Good News: American Airlines Adds More Options for 2025, Keeps Elite Requirements the Same

There’s good news from American Airlines today. The airline announced it won’t make any changes to the elite status qualification levels for 2025 — and it will even add a few enhancements. This is all great news for customers.

Let’s jump into what you need to know.

American Airlines Adds New Loyalty Point Reward Options

Nothing is changing about how you can earn American Airlines elite status for 2025. As a quick reminder, elite status is based on earning Loyalty Points. You earn 1 Loyalty Point for every base redeemable mile. For example, if you earned 1,500 American Airlines miles from a flight, you’d also earn 1,500 Loyalty Points.

Here are the thresholds for each status tier with American Airlines:

• AAdvantage Gold: 40,000 Loyalty Points
• AAdvantage Platinum: 75,000 Loyalty Points
• AAdvantage Platinum Pro: 125,000 Loyalty Points
• AAdvantage Executive Platinum: 200,000 Loyalty Points

For the 2025 elite qualifying year — which begins on March 1, 2025, and goes through February 28, 2026 — there will be new Loyalty Point Reward options. These are rewards that can be chosen as you earn more Loyalty Points, starting at just 15,000 Loyalty Points.

• At 15,000 Loyalty Points, members can choose a personalized luggage tag. This is in addition to the other choices at that level, which include Preferred Seat coupons and priority boarding.
• As announced in October, American and Hyatt are enhancing their relationship and will add additional Loyalty Point Rewards, including Hyatt elite status and free night certificates.
• Beginning at 175,000 Loyalty Points, customers can choose to support the use of sustainable aviation fuel. This choice will replace the carbon offset option currently available.

New Ways To Use American Airlines Miles

Beginning in 2025, American AAdvantage members will be able to use miles to purchase food and beverages on flights. Details on how many miles it will cost for these items have yet to be announced, so it’s still unclear whether or not this will be a good way to use miles. However, historically, using miles to purchase anything other than flights isn’t a great deal (on any airline, not just American), so it’s safe to say it will probably be an option most travelers should skip.

If you purchase food and drinks on American Airlines flights often, you can save 25% on your purchases with many American Airlines credit cards. The AAdvantage^® Aviator^® Silver Mastercard^® (only available as an upgrade from the AAdvantage^® Aviator^® Red World Elite Mastercard^®) even comes with a daily $25 credit for inflight food and drinks.

Systemwide Upgrade Enhancements

Systemwide upgrades will be redeemable online, and you’ll have longer to use them. Beginning March 1, 2025, you’ll have through the following status year to use your upgrades.

For example, if you select a systemwide upgrade as one of your Loyalty Point Rewards (available starting at 175,000 Loyalty Points) between March 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, it would be valid through March 31, 2027 (the end of the following elite year).

Any systemwide upgrades you have earned this elite qualifying year (March 1, 2024, through February 28, 2025) will be extended. The new expiration date will be March 31, 2026.

Additional Million Miler Levels

There will be 2 new lifetime status levels added as of March 1, 2025:

• Fly 4 million miles for lifetime Platinum Pro status
• Fly 5 million miles for lifetime Executive Platinum status

Final Thoughts

American Airlines has made many changes to the AAdvantage program in recent years, so it’s great to see that elite qualification requirements aren’t increasing this year. In fact, there are even some additional options in the Loyalty Point Rewards program and ways to use miles. In addition, you’ll now have more time to use systemwide upgrades, and there will be more Million Miler levels. While none of these changes are earth-shattering, they are all good news for customers.