- Starting May 18, AAdvantage status will no longer include free seat assignments, complimentary domestic upgrades, or the ability to confirm systemwide upgrades on basic economy fares; BE boarding will be downgraded from group 6 to group 7 later this year. - The change makes elite status less about travel and more about fare/credit-card status, potentially hurting loyalty among business and leisure travelers alike. - Basic economy bag fees have increased: industry-wide base bag fees rose by $10, and BE fares incur an additional $5 surcharge for the same bag.

American Airlines Is Stripping Elite Benefits From Basic Economy — You No Longer Have Status, You’re Just Your Fare by Gary Leff on April 9, 2026 American Airlines raised bag fees $10, matching moves made by United, Delta and Southwest (and a similar change that kicked off this whole round of fee boosts by JetBlue). However they’ve done something much deeper. They will charge even $5 more for the same bag if you’re flying on a basic economy fare. Starting May 18,members with AAdvantage status will no longer receive free seat assignments, complimentary domestic upgrades, or the ability to confirm systemwide upgrades on basic economy fares. The airline’s boarding order is being changed to de-prioritize AAdvantage members as well. Later this year, AAdvantage members will be downgraded from group 6 to group 7 boarding. Just joining the program no longer comes with the same valuable boarding benefit to ensure access to overhead bin space on the plane and avoid gate-checking bags. Just joining the program no longer comes with the same valuable boarding benefit to ensure access to overhead bin space on the plane and avoid gate-checking bags. This brings American Airlines closer to the rest of the industry – forfeiting one of its sole advantages, when its products, service and reliability have not kept up with Delta or even United – and ironically puts them behind Spirit Airline...