American Airlines and Etihad Airways Expand Frequent Flyer Agreement

FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- American Airlines and Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi-based national airline of the United Arab Emirates, today announced they will offer passengers the opportunity to redeem frequent flyer miles on flights booked on each other's networks.

Starting today, members of American's AAdvantage® program and Etihad Airways Etihad Guest frequent flyer program will be able to redeem miles on eligible American Airlines flights and eligible Etihad Airways flights. This follows the June 1 announcement that the airlines would allow passengers to earn miles across their respective networks.

The codeshare agreement between Etihad and American, in place since August 2009, delivers a combined codeshare network of more than 50 destinations worldwide.

"Etihad has been a valued partner to American, and this expanded relationship gives our customers even more options when redeeming frequent flyer miles, as well as more travel choices to cities in the Middle East," said Maya Leibman, President – AAdvantage Loyalty Program.

"We are thrilled to offer full 'earn and burn' options to the valued members of the Etihad Guest and AAdvantage programs," said Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways Chief Commercial Officer. "Codeshare and frequent flyer partnerships, such as the one we have with American, are vital to Etihad's success as a young and growing airline. Through this agreement, we are able to expand our reach for our loyal guests far beyond the destinations we serve directly, as well as offer expanded services to our partner's guests."

About American Airlines

American Airlines, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection® carrier serve 260 airports in more than 50 countries and territories with, on average, more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American's award-winning website, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members and members-elect serve more than 900 destinations with more than 10,000 daily flights to 149 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, and AAdvantage are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR).

About the AAdvantage Program

The AAdvantage® program was the first frequent flyer program, and was established in 1981. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the AAdvantage program, which now has more than 67 million members worldwide. Members can earn miles at more than 1,000 participating companies, which include 27 hotel chains representing more than 60 brands, more than 20 airlines, eight car-rental companies, 11 financial companies, and over 500 brand name retailers. In addition, members can earn miles when making purchases with one of more than 100 affinity card products in over 40 countries. In 2010, AAdvantage members redeemed more than 165 billion miles to claim just fewer than 7.2 million awards for flights, upgrades and car rentals. For more information and a listing of AAdvantage program participating companies, visit www.aa.com/aadvantage.

About Etihad

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, began operations in 2003, and in 2010 carried more than seven million passengers. From its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Etihad serves 86 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and North America (New York, Chicago and Toronto), with a fleet of 63 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and 100 aircraft on order, including 10 Airbus A380s, the world's largest passenger aircraft. For more information, please visit: www.etihadairways.com.

About Etihad Guest

The award-winning loyalty program, Etihad Guest, was launched in August 2006 and quickly established itself as one of airline industry's fastest-growing and most innovative loyalty programs. Etihad Guest now boasts more than 1.25 million members. The program offers members the opportunity to accumulate Etihad Guest Miles which can be redeemed against a wide selection of more than 2,900 flights and non-flight rewards from more than 200 partners, ranging from hotel accommodation and car rental to retail discounts and exciting products on Etihad Guest's online Reward Shop. For further information on Etihad Guest, please visit: www.etihadguest.com.

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SOURCE American Airlines