American AAdvantage Gives Up Award Chart for Good

FlyerTalkers on the forums report the carrier has moved away from their fixed award chart to a fully dynamic award chart, with only minimum flight redemption options.

MileSAAver and AAnytime Awards Go Away for Fluctuating Pricing

The two biggest victims of the award chart change are the MileSAAver awards and AAnytime Awards, two set categories offering flyers a comparable value over other options. In their place is a fully static award chart, which will change depending on several factors. They include the cash price of the flight, availability of seats, and demand on the route.

Although there will be floor levels published for flights, the airline says they will simply be the starting point. There is no guarantee that any flights will be available for the base price.

“This product has become the product that our members have gravitated to,” said Chris Isaac, director of loyalty for American Airlines, in an interview with CNBC. The airline followed up by noting award prices set dynamically were lower than the static award chart “up to 85% of the time over the last few years.”

The change in the American award scheme matches their legacy competition in the United States, and changes within their partnerships. At the end of January 2022, American changed their award pricing with Oneworld partner Alaska Airlines from static to dynamic pricing. Nearly one year later, the Fort Worth-based carrier announced a new change to their loyalty tiers, adding rewards for hitting milestones between their four levels.

What are your thoughts on the new award scheme? Share your thoughts on the FlyerTalk Forums.