Jul 5, 2017, 12:02 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
Changing a Frequent Flyer Number on AA Bookings
You may find the Frequent Flyer Number area grayed out, or be unable to change FFN online via aa.com. Alternatives:Call AA reservations at 800-433-7300.
Tweet @AmericanAir and ask the Twitter team to do it - though the best way is to have them follow you first and then send them a DM to keep your information private.
Request the FFN change at the check-in counter or, if you arrive before they get very busy, the gate.
Using the Finnair or Royal Jordanian website to change your FFN seems to no longer work. (AA use Sabre, several other one world airlines use Amadeus.)
NOTE: If switching from AAdvantage to another scheme's FFN, please be aware: Benefitting from a privilege granted for your AAdvantage status and changing your FFN to earn on another airline is generally prohibited by AAdvantage Terms and Conditions. Doing so might risk that benefit (e.g. upgrade).
From the AAdvantage Terms and Conditions (link)
Earning AAdvantage Miles
"You cannot accrue partner airline miles with your partner frequent flyer number if you have already used your AAdvantage number to obtain AAdvantage program benefits such as First or Business Class upgrades, baggage fee waivers or complimentary access to Preferred/Main Cabin Extra seats. Additionally, you cannot redeem partner airline miles with your partner frequent flyer number and obtain AAdvantage program benefits such as priority boarding and access to preferred seats."
Older and obsolete posts have been moved to ARCHIVE: Changing FFN / Frequent Flyer Number on AA Bookings
Updated 5 Jul 2017 by JDiver
Change FFN / frequent flyer number on AA booking? (master thread)
Jan 31, 2017, 8:53 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Seat 1L these days :)
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Also beware that even though you change the FF number it may still stick and miles go to AA! I had this recently happen flying LHR-MIA. BP said baEC and miles went to AA! AA refused to correct this!
Last edited by kauppias; Jan 31, 2017 at 8:53 am Reason: Typos
Jan 31, 2017, 9:12 am
#2
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 139
Jan 31, 2017, 1:33 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811
As well they should. Warning to OP: AA rules require that if you use the benefits of your AA status on a flight you may not credit its earnings to another airline's FF program. Not always enforced, but there you are.
Jan 31, 2017, 5:47 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 139
Well from the customers' persective, on the other hand, I chose to fly AA and earn status on that because I found their service and the benefits of being an elite were appealing to me. I would be more willing and likely to credit the miles to AA IF its miles weren't devalueted, less difficult to earn status, and the elite benefits weren't cut back after their so called major change.
Jan 31, 2017, 6:27 pm
#5
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811
Oh thanks for the advice by speaking up from the standpoint of the airline.
Well from the customers' persective, on the other hand, I chose to fly AA and earn status on that because I found their service and the benefits of being an elite were appealing to me. I would be more willing and likely to credit the miles to AA IF its miles weren't devalueted, less difficult to earn status, and the elite benefits weren't cut back after their so called major change.
Well from the customers' persective, on the other hand, I chose to fly AA and earn status on that because I found their service and the benefits of being an elite were appealing to me. I would be more willing and likely to credit the miles to AA IF its miles weren't devalueted, less difficult to earn status, and the elite benefits weren't cut back after their so called major change.
Jan 31, 2017, 6:29 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ORD [formerly] + HKG
Programs: CX Diamond, AA exExPlat, BAEC exGold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Starriott Titanium, GE
Posts: 2,966
Intuitively it makes sense to me since an SWU is not a 'status benefit' because anyone can use/be using an SWU (e.g. if I give my non-status friend an SWU, he can still credit to CX for sure!)...but getting complimentary upgrades, lounge access, priority boarding etc is directly by virtue of the status one holds...
Jan 31, 2017, 6:51 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 139
I have read somewhere that this only applies for complimentary/500miler upgrades, not SWUs...
Intuitively it makes sense to me since an SWU is not a 'status benefit' because anyone can use/be using an SWU (e.g. if I give my non-status friend an SWU, he can still credit to CX for sure!)...but getting complimentary upgrades, lounge access, priority boarding etc is directly by virtue of the status one holds...
Intuitively it makes sense to me since an SWU is not a 'status benefit' because anyone can use/be using an SWU (e.g. if I give my non-status friend an SWU, he can still credit to CX for sure!)...but getting complimentary upgrades, lounge access, priority boarding etc is directly by virtue of the status one holds...
Jan 31, 2017, 7:12 pm
#8
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
I have read somewhere that this only applies for complimentary/500miler upgrades, not SWUs...
Intuitively it makes sense to me since an SWU is not a 'status benefit' because anyone can use/be using an SWU (e.g. if I give my non-status friend an SWU, he can still credit to CX for sure!)...but getting complimentary upgrades, lounge access, priority boarding etc is directly by virtue of the status one holds...
