american airlines new business plan

Exclusive: American Airlines reveals new business class and premium economy seats

The rumors are true: American Airlines will be phasing out long-haul first class in the coming years.

But well-heeled travelers don't need to fret too much. The airline is planning to consolidate its Flagship First and Flagship Business classes into a new Flagship Suites configuration on its most premium-heavy planes, promising direct aisle access and a privacy door for everyone up front on many of its high-value routes.

American will also update and expand the  premium economy cabins on those aircraft as part of the overhaul, installing new seats with headrest wings for greater privacy. 

"What's core to all of this is American Airlines continuing to listen to our customers and continuing to get feedback from our customers," Julie Rath, American's vice president of customer experience told USA TODAY. "Our Flagship Suites that we're delivering are really aligned with what the customer expectation is in the premium cabin."

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What will American's new Flagship Suites be like?

Flagship Suite seats will feature privacy doors and direct aisle access for every passenger, as well as increased personal space compared to existing Flagship Business class seats. Every new Flagship seat will convert to a fully-flat bed. 

"The privacy door is really really important to our customers," Rath said. Feedback from passengers also encouraged the airline to focus on maximizing personal space as they designed the new product. 

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"We really work with all of our partners whether it be the companies that we purchase seats from, interior designers as we’re doing our lounges," Rath said. "How can we align and deliver the right product for the American Airlines customer?"

Renderings show the new suites will feature dark upholstery and carpeting offset by lighter grays and wood trims around the entertainment system and partitions.

What will American's new premium economy seats be like?

American Airlines was the first U.S. carrier to introduce a dedicated premium economy cabin on its long-haul jets about six years ago, and the plan to update many of those seats shows how popular the class has become.

Renderings show the new premium economy seats will have privacy wings near the headrests and updated multi-tone upholstery. 

First look: An early tour of KLM's new Premium Comfort cabin

"There's definitely more demand for premium products," Rath said. "This is another step in the evolution of really listening to our customers."

When can customers expect to see these updates?

It will be a while before these new seats will enter passenger service. American Airlines said its first planes with the new configurations are expected to be delivered in 2024, with the full retrofit of existing aircraft not expected to be finished until late 2025 or early 2026.

American said new Boeing 787-9s and Airbus A321XLRs are set to be delivered with the new seats in 2024. Its flagship long-haul Boeing 777-300ERs will be retrofitted later on, and its existing Airbus A321Ts, currently used in premium transcontinental service, will be refit to align with the airline's other A320 configurations. That plan suggests those premium single-aisle aircraft will be replaced with the XLRs for service between the coasts once they are delivered.

For now, American has no plans to reconfigure its 777-200 or 787-8 aircraft, which will maintain the existing business class and premium economy layouts.

American Airlines Will Offer A New Product Above Business Class This Fall

by Gary Leff on April 17, 2024

Now American plans to eliminate first class, too. Or do they? Currently the plan is:

Two plane types still have first class at American. Their Airbus A321T offers first class, business class, and coach and flies premium cross country routes. Their Boeing 777-300ER has first, business class, premium economy and coach and flies numerous routes to London, some South America and Sydney.

American is bringing a new business class into the market this year – suites with doors – and dropping first class on their Boeing 777-300ER once they retrofit those planes.

They’re also introducing the new Airbus A321XLR narrowbody that will have business class with doors. That plane will replace the Airbus A321T on cross country flights, and American will retrofit those planes into a standard domestic configuration.

American’s new business class suites will debut on new Boeing 787-9s which begin delivery this year, and on Boeing 777-300ERs which will be retrofit. The retrofit reschedule isn’t fully clear yet, but the first plane will go in for retrofit to become the prototype in August, according to aviation watchdog JonNYC .

The 773 to go in for the prototype will go in in August. — JonNYC (@xJonNYC) April 17, 2024

Once the retrofits are complete, business class will be American’s top cabin – even though they still have first class dining options inside their lounges in Miami and Dallas-Fort Worth (LAX remains closed) and a first class dining option with British Airways in New York, the Chelsea lounge . They also still have Flagship First Class check-in.

Back in September 2022 I wrote that you should expect a ‘better than first class seat’ within the cabin in row 1 of widebody aircraft.

