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American Airlines has quietly added an interesting new partner to its AAdvantage® program. Earlier this month, American announced a partnership with TLC Jet, a Florida-based private jet charter service. With this new partnership, AAdvantage members can now earn miles and Loyalty Points on private jet flights.
It’s the first time the AAdvantage program has allowed members to earn rewards from private jet travel. While certainly a unique way to rack up miles, this new partnership likely appeals to a very small number of AAdvantage members. However, this new partnership also opens up a new way to spend your way to status.
How to Earn AAdvantage Miles on Private Jet Travel With TLC Jet
American’s partnership with TLC Jet is fairly straightforward. Here’s how members earn miles and Loyalty Points on private jet flights:
- Earn 1 AAdvantage mile per dollar spent on base flight charges
- Earn 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent on base flight charges
The 1X mile and Loyalty Point structure certainly isn't all that lucrative. That is, until you consider that the dollar amounts in question aren't trivial. The average base rate to charter a light private jet is a whopping $4,000 an hour. So, if you were to book a light jet for just one hour, you would earn 4,000 miles and 4,000 Loyalty Points.
There are also a few caveats worth flagging:
- Elite mileage bonuses don’t apply to TLC Jet flights
- Miles earned through this partnership don’t count toward Million Miler status
- Earnings are based only on the hourly charter cost and exclude taxes, fees, and any ancillary charges
This Is a New and Expensive Way to Buy AAdvantage Elite Status
Because members can earn Loyalty Points through this partnership, it creates a new — albeit very expensive — way to buy your way to elite status. A single on-demand charter flight can easily cost over $10,000 for just a few hours of flight time. And with 1 Loyalty Point awarded per dollar spent with TLC Jet, private jet flyers can quickly rack up the points needed to qualify for AAdvantage status.
As a reminder, here are the current qualifications for earning status with American Airlines:
- AAdvantage Gold: 40,000 Loyalty Points
- AAdvantage Platinum: 75,000 Loyalty Points
- AAdvantage Platinum Pro: 125,000 Loyalty Points
- AAdvantage Executive Platinum: 200,000 Loyalty Points
In theory, a member could spend $200,000 on charter flights with TLC Jet and reach Executive Platinum status without ever stepping foot on a commercial flight.
It's worth mentioning that it was already possible to reach elite status without flying with American Airlines. With one of American Airlines' co-branded credit cards, AAdvantage members earn Loyalty Points on everyday spend. For many cardholders, this everyday spend allows them to reach elite status without taking a single flight.
Additionally, this isn’t the only way to buy your way to status. Toward the end of the qualification year, American Airlines sends targeted offers to members who are just short of retaining their current status or reaching the next tier, allowing them to purchase status for the following year. And if you don’t qualify for one of those offers, don’t forget that American Airlines is also selling its AAdvantage Gold Pass for a cool $5,000.
Related: How to Earn AAdvantage Loyalty Points
Why Is American Partnering With a Private Jet Service?
There is some precedent in American's new partnership with TLC Jet. Delta Air Lines owns a controlling stake in Wheels Up, which sells private jet memberships and operates charter flights. Wheels Up members receive benefits with Delta Air Lines, including Medallion status and the ability to use their private jet credits for commercial flights on Delta.
Over the past few years, demand for all things premium travel has skyrocketed. This partnership with a private jet charter service allows American to build loyalty among wealthy individuals — making them more likely to book premium fares with the carrier when not traveling by private jet.
Final Thoughts
The TLC Jet partnership won’t change the math for most AAdvantage members as private charters remain out of reach for the average traveler. But it’s a meaningful addition for the small slice of members who already fly private. It also continues a clear trend for American Airlines and other US carriers: adding more ways to earn miles, points, and status outside of traditional flights.
