American Airlines reported a 27.4% year-over-year increase in enrollments for its AAdvantage loyalty program during the third quarter. CEO Robert Isom stated that the program remains a key competitive advantage, noting growth in both member sign-ups and spending on co-branded credit cards.
The company is currently rolling out a new feature allowing eligible members to combine cash and miles for flight bookings on its website and mobile application. Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper described the initial results of this functionality as encouraging and noted that the rollout will continue over several weeks.
The partnership with Citi for co-branded credit cards also showed positive momentum, with card spending increasing by nearly 10% compared to the previous year. Management expressed expectations for further performance improvements through the expanded collaboration with the bank.
Loyalty programs are now central to the company's strategic priorities, alongside network development, customer experience, and premium revenue. Executives aim to leverage these initiatives to drive revenue growth and expand margins while narrowing the performance gap with industry peers.
