American Airlines Drops Long-Held Policy for "Non-Elite Status Member"

American Airlines announced Monday that for "non-elite status members," it will drop its long-held policy to give fliers a minimum of 500 miles. Starting Jan. 1, those customers will get only the miles they actually fly.

So if you fly 357 miles in the future on an American Airlines flight and you're not AAdvantage Gold, Platinum or Executive Platinum, you're only going to get 357 miles added to your AAdvantage account.

In addition, "any applicable bonuses" will be based on actual mileage as well. If you're participating in a promotion that gives you a 50 percent bonus on miles, it'll be 50 percent of 357 miles, not 50 percent of 500 miles.

"Similarly, elite status qualifying miles and points earned for travel on eligible flights will also be based on the actual miles earned,"" AAdvantage members were told. "AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum and AAdvantage Gold members are exempt from this change."

That seems to mean that if you're an elite member, it won't be any harder to pile up enough miles to become an elite member. But if you're non-elite, it'll be harder to get into that exclusive club if you fly a lot of trips under 500 miles.

Other airlines this year have implemented an actual-miles policy, replacing the industry standard of 500-mile minimums. Among them have been US Airways (March 1) and United Airlines (July 1).

Continental Airlines will do away with the 500-mile minimum Jan. 1, 2009, for tickets purchased Nov. 15 and afterward.

Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines appear at present to be keeping the 500-mile minimum.