American Airlines and AAdvantage Members Raise Record $6.2 Million for Cancer Research
American Airlines has announced a record fundraising achievement in its ongoing partnership with Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), with AAdvantage members, team members and partners helping raise $6.2 million during the airline’s latest annual fundraising campaign.
The six-week initiative, which ran from August 13 through September 30, generated the largest amount raised in the history of the partnership. The funds will support SU2C’s mission to accelerate innovative cancer research, advance the development of new treatments and improve outcomes for patients worldwide.
The latest achievement reflects the collective efforts of American Airlines customers, employees and corporate partners, who contributed to the campaign through a combination of donations and participation in the airline’s fundraising program. By combining charitable giving with its customer loyalty program, American continued to encourage broader participation in cancer research initiatives.
Since establishing its partnership with Stand Up To Cancer in 2016, American Airlines has raised more than $40 million to support the organization’s work. The cumulative contributions demonstrate the airline’s continued commitment to supporting medical research and bringing attention to the importance of developing more effective cancer treatments.The record $6.2 million raised during the latest campaign represents a significant milestone for the collaboration, which has grown over the past decade through the participation of customers, team members and supporting organizations.
AAdvantage Members Play a Key Role in Campaign Success
American Airlines’ AAdvantage loyalty program served as an important component of the fundraising initiative, giving members an opportunity to support cancer research while earning bonus miles through eligible donations.During the campaign, customers who contributed at least $25 received 25 AAdvantage bonus miles for every dollar donated. The program provided an additional incentive for members to participate while directing financial support toward Stand Up To Cancer’s research initiatives.
The airline also partnered with Mastercard to strengthen the fundraising offer. Customers who used their eligible AAdvantage Mastercard credit cards received 50 bonus miles for every dollar donated, doubling the standard mileage incentive.The enhanced offer helped attract contributions during the campaign’s early stages. On August 28, American Airlines announced that donations had reached the initial $5 million milestone, highlighting the strong response from participating customers and supporters.
The campaign subsequently continued toward its final total of $6.2 million by September 30. The result established a new fundraising record for the partnership and underscored the role that customer engagement and corporate collaboration can play in supporting charitable causes.By integrating donations with its loyalty program, American Airlines created an additional way for AAdvantage members to contribute to cancer research while receiving a benefit connected to their travel activities.
A Decade of Partnership With Stand Up To Cancer
American Airlines and Stand Up To Cancer began working together in 2016, establishing a partnership focused on supporting research that could accelerate progress against cancer.Over the past 10 years, the collaboration has brought together airline customers, employees, corporate partners and community supporters around a shared objective: helping advance cancer research and improving the prospects for patients affected by the disease.
With more than $40 million raised since the partnership began, the airline has continued to contribute to SU2C’s efforts to support researchers pursuing new approaches to cancer treatment.The latest fundraising campaign marks another important stage in that relationship. Its record total reflects the continued participation of individuals and organizations that recognize the importance of research funding in the search for more effective therapies.
American Airlines has also used the partnership to highlight personal experiences with cancer and organize activities that bring communities together around the cause. These initiatives help connect the financial contributions generated by the campaign with the people and families whose lives are affected by cancer.For the airline, the campaign represents both a charitable fundraising effort and an opportunity to encourage its extensive customer and employee communities to participate in a shared mission.
Stand Up To Cancer Focuses on Collaborative Research
Founded in 2008, Stand Up To Cancer supports collaborative, multidisciplinary cancer research designed to speed up the development of new therapies and improve patient outcomes around the world.The organization brings researchers together across disciplines to encourage scientific collaboration and help advance promising approaches to cancer treatment. Its work focuses on accelerating the translation of research discoveries into potential clinical applications that may benefit patients.
Cancer research requires sustained investment in scientific discovery, the development of new treatment approaches and the evaluation of promising therapies. By supporting research programs, SU2C seeks to help scientists make progress toward more effective ways of diagnosing and treating cancer.
The funds generated through American Airlines’ fundraising campaigns contribute to the broader effort to support this mission. The partnership also helps raise awareness of the need for continued investment in research and the importance of collaboration among businesses, charitable organizations, researchers and the public.
Through its fundraising activities, American Airlines provides its customers and employees with an opportunity to participate in supporting these objectives. The airline’s latest campaign builds on a decade of cooperation with SU2C and adds another record contribution to the partnership’s fundraising history.
Personal Stories Highlight the Importance of Cancer Research
Several moments during this year’s campaign helped reinforce the personal significance of the partnership and its mission.American Airlines Captain Steve Hayes shared his own cancer journey, offering a personal perspective on the impact of the disease and the importance of continued efforts to improve treatment options.
The captain’s story helped bring attention to the human experiences behind cancer research initiatives. Personal accounts from people affected by cancer can help communities understand why research funding, early detection, treatment innovation and patient support remain important priorities.American Airlines highlighted Hayes’ experience through a feature published on its news website. The story connected the airline’s fundraising activities with an individual journey, demonstrating how cancer can affect people from a wide range of backgrounds and professions.
The campaign also included activities that brought together supporters outside the airline’s immediate customer and employee communities.These efforts helped reinforce the partnership’s central objective of uniting people around a common goal: supporting scientific advances that could improve the lives of cancer patients.
