American Airways is altering how upgrades with miles work. Sadly, based mostly on our first look, this seems to be a devaluation in most cases.
Just like what United announced a few weeks ago for its program, the American Airways mileage improve award chart can also be going away.
As an alternative, it is being changed with prompt upgrades, already obtainable for a lot of reservations, which you can buy when your itinerary is ticketed.
American has been providing money improve affords for a while. Now, once you see the provide, it is going to even have a value in miles.
You’ll nonetheless have the ability to use the award charts to improve, in keeping with the AA.com web site, till Aug. 11. That award chart had been a doubtlessly good technique to improve flights for as few as 5,000 American Airways AAdvantage miles.
“With the launch of On the spot Improve with miles, new requests utilizing the mileage improve award chart will now not be accepted beginning August 12, 2025, at midnight CT,” American mentioned on its web site.
Associated: How much should you pay for a first-class upgrade
Whereas it is good to have the ability to improve immediately utilizing miles, we’re seeing values of roughly a cent per mile … similar to the worth you will get to buy upgrades on Delta Air Strains with Delta SkyMiles. Our calculations present that Delta upgrades usually promote for about 1.07 cents per mile.
On that upcoming flight to Chicago, I can improve my journey for $291 or 27,100 AAdvantage miles, which isn’t an excellent return for American AAdvantage miles.
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New improve provide on flight to Chicago. AA.COM
TPG’s Nick Ewen received an improve provide of $76 or 7,100 miles on an upcoming flight. Once more, not an excellent worth per redeemed mile provided that TPG values American’s miles at 1.5 cents every as of June 2025 valuations.
The excellent news is that these adjustments do not influence systemwide upgrade awards. You may nonetheless have the ability to use a systemwide improve to vary a paid fare to the following class of service (and even two lessons on some itineraries) one-way for as much as three segments.
Backside line
For individuals who wish to squeeze most worth from their AAdvantage miles to get in a greater seat, that is going to be a troublesome tablet to swallow.
It is particularly painful if you’re used to utilizing your American miles for comparatively low cost mileage upgrades on worldwide flights. Personally, I have been ready to make use of as few as 25,000 AA miles and a $350 money co-pay to improve from financial system to enterprise class on flights to Europe, which will not be potential after Aug. 11.
The Fort Price-based airline did not reply to a request for remark, however this text might be up to date if we get extra particulars.
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