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

Old Dec 1, 2015, 8:52 am
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Last edit by: Shawn02139
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.

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.

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.

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

Old Jun 7, 2018, 4:07 pm
  #496  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,041
I'm aware that AirPass is valid on for travel on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines (no codeshares).

What happens in IRROPS: can an AirPass ticket then be rebooked on to a different carrier? (think of an example of a cancelled international flight where that's leading to a 24 hour delay unless they put you on a different carrier)
BlatheringPenguin is offline  
Old Oct 11, 2018, 12:33 pm
  #497  
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: AA CK; Marriott Plat
Posts: 84
Does one earn miles for an AAirpass booked flight if using a company AAirpass account, I assume not?
nocod is offline  
Old Nov 12, 2018, 10:45 am
  #498  
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 178
If I have AirPass on my account, do I have access to American lounges even if I'm not flying American?
acousticbiker is offline  
Old Nov 12, 2018, 12:20 pm
  #499  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: ORD
Posts: 986
Originally Posted by acousticbiker
If I have AirPass on my account, do I have access to American lounges even if I'm not flying American?
You have a full admirals club membership. Not sure what that includes these days, since thrt recently changed it.
Bttc is offline  
Old Nov 12, 2018, 1:46 pm
  #500  
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: oneword Emerald
Posts: 20,483
Originally Posted by acousticbiker
If I have AirPass on my account, do I have access to American lounges even if I'm not flying American?
Yes, but only until November 1, 2019. Effective that date you'll have to show a same day AA or oneworld boarding pass in order to access the Admiral Clubs.
AA.com:

Starting November 1, 2019, boarding passes for same-day travel on American Airlines or partner airlines will be required for entry.1 Same-day priority verification cards will be accepted.

1 Any departing or arriving flight: marketed or operated by American Airlines, marketed and operated by any oneworld® partner carrier, marketed and operated by American Airlines or Alaska Airlines in any combination.
TWA884 is offline  
Old Dec 7, 2018, 12:15 pm
  #501  
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: CLT
Posts: 90
My wife is going to be traveling from CLT to DFW as much as she can this next year to visit her father. If she paid the 10K Gold airpass, how many weekend trips can she take on average? And when you run out of the 10K, you just buy more or does the second 10K actually bump you to the next level?

Example: Basic Econony is already $477 1/4 - 1/6 almost a month in advance. I know she would want to do this last minute.
Cadillac is offline  
Old Dec 7, 2018, 2:32 pm
  #502  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,761
The airpass website has a pricing tool at the bottom of the "reservations" page that will allow you to check fares.
arlflyer is offline  
Old Dec 7, 2018, 3:32 pm
  #503  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,041
Originally Posted by Cadillac
My wife is going to be traveling from CLT to DFW as much as she can this next year to visit her father. If she paid the 10K Gold airpass, how many weekend trips can she take on average? And when you run out of the 10K, you just buy more or does the second 10K actually bump you to the next level?

Example: Basic Econony is already $477 1/4 - 1/6 almost a month in advance. I know she would want to do this last minute.
I don't think Supplemental Purchases count toward the status you can award one of your travelers, but I say that without certainty. You should simply contact AirPass and ask your questions. There's an email address on the web page. Lay out your questions clearly and they'll respond.
BlatheringPenguin is offline  
Old Dec 11, 2018, 8:32 am
  #504  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AAdvantage, LANPass
Posts: 46
fares between two non-North American regions

Originally Posted by BlatheringPenguin
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
Did you get an answer to this? When I put say HKG to LIM in the pricing tool sometimes gives me numbers that look wrong for Business, I just did it again and it gave only economy...
Jav2010 is offline  
Old Dec 11, 2018, 11:23 am
  #505  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,041
Originally Posted by Jav2010
Did you get an answer to this? When I put say HKG to LIM in the pricing tool sometimes gives me numbers that look wrong for Business, I just did it again and it gave only economy...
The answer in the end was essentially: Every AirPass itinerary must begin or end in North America. So, one would have to book two separate itineraries.
BlatheringPenguin is offline  
Old Dec 11, 2018, 9:58 pm
  #506  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AAdvantage, LANPass
Posts: 46
Originally Posted by BlatheringPenguin
The answer in the end was essentially: Every AirPass itinerary must begin or end in North America. So, one would have to book two separate itineraries.
Thanks for the quick answer!
Jav2010 is offline  
Old Jan 2, 2019, 8:26 am
  #507  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 66
I often take advantage of the Instant Upgrade availability when traveling TATL. However, I only ever see these when searching ex-US on a round trip basis. Anyone know whether they're ever available for itineraries ex-EUR?
timc01 is offline  
Old Jan 7, 2019, 3:08 pm
  #508  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 45
Hi all, is the "buy-in" of $10-30K required to be spent in the calendar year or rolling 1-year of signing up? Does any roll over?
NCTraveler101 is offline  
Old Jan 7, 2019, 10:15 pm
  #509  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 222
Originally Posted by Joseliz
Hi all, is the "buy-in" of $10-30K required to be spent in the calendar year or rolling 1-year of signing up? Does any roll over?
The calendar year is irrelevant. Initial "buy-in" contract is one year from date they receive the funds. You can opt for a 1 year extension less a small discount...I believe its around a few percentage points of remaining balance or some multiplier of months left times $50 or so dollars. Or you can sign a new contract co-terminus with your existing at a minimum of $10K in which case any remaining balance rolls to the new contract. My take is buying Airpass these days only makes sense if you typically would spend the same amount with AA in premium cabin travel with in a year. Chasing AA Status with Airpass is pointless since the value of AA status has been so depreciated. If your chasing status do the math carefully and buy a couple long haul J or F tickets and you will save $$$.

FYI: I hear the business side of AA is trying to kill the program (or limit it to true corporations only that have multiple travelers) while the marketing side of AA is trying to push the program with a new partnership with American Express as you now can use credit cards to fund the contract. Typical AA...Lets enhance the premium flying experience but slash the menu, service and shrink the bathroom of new planes to the size of a capsule.
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FleyeSkyHigh is offline  
Old Jan 8, 2019, 6:29 pm
  #510  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 45
Originally Posted by FleyeSkyHigh
The calendar year is irrelevant. Initial "buy-in" contract is one year from date they receive the funds. You can opt for a 1 year extension less a small discount...I believe its around a few percentage points of remaining balance or some multiplier of months left times $50 or so dollars. Or you can sign a new contract co-terminus with your existing at a minimum of $10K in which case any remaining balance rolls to the new contract. My take is buying Airpass these days only makes sense if you typically would spend the same amount with AA in premium cabin travel with in a year. Chasing AA Status with Airpass is pointless since the value of AA status has been so depreciated. If your chasing status do the math carefully and buy a couple long haul J or F tickets and you will save $$$.

FYI: I hear the business side of AA is trying to kill the program (or limit it to true corporations only that have multiple travelers) while the marketing side of AA is trying to push the program with a new partnership with American Express as you now can use credit cards to fund the contract. Typical AA...Lets enhance the premium flying experience but slash the menu, service and shrink the bathroom of new planes to the size of a capsule.
Thanks!
NCTraveler101 is offline  

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