American Airways is altering how upgrades with miles work. Sadly, based mostly on our first look, this seems to be a devaluation in most situations.
Much like what United introduced just a few weeks in the past for its program, the American Airways mileage improve award chart can be going away.
As a substitute, it is being changed with prompt upgrades, already out there for a lot of reservations, that you could buy when your itinerary is ticketed.
American has been providing money improve presents for a while. Now, whenever you see the supply, it is going to even have a worth in miles.
You’ll nonetheless be capable of use the award charts to improve, in keeping with the AA.com web site, till Aug. 11. That award chart had been a probably good strategy to improve flights for as few as 5,000 American Airways AAdvantage miles.
“With the launch of Prompt Improve with miles, new requests utilizing the mileage improve award chart will not be accepted beginning August 12, 2025, at midnight CT,” American mentioned on its web site.
Associated: How a lot must you pay for a first-class improve
Whereas it is good to have the ability to improve immediately utilizing miles, we’re seeing values of roughly a cent per mile … similar to the worth you will get to buy upgrades on Delta Air Strains with Delta SkyMiles. Our calculations present that Delta upgrades usually promote for about 1.07 cents per mile.
On that upcoming flight to Chicago, I can improve my journey for $291 or 27,100 AAdvantage miles, which isn’t a fantastic return for American AAdvantage miles.
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New improve supply on flight to Chicago. AA.COM
TPG’s Nick Ewen acquired an improve supply of $76 or 7,100 miles on an upcoming flight. Once more, not a fantastic worth per redeemed mile provided that TPG values American’s miles at 1.5 cents every as of June 2025 valuations.
The excellent news is that these adjustments do not influence systemwide improve awards. You may nonetheless be capable of use a systemwide improve to alter a paid fare to the following class of service (and even two courses on some itineraries) one-way for as much as three segments.
Backside line
For individuals who need to squeeze most worth from their AAdvantage miles to get in a greater seat, that is going to be a tricky tablet to swallow.
It is particularly painful in case you are used to utilizing your American miles for comparatively low cost mileage upgrades on worldwide flights. Personally, I have been in a position to make use of as few as 25,000 AA miles and a $350 money co-pay to improve from economic system to enterprise class on flights to Europe, which will not be potential after Aug. 11.
The Fort Value-based airline did not reply to a request for remark, however this text will probably be up to date if we get extra particulars.
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