That’s a strategy we’ve seen from other airlines like JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic, making use of the extra space that results from positioning against the bulkhead (and in some other cases by other airlines eliminating first class but not reconfiguring aircraft).

And there was an Easter egg in the cabin rendering that American Airlines shared with their announcement on business suites back then. The first row of suites had a black door with a red stripe on it and the seat was black, too. That was distinct from the rest of the cabin.

Here’s the close-up of a middle seat in row 1 from the American Airlines rendering of new business suites for the Boeing 787 that gave it away:

Given the positioning at the bulkhead, there’s no seat in front that needs to protrude into this one’s space. As a result it’s a more spacious experience.

With the new product mere months away, American has shared that this supposition was accurate. They will call this seat on new delivery Boeing 787-9 and retrofitted Boeing 777-300ERs a different product: the Flagship Suite Preferred seat.

What they’re doing seems to be making it a first class seat with first class amenities without being in a separate cabin, having dedicated cabin crew, or offering differentiated meal service.

They haven’t yet shared how customers will access these seats,

Whether they’ll be available to customers buying ‘Flagship Business Plus’ fares that come with first class dining access

Whether they’ll be available as paid seat selection for business class customers

I believe they should sell it as Flagship Business Plus, with first class check-in and dining (perhaps rebranded) and bundle it with their Five Star ground service of escorts from the curb to lounge and to the gate. That would make it a really premium experience. United, by the way, is planning a premium business class upsell product as well.

More From View from the Wing

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

More articles by Gary Leff »

I’m in 1J for a few 77W TATL flights later this year. Maybe this will be my seat.

to be clear, this will be a sellup business class seat like alot of airlines offer.

Delta didn’t think of this idea so its not good! Its just an “upsell” so it doesn’t matter. AA is not innovative like my best friend Ed’s airline. Just you wait this decision will ruin revenue per seat. Remember Ed and I can never be wrong!

First Class was mostly removed because companies wouldn’t pay for it. Travel departments allowed Business Class depending on length of flights but frowned on First Class. Airlines just renamed the same product as a work around. Just my 2 cents.

Wait are all the seats getting Nest bedding, and this suite just getting extra? Or are just these seats getting Nest bedding, and the rest still getting Casper? Cuz part of me feels like it’s kind of odd that there would be two different providers for bedding on the same airline.

This is a retraction of my question I just posted. I just noticed the previous article.

Some how I just see a lot of maintenence issues with sliding doors. We all know how destructive passengers can be. No r3apect for property

Can I get in on the game?

How can you say Delta doesn’t have First Class. Delta is the top premium airline in the universe. All their seats are premium and First Class — even the economy coach next to the stinky toilet in the back. 🙂

Just couldn’t help myself….

I’ll still end up sitting in the last row by the lavatory, my boss is a cheap big nosed…….

@ Gary — “That alot of airlines offer,” except Premium Airways.

I’m a KEY with AA and they invited us for a “demo” of their new business class and when it’s launched it will be a significant upgrade to what both Delta and United offer today. Food offerings will be upgraded. Food will be plated with multiple courses and better quality and quantity. They told us that customers wanted “more “ choices and more food. Many “healthier” snacks will be offered in addition the main meal. A second meal will be offered with a choice on all coast to coast flights. The only negative that we were told (from a customers perspective) was that “upgrades” from Main cabin to business (domestic and international) would be “challenging”. In other words an increase in mileage or money to upgrade to ALL higher cabins including main cabin extra and NO UPGRADE possible when you purchase basic economy, even for KEY. Yes pillows and blankets will be offered in all premium cabins, but not domestic main cabin. They are looking at offering customers blow up “u” shipped neck pillows and a blanket that you can take home for PURCHASE. Long story short, for those that purchase both domestic and international business class you will be highly impressed. Kits will be offered in a both domestic and international business class and staffing will be increase in the front cabins.

@Mark S: So you’re saying there will be more FA’s to service the premium customers by throwing down all the courses within 10 minutes of the “ding” going off at 10,000 feet on a 15 hour SYD-LAX flight? More healthy snacks like the raw broccoli tray I was offered in first? More “tenderloin ” of beef that’s actually a cheap cut of almost uncuttable beef?

