American Simplifies AA.com Log-In

Effective immediately, logging into American’s website will be quicker and easier for anyone who (like me) hasn’t memorized his AAdvantage number and must therefore take the time to look it up each time he visits the site.

Now, program members can log in using either their AAdvantage numbers or their registered email addresses, plus their passwords.

Everyone presumably knows his own email address. And although it’s not the best practice from a security standpoint, most of us use just a few all-purpose passwords.

It’s a small thing, to be sure. But a series of such small steps can translate into big progress. For someone who visits AA.com regularly and wants to be logged in as an AAdvantage member, the minutes saved over a year will add up nicely.

Among the other largest U.S. carriers, logging in as a registered member of the airline’s frequent flyer program requires the following credentials:

• Delta – Frequent flyer number, username, or email, plus password or PIN
• JetBlue – Email plus password
• Southwest – Frequent flyer number or username, plus password
• United – Frequent flyer number or username, plus password or PIN
• US Airways – Frequent flyer number or username, plus password

Delta offers the most options, including those now supported by American. But American’s approach, and JetBlue’s, may be the best combination of ease and simplicity.

This article originally appeared on FrequentFlier.com.