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Seven Years Later, the Door Stays Shut
American Airlines is closing accounts that were created by members who'd been banned from the AAdvantage program seven years ago, according to View From The Wing. The original bans stemmed from what American considered abuse of Citibank AAdvantage credit card promotions; members opened multiple cards using mailed offers, racking up sign up bonuses. The airline argued in court at the time that because some card applications carried language limiting customers to one new bonus every 48 months, all the offers should be considered to carry that restriction, according to View From The Wing. Members who exceeded that pace found themselves permanently removed from the program. Now, those same people are discovering that creating a new account under the same identity doesn't reset the clock. American is identifying the new accounts and shutting them down, even though nearly a decade has passed since the original infractions.The Credit Card Crackdown That Started It All
The mass bans trace back to a period when American and Citibank were tightening rules around AAdvantage credit card bonuses. Members had been taking advantage of targeted mail offers that appeared to lack the standard 48 month language restricting how often you could earn a new cardholder bonus. They'd apply, hit the spending threshold, collect tens of thousands of miles, and repeat. American's position, ultimately upheld in its own enforcement actions, was that the restriction applied even when it wasn't printed on every piece of mail. The airline terminated accounts, forfeited balances, and made clear the bans were permanent. What wasn't clear, at least to some of the banned members, was whether "permanent" meant American would maintain records indefinitely and actively police attempts to rejoin.Can a Loyalty Program Really Track You Forever?
This isn't just about a handful of credit card enthusiasts getting a second reminder. It raises a practical question for anyone who's ever had a loyalty account closed: are you flagged for life? American's Conditions of Carriage give the airline broad authority to refuse transport and terminate frequent flier memberships for fraud, abuse, or rule violations. There's no published appeal process, no statute of limitations, and no obligation to disclose how long the airline maintains internal records of banned customers. In at least one unrelated lawsuit, passengers alleged that American "permanently banned" them from future flights following a carry on dispute that escalated into an arrest at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, according to local media coverage. The couple characterized the ban as retaliatory and claimed it demonstrated "bad faith, malice, and continued willful misconduct." American's public response was that it was "reviewing the complaint." Those cases suggest that whether the ban stems from credit card sign ups or an onboard incident, American treats the word "permanent" as binding and enforceable across years.What This Means if You've Ever Been Banned
If you were kicked out of AAdvantage, or any other loyalty program, for that matter, it's worth assuming the airline has a long memory. Opening a new account under your own name, using the same address or identifying details, is unlikely to work. The systems that flag duplicate accounts and match them to internal ban lists are more sophisticated than they were a decade ago, and this week's closures prove American is willing to use them. For travelers who weren't involved in the original credit card mess, the lesson is simpler: the fine print in loyalty program terms isn't just legal boilerplate. When an airline says it can terminate your account and forfeit your miles for violating the rules, it means it. And when it says the ban is permanent, that's not an opening negotiating position. There's also a bigger question about fairness and transparency. American has never published a list of offenses that trigger permanent bans, nor does it offer a formal reinstatement process. That leaves customers guessing about where the line is and whether crossing it once means you're out for good. For now, the answer seems to be yes. Seven years is a long time in the airline industry; it's multiple bankruptcies, a merger, a pandemic, and countless changes in leadership and policy. But at American, a lifetime ban from 2019 is still a lifetime ban in 2026.More travel news
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About the Author
Bob Vidra
Bob Vidra, based in scenic Tahoe, is an esteemed tech editor known for his deep understanding of the dynamic intersection of technology, travel, and the outdoors.