Why do I think the staff will be a fail?

I think the “cabin in the cabin” idea is challenging and risks simply making the rest of the cabin feel jilted when you see someone a row in front of you getting different amenities and service in spite of both being in the same cabin. Or in a relatively empty cabin where someone may want to move seats and not understanding what the difference is since they’re ostensibly both business class. I feel like these seats will need some very obvious labelling. When US did this with the first row of Envoy on the A330’s it felt like they were just two cheap to roll it out to the whole cabin and it made the entire business product feel less premium. Hopefully AA does a better job executing.

I wonder what would a mileage requirements for that cabin? Probably more than a “regular” business class..

So it’s a seat and service above business class. Wasn’t that what First Class was? ‍♂️

@loungeabuser, it will be a fail because the F/As will not be offered any training on these new seats and there won’t be any added F/As in the cabin. You have 3 for 30 now and will have 3 for 51. The F/As will get to see their new galley 15 minutes before you walk on. They will get to see the new seats 15 minutes before you walk on. AA only cares if you have a seat and the door closes on time. Anything else doesn’t matter. Don’t blame the crew. Lift your head and look up really high. That’s who you should be blaming.

There’s a typo here! It should read Delta hasn’t not Delta has: Delta has had a first class cabin in years, and United’s top product is now business class.

It’s just seems unsafe, now if the plane goes down, you have to exit a sliding door too?

Constant articles about new and better first and business class amenities and seating. When will economy passengers get some better seating and amenities? I’ll answer that, never as the airlines don’t care about us.

[ I mentioned this in another post, but it’s more appropriate here, so repeating]

I flew a 16+ hr flight recently in AA ‘first’ class. They forgot to serve me breakfast even though I was awake. I thought there were 2hrs left (in fact, it was 1) when I asked them and they said they couldn’t serve anything hot now since they were preparing for landing.

With 8 passengers, only half of whom are awake, how does cabin crew forget to serve breakfast 12 hrs after the last meal?

If AA is serious about first class, they should provide a first class product.

@Jon F…when you say there was no food between first service and 12 hours later, then that’s when I don’t believe a word of what you claim. Did you by chance sleep through it all? I also just came off a long haul and there was plenty to eat.

Looks like I still have a shot at the mile high club in that A321 with a door! Sweet!

Comments are closed.

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Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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The Guide to American Airlines Business Class

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How to book American Airlines business class

The airport experience, american airlines business class seats, american airlines business class amenities, in-flight dining.

American Airlines offers business class on long-haul international flights as well as transcontinental flying between major markets like New York and Los Angeles or San Francisco. American Airlines refers to its top-tier business class product as Flagship Business.

Flagship Business class has a lot of great perks to offer. Here’s what to expect when traveling in an American Airlines Flagship Business class cabin.

» Learn More: The guide to the American Airlines AAdvantage program

In addition to purchasing an American Airlines business class ticket outright, travelers can also get a business class seat by redeeming AAdvantage miles .

The mileage cost depends on what route you're flying and the demand for that flight. If you're flexible, you can book American Airlines business class between the U.S. and Europe for as few as 75,000 AAdvantage miles each way.

AAdvantage members also have the option to redeem miles to upgrade after purchasing an eligible economy or premium economy ticket. Just note that mileage upgrades typically require a cash copay. Depending on where you're flying, a mileage upgrade may not be the best value.

Complimentary upgrades to Flagship Business are available to all AAdvantage elite members on transcontinental flights and flights to Hawaii. AAdvantage elites generally need to be booked on a paid ticket — not an award ticket — to be eligible for an upgrade. However, Executive Platinum elites can even score an upgrade on award tickets.

In addition, flyers can use systemwide upgrades to upgrade to American Airlines Flagship Business class for no additional cost. AAdvantage members can select systemwide upgrades through the American Airlines Loyalty Point Rewards program or earn them upon reaching Million Miler status .

Whether you plan to purchase a business class ticket or use miles for the flight, it makes sense to use a credit card that rewards you for airline purchases. Even when you redeem airline miles, the award ticket usually has a tax surcharge that you can put on a credit card. Here's a sampling of cards that allow you to earn rewards for airline purchases.

on Chase's website

on American Express' website

on Citibank's application

• 5 points per dollar spent on travel (including flights) booked through Chase.

