| American Airlines AAdvantage® quick facts | |
|---|---|
| American airlines miles value | 1.7 cents |
| How many AAdvantage miles for a flight? | Varies by flight, seat class, region and other factors; flights start at 7,500 miles |
| Do American Airlines miles expire? | No, as long as you earn or redeem miles at least once every 24 months or are the primary cardholder for an American Airlines credit card |
| American airlines lounges | Admirals Club®, Joint Premium Lounges, Flagship® Lounge and an Arrivals Lounge in London Heathrow |
| Number of American Airlines destinations | 350 destinations in more than 60 countries |
| American Airlines hub airports (U.S.) | Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. |
| Airline alliance | oneworld Alliance |
The American Airlines AAdvantage® loyalty program rewards travelers for flying with American Airlines, using its credit cards and completing other activities. For every mile earned, you’ll also receive Loyalty Points toward elite status, which includes benefits like free checked bags and seat upgrades. Members can redeem miles for tickets, upgrades and lounge access, as well as car rentals, hotel stays, cruises, vacation packages and more. All members earn 5 miles per dollar on American Airlines tickets, while elite status members earn 7 to 11 miles per dollar, depending on their status tier.
If you’re eager to pool your loyalty with a single airline, the American Airlines AAdvantage program is worth considering. Our comprehensive guide explains everything you need to know.
We estimate the value of American Airlines AAdvantage miles as 1.7 cents per mile. While this is the highest average of the five major domestic airlines, your actual value may vary depending on how you redeem your airline miles. Higher values are typically available when booking international premium flights or during peak travel days, like Christmas or Spring Break. Being flexible with travel dates and destinations can help you find the best value.
Overall Usability Overall Score = 3.91 out of 5
Miles expiration 5 out of 5
Flight network 4.75 out of 5
Award availability 4.53 out of 5
Ease of booking 4 out of 5
Complexity 1.5 out of 5
Joining the American Airlines AAdvantage program is free, and there is really no reason not to join the program itself. But whether it makes sense to chase after American AAdvantage elite status will depend on your individual travel patterns.
As a general rule, pursuing American Airlines AAdvantage elite status is worth it if you fly with American often enough to earn the status organically. Loyalty Points earned through an American Airlines AAdvantage card and other partner transactions can accelerate your path to elite status benefits.
Why it’s in my wallet“We’ve really enjoyed using our rewards to upgrade our seats for more legroom on our recent flight to Vegas. My husband is 6’4″ and economy seats are not his favorite way to fly. In a way, using the card is like a mini deposit into our travel fund so we can treat ourselves from time to time.”
– Kelsey Huffman, credit card manager at LendingTree
American Airlines is a member of the oneworld Alliance and also partners with several different non-alliance airlines. The exact details vary depending on the specific partner, but generally you can earn AAdvantage miles when you fly on a partner airline and also redeem AAdvantage miles for trips with American Airlines partners. You can also usually get the American Airlines AAdvantage benefits of your elite status when flying partner airlines.
The oneworld Alliance includes 13 different airlines that partner together to help you travel worldwide. The alliance has three different elite status tiers (Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald) that are recognized by all of the member airlines. Earning AAdvantage status will also give you a corresponding oneworld elite status and the benefits that come with that status.
Here is a list of the oneworld Alliance members:
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American Airlines also has 12 other non-alliance partners:
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The exact level of partnership varies by the individual airline, but generally includes some level of reciprocal miles earning and benefits. If you have AAdvantage miles or elite status and want to fly one of these non-alliance partners, it’s best to check out the American Airlines airline partner page to see exactly what benefits you can expect.
As an American Airlines frequent flyer, you can earn miles to use toward future travel from American Airlines or partner flights, American Airlines’s co-branded credit cards, the airline’s online portal, AAdvantage DiningSM, hotel stays, car rentals, cruises and vacations and AAdvantage EventsTM. The options below will help you get the most mileage from your AAdvantage membership.
