American Airlines and Starlux Are Building a Loyalty Partnership. Here's Why That Matters.

Starlux confirmed on Instagram that a frequent flyer partnership with American Airlines is in the works, going beyond the codeshare that was announced earlier this year. This is a significant development for AAdvantage members looking at Asia. Here's what it means and why Starlux is a rising carrier worth knowing about.

Buried in an Instagram post celebrating the AA-Starlux codeshare going on sale is a line that deserves considerably more attention than it's getting: "A frequent flyer partnership is also in the works, opening up even more ways to earn miles and redeem award tickets."

That's the sentence that matters. The AA-Starlux codeshare had already been announced - passengers can now book connecting itineraries between AA's North American network and Starlux's Asia network on a single ticket with through-checked bags. That's operationally useful but doesn't mean reciprocal loyalty for American’s status holders.

A frequent flyer partnership, though? That's big news for AAdvantage members.

Why This Is More Than Just a Codeshare

Codeshare gives you a single-ticket itinerary. You can book AA + Starlux as one journey, your bags check through, and if a delay causes you to miss a connection, both airlines are on the hook to help rebook you. 

A frequent flyer partnership means loyalty benefits transfer between programs. Depending on how the partnership is structured, this could mean:

• Earning AAdvantage miles on Starlux-operated flights - even in the higher fare classes where earning is most valuable
• Earning Loyalty Points on Starlux flights - helping status qualification
• Redeeming AAdvantage miles for Starlux flights - opening up premium cabin awards to Taipei and beyond
• Elite status recognition - benefits like lounge access, priority boarding and other services on Starlux flights
• Redeeming Starlux miles for AA flights 

The specifics aren't confirmed yet. Starlux has only said the partnership is "in the works," which suggests we're likely months away from a formal launch. 

Why Starlux Matters

Starlux Airlines is a relatively new carrier founded in 2018 by a former EVA Air executive, they've built a reputation as one of the more premium Asian carriers despite their short history. Their long-haul fleet is entirely A350-900s configured with:

• Business class with fully-flat seats and premium finishes
• Premium economy cabin
• Standard economy with good pitch

They also lean into a pretty cool galactic theme that’s very Star Wars-esq.

Image via Starlux

The onboard product has been widely reviewed as competitive with the best premium carriers in Asia. The cabin design, service, food, and hard product are all top-tier by industry standards.

Image via Starlux

The airline operates out of Taipei Taoyuan (TPE) with routes across Asia and North America. Their US routes include Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), and Ontario (ONT.) 

What the Codeshare Actually Means

The current codeshare provides connectivity that didn't exist before. Starlux passengers arriving in a US west coast gateway can now onward connect on AA to 20 major North American cities  including New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, and Las Vegas on a single ticket with through-checked bags.

Conversely, AA passengers can now book to Taipei with an onward Starlux connection to up to 28 Asian destinations from TPE.

For anyone traveling from smaller US cities to secondary Asian destinations, this expands the routing options beyond usual go-tos like JAL. 

Why a Loyalty Partnership Matters 

A loyalty partnership would be a major win for AAdvantage members traveling to Asia.

Right now, AAdvantage's Asian award redemption options are largely limited to:

• JAL (which just got more expensive on mixed itineraries)
• Cathay Pacific (limited availability)
• Qatar (limited)
• Malaysia Airlines (limited)
• AA's own metal (extremely limited Asia flying)

Adding Starlux to that mix will give AAdvantage members another premium Asian carrier to redeem miles on. Whether the pricing is competitive with existing options and whether Starlux releases a meaningful amount of award inventory to AAdvantage will determine how impactful the agreement actually is. 

Recent comments around AA Asia strategy we covered recently makes clear that AA is trying to close the Asia gap with Delta and United. Partnering with Starlux is one way to expand Asia access.

What To Watch For

The codeshare is live now. The loyalty partnership is "in the works" according to the Starlux Instagram account but no timeline specified. Watch for:

• Formal announcement of partnership details
• Whether it launches as a full frequent flyer partnership or a limited earn/redeem arrangement
• Fare class earning charts - we’ll be sure to update the MilesMate Loyalty Points calculator
• Award pricing for Starlux redemptions on AAdvantage
• Elite status recognition rules

Bottom Line

Today’s news is a great hint at what's coming. If the AA and Starlux loyalty partnership lands, this will be one of the more meaningful additions to the AAdvantage partner network in years. 

Starlux has been getting some great reviews over the last year and it’s certainly on my list for carriers to try. Having another premium Asian carrier in the AAdvantage ecosystem may help offset the recent JAL award repricing while creating more redemption options for AAdvantage members.

We’ll be sure to share updates when a formal partnership is announced.

Source: Starlux on Instagram

Related: Expect More AA Asia Service — Here's How American Plans to Close the Gap · AAdvantage JAL Awards Just Got More Expensive