AAdvantage Business Program: The Complete Guide for 2026

American Airlines’ AAdvantage Business program lets companies earn miles on employee travel while those employees earn bonus Loyalty Points toward elite status, on top of what they’d earn as regular AAdvantage members. It’s essentially double-dipping, and it’s free.

The program launched in late 2023, replacing the old Business Extra program. Two years in, thousands of businesses have joined and American has added meaningful upgrades (including a calendar-year qualification reset and a premium Business Select tier) that make it more practical for small and mid-sized companies heading into 2026.

Here’s the full breakdown of how AAdvantage Business works, what changed for 2026, and how to get the most out of it.

What Is AAdvantage Business?

AAdvantage Business is American Airlines’ corporate loyalty program, designed primarily for small and medium-sized businesses. It runs alongside the standard AAdvantage frequent flyer program, it doesn’t replace it.

The core value proposition: when employees fly for business, the company earns miles into a central business account, and the traveler earns bonus Loyalty Points that accelerate their path to elite status. Both of these are earned in addition to the miles and Loyalty Points the traveler already earns through their personal AAdvantage membership.

The program also includes a suite of travel management tools (travel policy settings, trip credit management, expense integrations, and reporting) that give smaller companies capabilities typically reserved for enterprises with dedicated travel departments.

AAdvantage Business replaced the legacy Business Extra program, which earned points on a different currency (4 points per $20 spent). The new program simplified everything into miles and Loyalty Points, aligning it with the broader AAdvantage ecosystem.

How AAdvantage Business Earning Works

This is where the program gets interesting. Every eligible flight generates rewards at three levels: what the traveler earns personally, what the business earns, and what the credit card adds on top.

Notes:

• (*) Base rate. Elite members earn additional miles based on status tier. Does not include taxes and fees. Basic Economy fares purchased after December 17, 2025, earn zero miles and zero Loyalty Points.
• (**) Travelers must register with the company’s AAdvantage Business account to earn the additional Loyalty Points.

Example: A registered traveler books a $1,000 flight on American using the Citi AAdvantage Business card. Here’s what happens:

That’s a significant boost for status seekers: the traveler earns 7,000 Loyalty Points on a $1,000 flight instead of 5,000. For Executive Platinum qualification at 200,000 LP, that extra 40% adds up fast.

What Changed in 2026

American introduced two meaningful updates to AAdvantage Business effective January 1, 2026:

Calendar-Year Qualification Reset

Previously, companies qualified for redemption benefits on a rolling 12-month basis, which made tracking confusing. Starting in 2026, qualification is tied to the calendar year. Once your company hits the redemption thresholds within a calendar year, benefits remain active through the end of that year and the entire following year, up to 24 months of access.

Companies that qualified based on 2025 activity retain their redemption benefits through the end of 2026. To maintain benefits into 2027, you’ll need to re-qualify during 2026.

Nonregistered Traveler Spend Now Counts

Previously, only travel by registered employees counted toward unlocking redemption benefits. Starting in 2026, every dollar spent on eligible employee travel counts, including spend for travelers who aren’t registered with the company’s AAdvantage Business account.

This is a practical improvement. Companies with frequent contractors, new hires who haven’t registered yet, or employees who simply haven’t set up their accounts now get credit for that spending toward the company’s redemption thresholds.

AAdvantage Business Select Tier

For companies with significant travel spend, American launched the AAdvantage Business Select tier in mid-2025. It rewards businesses that spend $250,000 or more on eligible travel in a calendar year.

Flight Savings Breakdown

The discount rates vary by cabin and destination:

Discounts apply to American marketed fares from eligible points of sale. Excludes Basic Economy and non-discountable fares. On domestic flights, discounts are for flights marketed and operated by American. On international flights, discounts cover flights marketed by American and operated by American and certain partners, including Joint Business Partners.