Second to earning miles with paid flights, the most effective and consistent way to earn AAdvantage miles is to open an American Airlines credit card and use it for your everyday purchases.
Barclays also offers the AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Silver Mastercard®, but it is only available to AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® holders who are invited to upgrade. You cannot apply for this card directly.
You’ll earn at least 1 mile per dollar on every purchase you make. Premium cards earn up to 4 miles per dollar on American Airlines purchases, and some cards will also earn 2 miles per dollar in bonus categories like gas, groceries and restaurants.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | Annual Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card*
|
15,000 miles
Earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after making $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
| 2X miles
| $0 | ||
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®*
|
50,000 miles
Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
| 2X miles / 1X points
| $99, waived for first 12 months | ||
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®*
|
70,000 miles
Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.
| 1X point
Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases
| $595 | ||
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®*
Learn More
on Barclays's secure site |
60,000 miles
Earn 60,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days.
| 1X - 2X miles
| $99 |
Learn More
on Barclays's secure site |
|
Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®*
Learn More
on Citibank's secure site |
65,000 miles
Earn 65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.
| N/A | $99, waived for first 12 months |
Learn More
on Citibank's secure site |
The credit cards with the most attractive rewards rates have annual fees that range from $99 to $595 per year, so they may not be the best option if you’re a moderate spender. However, these cards do let you earn a big sign-up bonus that could be enough for a few free flights in your first year.
The simplest way to earn American Airlines miles is to buy flights on American Airlines or one of the carrier’s partners.
The airline uses a revenue-based miles-earning system, which means you earn miles based on how much you spend. This is in contrast to a distance-based system, which awards points for every physical mile you fly.
If you’re a new AAdvantage member and don’t have elite status, you’ll have a base earning rate of 5 miles per dollar on plane tickets. However, if you opt to save money by purchasing a Basic Economy ticket, you’ll earn just 2 miles per dollar.
| AAdvantage membership level | Base miles per dollar spent |
|---|---|
| General member | 5 |
| Gold | 7 |
| Platinum | 8 |
| Platinum Pro | 9 |
| Executive Platinum | 11 |
There are a few ways that you can increase the number of miles you earn per dollar:
The example below illustrates how a $1,000 fare earns vastly different award miles depending on its fare class:
| First Class (F) and First Class (A) | Business Class (J) | Business Class (C, D) | Business Class (R) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base miles at 5 miles per dollar | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Bonus miles | 5,000 | 5,000 | 3,750 | 2,500 |
| Fare class bonus | 100% | 100% | 75% | 50% |
| Total miles earned | 10,000 | 10,000 | 8,750 | 7,500 |
You’ll earn miles when you fly with American Airlines, but you can also earn miles when you fly with its oneworld airline partners. The number of miles varies depending on the airline and the fare class you select.
When you fly on a partner airline, such as British Airways, you typically earn miles based on the ticket price or the number of miles flown. You may also receive an added cabin bonus for first class, business class and premium economy fares.
The American Airlines partners page can tell you everything you need to know about earning miles with each oneworld partner. Be aware that this changes frequently, so you should check back before you book to find out how many miles you can expect to earn.
Another way to earn points for your everyday purchases is to sign up for AAdvantage Dining. This program allows you to earn miles for every qualifying purchase you make at an affiliated restaurant. You can check for restaurants in your area at the AAdvantage Dining website.
To join AAdvantage Dining, all you have to do is sign up for an account and link your debit and credit cards. Occasionally, new AAdvantage Dining members can earn a bonus of 500 miles when they complete an eligible transaction within the first 30 days.
You’ll automatically earn miles each time you spend at an eligible restaurant at the following rate:
On top of the miles earned based on the total spent on your meal, you can earn an additional 150 bonus miles when you complete a reservation booked through AAdvantage Dining. Members can earn this bonus up to eight times per month, which would be an additional 1,200 miles each month.
