A woman who was duct-taped to her seat on an American Airlines flight is facing a lawsuit from the Federal Aviation Administration.
30.05.2024 - 21:21 / travelandleisure.com / Robert Isom
Travelers on American Airlines will now be able to earn loyalty points no matter where they book their ticket after the airline walked back prior plans to place a limit on its loyalty program.
The carrier will continue to allow travelers who book with a third party to earn AAdvantage Miles on their ticket, Skift reported. Under previous plans, travelers booking with certain sites (like corporate travel) would have lost the ability to earn miles on those tickets.
“Next month, we were going to differentiate who earned AAdvantage Miles and who didn’t, based on where they booked. That’s off,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said at a conference on Wednesday, according to Skift. “We’re not doing that because it would create confusion and disruption for our end customer, and we’re going to make sure that we take care. We’re listening to feedback.”
Under the now-abandoned plan, American would have designated “preferred” booking agencies with whom customers could continue to earn points. The change was previously set to go into effect in July.
However, Isom said the airline still wants to target direct bookings.
“We’re learning and adapting,” Isom said. “We know that NDC [New Distribution Capability], modern retailing provides a better experience for the end customer. And we know that we will get there over time, but we have to go about it differently. We’re going to make it easier, we’re going to execute better and we’re going to do a lot more to try to bring people along with us.”
A representative for American Airlines did not respond to requests for comment from Travel + Leisure on the new plans.
The decision to scrap this change comes months after American revamped its loyalty program, introducing “members-only” benefits like free same-day standby to earlier domestic flights and 12 months of validity for trip credits, compared to just six months for non-members.
American isn’t alone in walking back changes to its loyalty program following negative feedback. Last year, Delta Air Lines similarly made changes to its planned SkyMiles revamp after swift backlash to the initial announcement.
A woman who was duct-taped to her seat on an American Airlines flight is facing a lawsuit from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Singapore Airlines has offered injured passengers upwards of $10,000 in compensation after their flight hit severe turbulence and plunged 178 feet in under five seconds.
Big news, American Airlines fans: You can get some serious bonus miles this month by booking a cruise.
A civil rights organization has warned American Airlines that it could issue an advisory cautioning Black passengers about potential discrimination.
We are excited to announce that our latest Skift Aviation Forum, the leading aviation conference, will once again be held in Dallas, Texas, on November 12. The event will return to the historic Statler Hotel in downtown Dallas, where the 2022 edition was held, hosted by DFW International Airport and American Airlines.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom is offering its flight attendants a 17% wage increase as they weigh a potential strike.
Last week saw a mea culpa of colossal proportions at American Airlines. Robert Isom, the carrier’s chief executive, acknowledged that the company had “dug ourselves a hole” through a misguided commercial strategy.
American Airlines flight attendants are preparing for potential strike action that could disrupt summer travel after recent contract negotiations with the airline came up short.
We have seen too many instances of formerly venerable companies, such as department stores and fast-food chains, going out of business. So when American Airlines' share price dropped almost 15 percent this week, you have to wonder if it is a sign of the times or just a fluke.
Amid news of cuts to its revenue and profit forecast and its stock tumbling in value, American Airlines has indicated that it will reverse course on its controversial New Distribution Capability (NDC) plans and some AAdvantage requirements.
If last week was one American Airlines would rather forget, consider 2024 the year Delta Air Lines never wants to end.
Good morning from Skift