AAdvantage Slashes Award Ticket Hold Time
Well folks, American AAdvantage is tinkering with one of its famously generous perks, and like a cat that’s just been told it can no longer sleep on your face, it’s a bit of a blow. And yet, even with these shifts, AAdvantage still stands as the benevolent overlord of airline policies, so we shouldn’t throw our toys out of the pram just yet. Let’s take a walk down memory lane to revisit the old policy before delving into what’s on the horizon.
AAdvantage Used to Hold Awards for Five Days
Once upon a time, in the magical land of AAdvantage, travelers could place their award tickets on a temporary time-out well before actual booking. This, my dear friends, was a rarity worth its weight in loyalty points. Until April 30, 2025, the story went like this:
- For tickets held 14 or more days before takeoff, you could enjoy a blissful five-day hold.
- Within that 14-day window before taking to the skies? Your award secured a snug little one-day hold.
In practice, these awards lingered longer than a queue at [Val Seny ski resort](https://seezeworld.top/hirskolyzhnyj-kurort-val-seni-val-cenis-frantsiia/) during peak season, stretching nearly to six days’ worth of anticipation.
They say nothing gold can stay, but this was as close as it gets. On aa.com, the “AAdvantage Hold” option shimmered enticingly among payment choices, available even by phone, whether your wings were found on American or a partner airline.
Did I mention that you could change or scrap those award plans at no cost? We truly were living in the golden age of booking flexibly. But alas, all epochs must evolve…
AAdvantage Award Holds Now Capped at 24 Hours
The sands have shifted, my friends. Starting now, AAdvantage award ticket holds are singing a new song, one with a much brisker tempo. The “hold” button now grants you a mere 24-hour grace, knocking the five-day hold off the itinerary by 80%.
In the realm of airline awards, this shift is akin to discovering your box of chocolates has fewer hazelnut creams than promised. Yet lest we forget, other US frequent flyer programs offer precisely zero hold options. So relatively speaking, American still serves a generous dollop.
One can only speculate, but perhaps the motivation for this truncation lies in a surfeit of cheeky speculators gobbling up award holds, leaving revenue-seeking customers to wander the terminal forlornly. Consider a hypothetical New York to Athens route, where a sought-after business class seat is held hostage for five days, leaving potential revenue languishing.
The Bottom Line
American AAdvantage’s new policy signals a tighter grasp, with award ticket holds now limited to a fleeting 24-hour window. It’s a considerable shift from the luxurious five-day stretch we were previously accustomed to.
Is it a shock to the system? Somewhat. But given American’s erstwhile largesse compared to its counterparts, this shift shouldn’t send us reaching for the smelling salts. Even in its trimmed state, American’s policy remains a cut above the rest. Perhaps, shining a glimmer of positivity, this may open doors for those earnest award chasers not tempted by speculative whims.
What’s your take on American’s decision to dial down its award hold policy?