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American Airlines AAdvantage rewards program guide
Holly Johnson writes expert content on personal finance, credit cards, loyalty and insurance topics. In addition to writing for Bankrate and CreditCards.com, Johnson does ongoing work for clients that include CNN, Forbes Advisor, LendingTree, Time Magazine and more.
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American Airlines is part of the Oneworld alliance, which offers flights to more than 900 destinations in 170 territories around the world.
The AAdvantage rewards program is the airline’s loyalty program, and members can climb elite status tiers by earning Loyalty Points.
There are numerous ways to earn American AAdvantage miles for award travel, including spending on a co-branded airline credit card.
AAdvantage miles are valued slightly less than competing carriers’ rewards offerings, but since the program is free to join, there’s no downside to signing up.
If you’re looking for an airline that can take you where you want to go, there’s a good chance American Airlines or one of its partners offers the itinerary you’re looking for.
American Airlines offers an average of 6,700 daily flights, making it one of the largest airlines in the world. It’s also a founding member of the Oneworld alliance, which allows you to seamlessly fly to more than 900 destinations and 170 territories around the world with top airlines.
Flying with American Airlines can be improved by joining its loyalty program, AAdvantage. Applying for an American Airlines credit card can also help you score frequent flyer benefits and rack up airline miles for every trip you take.
Who is American Airlines AAdvantage best for?
AAdvantage is best for travelers who fly with American Airlines or any of its partners. Although those who travel frequently will benefit more from the program and have the chance to qualify for elite status, those who travel infrequently can still benefit from the program since it’s free to join.
How to join American Airlines AAdvantage
Once you sign up for AAdvantage, you’ll earn miles and Loyalty Points whenever you travel or shop with American Airlines and its partners. You can use miles for flights around the world and other types of travel, like vacation packages, car rentals and hotels.
Keep in mind
Loyalty Points are how you achieve AAdvantage elite status, which comes with more travel perks.
To join and use this program, you’ll need to:
Step 1: Create an account. Provide basic information like your name, date of birth, address, email and phone number.
Step 2: Find your frequent flyer number. This ID is made up of a combination of letters and numbers and will be assigned after you verify your account. You’ll receive this number via email after you join the program, and you’ll find it within your online loyalty account.
Step 3: Use it when booking flights. When you book flights with American Airlines or its partners, you’ll be able to input your frequent flyer number, which allows you to earn rewards for that flight.
How do AAdvantage miles compare to other programs?
AAdvantage mile valuations are roughly comparable to those from other airline loyalty programs. Take a look at how AAdvantage miles compare to miles in programs from other major airlines:
Airline loyalty program
Value
American AAdvantage
1.0 cents
Delta SkyMiles
1.2 cents
JetBlue TrueBlue
1.3 cents
Southwest Rapid Rewards
1.5 cents
United MileagePlus
0.9 cents
How to earn American Airlines miles
Earning miles with the American Airlines AAdvantage program is easy. Here are all the ways you can rack up miles with this frequent flyer program:
You’ll earn miles whenever you fly with American or with partner airlines like British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Iberia.
Note that all AAdvantage members earn a minimum rate of 5 base miles per dollar on flights marketed by American, but that AAdvantage elite flyers earn more miles for each dollar spent.
You can also earn miles by booking other travel — such as hotels, car rentals, vacation packages and cruises — through American or with American Airlines partners.
If you sign up for a co-branded credit card from American Airlines, you can earn a generous welcome bonus, as well as miles for each dollar you spend on your card.
You can earn miles through partner merchant offers, which you can get by shopping with programs like SimplyMiles. This program for Mastercard users sends you personalized offers from partner merchants like Petco, Amazon and Best Buy.
You can also use the AAdvantage eShopping portal, which lets you earn miles when you shop with participating retailers. This portal makes it easy to earn miles quickly since hundreds of retailers participate, and because all you have to do is log in to your account and “click through” the portal before you shop.
