Also raisesmileage cost of some awards

On Saturday (June 21), American Airlines started charging members of its AAdvantage frequent flyer program a $5 fee for booking award tickets through the airline’s web site. (Bookings over the phone incur a $20 fee.) American said the new fee for online award bookings will not apply to AAdvantage Executive Platinum members, or to persons who already have to pay a booking fee for some other reason, like a short-notice award travel reservation. “As we continue to invest in the AAdvantage program and in technology to support the program and enhance the customer’s experience, nominal fees such as this allow us to recoup a portion of our investment,” American said. Meanwhile, the company will also increase the mileage cost of various types of award travel, effective for tickets booked on or after October 1. Details of the new structure are on the aa.com web site; the cost of the most common awards – basic domestic economy tickets -- remain unchanged at 25,000 for restricted SAAver awards and 50,000 for travel-anytime tickets. Last week, US Airways announced a new $25 award travel booking fee for members of its Dividend Miles program.