Dec 1, 2015, 8:52 am

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

American Airlines AirPass PrePaid Travel

NOTE: The program is Airpass; no longer named "AAirpass"

Link to AirPass front page

Link to aa.com AirPass contact and links page.

Quote:

Prepaid, Unrestricted Air Travel at a Fixed Rate

As an AirPass member, you won’t have to search for fares or pay extra for last-minute trips. Your airfare is pre-paid at a fixed rate and your account is ready when you need to travel to any of the more than 350 destinations in the combined American Airlines and US Airways network.

AirPass offers significant savings on fares (as well as guaranteed last seat availability) for flyers who know they will fly a lot but find themselves buying expensive last minute walk-up level fares.

AirPass, depending on level of purchase, includes status and may include up to Executive Platinum status and Admirals Club membership, or even Concierge Key, which includes both.

AirPass members get a courtesy drink and a snack if they're traveling in Coach, much as Executive Platinums do; unlike Executive Platinums, their traveling companion does also.

Quote:

14 Jan 2016 jmappleby said: "...they take credit via wire transfer at $10k (Gold), $20k (Platinum), $30k (EP). Concierge Key is available for $50k individual spend or $75k team spend."

AirPass can be for different classes of service, and except for "PlanAAhead Economy", book into Y, J or F classes (and in 2016 will earn AA Elite Qualifying Miles at Y, J or F levels) and for Economy AirPass flyers offers "instant upgrade" fares that book into A for First or D for Business. These may not be available on all routes, however, and the legal routes may change during your contract.

Quote:

Contact AirPass

AirPass Customer Service
800-433-6355
817-931-9029 - Fax

Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (CT)

Send us a letter
FedEX / UPS / Overnight mail
American Airlines
AirPass Customer Service
4255 Amon Carter Blvd.
MD 4106
Fort Worth, TX 76155

U.S mail
American Airlines, Inc.
AirPass Customer Service
P.O. Box 619616
MD 4106
DFW Airport, TX 75261-9616

You can get indicative pricing here: https://airpass.aa.com/vt-customer/c...ervations.html
The best deal seems to be the -UP fares, where you pay the standard economy, but book a confirmed seat into business

AirPass Prepaid Travel (née AAirpass, not Lifetime Airpass) Master Thread

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Oct 4, 2017, 3:08 pm

#481

cphurley

Join Date: Apr 2003

Location: ORD

Programs: AA ExPlat (2MM), Marriott LT Titanium

Posts: 291

Quote:

Originally Posted by 869

Honestly, I wouldn't trust anything an AAirpass salesperson says about availability of Y-UP on any route and would record their representation that it would be available in the cases that they've indicated to you. I imagine the contract affords them flexibility to do / change whatever, whenever but I'd like to have that representation available for playback.

I certainly don't trust it, hence asking here. Sounds like there is NO WAY of telling if/when YUPs will be available. If there is someone currently on an AAirpass, would you mind logging in and browsing some random dates for LAX-ORD and ORD-LAX one-ways to see if the YUP is generally available? Probably not within a week, but maybe middle/end of October? Thanks in advance for any help here!

Oct 9, 2017, 8:46 am

#482

cphurley

Join Date: Apr 2003

Location: ORD

Programs: AA ExPlat (2MM), Marriott LT Titanium

Posts: 291

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerry a. laska

I see that, I don't know why it is different. My link to the FAQs came from aa.com and no credit cards has been the long standing policy; it is possible that it has changed.

Paid for my airpass on Friday using Chase Sapphire Reserve and it is showing the 3x. I didn't want to chance it with AMEX Platinum 5x as that is always more restrictive to get the bonus.

Oct 9, 2017, 9:30 am

#483

869

Join Date: Dec 2009

Location: DFW

Programs: AA EXP

Posts: 1,590

Quote:

Originally Posted by cphurley

Paid for my airpass on Friday using Chase Sapphire Reserve and it is showing the 3x. I didn't want to chance it with AMEX Platinum 5x as that is always more restrictive to get the bonus.

^ Awesome!

Oct 9, 2017, 10:01 am

#484

cyber1k

Join Date: Oct 2003

Programs: BA GGL, AA EXP and former CK, DL Plat, UA Gold MM

Posts: 493

Quote:

Originally Posted by cphurley

Paid for my airpass on Friday using Chase Sapphire Reserve and it is showing the 3x. I didn't want to chance it with AMEX Platinum 5x as that is always more restrictive to get the bonus.

Bravo. How did you pay by credit card? I thought AAirpass only takes checks and wires.

Oct 9, 2017, 10:51 am

#485

869

Join Date: Dec 2009

Location: DFW

Programs: AA EXP

Posts: 1,590

See above - policy changed.

Oct 10, 2017, 2:23 pm

#486

Calchas

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Mar 2013

Location: London

Posts: 17,007

I have been offered the opportunity to purchase personal travel through my employer's Airpass account.

I have been asked to sign up to AAdvantage for this. Does anyone know if that means I would need to credit these AirPass flights to AAdvantage? I would prefer to credit to BAEC as far as possible.

Oct 10, 2017, 2:58 pm

#487

jerry a. laska

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 1999

Location: Juneau, Alaska.

