i heart aa

Not Alcoholics Anonymous (although I do recognize the good work that they do).
American Airlines! I admit, I don't always have a good time with their flights, but for the most part it's a love relationship. A quick story:

When I started undergrad in 2000 TWA used to have this booklet of travel vouchers. It was great for college students because each voucher could be used for a one-way ticket home or back to school. Since I was halfway across the country I amassed plenty of frequent flier points. Having a long-distance boyfriend also contributed to that cause.

TWA was absorbed by AA, so all of my miles were transferred to AA. I accumulated enough points to take a trip to NYC with my mom and sister, and later booked tickets through AA's oneworld partners for our trip to Italy. Helllooooo ffps! Having a boyfriend that lived all the way on the east coast (and eventually moving here myself) added even more points.

The best part about all of this was that since I travel so much AA rewarded me with Gold Status. This means I always get to board in Group 1 and I can go through the Business/First Class security line- a welcome change for someone who hates getting to the airport 2 hours early. Hurrah for airline loyalty! Granted, I'll sometimes fly Jetblue or other airlines, but often enough I'm able to find what I need on AA.com.

Anyway, the reason for this post: AA also offers discounts for weddings! You don't have to pay anything- you just fill out an online form with your information and then someone from their Group/Meeting Travel department will contact you. I emailed back and they're going to send me a promotional code that my guests can use for 5% off their airfare. It has to be used either by the phone or at AA.com, but it's valid for seven days before and after the wedding and applies to even discounted fares. I think other airlines do this, too, but I'm sticking with AA since it's been so good to me. http://www.aa.com/aa/pubcontent/en_US/businessPrograms/groupsMeetings/leisureGroup.jsp

5% isn't a whole lot, but any little bit helps. Plus there are special offers for car rentals included, too!