American Airlines no longer accepts the “American Airlines Credit Card” for online payments
by Gary Leff on July 22, 2023
Did you know that American Airlines has its own credit card in addition to the AAdvantage cards issued by Barclays and Citibank?
The American Airlines Credit Card has not been accepting applications since May. It is a credit card used only for American purchases. In other words, it’s a loyalty card like a Macy’s credit card or a Best Buy card.
It’s a card with no annual fee that allows you to pay for tickets for six months and can be redeemed at ticket offices, lounges and on aa.com.
While fees of $150 or more paid in full within 6 months will not accrue interest, amounts in excess of this will accrue interest at approximately 30%.
“Buy now, pay later” was already a big trend before the pandemic: up to 15% of people financed their vacation. This exploded in an era of zero interest rates, but the business model faced challenges as interest rates rose.
According to an internal memo, American Airlines is even discontinuing the ability to pay with American Airlines credit cards at aa.com. If you want to use an existing card account, you have to call when making the reservation.
It’s strange that you can’t use an American Airlines credit card on the American Airlines website, but it does suggest that this product — no longer open to new uses — is even further on the decline.
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