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American airlines said Wednesday it will maintain the spending requirements to achieve elite frequent flyer status in 2027 for the third year in a row, as the carrier courts higher-spending travelers and tries to catch up with industry leaders in profits. Delta Airlines And United Airlines.
Delta and United each said they would also maintain the same elite status thresholds for the 2026 pay year.
Airlines offer perks to elite loyalty program members — ranging from early boarding and a free checked bag to free upgrades to larger cabins and airport lounge memberships — in exchange for frequent flights on the carrier and its partners, as well as co-branded credit card spending.
In recent years, airlines have changed their loyalty program models to reward travelers for spending rather than just distance flown.
American said it is also adding more benefits for intermediate steps between earned status levels, such as two food and drink vouchers at the 15,000-point level or a subscription to The New York Times gaming or cooking platforms or The Times’ sports publication, The Athletic. The first level of elite status, Gold, is awarded at 40,000 loyalty points.
The carrier has invested in new cabins and larger lounges and announced Tuesday that it was starting to offer free Wi-Fi on board, a plan announced last April.
American has not presented any adjustments to be made to its Citi Bank credit cards after announcing it would drop Barclays as one of its credit card partners, although it plans to announce changes later this year.