AAdvantage members can soon trade miles for seats at some of the world's most coveted tables. On November 5, 2026, American Airlines announced a partnership with the MICHELIN Guide that opens three distinct kinds of culinary experiences — exclusive chef-led dinners, access to U.S. MICHELIN Guide ceremonies, and bespoke multi-day culinary journeys — with the first dinner set for Los Angeles in February 2027 and the first journey bound for Porto, Portugal, in September 2027. Miles are the redemption method, but the airline has not yet announced what any of it will cost.
American Airlines and Michelin Guide Announce Exclusive Culinary Partnership
The airline frames the alliance as the next step in connecting premium travel with world-class dining. In its announcement, American describes a spectrum of possibilities: "From intimate dinners with renowned chefs to supporting the culinary industry through MICHELIN Guide ceremonies and unparalleled private culinary trips, the partnership will unlock new ways for members to experience destinations beyond the flight itself."
The scope is specific on the industry side. American becomes the official and exclusive restaurant partner for U.S. MICHELIN Guide ceremonies and events — the landmark evenings where chefs and restaurants receive MICHELIN Stars, Bib Gourmand awards and other honors. Through the partnership, American says it will support and celebrate culinary professionals during some of the industry's most significant moments, reinforcing what it calls the connection between premium travel and world-class dining.
For members, the announcement centers on access. Reporting on the deal by InsideFlyer, drawing on the initial announcement, notes that the dining series will feature menus created for the events, with members able to meet prominent chefs and access restaurant experiences not generally open to the public. The Michelin Guide's own website already lists American Airlines as an official partner, confirming the arrangement is live on both sides.
Three Distinct Culinary Experiences for AAdvantage Members
The partnership is not one benefit but three, and the differences matter for members deciding where their interest — and eventually their miles — should go. The first is a series of exclusive dining experiences: intimate, chef-led events created in collaboration with the MICHELIN Guide, featuring what American calls "some of the world's most celebrated culinary talent," with rare access to MICHELIN-Starred restaurant collaborations, innovative menus and the stories behind them.
The second is the ceremony component, which is less a member perk than an industry role: American's exclusive restaurant partnership with the U.S. ceremonies themselves. The third is the most ambitious — exclusive culinary journeys, private multi-day trips to MICHELIN Guide destinations that InsideFlyer reports will pair travel with restaurant, chef, winery and hotel access. The comparison below separates what each offering actually is, how members engage with it, and what the announcement has already scheduled.
