The new redemption feature will roll out on aa.com and the American app in the coming weeks, letting eligible members choose a mix of money and miles during checkout.
American Airlines is introducing cash-and-miles bookings for eligible AAdvantage members, with the feature rolling out on its website and app in the coming weeks.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- American Airlines will begin rolling out cash-and-miles flight bookings to eligible AAdvantage members in the coming weeks.
- Members will be able to select a cash fare and then choose an available cash-and-miles combination during checkout on aa.com or the American app.
- The booking tool uses a slider to adjust the mix, with the trip cost updating automatically before payment is completed.
- The feature extends a broader 2026 AAdvantage expansion that includes new Loyalty Point Reward choices and additional ways to redeem miles.
(NEWS) FORT WORTH, Texas, United States, 2026-Oct-02 — /Travel PR News/ — American Airlines is giving eligible AAdvantage members a new way to pay for flights, adding a cash-and-miles option that allows travelers to combine both forms of payment in a single booking instead of relying on only one.
The feature is scheduled to roll out over the coming weeks on aa.com and American’s digital app. According to the airline’s October 2 announcement, members will start with a flight priced in cash and then see available cash-and-miles combinations during checkout.
A slider puts the redemption mix in travelers’ hands
After an eligible member signs in to an AAdvantage account and selects a flight, the booking flow presents the usual optional trip-insurance choice. Once that step is completed, available cash-and-miles options appear and the traveler can use a slider to choose the preferred combination.
The fare summary updates automatically as the mix changes, allowing the member to see the revised cash amount and mileage requirement before entering payment details and completing the purchase. The approach adds another redemption path for members who want to use part of their mileage balance toward a ticket while retaining flexibility over how much cash they spend.
Scott Long, American’s Senior Vice President of AAdvantage, said the change is part of the airline’s effort to give members more choice in how they interact with the program and use their rewards.
The new option follows a wider AAdvantage expansion
Cash-and-miles bookings arrive during a year in which American has continued to broaden the ways members can earn and use rewards. In January, the airline kept AAdvantage status and reward thresholds unchanged for a third consecutive year while announcing additional Loyalty Point Reward choices.
Those additions include two inflight food-and-beverage coupons as an option for members reaching 15,000 Loyalty Points, as well as 12-month New York Times subscription rewards at several Loyalty Point levels. Members at 15,000 Loyalty Points can choose a subscription to Games, Cooking or The Athletic, while higher reward thresholds can include a 12-month All Access subscription covering News, Games, Cooking, Wirecutter and The Athletic.
American also says it plans to expand the gift selection available when members reach Million Miler milestones. Earlier in 2026, the airline introduced mileage redemptions for gift cards across retail, dining and entertainment brands, extending the use of AAdvantage miles beyond flights and traditional travel rewards.
A more flexible path from mileage balance to booking
The new checkout option does not replace existing AAdvantage redemptions. Instead, it gives eligible members another way to put miles toward a trip, with the available combinations displayed directly during the purchase process.
For travelers, the practical change is that the decision over how much value to take from a mileage balance can now be made inside the normal flight-booking flow rather than through a separate redemption path. American has not specified an exact date by which the feature will be available to every eligible member, describing the launch as a phased rollout over the coming weeks.
Travelers who are not already members can join AAdvantage online. Membership is free, and the program is used across American’s flight network and its wider collection of travel and loyalty partners.