Eligibility and How to Register

Requirements

To join AAdvantage Business, your company needs:

Citi Card Bypass

If your business doesn’t meet the 5-employee minimum or the $5,000 spend threshold for mile redemptions, holding the Citi AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard waives both requirements entirely. The card itself acts as a qualifying credential, you don’t even need to use it for purchases; just having it unlocks full program access.

Available Countries

• United States
• Canada
• Argentina
• Brazil
• Chile
• Colombia
• Mexico
• Peru

How to Register

1. Go to aa.com/aadvantage-business and select Register.
2. Enter your company details and government-issued tax ID.
3. Add employees as registered travelers (each needs an AAdvantage account).
4. Start earning on eligible business travel immediately.

Travel agencies, wholesalers, consolidators, and resellers of travel are not eligible. The program is for businesses booking travel for their own employees, not for booking on behalf of others.

Redemption Requirements

To actually use the miles your company earns, you need to meet minimum thresholds:

Once qualified, companies can redeem miles for flights, transfer miles to employee AAdvantage accounts, or use them to offset business travel expenses.

Travel Management Tools

AAdvantage Business isn’t just a rewards program, it includes a management portal with tools that are genuinely useful for companies without a dedicated travel department:

These features were added progressively since the 2023 launch. The expense integrations with Expensify, Emburse, and Ramp are particularly valuable for small businesses that already use these platforms, no manual reconciliation needed.

Travelers can also switch between personal and business profiles on aa.com and the American Airlines app, making it straightforward to manage mixed business and personal travel.

Citi AAdvantage Business Credit Card

The Citi AAdvantage Business World Elite Mastercard is tightly integrated with the program. Here’s why it matters:

2026 Loyalty Point Matching Promo

A promotion that’s been running since 2024 has been extended through December 31, 2026: select primary Citi AAdvantage Business cardholders earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 Loyalty Point earned by any authorized users on eligible card purchases. This effectively doubles the LP earning potential across employee cards, a significant accelerator for status.

AAdvantage Business vs. Delta vs. United

American isn’t the only airline with a small business loyalty program. Here’s how AAdvantage Business stacks up against Delta’s SkyMiles for Business and United’s PerksPlus/United for Business in 2026:

The standout advantage of AAdvantage Business over Delta and United: travelers earn bonus Loyalty Points that count toward personal elite status. Neither SkyMiles for Business nor PerksPlus offer anything equivalent. For companies where employees care about their own status, this is a meaningful differentiator.

Delta’s earning rates can be higher per dollar on certain routes and fare classes, but the miles go to the company only, individual travelers don’t get a status boost from the business program. United’s PerksPlus uses a separate points currency that converts to MileagePlus miles at a poor 2:1 ratio.

AAdvantage Pass: An Alternative for Larger Companies

American also offers the AAdvantage Pass package, which is separate from AAdvantage Business. It lets companies purchase a bundle that includes assigning AAdvantage elite status and Loyalty Points to specific travelers, while the company receives miles.

This is aimed at companies that want to grant status to key travelers rather than have them earn it organically. It’s a different use case, think executive perks rather than broad employee rewards.

How to Maximize Business Miles with AwardFares

Your company’s AAdvantage Business miles can be used to book award flights, either for future business travel or transferred to employees. Here’s how to get the best value:

1. Search for Low-Cost Awards

American uses dynamic pricing, so award costs fluctuate significantly. On AwardFares, select AAdvantage as your program and use the Timeline View to see an entire month of prices. You’ll immediately spot the cheapest days without clicking date by date.

2. Set Alerts for Key Business Routes

If your company regularly flies specific routes, say Dallas to London or Miami to São Paulo, award availability can be unpredictable. Set an alert and get notified when seats open up instead of checking manually.

3. Compare Across Programs

AAdvantage miles book flights on all oneworld partners. The same seat might be available at different prices through different programs. Use AwardFares to compare oneworld availability and find where your miles stretch furthest.

4. Transfer Miles to Employees Strategically

If your business has accumulated miles that aren’t being used for company travel, transferring them to employees who book personal award travel can be a high-value perk, especially for premium cabin redemptions where the per-mile value is highest.