Fort Worth-based American Airlines overhauled its AAdvantage frequent flyer program Thursday, dropping the requirement to actually be a frequent flyer to hit status levels.
American is dropping the flight segment requirement from its AAdvantage program as well as making it more difficult to hit the AAdvantage Gold tier, previously the lowest rewards level in the program. The move is another shift away from reliance on flying and actual ticket buying, as the airline last year announced it would emphasize making everyday purchases on American Airlines-branded credit cards in addition to travel.
“It’s not necessarily about how people are flying, it’s about how they’re interacting and also how they want to be rewarded and recognized,” said Heather Samp, managing director of AAdvantage. “What we’re launching is really an opportunity to recognize and reward our members more frequently for their engagements with us.”