Intuitively it makes sense to me since an SWU is not a 'status benefit' because anyone can use/be using an SWU (e.g. if I give my non-status friend an SWU, he can still credit to CX for sure!)...but getting complimentary upgrades, lounge access, priority boarding etc is directly by virtue of the status one holds...
All this taken with the big caveat of very low risk, etc-- especially if one is leaving AAdvantage anyway. But, unequivocally, the rule is as SpammersAreScum states.
Jan 31, 2017, 7:56 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,159
JonNYC, could you please clarify what part of it is incorrect? SWU (or miles+copay) can be used by anyone, is not a direct status benefit, and may be unrelated to status -- in a way that is not true of 500-mile upgrades. Is the waitlist position advantage the crucial factor in your assessment? In that case at least anything cleared from published C inventory should be okay.
I have encountered this issue and have been consistently allowed by AA to switch numbers after clearance of a waitlisted SWU to credit AS (but not for 500-mile upgrades). My biggest problem was getting the per-segment FF number to work, so I could credit the outbound as desired before clearing the return -- usually it required cleanup (moving credit from AA to AS) afterward.
I have encountered this issue and have been consistently allowed by AA to switch numbers after clearance of a waitlisted SWU to credit AS (but not for 500-mile upgrades). My biggest problem was getting the per-segment FF number to work, so I could credit the outbound as desired before clearing the return -- usually it required cleanup (moving credit from AA to AS) afterward.
Jan 31, 2017, 9:51 pm
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
JonNYC, could you please clarify what part of it is incorrect? SWU (or miles+copay) can be used by anyone, is not a direct status benefit, and may be unrelated to status -- in a way that is not true of 500-mile upgrades. Is the waitlist position advantage the crucial factor in your assessment? In that case at least anything cleared from published C inventory should be okay.
I have encountered this issue and have been consistently allowed by AA to switch numbers after clearance of a waitlisted SWU to credit AS (but not for 500-mile upgrades). My biggest problem was getting the per-segment FF number to work, so I could credit the outbound as desired before clearing the return -- usually it required cleanup (moving credit from AA to AS) afterward.
I have encountered this issue and have been consistently allowed by AA to switch numbers after clearance of a waitlisted SWU to credit AS (but not for 500-mile upgrades). My biggest problem was getting the per-segment FF number to work, so I could credit the outbound as desired before clearing the return -- usually it required cleanup (moving credit from AA to AS) afterward.
You cannot accrue partner airline miles with your partner frequent flyer number if you have already used your AAdvantage number to obtain AAdvantage program benefits such as First or Business Class upgrades, baggage fee waivers or complimentary access to Preferred/Main Cabin Extra seats...
Feb 1, 2017, 12:14 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 1,159
Thank you. What sticks in the craw is: The fact that I can gift a SWU, to upgrade someone who isn't even an AAdv member, seems to show that the source of a SWU and the use of the SWU are fundamentally independent, and that the clearing of the upgrade is not necessarily even an "AAdv program benefit". So I would like to read that T&C as talking about whether I rely on my AAdv number as the SWU recipient, regardless of the source. A SWU is a SWU and where it came from "should" be irrelevant.
Feb 1, 2017, 8:29 am
#12
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Thank you. What sticks in the craw is: The fact that I can gift a SWU, to upgrade someone who isn't even an AAdv member, seems to show that the source of a SWU and the use of the SWU are fundamentally independent, and that the clearing of the upgrade is not necessarily even an "AAdv program benefit". So I would like to read that T&C as talking about whether I rely on my AAdv number as the SWU recipient, regardless of the source. A SWU is a SWU and where it came from "should" be irrelevant.
Feb 1, 2017, 5:13 pm
#13
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: country Western Australia
Programs: QF SG(LTS) - AA LTG(1MM)
Posts: 2,771
Interesting that the rule (that was quoted) do not say that you can not use partner status to obtain a benefit (eg access to MCE seats preferentially) and then change to accrue to AA at check-in.
Happy wandering
Fred
Happy wandering
Fred
Feb 2, 2017, 11:33 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2003
Programs: BA GGL; AA LT Gold; AS 100K; DL MM GM; Hyatt G*list, Hilton Diamond; SQ silver
Posts: 3,806
AA refused to correct it? What did you ask them to do? To put them on BA? I don't think they can do that. But they can remove your earnings I think. I've never had any issue, but if it did become an issue, I'd have to be very careful with all my tickets this year. I'm going to distribute my earnings to AA, BA and AS according to a complex algorithm and any screw up could be fatal. None of them use AA associated status benefits. They are all paid J/F and no SWU is being used. I already had a screw up that AS targeted flights ended up on BA despite the BPs saying AS. Removing earnings on BA is a pain as it requires writing an actual letter requesting the removal, but with AA I've always been able to do it on the phone.
Last edited by DeltaFlyingProf; Feb 2, 2017 at 11:42 am