American Airlines Adds Cash-and-Miles Checkout for AAdvantage Members

American Airlines (AAL) said it will roll out a checkout tool allowing AAdvantage members to combine miles with cash on domestic U.S. flights, matching blended-payment options already offered by United and Delta. The feature becomes available in the coming days, with routes beyond the contiguous U.S. to follow. Customers can adjust the number of miles applied at checkout, with a higher miles contribution reducing the cash balance due. Alaska and Hawaii routes are excluded from the initial rollout. The tool targets loyalty members whose balances fall short of a full award redemption. The move is among several 2026 AAdvantage updates, including expanded free Wi-Fi and new Loyalty Point rewards. American, carrying roughly $35 billion in debt, cut its full-year 2026 earnings outlook earlier this year, citing higher fuel costs. AAdvantage enrollments rose more than 30% year over year in the second quarter.