American Airlines has quietly gutted one of the last remaining perks of basic economy: earning miles. As of December 17, 2025, AAdvantage members no longer earn miles or Loyalty Points on basic economy tickets.

Key Takeaways

  • Basic economy tickets purchased on or after December 17, 2025, earn zero AAdvantage miles and zero Loyalty Points.
  • Previously, basic economy earned 2 miles and Loyalty Points per $1 spent (vs. 5 miles per $1 on standard fares).
  • Tickets purchased before December 17 still earn miles, even if the flight is in the future.
  • Elite members can still receive domestic upgrades on basic economy tickets.
  • American now matches Delta’s policy; United still awards miles on basic economy.

What Changed

American updated its website with this notice:

“Basic Economy fare tickets bought on or after 12:00 a.m. CT on December 17, 2025, will not earn AAdvantage® miles or Loyalty Points.”

If you booked before the cutoff, you’re fine, even if your flight is months away. But anything purchased after December 17 earns nothing.

The previous earn rate was 2 miles and Loyalty Points per dollar on basic economy, compared to 5 miles per dollar on Main Cabin and above. Not great, but not zero.

AAdvantage cuts miles and loyalty points earning on Basic Economy fares (effective Dec 17, 2025)

What’s Still Included

Basic economy passengers still get:

  • One free carry-on bag
  • One free personal item
  • Snacks, soft drinks, and seatback entertainment

Elite AAdvantage members flying basic economy can still receive complimentary domestic upgrades if available. So status still has some value here, but earning toward that status just got harder.

AAdvantage cuts miles and loyalty points earning on Basic Economy fares (effective Dec 17, 2025)

How American Compares to Delta and United

Airline Miles on Basic Economy Carry-On Allowed
American ❌ No (as of Dec 17) ✅ Yes
Delta ❌ No ✅ Yes
United ✅ Yes ❌ No (most flights)

American now matches Delta’s approach. United still awards MileagePlus miles on basic economy but restricts carry-on bags on most routes, a tradeoff some travelers find even more annoying.

Final Thoughts from AwardFares

If you’ve been booking basic economy to save cash while still banking miles, that math no longer works on American. The gap between basic economy and Main Cabin just got wider in terms of value, not just flexibility.

For AAdvantage status chasers, this is a bigger hit. Basic economy flights now contribute nothing toward Loyalty Points, making it harder to qualify (or requalify) for elite status unless you’re willing to pay up for Main Cabin or higher.

American’s basic economy was already restrictive: no changes, no seat selection, last boarding group. Now it doesn’t even earn miles. If you’re loyal to AAdvantage, basic economy tickets are essentially a cash transaction with no program benefits attached.

The only silver lining: elites still get upgrade eligibility. But for everyone else, the incentive to book basic economy on American just dropped to zero.

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