American Airlines is about to make redeeming miles a lot less all-or-nothing. The Fort Worth carrier has told AAdvantage members that, in the coming weeks, they'll be able to pay for flights using a combination of cash and miles — handy for anyone sitting on a small points balance that's never quite enough for a full award ticket.

There's a catch for now: the feature works only on domestic flights within the contiguous United States, so Hawaii and Alaska are off the table at launch. American has said it plans to widen the offering to more routes as it develops, which likely means those two states and possibly international destinations down the line.

Using it is straightforward. Members logged into their account on the American website or app pick their itinerary, and at checkout a new payment option appears. An interactive slider lets you dial in exactly how much of the fare you cover with miles versus cash. If that sounds familiar, it's because Delta and United already offer the same mix-and-match approach — American is playing catch-up here.

The timing makes sense for travellers, too. Fares have been climbing with fuel and operating costs, so topping up a cash price with miles effectively works as a partial discount on expensive tickets. It also opens up regular cash inventory to points holders, rather than limiting you to scarce award seats. For American, the move burns down miles sitting on its balance sheet and keeps members engaging with the loyalty programme.

It's not the only lever American is pulling. In the same week, the oneworld carrier launched a limited-time status match promotion: flyers who can show elite status with Delta, JetBlue, United or others can get an Instant Status Pass matching that tier on American for four months. Status matches are a classic play for high-value customers — the frequent flyers who buy premium cabins and last-minute fares — and a four-month trial can be enough to shift someone's loyalties permanently.

American is also rolling out Starlink Wi-Fi across its mainline fleet in the coming months, leapfrogging Delta, which has gone with Amazon Leo instead.

For holiday planners, the practical takeaway is simple: if you hold AAdvantage miles, watch for the slider appearing at checkout over the next few weeks, and keep an eye on whether the routes expand beyond the mainland. And if you've got elite status with a rival US airline, the status match window could be worth a quick application.