American Airlines announced it is extending the current May 1 deadline to become a preferred travel agency to July 11. After that, the carrier will stop awarding AAdvantage points for any bookings made by agencies that are not part of the carrier’s preferred list.
The extension also includes more time for agencies to reach a 30% threshold for New Distribution Capability (NDC) bookings, moving the deadline from April 21 to June 5. After June, agencies can enter the preferred program by reaching 50% NDC bookings by Oct. 31 or 70% NDC bookings by April 30, 2025.
According to the airline’s website: “We’ve seen a great response from agencies increasingly adopting modern retailing technology, and many have already achieved preferred retailer status. The majority of our indirect bookings are now made via an agency with NDC capabilities, and the current list of agencies beyond 30% NDC bookings is already impressive.”
The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) and other travel agent groups have been pushing back against the airline and its plans with open letters to Congress and other messaging.
