Points Capital

American Airlines has a new way to get you to Taiwan. On September 24, 2026, American and Taiwan-based STARLUX Airlines announced a codeshare partnership, and select STARLUX-operated flights between the western U.S. and Taipei are now on sale through American, for travel starting September 30. For AAdvantage members, the headline is simple: you can now earn miles and Loyalty Points on STARLUX flights booked with American. The catch is just as simple: you can’t spend AAdvantage miles on STARLUX yet.

What was announced

Under the codeshare, American places its AA flight code on STARLUX flights to Taipei Taoyuan (TPE). According to American’s press release (as of October 2026):

Item	Details
Routes with AA code	Los Angeles (LAX), Ontario, Calif. (ONT), San Francisco (SFO) and Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) to Taipei (TPE)
Pending	Phoenix (PHX) to Taipei, subject to regulatory approval
Booking	On aa.com and the American app; travel from September 30, 2026
Cabins sold	Business, Premium Economy and Economy
Earning	AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points on STARLUX-operated codeshare flights
Redeeming	Not available yet; the airlines say mileage redemption and other benefits are planned for the future

The release describes STARLUX’s business class as lie-flat seats with a privacy door, and its premium economy as having a leg rest and footrest. STARLUX also flies onward from Taipei to cities across Asia, including Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore, according to the release. The release doesn’t say which of those connections American will sell on one ticket, so check aa.com for your specific itinerary.

Who this affects

• West Coast travelers headed to Taiwan or Southeast Asia who want to earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points instead of crediting to another program.
• Midwest and East Coast AAdvantage members who would connect at LAX or another West Coast gateway. American’s release doesn’t spell out which domestic connections can be ticketed together, so price the full trip on aa.com before assuming it will work.
• Status chasers working toward AAdvantage elite status, since Loyalty Points count toward tier qualification.

What it means for your miles and status

Earning is the real change here. Before this codeshare, the two airlines had an interline agreement, which let you buy one ticket on both carriers with bags checked through, but Live and Let’s Fly reported that it did not include AAdvantage earning or redemption on STARLUX. Now, if you buy a STARLUX-operated flight under an AA flight number, you earn miles and Loyalty Points. The release doesn’t publish an earning rate, so look at the estimated miles shown on aa.com before you buy.

Redemption is the missing piece. As of October 2026, you can’t use AAdvantage miles for STARLUX award seats. American and STARLUX say they’ll work on mileage redemption and “additional travel benefits” in the future, but there’s no date. The release also doesn’t mention lounge access or elite perks such as priority check-in on STARLUX, so don’t count on them.

STARLUX is not a oneworld member, so the usual oneworld elite benefits don’t automatically apply.

Practical tips

• Book under the AA code if you want AAdvantage credit. The release ties earning to codeshare flights booked through American. A ticket bought directly from STARLUX under its own JX flight number may not earn AAdvantage miles; confirm before you buy.
• Compare cash fares both ways. The same STARLUX flight may be priced differently on aa.com and starlux-airlines.com. Weigh any price difference against the miles and Loyalty Points you’d earn.
• Want to use points on STARLUX today? Alaska Airlines’ Atmos Rewards lists STARLUX as a partner where you can both earn and redeem points, according to Alaska’s partner page. Check award space and rules on alaskaair.com.
• Phoenix travelers, wait for approval. The PHX–Taipei codeshare is still pending, so don’t plan around it yet.

Our take

This is a useful step for American, whose own trans-Pacific network is limited compared with its rivals, and STARLUX’s premium cabins have a strong reputation. If you’re paying cash to fly to Taipei from the West Coast anyway, earning AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points is a nice extra.

But for most points travelers, the bigger news hasn’t happened yet. Until AAdvantage miles can be redeemed on STARLUX, this is an earning-only partnership with no published timeline for awards and no announced elite or lounge benefits. We’d treat it as a good option for paid trips, not a reason to change your strategy, and we’ll update this post if American announces redemption details.

Sources

• American Airlines Newsroom: American Airlines and STARLUX Airlines launch codeshare partnership (Sept. 24, 2026)
• Business Travel Executive: American Airlines and Taiwan-Based Starlux in Codeshare Agreement
• Live and Let’s Fly: American Airlines and STARLUX codeshare
• Alaska Airlines: Atmos Rewards STARLUX partner page

Programs, prices and terms change often; confirm details with the airline or rental company before you book. Points Capital is not a financial advisor.