Aviation

Discover More, Earn More: American Airlines’ Enhanced AAdvantage® Program

American Airlines is dedicated to providing its customers with the ultimate travel experience, offering convenience, rewards, and flexibility. Effective May 1, 2024, American Airlines is introducing updates to the AAdvantage® program, revolutionizing the way customers earn miles and Loyalty Points based on their booking methods. Here’s a breakdown of the changes:

Earning Miles and Loyalty Points:

Direct Bookings: Customers earn miles and Loyalty Points when booking directly with American or eligible partner airlines.
AAdvantage Business™ and Corporate Travelers: Members booking as AAdvantage Business™ or contracted corporate travelers will also earn rewards.
Preferred Travel Agencies: Booking through selected preferred travel agencies listed on aa.com will qualify for earning miles and Loyalty Points.

Baggage Fees Adjustment:

Effective February 20, 2024, American Airlines is adjusting baggage fees for first and second checked bags for domestic and short-haul international flights.
Bag fees for domestic flights, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are now $35/$40 for the first checked bag and $45 for the second checked bag, whether purchased online or at the airport.
Bag fees for Canada and short-haul international flights are also updated.

AAdvantage® Member Benefits:

Complimentary Bags: All AAdvantage® status members continue to receive complimentary bags on American Airlines flights.
Credit Cardmember Benefits: Most AAdvantage® credit cardmembers receive their first eligible checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries.

Additional Updates:

Pet-In-Cabin Fee: The pet-in-cabin fee for tickets purchased on or after February 20, 2024, is now $150.
Enhancements to AAdvantage® Program: American Airlines is continuously enhancing the AAdvantage® program to provide members with even greater benefits.

Save money on oversize and overweight items

American is introducing the lowest fee ever for checked items that are only a few pounds heavier or a few inches larger than a standard bag. The lower costs and simpler fee structure for oversize and overweight checked items result in savings of more than $350 for some customers.

Checked item	Current fee	Travel on/after April 17
Bag +50–70 lbs.	$100–$200	+50–53 lbs. / $30 +53–70 lbs. / $100–$200
Bag +70–100 lbs.	$200–$450	$200–$450
Bag +62 linear inches	+62–126 inches $150–$200	+62–65 inches / $30 +65–115 inches / $150–$200
Items that are both oversize and overweight +50–70 lbs.	$250–$400	$30–$200 (one single fee instead of two)
Items that are both oversize and overweight +70–100 lbs.	$350–$650	$200–$450 (one single fee instead of two)

American is also reducing the oversize limit to 115 linear inches and will no longer allow javelins, pole vaults and hang gliders starting April 17. For more information, check aa.com.

Recent Benefits Rollouts:

Reduced Mile Transfer Costs: Transfer AAdvantage® miles at a 66% reduced cost.
Wi-Fi Payment with Miles: Soon, members can use miles to pay for Wi-Fi on select flights.
Partner Upgrades: Redeem miles for upgrades with select airline partners.
Cancellation Flexibility: Cancel non-refundable Basic Economy tickets for a partial Trip Credit.
Same-Day Standby: Enjoy free same-day standby for earlier domestic flights starting March 1.
Extended Trip Credit: Members receive an additional six months to use Trip Credit when canceling travel online, starting March 11.

American Airlines remains committed to enhancing the travel experience and ensuring that loyalty with American goes further for its valued members.

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

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The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

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“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”