• 2 points per dollar on other travel (including flights).

Annual fee: $95 .

• 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel (on up to $500K per calendar year). Terms apply.

Annual fee: $695 .

• 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. Terms apply.

Annual fee: $250 .

• 3 points per $1 spent on air travel and other hotel purchases.

If you're looking for an American Airlines card, depending on which card you get, you can earn between 2 and 4 miles per $1 on eligible American Airlines purchases. For example, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® earns 4 AAdvantage miles per $1 on American Airlines flights.

American Airlines business class passengers can use priority check-in lines and accelerated security queues at some airports. Travelers can check two bags without charge, and these carry priority bag tags so that they should be delivered first upon landing.

(Photo by JT Genter)

During boarding, business class passengers can board through the priority lane. You'll get either Group 1 or Group 2 boarding, depending on if there's a first class cabin. 

» Learn More: American Airlines boarding groups and how you can upgrade

Flagship Business class passengers can access American Airlines Admirals Clubs and American Airlines Flagship Lounges on the day of travel.

The latter are impressive lounges with large buffets offering sushi, soups and salads. Self-serve bars offer a wide range of cocktails, wines, beers and champagne while refrigerators stock bottled water, juices and sodas.

Unique to London, it features a place to relax with a cup of coffee, refreshments, breakfast and showers. The lounge also offers clothes pressing so travelers can head straight to a meeting from the airport.

All American Airlines Flagship Business class seats can recline 90 degrees into fully-flat seats. Even better, on all American Airlines Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft, each seat offers direct aisle access — meaning travelers don't have to step over anyone to move around the cabin.

However, some American Airlines business class seats are better than others. Here's our breakdown of the best business class seats on American Airlines.

Best American Airlines business class seats

After a massive fleet simplification in 2020, American Airlines offers four types of business class seats. Here's our ranking of how they stack up.

1. Safran Cirrus II seats (Boeing 777-300ER)

The business class seat found on American Boeing 777-300ER aircraft is generally regarded as American Airlines' best business class seat. This reverse-herringbone business class seat is spacious, offers well-designed storage compartments, easily accessible outlets and seat controls. Most importantly, this seat avoids the pitfalls of other American Airlines business class seats.

These business class seats are found on all American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. That means you can book this aircraft and know that you'll have an excellent business class seat. Unfortunately, that's not true for other American Airlines aircraft.

2. Collins Aerospace Super Diamond seats (Boeing 787-9, 777-200 and 787-8)

American Airlines' new business class standard is the Super Diamond seat. These seats are well-regarded for all facing forward, offering a variety of storage and feeling spacious.

The only ding against these seats is with the tray table. The tray table is stored under the in-flight entertainment screen, reducing the clearance of the footwell. Side sleepers may feel a bit squeezed in the thigh or knees when trying to sleep with the seat fully reclined.

Super Diamond business class seats are found on all American Airlines 787-9 aircraft, over half of 777-200 aircraft and the newest deliveries of 787-8 aircraft. On these newest aircraft, the seat has been improved even more with the addition of an adjustable privacy screen between middle seats.

3. Safran Concept D seats (Boeing 787-8 and 777-200)

American Airlines "Concept D" business class seats are typically considered American Airlines' worst long-haul business class seats. These seats alternate between forward- and rear-facing seat pairs.

The seats are connected to one another and aren't anchored down properly. So, when your seatmate moves, you'll feel it. These seats also don't have as much storage as the Super Diamond business class seats.

You can tell that your aircraft has Concept D seats by looking at the seat map. American Airlines places a reverse arrow on seats that face backward.

You'll find Concept D installed on most American Airlines Boeing 787-8 aircraft and just under half of American's Boeing 777-200 fleet.

4. Collins Diamond seats (Airbus A321T)

Last place goes to the business class seats on American Airlines' A321T — which operate transcontinental flights such as New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco. That's for a simple reason: All seats don't have aisle access.

These aircraft have two business class seats on either side of the single aisle. That means window passengers have to climb over the aisle seat passenger to access the aisle. Still, this is a perfectly fine seat to fly across the country.

