American Airlines Leads Industry with Most Awards in Newsweek’s 2026 Readers’ Choice™ Awards

Fort Worth, TX, September 15th, 2026, FinanceWire

Voted on by Newsweek readers, American earned four No. 1 rankings for its mobile app, AAdvantage® loyalty program, family travel experience, business travel capabilities, and premium amenities.

(EZ Newswire) -- American Airlines won more awards than any other airline in the 2026 Newsweek Readers' Choice™ Awards, earning the No. 1 spot in four categories: Best Airline App, Best Airline Rewards Program, Best Airline for Families, and Best Airline for Business Travel. 

The recognition comes as American celebrates its centennial year and reflects the airline’s continued focus on making travel more seamless, rewarding, and connected for customers. American continues to enhance the customer experience through investments across the travel journey, including plans to introduce state-of-the-art seatback entertainment screens at every seat across its narrowbody fleet, expand premium seating options, offer complimentary inflight Wi-Fi, and elevate its lounge and onboard experiences. These improvements underscore American's commitment to listening to customer feedback and investing in what matters most to travelers. 

“There is no greater compliment than earning the trust and recognition of our customers,” said Nat Pieper, Chief Commercial Officer at American Airlines. “These awards reflect the experiences our customers value most, from staying connected through our app and finding value in the AAdvantage® program to traveling with confidence for business, family vacations and everything in between. We are honored to be recognized by travelers and grateful to our team members who work every day to deliver for our customers.”

The awards highlight areas where customers see the greatest value in their travel experience, from planning and managing a trip through the American app to earning rewards through AAdvantage® and traveling confidently for work or with family. American earned the top ranking in the following four categories:

American’s four No. 1 honors

• Best Airline App: American was recognized for a mobile experience designed to simplify travel at every step, including a dynamic home screen with boarding passes and real-time gate information, integrated baggage tracking, in-app customer service chat, seat maps, and flight-management tools.
• Best Airline Rewards Program: The AAdvantage® program was recognized for the flexibility of its Loyalty Points system, which allows members to earn status through travel, co-branded credit cards, and everyday purchases, as well as for global redemption opportunities through the oneworld alliance, milestone rewards, and complimentary domestic upgrades.
• Best Airline for Families: American earned the top ranking for features designed to make family travel easier, including complimentary adjacent seating for children under 15 traveling with an accompanying adult, early boarding for families with young children or strollers, high-speed Wi-Fi, and kid-friendly entertainment options.
• Best Airline for Business Travel: American was recognized for its extensive domestic and international network, Admirals Club® lounges with workspaces and high-speed Wi-Fi, oneworld alliance elite benefits, and AAdvantage Business™ solutions designed to help companies earn rewards and manage travel.

“Each year, the Readers’ Choice Awards celebrate the best of the best, as chosen by the people who matter most — our readers,” said Newsweek Editor-in-Chief Jennifer H. Cunningham. “We’re proud to recognize those organizations that continue to raise the bar for quality, innovation, and customer experience.”

Newsweek’s Readers’ Choice™ Awards begin with a curated slate of nominees selected by Newsweek editors and panelists. Winners are then determined by reader voting based on factors including service, value, and overall customer experience. Nomination is free, and votes cannot be purchased or incentivized.

About American Airlines

American Airlines is a premium global airline connecting more of the U.S. to the world. With roots tracing back to an air mail carrier in the Midwestern United States in 1926, American now operates more than 6,000 daily flights to more than 350 destinations in more than 60 countries and serves more than 200 million customers annually. Powered by a proud and talented team of 130,000 aviation professionals, American’s team lives out the airline’s purpose of caring for people on life’s journey every day.

The world’s largest airline proudly celebrates its centennial year in 2026, reaching a milestone that reflects a century of innovation and the Forever Forward℠ spirit that changed the industry and the world. American introduced the first scheduled air cargo service, the first airport lounge and the first airline loyalty program and continues to reinvent the customer experience today. The airline is also a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose members serve more than 900 destinations around the globe.

Get the latest about American at news.aa.com and @AmericanAir.

About Newsweek

Newsweek is a global digital news organization built around the iconic American magazine. Newsweek reaches 100 million people monthly through news, opinion, images, graphics and video delivered across print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in EMEA and Asia. For more information, visit www.newsweek.com.

Media Contact

American Airlines Corporate Communications

mediarelations@aa.com

SOURCE: American Airlines