AAdvantage members can get extra miles for online shopping by making purchases through the AAdvantage eShopping portal. Through the portal, you can shop at hundreds of hotels, booking companies, clothing companies and other retailers, earning miles on each purchase. There are also one-time bonus offers that reward you with a few thousand miles for making a purchase at a select retailer.
During the holidays and other peak shopping periods, you may earn additional miles based on your total spending through the portal.
If you want to earn miles for shopping without going to the portal, you can install the American Airlines browser extension. The extension will automatically alert you when there are miles available on a website
You can also rack up miles when you book other types of travel with American Airlines. Partners include select rental car partners and hotel brands like Hertz, Avis, Hyatt, Marriott and Best Western.
The number of miles varies depending on the travel you book, but it’s possible to earn up to 500 miles or more per car rental or 500 miles or more per hotel stay.
You can book entire vacation packages through American Airlines, and you’ll earn bonus miles and Loyalty Points when you do. The deals change all the time, but you could earn 20,000 miles (or more) for purchasing a vacation package with hotel and airfare included. You can frequently score special discounts or upgrades in these packages, so make sure to check them often.
If you’re looking for a beach getaway this winter, you could book a stay at the all-inclusive JOIA Rose Hall by Iberostar. Perks can include up to $800 in resort credits, guaranteed late checkout and a complimentary 30-minute express massage.
You can earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points when you book select cruises through the American AAdvantage program. All the major cruise lines are available, including brands like Carnival and Royal Caribbean.
Buying miles should be a last resort option, as purchased miles are often priced unfavorably.
On the American Airlines website, you can buy up to 150,000 miles. Keep in mind that they don’t come cheap: The going rate for 10,000 miles is $338.63 (3.39 cents per mile), including the current 10% discount. American Airlines does occasionally run promotions on buying points, where you can buy miles at a discount or get bonus miles with your purchase. If you are looking to buy American Airlines miles, try to time your purchase for one of these promotion periods.
The American Airlines Mileage Multiplier — American’s site for buying AAdvantage miles as part of purchasing a trip — may be a good deal only if you need to earn AA miles fast for an upcoming trip. The Mileage Multiplier is available only when you fly American and American Eagle, and it can allow you to earn double or triple miles for your trip. Each extra mile that you purchase through the Mileage Multiplier will cost you about 3 cents plus a U.S. federal excise tax of 7.5% (subject to change).
If you want to add the Mileage Multiplier to a flight, you can choose the Mileage Multiplier option when you:
If you’ve already checked in, you can still add Mileage Multiplier prior to your flight departure time. To do this, you can either go to an airport kiosk to reprint your boarding pass or you can log into your account at AA.com, click “My reservations” and choose the Mileage Multiplier option.
American Airlines bonus miles purchased through Mileage Multiplier should post rather quickly and may even hit your account before your plane touches down. However, it may take up to 48 hours.
It’s important to note, though, that bonus miles purchased through Mileage Multiplier won’t count toward AA elite status qualification and can’t be transferred to a family member or friend.
American Airlines has a number of partners that can help you earn miles. These companies offer goods and services in a range of categories, including business products, financial services, home, health and even charities. You can earn anywhere from a few hundred miles for taking a survey to tens of thousands of miles for buying a house.
Here are a few more ways to pump up the balance in your AAdvantage account:
Of course, it only makes sense to buy or sign up for a product or service if it actually will benefit you. But if you’re in the market for one of these items or already thinking of making a purchase anyway, it may make sense to rack up AAdvantage miles at the same time.
Once you’ve accumulated AAdvantage miles, you can use them on award travel, upgrades, lounge access, vacation packages and Main cabin seat selection. You can also use your miles to book hotels, car rentals and experiences, or donate them to important causes and nonprofit organizations.
One of the most valuable options for redeeming miles is to book a flight on American Airlines. When searching for flights on AA.com, simply check the box to “redeem miles” to use miles instead of cash for your trip.