American Airlines Flagship Business class seats offer ample storage space with nooks for smaller items and side pockets to store tablets or phones. Some have flip-up storage spaces for other things like eyeglasses and reading material. Power outlets are at every seat and generally within easy reach.

Onboard, passengers will find a bottle of water waiting at their seat, as well as an amenity kit (short-haul Hawaiian flights don’t get amenity kits). There is also a comfy duvet and oversized pillow, which are part of American’s partnership with Casper bedding.

A wide variety of movies, TV shows, audio programming and often live TV is available on large screens at each seat. American also gives passengers access to Apple Music while they are flying. To enjoy the entertainment, noise-reducing headphones are given to each passenger.

Unfortunately, these headphones are often collected about one hour before landing — which can be annoying if you aren't finished enjoying the in-flight entertainment. Flight attendants generally offer low-quality earbuds as an alternative.

All American aircraft that offer Flagship Business class seating feature in-flight Wi-Fi for a charge.

» Learn More: The guide to airlines' in-flight entertainment

Before the flight, American Airlines flight attendants offer trays of orange juice, water and sparkling wine. Printed menus are delivered to each passenger (or are waiting at each seat) to explain in-flight offerings.

Multi-course meals begin with warm nuts and a tablecloth placed on the tray table. American uses aisle serving carts for its service, which speeds up delivery, but is not exactly a premium experience. Drink refills are typically plentiful and followed by a tray with an appetizer, salad and warm bread.

American is the official airline partner of the James Beard Foundation, and some of the menu choices have been designed by talented chefs. Travelers can choose from one of several main courses, which usually consist of a beef, poultry, seafood and pasta option.

Dessert usually includes a cheese plate or ice cream sundae with toppings that are added upon request.

Customers can pre-select their meal 30 days before departure via the airline’s website. In addition to the standard menu choices, there is a choice of special meals like Asian vegetarian, diabetic and Kosher options. Meals must be pre-ordered at least 24 hours before departure. Otherwise, passengers can always choose their selection from the standard menu on the flight.

On Boeing 777 and select 787-9 aircraft, American offers a food and drink station where business class passengers can help themselves to water, sodas, sandwiches, snacks and other refreshments. Other aircraft offer in-flight snacking stations on long flights, but it tends to be at the front of the business class cabin.

On many American Airlines aircraft, business class and first class can be used interchangably. That's because only two American Airlines aircraft offer both a Flagship Business and Flagship First Class cabin — the Airbus A321T and Boeing 777-300ER. On other long-haul international aircraft, Flagship Business class is the best cabin that you can book.

On most domestic and short-haul international aircraft, the front cabin is referred to as "first class" but is typically no more than a larger recliner seat with better food and drink service.

Yes, international and domestic business class receive complimentary drinks — including a variety of beers, wines and spirits to complement the food menu. Note that short flights might not offer a full drink service.

Yes, whether you’re flying domestically or internationally, all American Airlines Flagship Business class seats recline fully into lie-flat seats. However, on domestic and short-haul international flights on American Airlines single-aisle jets, first class and business class seats typically only recline a few inches.

All Flagship Business class passengers — including passengers on transcontinental domestic flights, qualifying Flagship flights to Hawaii or qualifying international routes — have access to American Airlines Flagship Lounge and Admirals Club lounges .

All Flagship Business class passengers — including passengers on transcontinental domestic flights, qualifying Flagship flights to Hawaii or qualifying international routes — have access to

American Airlines Flagship Lounge

Admirals Club lounges

(Top photo courtesy of American Airlines)

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

1x Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.

70,000 Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Boeing Delays Force American Airlines To Push Launch Of New Business Class Suites And Reduce International Network

• Boeing aircraft delays force American Airlines to reduce international network, shift schedules, and change order books.
• American Airlines expects only 3 Boeing 787 Dreamliners this year instead of 6, impacting routes in Europe and domestically.
• American Airlines' new Flagship Business Suites product rollout delayed, won't debut on new Dallas-Brisbane route.

American Airlines has been forced to reduce its international network, citing Boeing aircraft delivery delays.