Texas Rangers Event Adds Community Support
Another notable moment during the fundraising campaign was Stand Up To Cancer night with the Texas Rangers.The event brought fans, players and supporters together to demonstrate solidarity with people affected by cancer and raise awareness of the need for continued research.
As part of the initiative, American Airlines and the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation contributed a combined donation of $50,000. The contribution added to the broader fundraising effort and demonstrated the role that sports organizations and corporate partners can play in supporting community-focused causes.
The involvement of the Texas Rangers also provided an opportunity to connect the campaign with baseball fans and other community members, extending its reach beyond the airline’s regular customer base.
Events that bring together sports, business and charitable organizations can help draw attention to important causes while encouraging participation from a wider audience. In this case, the partnership event complemented the airline’s broader fundraising program and reinforced the importance of collective action in supporting cancer research.The $50,000 contribution formed part of the campaign’s wider activities, which ultimately generated $6.2 million by the end of September.
American Airlines Highlights the Power of Collective Giving
Commenting on the record result, Griffin Gonzalez, American Airlines’ director of partnerships and community, praised the contributions of AAdvantage members, partners and team members.Gonzalez emphasized that the continued participation of these groups had helped make the latest campaign the most successful in the partnership’s 10-year history. The fundraising total exceeded previous campaign results and provided further support for SU2C’s work to advance cancer research.
The remarks also highlighted the importance of bringing people together around a common objective. By encouraging contributions from customers, employees and partner organizations, American Airlines has developed a fundraising initiative that extends beyond a single group of donors.The airline’s approach combines financial contributions, loyalty-program incentives and awareness-building activities to encourage engagement with the cause.
The latest result demonstrates how these elements can work together to support a charitable initiative. The record contribution also reinforces the partnership’s continued relevance after a decade of collaboration.For Stand Up To Cancer, sustained fundraising support remains important to its efforts to accelerate research and help advance new treatment options. American Airlines’ campaign provides one channel through which customers and corporate partners can contribute to that work.
Donations Remain Open Beyond the Annual Campaign
Although the 2026 fundraising campaign concluded on September 30, American Airlines confirmed that customers can continue making donations to Stand Up To Cancer throughout the year.
The airline also continues to offer a mileage-based incentive that allows customers to support the organization while earning AAdvantage miles. Under the ongoing offer described by the airline, customers can receive 10 AAdvantage miles for every dollar donated.
The year-round opportunity provides an additional way for customers to participate outside the six-week annual campaign. It also allows supporters who missed the main fundraising period to contribute to SU2C’s mission at another time.Customers interested in learning more about the partnership or making a donation
The continuation of the donation program means that support for cancer research does not have to end with the conclusion of the annual campaign. Instead, customers can continue contributing to the organization’s work while participating in American Airlines’ loyalty program.
American Airlines Continues Its Community Engagement Efforts
The fundraising achievement comes as American Airlines celebrates its centennial year in 2026. Founded in 1926, the airline has grown from its early roots as an air mail carrier in the Midwestern United States into a major global aviation business.
American Airlines now operates more than 6,000 daily flights to over 350 destinations across more than 60 countries. The company serves more than 200 million customers annually and is supported by a workforce of approximately 130,000 aviation professionals.
Its operations connect passengers and communities across domestic and international markets, while its loyalty program provides members with opportunities to earn and redeem rewards through eligible travel and other activities.
Alongside its aviation operations, American Airlines participates in community and charitable initiatives, including its long-running partnership with Stand Up To Cancer.
The latest campaign demonstrates how the airline has used its customer relationships and corporate partnerships to support a cause outside its core transportation business. By encouraging charitable donations and offering AAdvantage mileage incentives, the company has helped mobilize support for cancer research on a substantial scale.
A Record Achievement for a Shared Mission
American Airlines’ $6.2 million fundraising result establishes a new milestone for its partnership with Stand Up To Cancer. The campaign brought together customers, employees and corporate partners to generate the largest contribution in the collaboration’s history.With more than $40 million raised since 2016, the partnership has continued to support SU2C’s mission of accelerating cancer research and helping advance the development of new treatments.
The latest campaign also demonstrated the value of combining customer engagement with community initiatives. Mileage incentives, personal stories and events involving the Texas Rangers helped bring attention to the cause and encouraged participation from different groups of supporters.While the annual campaign has ended, year-round donations remain available, giving customers additional opportunities to support the organization’s research mission.As American Airlines marks 100 years in aviation, its continued partnership with Stand Up To Cancer highlights an effort to use its broad customer and employee network to contribute to a cause with global significance.
About American Airlines Group (NASDAQ: AAL)
American Airlines is a global airline connecting the United States with destinations around the world. With roots dating to 1926, the company operates more than 6,000 daily flights to over 350 destinations in more than 60 countries and serves more than 200 million customers each year.Supported by approximately 130,000 aviation professionals, American Airlines focuses on connecting people and supporting customers throughout their journeys. The airline is celebrating its centennial year in 2026, marking a century of development and innovation across the aviation industry.
American Airlines has introduced several industry firsts, including scheduled air cargo service, an airport lounge and an airline loyalty program. The company continues to develop its customer experience and operates as a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose member airlines collectively serve more than 900 destinations worldwide.