Flying has become cheaper compared to years gone by. The aviation industry has even come up with the low-cost carrier
and ultra low cost
models that have helped people gain access to air travel.
Photo: Brisbane Airport
Despite these improvements, students often have a hard time managing their flying expenses. As a result, carriers around the world have . All the three big major carriers of the United States offer student discounts. You can read about them briefly in our guide below.
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In this article, we will look into the details of the student discount offered by the flag carrier of the United States: 
American Airlines
(AA).
A brief dive into American Airlines student discounts
American Airlines has a rich history of helping students pursue their dreams of higher education, with the carrier noting that in 2023:
“American Airlines Education Foundation is helping ease the cost of higher education by providing nearly $1 million in scholarship funds to 340 students who are dependents of the airline’s team members. Scholarships fund full-time, undergraduate study at any accredited college, university or vocational program worldwide. Each recipient was awarded a $2,500 scholarship, and 100 first-generation college students each received an additional $1,000 award for the 2023–2024 school year.”
Photo: Brisbane Airport
In addition to such noble causes, the carrier also offers student discounts on its flights. A full-time student is eligible for a student discount as long as (s)he meets the criteria set by the carrier. A student who is a part of the carrier’s loyalty program – American Airlines AAdvantage
– could get additional discounts too. You can also use the promotion codes to get special students’ discounts.
Eligibility
According to American Airhub, the following are the eligibility criteria for a students’ discount at AA:
- You must be an AAdvantage Member
- Students must be between 12 and 25 years old.
- Students must have a valid ID from a college or university that the airline recognizes.
The source also revealed that the eligibility criteria might be subject to change, in which case the best way to learn about the discounts would be to contact a customer service representative of the airline.
Photo: Nate Hovee | Shutterstock
You would also need a few documents to get an AA students’ discount. These include:
- A document of the proof of age
- A photo-verified ID card issued by the government
- A valid ID card from a school/college/university.
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Looking closely at AA’s student discount policy
AA offers 10-20% discounts for students. In order to get the discounts, one could visit American Airlines’ website or contact a customer service representative of the carrier. Students could also apply for the promotional code (of the airline) while applying for student discounts. If you have a team of nine traveling students, you could also get group booking discounts, with myticketstoindia.com noting that:
” If you can arrange travel for a group of ten or more students, the benefits and facilities also increase. Furthermore, you can also make a seat reservation up to 11 months in advance of your flight’s departure date, but this depends on the available seats, the destination, and the type of ticket. And, you have the option to hold a reservation for 24 hours before you have to make the final payment. “
The same publication also reported that the carrier assists the group of students with customized traveling itineraries for study abroad programs, group tours, or educational trips.
Photo: American Airlines
The carrier offers student discounts for domestic flights or flights to Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific.
How to get American Airlines’ students’ discount?
After you have called the representative of AA and inquired about the student discount, the airline will check your eligibility for the discount. If you are eligible, you will receive an email (from AA). Following the link in the email will help you get a students’ discount.
Photo: Ritu Manoj Jethani | Shutterstock
To get the discount, however, you need to choose your college/ university (from the drop-down menu). You can connect to executives from AA if you don’t find your university/ college in the drop-down menu. You can give the needed details to the executives, who will help you secure the student discount code from AA.
Visit AA’s website to make the booking
After you get the students’ discount, you need to visit the AA’s official website. After you have plugged in all your travel preferences (such as the date, number of passengers. etc,) in the search engine, mention all your travel preferences, such as travel destinations, number of passengers, travel dates, type of trip, etc. You can click on the “Advanced Search” option in case you need to add more options.
Photo: CaseyMartin | Shutterstock
Finally, selecting the “search” button will reveal the list of available flights. After you have chosen your desired flight, you will have an option of entering the student discount code. This will help you save money on the carrier’s student discount.
A few passing notes on AA’s student discount
According to flightyo.com, “college students can travel up to 400+ destinations within their budget” with the student discount offered by the flag carrier of the US. The same publication also noted that “American Airlines student discount does not extend to extras like seats, but there are chances that student get more baggage allowance in special circumstances.“
If you are traveling in a group (for a group booking), you are also entitled to “one free name change on every ticket, up to 48 hours before departure.” Like all other carriers, American Airlines reserves rights to cancel the bookings in case of an emergency.