Avis Budget Group Strengthens Relationship With American Airlines

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Feb. 03, 2016 -- Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CAR) and American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL) today announced the extension of their preferred partnership agreement. Under the new multi-year agreement, Avis Car Rental, Budget Car Rental and now Payless Car Rental have been named the preferred car rental partners of American’s AAdvantage program. This preferred status improves the reward-earning benefits for AAdvantage members from 50 miles per rental day to 500 or more miles for each qualifying rental. Corporate travelers can now earn a minimum of 500 miles on a typical two-day business trip rental instead of earning 100 miles for the same under the old scheme.

In addition, as part of the preferred partnership, Avis and Budget will promote products, services and money-saving offers in American Airlines’ customer channels, including those for AAdvantage members as well as placements online, at Admirals Club locations around the world and aboard flights through inflight media opportunities. Avis and Budget are also the exclusive car rental providers on AA.com, the airline’s official website, which receives an estimated two million visitors per day.

“We’re excited to strengthen our relationship with American Airlines and bring the half a million passengers they fly each day an easy way to get from the runway to the highway in one of our quality vehicles,” said Stephen Wright, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Avis Budget Group. “This enhanced partnership will help us generate incremental rentals and now, with the new mileage accrual and the addition of Payless, renting a vehicle is even more rewarding than ever.”

This agreement builds on the more than 30-year relationship between American Airlines, one of the foremost travel brands in the world, and Avis, the brand that has ranked number one in customer loyalty for 16 consecutive years and the first car rental company to offer AAdvantage miles for car rentals. Budget, an award-winning value brand, has been a travel partner of American Airlines since 1998.

About Avis Budget Group
Avis Budget Group, Inc. is a leading global provider of vehicle rental services, both through its Avis and Budget brands, which have more than 10,000 rental locations in approximately 175 countries around the world, and through its Zipcar brand, which is the world’s leading car sharing network, with more than 950,000 members. Avis Budget Group operates most of its car rental offices in North America, Europe and Australia directly, and operates primarily through licensees in other parts of the world. Avis Budget Group has approximately 30,000 employees and is headquartered in Parsippany, N.J. More information is available at www.avisbudgetgroup.com.

About American Airlines Group
American Airlines and American Eagle offer an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. American has hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. American is a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose members and members-elect serve nearly 1,000 destinations with 14,250 daily flights to 150 countries. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. In 2015, its stock joined the S&P 500 index. Connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.

Contact:  	
Alice Pereira
(973) 496-3916			
[email protected]