American Airlines Fare Classes: What Every Booking Code Means
Type the fare class letter from your American Airlines ticket to see its cabin and what it earns, as published on aa.com.
American Airlines fare classes
Most American tickets earn miles per dollar spent, not by fare class (see How AAdvantage miles are earned). The Base miles and Cabin bonus columns below apply only to special fares: tickets such as bulk, cruise, consolidator and tour package fares, where the fare is not shown. Those earn a percentage of the distance flown, set by the fare class, and your status bonus is added on top.
| Fare | Cabin / fare type | Base miles | Cabin bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | |||
| F | First, full fare | 100% | 100% |
| A | First, discounted | 100% | 100% |
| Business | |||
| J | Business, full fare | 100% | 100% |
| C | Business, discounted | 100% | 75% |
| D | Business, discounted | 100% | 75% |
| R | Business, discounted | 100% | 50% |
| I | Business, discountedA fare you buy, not an award ticket. | 100% | None |
| Premium Economy | |||
| W | Premium Economy | 100% | None |
| P | Premium Economy | 100% | None |
| Main Cabin Extra | |||
| Main Cabin Extra is a seat with more space at the front of the Main Cabin, from $20, on a Main Cabin or Basic Economy ticket. | |||
| Main Cabin | |||
| Y | Main Cabin | 100% | None |
| H | Main Cabin | 100% | None |
| K | Main Cabin | 100% | None |
| M | Main Cabin | 75% | None |
| L | Main Cabin | 75% | None |
| V | Main Cabin | 50% | None |
| G | Main Cabin | 50% | None |
| S | Main Cabin | 50% | None |
| N | Main Cabin | 50% | None |
| Q | Main Cabin | 25% | None |
| O | Main Cabin | 25% | None |
| Basic Economy | |||
| B | Basic EconomyBought on or after Dec. 17, 2025: no miles or Loyalty Points. Bought on or before Dec. 16, 2025: 2 per $1. | 0% | None |
Percentages are from American's special fares chart for American-marketed flights, for travel on or after March 1, 2023. Every letter above earns Loyalty Points except Basic Economy. Award tickets earn no miles, whatever their letter.
Calculate what this ticket earnsHow AAdvantage miles are earned
On flights marketed by American, miles are earned on the ticket price: the base fare plus carrier-imposed fees, not government-imposed taxes and fees. Every member earns 5 base miles per $1, and status adds a bonus.
| Status | Bonus | Miles per $1 |
|---|---|---|
| Member | None | 5 |
| Gold | 40% | 7 |
| Platinum | 60% | 8 |
| Platinum Pro | 80% | 9 |
| Executive Platinum | 120% | 11 |
- Basic Economy tickets bought on or after Dec. 17, 2025 earn no miles or Loyalty Points. Tickets bought on or before Dec. 16, 2025 earn 2 miles and Loyalty Points per $1.
- Special fares (bulk, cruise and consolidator fares, discounted or inclusive tour packages, and other tickets where the fare is not shown) earn a percentage of the distance flown, set by the fare class, as in the chart above. So can a ticket whose fare details are not available when the flight posts.
- Optional fees, such as change and ticketing fees, earn nothing.
- An upgrade bought with cash on or after Aug. 14, 2024 earns 5 miles and Loyalty Points per $1 of its base price, more with status.
- Award tickets, companion tickets, infant tickets, charter tickets and reduced-rate industry tickets earn no miles, whatever the fare class.
Loyalty Points and status
You earn 1 Loyalty Point for every eligible AAdvantage mile. Status is set by the Loyalty Points you earn in the 12 months starting March 1, and lasts through March 31 of the following full year.
| Status | Loyalty Points needed |
|---|---|
| Gold | 40,000 |
| Platinum | 75,000 |
| Platinum Pro | 125,000 |
| Executive Platinum | 200,000 |
- Flying: base miles and status bonus miles both earn Loyalty Points. A Gold member's $1,000 ticket earns 7,000 miles and 7,000 Loyalty Points. On special fares, the cabin bonus earns them too.
- AAdvantage credit cards: 1 Loyalty Point for every eligible mile earned from purchases.
- No Loyalty Points: bonus miles from offers and promotions, and miles from buying, gifting or transferring miles or converting another program's currency.
Upgrades
Complimentary upgrades
Status members, plus 1 companion, can be upgraded from any eligible purchased fare or AAdvantage award ticket when eligible seats are available: Main Cabin to Premium Economy, Premium Economy to Business or domestic First, or Main Cabin to Business or domestic First on aircraft without Premium Economy. They apply on flights marketed and operated by American within and between the U.S. (including Hawaii), and between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Bermuda and Central America.
| Status | Earliest confirmation |
|---|---|
| Gold | 24 hours before departure |
| Platinum | 48 hours before departure |
| Platinum Pro | 72 hours before departure |
| Executive Platinum | 100 hours before departure |
- Basic Economy tickets bought on or after May 18, 2026 are not eligible for complimentary or systemwide upgrades.
Systemwide upgrades
- Status members get them as a Loyalty Point Reward choice, at levels starting at 175,000 Loyalty Points. Million Miler members get 4 at 2 million miles and at every Million Mile level after.
- On American they upgrade most Business fares to First, and most Main Cabin or Premium Economy fares to the next cabin, anywhere American flies: one way, up to 3 flights.
Upgrades with miles
- Instant Upgrade lets you use miles to move to a higher cabin, confirmed right away when it is offered for your trip.
- Mileage upgrade awards, paid in miles plus a cash co-payment, took no new requests after Aug. 11, 2025.
Good to know
- Does my American fare class decide how many miles I earn?
- Usually not. On flights marketed by American, most tickets earn 5 miles per $1 of base fare and carrier-imposed fees, plus your status bonus. The fare class sets earning only on special fares, such as bulk, cruise, consolidator and tour package tickets, which earn a percentage of the distance flown.
- Does Basic Economy earn AAdvantage miles?
- Basic Economy (B) tickets bought on or after Dec. 17, 2025 earn no miles and no Loyalty Points. Tickets bought on or before Dec. 16, 2025 earn 2 miles and Loyalty Points per $1.
- Is fare class I an award ticket?
- No. American lists I as a discounted Business fare that you buy. Award tickets earn no miles, whatever their letter.
- Do status bonus miles earn Loyalty Points?
- Yes, on flights. American says Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members earn 40%, 60%, 80% and 120% more miles and Loyalty Points. Miles from offers, and from buying, gifting or transferring miles, earn no Loyalty Points.
- Which tickets get complimentary upgrades?
- Status members can be upgraded from any eligible purchased fare or AAdvantage award ticket on American flights within North America, when eligible seats are available. Basic Economy tickets bought on or after May 18, 2026 are not eligible.
- Is there a fare class for Main Cabin Extra?
- No. Main Cabin Extra is a seat with more space at the front of the Main Cabin, from $20. You buy it with or after your ticket, or get it free with some status levels.
Sources: AAdvantage miles with American | Special fares | Earn on American Airlines | Member statuses | AAdvantage FAQ | AAdvantage terms and conditions | AAdvantage credit cards | Upgrades for status members | Use miles for upgrades | Basic Economy | Main Cabin Extra
American Airlines® and AAdvantage® are registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. This page is unofficial and not affiliated with or endorsed by American Airlines. Information is provided for reference only and may not reflect the most current program terms.
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