American Airlines and Starlux have moved past the "circling each other" phase. The codeshare is approved. The frequent flyer partnership is confirmed. And the practical upshot is clear: if you book a Starlux codeshare flight — meaning an AA flight number on Starlux metal — you'll earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points starting September 30.
That's the headline. The rest is details, but the details matter.
What's Actually Live
American confirmed to The Points Guy: "AAdvantage® members purchasing a codeshare flight under the partnership can earn miles and Loyalty Points." The key word is codeshare. Book the Starlux flight directly under a Starlux flight number and you get nothing from AA. Book the AA-coded version and it counts toward status. Check the flight number before you pay.
The codeshare covers select Starlux flights, including the carrier's new Taipei (TPE) to Phoenix (PHX) route — pending the usual regulatory sign-off. Flights are bookable now for travel from Sept. 30 onward.
The Redemption Side
Both airlines say award booking is "in the works" / "in development." That's it. No timeline, no rates, no chart. Using AAdvantage miles for Starlux business class to Taipei — or whatever Starlux calls its currency for AA flights — remains theoretical. File it under "wait and see."
Context: The Interline Foundation
This didn't come from nowhere. The two carriers have had an interline agreement since 2025 — single tickets, through-checked bags, smooth connections. The codeshare and frequent flyer deal build on that plumbing. It's a stepwise deepening, not a sudden leap.
Bottom Line
Taipei-bound after Sept. 30 and want AA credit? Book the AA-coded Starlux flight. The earning is real, the status credit is real, and the TPE–PHX route gives AA a foothold in a market it exited. Just don't book the Starlux-coded version expecting Loyalty Points — that's the trap. And don't plan an award redemption yet; that bridge isn't built.