Another option is using AAdvantage Dining, which lets you earn airline miles when you dine at participating restaurants in your area and pay with a linked credit or debit card.
You can also earn miles whenever you make a donation to an eligible charity. For example, you can earn 10 AAdvantage miles per dollar on any donation of $25 or more to Stand Up To Cancer.
How to redeem American Airlines miles
There are plenty of ways to redeem AAdvantage miles, including:
Flights with American Airlines, Oneworld airlines and partner airlines
Flight upgrades with American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia
Main Cabin seat reservations
Rental cars, hotel stays and vacation packages
Purchasing or renewing an Admirals Club membership
Exclusive travel experiences and services (like an airport escort)
Charitable donations
Best ways to redeem miles
Generally speaking, the best way to redeem American Airlines miles is for flights. You’ll usually get roughly 1.0 cents in value when you redeem miles for flights, though redemption values can vary depending on demand, travel dates and other factors.
To get the most bang for your buck, look for American Airlines redemption deals. These online frequent flyer deals change frequently, but if you catch one at the right time, it’ll let you book flights to select destinations for fewer miles than usual.
As a frequent American flyer, I can also add that the best way to maximize these miles is to be as flexible as you can with your travel dates and destination. This one step will ensure you find award flights for a lower total cost, which can help you stretch your miles as far as they can go.
And even though American doesn’t have an award chart, there are definitely deals to be had and awards that let users get a lot more than 1 cent per mile in value. For example, you can frequently find awards from mainland U.S. to the Caribbean or Mexico for less than 10,000 miles one-way. However, you’ll want to be flexible with dates.
As you can see from the example flight below (Indianapolis, Indiana, to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic), awards on some days cost double what you’ll pay if you travel a day later or a few days earlier.
You can also find some pretty sweet international fares from the U.S. to Europe, but again, you’ll want to watch out for days that cost more than others. See the example below where a one-way economy flight from Chicago to Rome, Italy, costs more than 50,000 miles some days and 30,000 on others.
American also has a “calendar” feature (at the right-hand top corner of the screenshot above) that lets you see the lowest award fare price for each day of any month, so make sure you use it. When you do, you’ll see an overview of the month’s awards for your chosen travel destination.
You can even click the arrows on either side to see results for the months before and after the month of your original search.
Redemption options to avoid
Because you’ll get the most value out of AAdvantage miles that are redeemed for flights, you’ll want to strongly reconsider any redemption options that aren’t airfare.
For example, hotel bookings made with American Airlines miles will usually net you less than 1 cent per mile in value. The same is true for car rentals and vacation packages.
While redeeming airline miles for upgrades to a premium cabin is worth considering, you’ll usually have to supply a cash copay to do so. This reduces the value of the miles used to make the upgrade.
American Airlines elite status and memberships
Like other frequent flyer programs, the American AAdvantage program offers several status tiers with varying benefits for its most loyal members.
Keep in mind
As a regular AAdvantage member, you’ll earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage mile. And remember, Loyalty Points are awarded separately from the miles you earn for flights.
AAdvantage elite status members can then earn more bonus miles on top of base flight miles, among many other benefits. Additional Loyalty Point Rewards are also available for reaching specific reward levels outside the four designated elite status levels.
