Originally Posted by
Flying for Fun
Effective January 1st 2018 you CAN still accrue AS Mileage Plan miles on AA international flights. Heading to South America?, check!, Central America?, check!, Caribbean?, check! Asia?, check!, Europe?, check!
Those on the East Coast will actually have an advantage for European, Caribbean, Central & South American destinations as many can be reached non-stop thus not requiring an ineligible connection. For those on the West Coast, Asian destnations would be more advantageous especially since you can connect, if need be, on AS.
How would you ticket that itinerary? Thanks to the DOJ, you can't fly codeshares between any AS and AA hubs, so if you need to get from an AS hub (SEA, PDX, ANC) to LAX to connect to an AA international flight, you are screwed. Your first choice is to fly a single ticket on 001 stock with AA flight numbers, making the domestic segment ineligible for earning. Your second option is to buy one ticket on 027 stock with AS and a separate 001 ticket for the AA int'l segment. That second option sucks if you misconnect.
AA is basically useless as a partner unless you already live at an AA int'l hub, or are willing to give up earning opportunities on any domestic segments.