Boeing delays strike again

The aviation industry is going through a rocky period. Boeing has had an awful 2024, from the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 blowout incident to reduced factory production and increased oversight from the Federal Aviation Administration. Airlines that operate Airbus A320/A321neo aircraft have been forced to ground some planes to inspect them. Several airlines have been forced to shift schedules, change order books, and exit some airports because of Boeing's delays.

Alaska Airlines Expects Up To 13 Fewer Boeing 737 MAX Deliveries This Year

American Airlines had already shifted its international network and has done so again. In an SEC filing earlier today, American said it expects to receive only three Boeing 787 Dreamliners this year, half of the previous forecast. According to CNBC , American was asked if it would adjust schedules with flights to be operated by 737 MAX 8s, and it said it was evaluating. According to the filing, American expects 16 737 MAX planes this year.

Several European routes will be affected as part of the changes:

In addition to international flights, one domestic route will also be affected. This summer, American will not fly from its home at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to Kona International Airport in Hawai'i.

The airline said,

Were making these adjustments now to ensure were able to re-accommodate customers on affected flights. Well be proactively reaching out to impacted customers to offer alternate travel arrangements. We remain committed to our customers and team members and mitigating the impact of these delays while continuing to offer a comprehensive global network.

New product delay

According to a report from The Points Guy , the rollout of American's new premium product, the Flagship Business Suites, has also been delayed. The new product was unveiled in 2022 and will feature privacy doors in business class, a first for American carriers. The suites were meant to be installed on new Boeing 787-9 deliveries starting this year and added to some of the Boeing 777-300ERs, but that plan has been pushed back.

The airline did not provide an updated timeline for the product rollout, but one thing is sure: it will not be debuted on the new Dallas-Brisbane route, which launches this October. American recently became the third American airline to announce flights to Brisbane and will launch them this October, but instead of using the route launch as the inaugural flight for its new business class, the airline will have to wait and use a normally configured 787-9.

Is First Class Back? American Airlines Reveals New Flagship Preferred Suite For Boeing 787-9 & 777-300

Empowering businesses. Rewarding travelers.

The new AAdvantage Business™ program rewards eligible companies and their travelers for booking business travel on aa.com and the American app . Whether you manage travel for your company or travel for work, our new business loyalty program helps you earn more, wherever business takes you.

We empower businesses with a suite of tools to streamline booking and travel management when travelers book through American. Plus, employees can earn more rewards when traveling for business through the program.

Empowering businesses. Rewarding travelers

Better for businesses

• Businesses earn 1 mile for every $1 spent on eligible travel booked through American.
• AAdvantage ® miles can be redeemed across your company for future travel, upgrades and more.
• Businesses enjoy a simplified travel booking, reporting and management experience with a suite of tools designed for Travel Managers.
• Register your business today at aadvantagebusiness.aa.com .

Better for business travelers

• Travelers can earn more Loyalty Points* toward status when flying for business, accelerating their path to AAdvantage ® status.
• Travelers continue to earn miles and Loyalty Points as an AAdvantage ® member.
• Switch between business and personal travel with ease on aa.com or the American app .

*Additional Loyalty Points begin to be accrued after the company meets its qualifying threshold

Register for the new AAdvantage Business™ program

Begin enjoying all the benefits our business loyalty program has to offer. Find more information about the program, eligibility details and how to register:

Already an AAdvantage Business™ member?

Access the travel management portal to review your company’s account activity, manage your traveler list and track AAdvantage ® miles earned through the program.

For more information and eligibility details

Log in with your AAdvantage ® account to:

• Manage your trips booked through the AAdvantage Business™ program
• Access the Travel Management Portal to review your company’s account activity, manage your traveler list and track your program miles.