Loyalty Points needed to earn each status level and elite status benefits are:
Loyalty Points needed: 40,000
Benefits:
40% status mileage bonus
24-hour upgrade window
Priority check-in, security and Group 4 boarding
Same-day standby priority
Unlimited, auto-requested complimentary upgrades on select American-marketed and -operated flights
Complimentary upgrade for you and 1 companion on American and Alaska Airlines flights
Complimentary Main Cabin Extra Seats at check-in, when available
Complimentary Preferred Seats, when available1 free checked bag
oneworld® Ruby status
Discounted Admirals Club® membership
Access to an exclusive Gold service desk and exclusive partner offers
Loyalty Points needed: 75,000
Benefits:
60% status mileage bonus48-hour upgrade window
Priority check-in, security, Group 3 boarding and bag delivery
Same-day standby priority
Unlimited, auto-requested complimentary upgrades on select American marketing and operated flights
Complimentary upgrade for you and 1 companion on American and Alaska Airlines flights
Complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred Seats, when available2 free checked bags
oneworld® Sapphire status
Discounted Admirals Club® membership
Access to an exclusive Platinum service desk and exclusive partner offers
Loyalty Points needed: 125,000
Benefits:
80% status mileage bonus
72-hour upgrade window
Priority check-in, security, Group 2 boarding and bag delivery
Same-day standby priority
Unlimited, auto-requested complimentary upgrades on select American marketing and operated flights
Complimentary upgrade for you and 1 companion on American and Alaska Airlines flights
Complimentary Main Cabin Extra and Preferred Seats, when available
Complimentary same-day flight changes
Access to an exclusive Platinum service desk and exclusive partner offers
3 free checked bags
oneworld® Emerald status
Loyalty Points needed: 200,000
Benefits:
All the benefits of AAdvantage Platinum Pro
120% status mileage bonus
100-hour upgrade window
Priority check-in, security, Group 1 boarding and bag delivery
Complimentary upgrades on award tickets
Guaranteed availability in the Main Cabin
Waitlist priority for First or Business Class
Complimentary alcoholic beverage and snack in the Main Cabin
oneworld® Emerald status
Access to an exclusive Executive Platinum service desk and exclusive partner offers
What are Loyalty Choice Rewards?
The American AAdvantage program reimagined the Loyalty Choice Rewards benefit in the last few years while also changing its name to Loyalty Point Rewards. While this benefit used to be available to the two highest tiers of status within the AAdvantage program, it’s now given out in a different way.
Essentially, AAdvantage members get specific new benefits and the chance to pick from new Loyalty Point Rewards as they reach a new threshold of Loyalty Points. The chart below shows how these awards are given out and the benefits flyers can choose from.
Group 5 boarding (for the membership year), plus:
Choose one reward:
1,000 Loyalty Points
Priority privileges and Group 4 boarding for a trip
Five Preferred Seat coupons
AAdvantage Gold® benefits, plus:
Unlock Avis Preferred Plus® status
Unlock 20% Loyalty Point bonus when you spend with select partners within 6 months of unlocking this reward
AAdvantage Platinum® benefits, plus:
Unlock Avis President’s Club® status
Unlock 30% Loyalty Point bonus when you spend with select partners within 6 months of unlocking this reward
AAdvantage Platinum Pro® benefits, plus: Choose one reward:
5,000 Loyalty Points
Two systemwide upgrades
20,000 bonus miles (25,000 bonus miles – AAdvantage® credit cardmember exclusive)
40,000 AAdvantage® miles toward a Mastercard Priceless® Experience* (AAdvantage® credit cardmember exclusive)
Advantage Executive Platinum® benefits, plus: Choose one reward:
Four systemwide upgrades
Carbon offset
Gift of AAdvantage Platinum Pro® status
Up to 100,000 miles back on award redemptions
150,000 AAdvantage® miles toward a Mastercard Priceless® Experience* (AAdvantage® credit cardmember exclusive)
How long does AAdvantage status last?
Whenever you qualify for AAdvantage status, the status year will start on March 1 of that year and extend through February of the next year. Your membership year will begin on the date you qualify (or April 1, whichever comes first) and extend through March 31 of each year.
American Airlines partners
American Airlines is a part of the oneworld alliance, which means you can earn or redeem miles with many popular airlines around the globe. As you take a closer look at the American Airlines AAdvantage program, consider the airline partners you could fly with depending on your chosen destination.
