American Airways is altering how upgrades with miles work. Sadly, based mostly on our first look, this seems to be a devaluation in most situations.
Much like what United announced a few weeks ago for its program, the American Airways mileage improve award chart can also be going away.
As a substitute, it is being changed with instantaneous upgrades, already obtainable for a lot of reservations, that you could buy when your itinerary is ticketed.
American has been providing money improve gives for a while. Now, if you see the provide, it is going to even have a worth in miles.
You’ll nonetheless be capable to use the award charts to improve, in keeping with the AA.com web site, till Aug. 11. That award chart had been a probably good option to improve flights for as few as 5,000 American Airways AAdvantage miles.
“With the launch of Instantaneous Improve with miles, new requests utilizing the mileage improve award chart will now not be accepted beginning August 12, 2025, at midnight CT,” American stated 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 Traces 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 modifications do not impression systemwide upgrade awards. You may nonetheless be capable to use a systemwide improve to vary a paid fare to the subsequent class of service (and even two courses 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 tricky tablet to swallow.
It is particularly painful in case you are 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 Value-based airline did not reply to a request for remark, however this text will likely be up to date if we get extra particulars.
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