American's New Small Business Program Is A Broken Concept - View from the Wing

American's New Small Business Program Is A Broken Concept Participate in the AAdvantage Business program when it's easy and you're traveling solo, but the new offering for small and mid-sized businesses is mostly too low value and too much of a hassle for most to find worthwhile. American Airlines recently launched its new small business program, hoping to attract small and mid-sized businesses to choose American as their preferred airline. The program, called AAdvantage Business, offers various benefits and rewards to participating businesses. However, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that this new program is flawed and may not provide sufficient value to make it worthwhile for most businesses. One of the main issues with the AAdvantage Business program is its low value proposition. While it does offer benefits such as priority boarding and free checked bags, these are perks that are already available to individual travelers through American's regular loyalty program. In fact, these benefits are often considered standard in the industry and are offered by many other airlines as well. Therefore, it is not a significant advantage for small businesses to join this program, as they can already enjoy these benefits without the need for any additional registration or requirements. Furthermore, the rewards offered by the AAdvantage Business program are also quite limited. According to American, businesses can earn up to 1 point per $1 spent on eligible flights. However, the redemption options for these points are quite limited and do not offer much value. Unlike many other airline loyalty programs, American does not have a flexible rewards system that allows points to be redeemed for various travel-related expenses, such as hotel stays or car rentals. Instead, the options for redemption are primarily limited to flights and upgrades, which may not be applicable or desirable for many small businesses. This lack of flexibility in reward options significantly diminishes the value of the program for businesses. Another major drawback of the AAdvantage Business program is the hassle associated with participating. In order to qualify for the program, businesses must meet certain eligibility criteria, including a minimum annual travel spend of $5,000 and a minimum of 2 employees. This can be a significant barrier for many small businesses, especially those that do not have a high travel volume or a large number of employees. Additionally, the registration process for the program is quite complicated and requires businesses to submit various documents and forms, which can be time-consuming and tedious. This level of hassle and complexity makes it difficult for small businesses to justify the effort required to participate in the program. Overall, the AAdvantage Business program is a broken concept that fails to provide sufficient value and convenience to small and mid-sized businesses. With its limited benefits, lack of flexible rewards, and complicated participation requirements, it is unlikely to attract a significant number of businesses. Instead, small businesses would be better off focusing on other airline loyalty programs or travel alternatives that offer more attractive benefits and rewards without the unnecessary hassle.