Programs: AS 75K;BA Silver;AA G;HH Dia;HY Glob

Posts: 15,813

Quote:

Originally Posted by cphurley

Paid for my airpass on Friday using Chase Sapphire Reserve and it is showing the 3x. I didn't want to chance it with AMEX Platinum 5x as that is always more restrictive to get the bonus.

Congratulations!

Nov 16, 2017, 7:52 pm

#488

Shawn02139

Join Date: Jun 2003

Location: Boston; DC

Programs: AA EXP/2mm; UA 1k;

Posts: 673

So expert flyer shows what looks like a YUP fare to me on the BOS-DCA shuttle, fare basis, Y0AUPRDF, and indicates it books into "R" class. But if I search inventory a week out from no, no "R" class is reported.

Is there a Y-UP fare one-way on the shuttle?

Also, they now have on the home page a feature where you can input city pairs and it gives you the cost. Pretty helpful.

Nov 16, 2017, 9:50 pm

#489

Bttc

Join Date: Jan 2012

Location: ORD

Posts: 986

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn02139

I think you need I or A or something

Dec 5, 2017, 6:51 pm

#490

BlatheringPenguin

Join Date: Jul 2002

Posts: 1,044

I’m having a surprisingly difficult time getting a straight answer out of AirPass: How are fares between two non-North American regions determined? e.g. what usage rate is applied to a single ticket that goes from South America to Asia?

Any other AirPass holders out there have experience with this?

thanks,
BP

Jan 8, 2018, 11:05 am

#491

cphurley

Join Date: Apr 2003

Location: ORD

Programs: AA ExPlat (2MM), Marriott LT Titanium

Posts: 291

Airpass 5x on Amex Plat Personal

Quote:

Originally Posted by cphurley

Paid for my airpass on Friday using Chase Sapphire Reserve and it is showing the 3x. I didn't want to chance it with AMEX Platinum 5x as that is always more restrictive to get the bonus.

I deposited another $10K into my Airpass account and I asked them to split payment among 2 cards ($9500 CSR and $500 Amex Plat Personal) - so I could test AMEX Plat Personal 5x.

Happy to report that the $500 portion I billed to AMEX Plat personal received the 5x; 2500 Membership Rewards points for the $500 I charged. Next increment, they'll get the whole $10K charge.

BlatheringPenguin, GundamWing01 and codeontheboat like this.

Mar 12, 2018, 1:33 am

#492

writetorich

Join Date: Nov 2000

Location: New York City, United States.

Posts: 2,625

jf booking more than 7 days in advance is plan ahead fix required or do I get to cho

What are my booking options?
AAnytime®: Members who make their travel arrangements at the last minute may enjoy last seat availability by booking in unrestricted First (F), Business (J), or Coach (Y); one-way or round-trip without change fees.

PlanAhead: Members who can make their travel arrangements at least 7 days in advance may enjoy 25% off AAnytime Coach by booking in restricted Coach (H) inventory. A $200 fee is deducted automatically for changes, cancellations, or no-shows after ticketing.
jf booking more than 7 days in advance is plan ahead fix required or do I get to choose which option, I want?

Mar 12, 2018, 4:49 am

#493

BlatheringPenguin

Join Date: Jul 2002

Posts: 1,044

Quote:

Originally Posted by writetorich

You choose at booking. Never required to do PlanAAhead.

Mar 13, 2018, 9:39 am

#494

cphurley

Join Date: Apr 2003

Location: ORD

Programs: AA ExPlat (2MM), Marriott LT Titanium

Posts: 291

Quote:

Originally Posted by workandski

When Transcon business fares were high, this was a great deal for me because I could get an instant upgrade to business class and use a systemwide upgrade to upgrade to first. I am not so sure that it is a good deal for me anymore. But the big advantage of these fares is that there are no change fees and you can book them at the last minute. They were perfect for me when I was going from LAX to New York for depositions and never knew ahead of time when the deposition was going to end. I doubt they will ever make sense for someone who can plan ahead.

Resurrecting an old quote from this thread, but I'm about to be in this same boat; I generally book ORD-LAX and LAX-ORD so I use "instant upgrade" when available and "Business" instant is not available. I have an LAX-NYC trip upcoming so I'll likely book the instant upgrade. Does anyone know if I can call and apply the SWU to first as soon as I make the Airpass reservation; generally speaking, I usually wait until a reservation is ticketing to apply SWU but these tickets won't get issued until 1-day before the flight and I'm looking at something about 6 weeks out. Appreciate any thoughts or experiences; either way, I'll report back with my experience when I get around to booking in the next week or so.

Mar 13, 2018, 3:40 pm

#495

rowingman

Join Date: Jan 2011

Location: DCA

Programs: AA EXP sad former CK, Bonvoy LT Plat, BAEC Gold, VS, former UA, UA no longer, never, ever, QF

Posts: 228

Quote:

Originally Posted by cphurley

Quick answer: I call as soon as I book LAX - JFK instant upgrade and ask to apply SWU (as my helpful Airpass rep told me to do), and confirm the upgrade at time of booking. It may not "ticket" until late in the game, but they will confirm you in First.