For the third year in a row, American Airlines loyalists won’t have to deal with any changes to the airline’s elite status requirements.
American Airlines’ AAdvantage status benchmarks will remain unchanged next year, the airline announced Wednesday.
This may come as some relief to frequent travelers who have had to contend with increasingly stringent identity requirements from airlines and hotels in recent years.
However, American Airlines is making some changes for the upcoming AAdvantage year (which technically starts on March 1).
The airline is adding some benefits and options to its Loyalty Points Rewards, a series of benefits the airline offers when AAdvantage members reach certain loyalty milestones.
New benefits include in-flight food and beverage coupons, a New York Times subscription and premium retail options for higher earners.
This year, some of the perks are going away, but don’t worry, the most lucrative perk options, like system-wide upgrades, Admirals Club membership, and bonus miles, aren’t going away.
Meanwhile, starting March 1, all eligible AAdvantage elite members will be eligible to receive luggage tags commemorating the airline’s 100th anniversary.
Here’s a rundown of what’s changing (and what’s not happening) in the new year.
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Loyalty point requirements for status remain unchanged
As previously stated, American Airlines will not be raising the eligibility threshold in the new year.
This means the loyalty points you need to retain or gain status will remain the same.
| AAdvantage status level | Loyalty points required | oneworld alliance status |
|---|---|---|
|
40,000 |
ruby |
|
|
75,000 |
sapphire |
|
|
125,000 |
emerald |
|
|
200,000 |
emerald |
As a reminder, you’ll earn 1 loyalty point for every base AAdvantage mile you earn by flying, using an eligible American Airlines co-branded credit card, and otherwise through the airline’s shopping, dining and hotel platforms.
Read more: How I earned 29,000 loyalty points and 23,000 AAdvantage miles on a single $800 hotel stay
American Airlines is following the lead of archrivals Delta Air Lines and United Airlines in keeping elite requirements unchanged until 2026.
Loyalty points reward changes
American Airlines’ biggest AAdvantage changes for 2026 revolve around its loyalty points rewards. These are benefits that members receive when they reach certain loyalty point thresholds between status levels.
In 2026, some new benefits will be introduced at different loyalty points thresholds, and some will be eliminated this year.
Here’s a summary of what’s changed and what’s retained.
15,000 loyalty points
| change | stay where you are |
|---|---|
|
Later in 2026, AAdvantage members who reach 15,000 loyalty points will have two new options to choose from:
|
Under this threshold, alternatives available to members include:
|
60,000 loyalty points
| change | stay where you are |
|---|---|
|
Starting March 1, members will receive an increase in loyalty points rewards when they spend with select partners — from 20% to 25%, up to a maximum of 25,000 loyalty points.
Remember, once you sign up for this bonus, the bonus will last for six months. It’s available on American Airlines Vacations, AAdvantage Hotels, AAdvantage eShopping, AAdvantage Dining, AAdvantage Cruises and SimplyMiles. |
Members can also unlock Avis Preferred Plus status at this threshold. |
100,000 loyalty points
| change | stay where you are |
|---|---|
|
Bonuses for the aforementioned American Airlines partners no longer increase to 30% at the 100,000 threshold.
|
|
175,000 loyalty points
| change | stay where you are |
|---|---|
|
Starting March 1, members who meet this threshold will have two new options:
Later in 2026, members will also have a third new option: a 12-month omnichannel subscription to The New York Times. |
There’s a long list of alternative options, from two system-wide upgrades to World of Hyatt Explorer status and American Airlines travel points.
See full list here. |
250,000 loyalty points and each consecutive threshold
| change | stay where you are |
|---|---|
|
Starting March 1, members who meet this threshold will have three new options:
And, like the 175,000-point threshold, you can opt for a 12-month, all-access New York Times subscription. One measure to remove this threshold is that members can choose Bang & Olufsen products. |
Other options include more system-wide upgrades, Admirals Club membership, and more.
See the full list of alternative benefits here. |
The new benefits mentioned above (and the end of the Bang & Olufsen option) will also come into effect at 400,000, 550,000 and 750,000 loyalty points.
What you need to know about these changes
Overall, the changes to American Airlines’ loyalty points rewards are not drastic and generally tilt toward customers’ favor, with some new options available.
The 100,000 threshold will likely take the most significant hit, as payouts with certain US partners will no longer receive higher bonuses.
Personally, I’d like to see airlines add a travel benefit or two to the mid-tier threshold.
Technically, no longer selecting a Bang & Olufsen product as a specific benefit is a net loss for customers who selected the product over the travel benefit at higher milestones. In the meantime, I’m curious what alternatives American Airlines offers through its AAdvantage Exchange.
But the addition of New York Times subscriptions and savings on vacation packages will certainly provide value to members who find appeal in these options.
Other changes for 2026
Meanwhile, American plans to continue expanding members’ ability to redeem miles for sporting events. We’ve seen AAdvantage redemptions for US soccer games ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
The airline is expected to offer similar redemption services for the upcoming PGA Championship.
Later in 2026, American will also roll out gift card redemptions to retailers and others, but as always, members are reminded to weigh the value they receive from these redemptions against the value they receive from redemptions for flights.
Free Wi-Fi launched
Last but not least, probably the biggest change for AAdvantage members in 2026 is the addition of free inflight Wi-Fi on American Airlines aircraft.
TPG reported on Tuesday that 100% of the airline’s fleet of mainline narrow-body and two-class regional jets is expected to be equipped with new free inflight internet by the end of January.
You’ll also see free Wi-Fi on some wide-body aircraft in the coming months.
All you need to connect to the service is an AAdvantage account.
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