American Airlines Reinstates Perks for Customers with Corporate Contracts

Beginning Oct. 10, travelers flying as part of an active corporate contract with American will once again be able to select preferred economy seats free of charge; receive priority check-in, security screening and boarding; and receive higher priority flight re-accommodation when operations are disrupted. 

Preferred seats include options toward the front of the cabin and in windows and on the aisle. The airline said the priority privileges will be equivalent to those received by individuals with AAdvantage Gold status, which is American's bottom status tier.

The perks will be the same as American offered before it eliminated the Corporate Experience program in April as part of a failed strategy that was focused on increasing direct bookings and coercing travel agencies to book via NDC modern merchandising technology.

In an interview on September 25, American senior vice president of partnerships and retailing Scott Laurence said that during extensive conversations with corporate customers in recent months, many had emphasized the importance of bringing back the Corporate Experience program. 

"What our accounts and agencies were telling us was that we weren't competitive by not having it and it's what travelers needed," Laurence said. "They wanted to make sure that they boarded early. They wanted to make sure they had access to the preferred seats on the seat map."

The resumption of Corporate Experience perks will be American's latest step to re-engage with corporate customers following its 13-month long experiment with shunning agency channels that ended in late May. 

In July, the AAdvantage Business incentive program for small and midsize companies began awarding miles and loyalty points for bookings made via travel agencies, rather than only for direct bookings.

American has also increased its agency-facing sales support staff by 79 people since May, Laurence said, and hiring is continuing.