Partners in the Oneworld alliance include:
American Airlines*
Alaska Airlines*
British Airways*
Cathay Pacific*
Fiji Airways
Finnair*
Iberia*
Japan Airlines*
Malaysia Airlines*
Oman Air
Qantas*
Qatar Airways*
Royal Air Maroc*
Royal Jordanian Airlines*
SriLankan Airlines*
Other American Airlines partners include:
Aer Lingus
Air Tahiti Nui*
Cape Air*
China Southern Airlines
Etihad Airways*
GOL Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines*
IndiGo
JetBlue*
JetSMART
Silver Airways*
*Airlines that let you redeem miles on AA.com
American Airlines allows you to earn AAdvantage miles for hotel stays at select hotels:
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts: Earn 500 miles for each stay with an eligible hotel
Marriott International: Earn 2X miles per dollar for eligible hotel stays and charges
IHG Hotels & Resorts: Earn 1X to 2X miles per dollar on all qualifying room rates
American Airlines has a number of car rental partners that you can earn AAdvantage miles or Loyalty Points with. Partners include:
Budget: Earn at least 2X base miles per dollar, up to 500 bonus miles and Loyalty points
Hertz: Earn 3X base miles per dollar spent
Top credit cards that earn American Airlines miles
American Airlines credit cards make accumulating airline miles a breeze — regardless of how often you fly with the airline. The following airline cards offer plenty of reasons to sign up, including generous bonuses and frequent flyer benefits.
Earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $1000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
You’ll also:
Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for each $1 spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services
Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
Earn 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases
However, you won’t get any major frequent flyer perks with this card. The main perk that you’ll get is 25 percent off in-flight food and beverage purchases.
Best for everyday spending
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, and on eligible American Airlines purchases
A generous welcome bonus comes with this card as well :
For a limited time, earn 80,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $3,500 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.
You’ll also get quite a few frequent flyer perks, such as:
Preferred boarding
One free checked bag on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to four travel companions on the same reservation
25 percent off in-flight food and beverage purchases
No foreign transaction fees
Plus, you can earn a $125 American Airlines flight discount each year after you spend $20,000 or more within your cardmember year and renew your card. This card comes with an annual fee of $99, waived for first 12 months.
Best for airport lounge access
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
It also offers 65,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 within four months of account opening.
You’ll also earn 2X miles on eligible American Airlines purchases; 2X miles on purchases made with cable and satellite providers, gas stations, car rentals and select telecommunications merchants; and 1X miles on all other purchases.
Travel benefits include:
Preferred boarding
A 25 percent discount on in-flight food, beverages and Wi-Fi purchases
First checked bag free for you and up to four companions on the same reservation (domestic flights only)
No foreign transaction fees
You can qualify for an American Airlines companion certificate for domestic travel after you spend $30,000 or more each card membership year and renew your card (note that it costs $99 plus taxes and fees to redeem the certificate).
The bottom line
American Airlines AAdvantage miles are easy to earn and redeem, and they can be easily transferred to other AAdvantage members, as well as many American Airlines partners.
Plus, if you sign up for a co-branded travel credit card or earn elite status, you can earn bonus miles and receive travel perks or discounts.
Regardless of how frequently you fly, joining the free AAdvantage program would be worthwhile since you’ll have nothing to lose by signing up.
American Airlines AAdvantage FAQs
Yes, American Airlines miles can expire if your account remains dormant without any activity for 24 months. Simply earn or redeem miles with American Airlines or an American Airlines partner at least once every two years (24 months) to keep your miles from expiring.
Yes, you can share miles with friends and family members who are AAdvantage members. You can also gift miles to other AAdvantage members. Both options require a fee, so it’s usually not worthwhile.
Yes, American Airlines lets you buy miles. Log in to your AAdvantage account to view current prices and promotions. It’s usually not worth it unless you have an immediate, specific use in mind.
Award flights start at 5,000 miles each way when there’s a promotion and go up from there. It depends where you want to go. The best way to check is to run a search on the website and look at current award prices.
*Information about the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card, Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® and CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate. Card details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
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