While American Airlines no longer has a published fixed award chart, you can book domestic flights for as little as 7,500 miles. Similar to cash bookings, the number of miles needed to book an award flight changes depending on time of year, cabin and destination.
Since American Airlines now uses dynamic pricing, the number of miles for a flight varies depending on time of year, cabin and destination. American does have somewhat of an award chart, but lists the prices on its award chart as “starting from.” Examples include:
However, it’s not uncommon for the actual cost in miles to be several times those amounts, depending on where and when you’re looking to fly. It’s also possible to see domestic economy flights as low as 6,000 miles one way.
To redeem American miles on a partner airline, you can’t actually transfer your miles from AAdvantage to that partner. Rather, you redeem your miles through the American Airlines AAdvantage program for a flight on the partner airline.
Not all partners are searchable on AA.com, so you may need to search the partner site to find the flight, then call the American Airlines AAdvantage customer service number at 800-433-7300 to book. Using AA miles to book on partner airlines can be a good source to find outstanding value for your miles.
On most American Airlines flights, you can use your miles to move up to the next cabin. However, American Airlines upgrades may or may not be a good value depending on the itinerary you book and the normal cash price. Here is the cost to upgrade with miles:
Make sure to compare the full cash price of a flight and the cost of upgrading later before you select this option.
Let’s say you live in Los Angeles and want to visit your friend in New York. You pay cash for a Discount Economy ticket, but since the flight is more than five hours, you consider upgrading to a Premium Economy ticket for extra legroom. This upgrade will cost 15,000 miles and $75.
In 2023, American replaced its three metrics for earning status (EQDs, EQMs, EQSs) with a single metric: Loyalty Points. You can earn Loyalty Points in a variety of ways:
This is a simpler system for earning elite status, but you may have to spend quite a bit more to earn the same level of status.
For example, previously you needed 20,000 Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) to earn Gold elite status. Now you’ll need double the Loyalty Points (and potentially double the spending) to earn the same status.
Here is how many Loyalty Points you’ll need to qualify for each level of AAdvantage status.
| American AAdvantage Status Qualifications | Gold | Platinum | Platinum Pro | Executive Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loyalty Points (LPs) | 40,000 | 75,000 | 125,000 | 200,000 |
The level of benefits you receive from American Airlines elite status vary depending on how high you climb on the elite status ladder. Obviously, Gold benefits are less substantial than perks for Executive Platinum elites, but all American Airlines status levels come with some incentives. Here are the main perks of status you can expect with each tier:
| Basic member | Gold | Platinum | Platinum Pro | Executive Platinum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miles earned per $1 spent on flights | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 |
| Free checked bags | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Same-day flight change fees | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Upgrades confirmed before departure as early as | N/A | 24 hours | 48 hours | 72 hours | 100 hours |
| Free Main Cabin Extra and Preferred seats | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Airport lounge access (when flying internationally) | No | No | Business Class and frequent flier lounges | First and Business Class and frequent flier lounges | First and Business Class and frequent flier lounges |
American Airlines does not generally offer a status match to other airlines. However, they do occasionally offer status challenges.
The challenge may allow you to temporarily match your existing status with another airline or encourage you to reach a higher level of status. With a status challenge, you usually will have to fly a certain number of flights with American in a specified period of time. These status challenges are often targeted, so check your emails to see if you are offered one.
Yes, the American Airlines AAdvantage program is free to join.
Yes, American AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months of inactivity on your account. So make sure to have at least some amount of earning or redeeming miles within that period to keep your account active. If you have an American Airlines credit card, your miles won’t expire as long as your account remains open.
Yes, you can transfer AAdvantage miles from one account to another, but it comes with a cost. It costs $5 per 1,000 miles to transfer AAdvantage miles to another account.
You can add a past flight to your AAdvantage account on American’s website as long as it’s been at least three days since your flight. To request flight credits, submit your AAdvantage number and the 13-digit ticket number from your flight.
The information related to the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®, American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card, Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® and Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
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