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[email protected]

tpconnects.com

Maeneth Vergara [email protected]

travelfusion.com

[email protected]

travelndc.cn

Kyle Wang [email protected]

Regions supported: China, Asia-Pacific

tripstack.com

[email protected]

verteil.com

Jerrin Jos [email protected]

Regions supported: India, Japan, Asia-Pacific and EMEA

Wooba Sistemas De Informatica LTDA

wooba.tur.br

Rafael Vieira [email protected]

Regions supported: Brazil, Latin America and Europe

ypsilon.net

[email protected]

travelport.com/theme/ndc

中国民航信息集团 (travelsky.cn)

[email protected]

amadeus.com/en/topic/ndc-new-distribution-capability

• Three-year agreement supports the purchase of one million gallons annually for 2021-2023
• Represents the largest publicly announced SAF agreement by volume between an airline and corporate customer for reducing emissions for employee business travel
• Both American Airlines and Bank of America are anchor partners of Breakthrough Energy Catalyst , committed to provide capital to help accelerate the development of climate-smart technologies including SAF
• Neste’s SAF is made from sustainably sourced, 100% renewable waste and residue materials.
• The sustainable aviation fuel from Neste is 75% less harmful to the environment on average than fossil fuel.
• Neste is the world’s largest producer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) refined from waste and residues.
• We are allocating a portion of the carbon reduction benefit we generate through our use of sustainable aviation fuel to Kuehne+Nagel.
• We hope to expand this collaboration model to reflect the demand for SAF, build the market and accelerate the industry’s transition to more sustainable fuel alternatives .
• Kuehne+Nagel is one of the world’s leading logistics companies, with a focus on sea, air and road logistics and developing integrated logistics solutions.
• This agreement pioneers how certificates that allocate the emissions reduction value of SAF can benefit companies seeking to reduce their business travel emissions.
• In an industry-first transaction, this SAF emissions agreement reduces the life cycle emissions from aviation by 3,050 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
• Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world’s most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500 ® companies.
• Three primary carbon reduction projects are currently supported when our customers purchase offsets through Cool Effect: The Tri-City Forest Project in Massachusetts, For Peat’s Sake in Indonesia and Mirador Clean Cookstoves in Honduras.
• More than 90% of each dollar donated goes directly to helping support carbon reduction.
• Cool Effect is a nonprofit organization that sources high-quality, verified carbon reduction projects across the globe and is recognized for rigorous vetting and full pricing transparency.
• one world ® is the first global airline alliance to unite behind a common target to achieve carbon neutrality.
• Each airline is developing their individual approach to reach this target through efficiency measures, investments in sustainable aviation fuels and more fuel-efficient aircraft, reduction of waste, carbon offsets and more .

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American Airlines places its biggest plane order in more than a decade

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Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in New York and Shivansh Tiwary and Aishwarya Jain in Bengaluru Additional reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris; Editing by Devika Syamnath, Shilpi Majumdar and Matthew Lewis

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Russia last week launched a satellite that U.S. intelligence officials believe to be a weapon capable of inspecting and attacking other satellites, the U.S. Space Command said on Tuesday as the Russian spacecraft trails a U.S. spy satellite in orbit.

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Dollar consolidates as Fed urges patience; markets await meeting minutes

The dollar was steady against a handful of peers on Wednesday, as the market assessed calls for patience from Federal Reserve officials and awaited the publication of Fed minutes for more insight on the central bank's path.

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American Airlines’ Radical Plan to Reinvent Business Travel

American Airlines is betting against the traditional business of business travel.

Gone are the days when bankers and consultants spent Monday through Thursday on the road, dutifully booking trips through clunky company portals. More than three years after the pandemic began, business travelers are taking some meetings at home and mixing work and leisure travel in new ways. 

Once some of airlines’ most profitable customers, the typical road warrior “just went away,” said Vasu Raja, American’s chief commercial officer.

That’s left American rethinking the contracts that have long dictated employees’ travel choices—and accounted...

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American introduces AAdvantage Business, a new loyalty program for eligible small businesses

American Airlines introduced strict spending requirements two years ago on its once-generous Business Extra program . Now, the airline plans to retire Business Extra as it introduces AAdvantage Business, a new loyalty program for eligible small businesses.

Most airline business programs only reward the business with extra rewards, but this program will give extra rewards to both the business and the traveler. That said, the program won't offer the same customizability as the old Business Extra program.

Here's what you need to know about AAdvantage Business.

How AAdvantage Business works

If you have a business in the U.S. or Canada with a Federal Employer Identification Number, you can register to AAdvantage Business with no minimum spending requirement here . However, in order to access the full complement of perks in the program, you must either:

• Spend $5,000 in eligible program flown revenue plus have five registered, active business travelers; or
• Apply (and get approved) for the Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees ) on or after Oct. 16, 2023.

