will still receive standard services such as one carry-on bag, one personal item, onboard refreshments, and inflight entertainment. However, no miles or status credits will be awarded within the loyalty program.
The airline said the move was made to remain competitive. While some passengers view the change as eliminating loyalty opportunities for cost-conscious travelers, others consider it reasonable to reserve such benefits for higher-priced fares. The complete removal of the previous policy may encourage frequent flyers to opt for higher fare classes instead of Basic Economy.
This step follows similar updates by other major airlines to their Basic Economy policies and reflects an industry-wide trend of reducing loyalty benefits in this fare category.