If you fulfill the first requirement, you can earn 1 AAdvantage mile for every dollar spent on eligible business travel, while new Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® cardholders can earn the business an additional 2 AAdvantage miles for these purchases when charged to the card. To be clear, with the Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®, the business gets 2 miles. So it's a total of 1 mile from the program and 2 miles from the card, making for a total of 3 miles per dollar for the business.

Additionally, for that same dollar spent, eligible individual travelers earn 1 Loyalty Point that counts toward their accrual for earning status as an AAdvantage member. These Loyalty Points are in addition to any miles or Loyalty Points the traveler earns as an AAdvantage member. Again, the traveler gets an extra Loyalty Points for the program and an extra Loyalty Points for the Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® card making for 2 extra Loyalty Points.

To earn miles with the AAdvantage Business program, you must book directly through American (i.e., aa.com, the app or AA reservations) and add your company's AAdvantage Business number when booking.

The business' miles can be transferred to individual travelers and redeemed like any other AAdvantage miles.

Related: Are these airlines really the best and worst for business-class travel?

Earnings for the business and traveler

AAdvantage Business has a fairly clear earning structure, that allows you to earn redeemable AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points that help you qualify for elite status.

As a general AAdvantage member, you earn 5 Loyalty Points and miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines flights (AAdvantage Gold status earns 7 per dollar, AAdvantage Platinum status earns 8 per dollar, AAdvantage Platinum Pro status earns 9 per dollar and AAdvantage Executive Platinum status earns 11 per dollar).

With an AAdvantage Business account, those accruals increase by 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent for the traveler. Additionally, the business earns 1 mile per dollar for the traveler's flights.

However, if you charge those flights to the Citi AAdvantage Business card, the business earns 2 miles per dollar while the traveler earns an extra Loyalty Point per dollar. These accruals are in addition to the standard 2 miles per dollar (and 1 Loyalty Point per dollar) spent on eligible American Airlines purchases you receive with the card.

As noted above, businesses must have a minimum of five registered travelers and spend $5,000 on American Airlines flights over 12 months to redeem their miles. Qualification is reviewed on a rolling 12-month basis. Also, business travelers will only earn program Loyalty Points on company travel once their account has met the minimum activity threshold. However, these requirements are waived for Citi AAdvantage Business cardmembers who opened cards on or after Oct. 16, 2023.

If you opened your card prior to that date, this waiver doesn't apply, per a spokesperson from American:

The existing card members are welcome to join AAdvantage Business, but will be treated as normal program members upon enrollment until their card benefits are updated. More details on these changes coming soon to the cardholders.

Related: Best uses of American Airlines miles

Transitioning away from Business Extra

As previously mentioned, American will be replacing Business Extra with AAdvantage Business. The official retirement date for Business Extra is Dec. 15, 2023, and you must redeem all Business Extra points by Jan. 31, 2024. After Dec. 15, you can convert Business Extra points to AAdvantage miles at a 1:6 ratio.

You'll immediately stop earning points with Business Extra when you sign up for AAdvantage Business.

Unfortunately, this means that some popular Business Extra redemptions are no more, including the following:

• Using 650 points for a confirmed one-segment upgrade valid within North America, including Hawaii and the Caribbean
• Using 3,200 points for AAdvantage Gold status

Related: A review of American Airlines in first class on the Airbus A321neo from Philadelphia to San Francisco

Bottom line

With an extra mile per dollar spent on employee travel, AAdvantage Business effectively provides a 1.5% return in miles based on our latest data-backed valuation of American miles. The traveler also earns an extra Loyalty Point.

These accruals are a welcome modest bonus. However, the changes are unlikely to pique the interest of businesses looking to maximize American Airlines, as there's no question that AAdvantage Business doesn't provide the same level of customizability as Business Extra.

Instead, by aligning the program closely with American's two existing currencies (redeemable AAdvantage miles and elite-qualifying Loyalty Points), the airline is aiming to simplify its approach to engaging small businesses. Unfortunately, those who frequently maximize their rewards with Business Extra may find this new approach to be a negative switch.

If you have Business Extra points, remember to redeem them or convert into AAdvantage miles by Jan. 31, 2024.