Your ultimate guide to American Airlines AAdvantage

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Dec. 09, 2024

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20 min read

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Editor's Note

This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

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American Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the world, and its AAdvantage loyalty program is popular with many travelers.

While the AAdvantage program has seen some changes over the last few years, including removing published award charts and introducing Loyalty Points as the metric by which you earn elite status, you can still get a ton of value from the program.

This value is why the AAdvantage program took home the title of Best U.S. Airline Loyalty Program at the 2024 TPG Awards, a data-driven honor for the first time ever. So, let's take a look at what you need to know about American Airlines AAdvantage.

American Airlines partners

American Airlines is part of the Oneworld alliance. American elite members get some perks when flying Oneworld airlines, but all AAdvantage members can earn and redeem miles when flying with the following Oneworld alliance airlines:

Alaska Airlines
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Fiji Airways (Oneworld Connect member; will likely join as a full member in 2025)
Finnair
Iberia
Japan Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Oman Air (will likely join as a full member in 2025)
Qantas
Qatar Airways
Royal Air Maroc
Royal Jordanian Airlines
SriLankan Airlines
S7 Airlines (currently suspended)

American AAdvantage also partners at various levels with a handful of airlines outside of Oneworld, including:

Aer Lingus
Air Tahiti Nui
Cape Air
China Southern Airlines
Etihad Airways
Gol Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
IndiGo
JetSmart

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However, some partners are more integrated with American AAdvantage than others, and you can't earn and redeem American miles on all flights with most partners. So, review the specific partner airline page for full details.

American AAdvantage member benefits

American AAdvantage elite status has four tiers with published qualification metrics — AAdvantage Gold, AAdvantage Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum Pro and AAdvantage Executive Platinum — plus an invite-only status tier called Concierge Key. You can earn American Airlines status when you accrue specific Loyalty Points during the 12-month qualification period that runs from the beginning of March to the end of February each year.

However, even if you don't earn elite status with American Airlines, you'll still get some perks just for being an AAdvantage member. For example, all AAdvantage members can board in Group 6 or earlier and stand by for an earlier flight operated by American Airlines or American Eagle at no charge when traveling within the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

How to earn Loyalty Points

Loyalty Points are the metric that AAdvantage members must accrue to earn elite status in the American AAdvantage program. Generally, every AAdvantage base mile you earn is also a Loyalty Point you earn. However, bonus AAdvantage miles don't get you Loyalty Points.

Here are some ways you can earn base miles that are Loyalty Point-eligible:

Flights marketed by American Airlines, other Oneworld airlines and Gol Airlines
Spending with eligible partners, including American Airlines Vacations, AAdvantage eShopping, AAdvantage Dining, SimplyMiles and AAdvantage Hotels
Eligible purchases using an AAdvantage credit card (not including accelerators)

Elite status requirements and benefits

Here's the number of Loyalty Points you must earn during the current qualification period — March 1, 2024, to Feb. 28, 2025 — for each American elite status tier:

AAdvantage Gold: 40,000 Loyalty Points
AAdvantage Platinum: 75,000 Loyalty Points
AAdvantage Platinum Pro: 125,000 Loyalty Points
AAdvantage Executive Platinum: 200,000 Loyalty Points

As an AAdvantage Gold member, you'll get a 40% mileage bonus, complimentary Main Cabin Extra seats at check-in, complimentary Preferred seats at booking, Priority check-in, Group 4 boarding and a first checked bag free for you and up to eight passengers traveling with you in the same reservation on itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines.

Meanwhile, AAdvantage Platinum members get a 60% mileage bonus, complimentary Preferred or Main Cabin Extra seats at booking, Group 3 boarding, Priority baggage handling and a first and second checked bag free for you and up to eight passengers traveling with you in the same reservation on itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines.

AAdvantage Platinum Pro members get an 80% mileage bonus, Group 2 boarding, free same-day flight changes and a first, second and third checked bag free for you and up to eight passengers traveling with you in the same reservation on itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines.

Finally, AAdvantage Executive Platinum members get a 120% mileage bonus, Group 1 boarding, complimentary food and drinks when traveling in the Main Cabin and guaranteed availability in the Main Cabin on sold-out American Airlines flights when they make their reservation at least 24 hours in advance.

All AAdvantage elite members have access to complimentary upgrades for themselves and up to one companion on the same flight when traveling within North America on American Airlines. AAdvantage elite members also have access to upgrades on Alaska Airlines when traveling in an eligible fare class. However, these upgrades are based on availability and often don't clear, even for top-tier AAdvantage Executive Platinum members.

AAdvantage elite members also get Oneworld status, which provides perks when flying on other Oneworld airlines. Specifically, AAdvantage Gold members get Oneworld Ruby, AAdvantage Platinum members get Oneworld Sapphire, and AAdvantage Platinum Pro and AAdvantage Executive Platinum members get Oneworld Emerald status.

Loyalty Point Rewards

As you earn Loyalty Points each qualification period, you'll earn Loyalty Point Rewards that are distinct from elite status tiers as you reach the following milestones:

15,000 Loyalty Points: Group 5 boarding and one choice of 1,000 Loyalty Points, five Preferred Seat coupons or Priority privileges, and Group 4 boarding for a trip
60,000 Loyalty Points: Avis Preferred Plus status and a 20% Loyalty Point bonus when you spend with American Airlines Vacations, SimplyMiles, AAdvantage eShopping, AAdvantage Dining and AAdvantage Hotels within six months after qualifying
100,000 Loyalty Points: Avis President's Club status and a 30% Loyalty Point bonus when you spend with American Airlines Vacations, SimplyMiles, AAdvantage eShopping, AAdvantage Dining and AAdvantage Hotels within six months after qualifying
175,000 Loyalty Points: One choice of 5,000 Loyalty Points, two systemwide upgrades, 20,000 bonus miles (25,000 bonus miles if you're an AAdvantage credit card member), six Admirals Club one-day passes, a $200 trip credit ($250 if you're an AAdvantage credit card member), offsetting your carbon emissions for the year, a $250 donation to select nonprofit organizations, two gifts of AAdvantage Gold status or 35,000 AAdvantage miles toward a Mastercard Priceless Experience
250,000 Loyalty Points: Two choices of 15,000 Loyalty Points, two systemwide upgrades, 20,000 bonus miles (30,000 bonus miles if you're an AAdvantage credit card member), six Admirals Club one-day passes, an Admirals Club membership (requires two choices), a $200 trip credit ($250 if you're an AAdvantage credit card member), offsetting your carbon emissions for the year, a $250 donation to select nonprofit organizations, two gifts of AAdvantage Gold status, a Bang & Olufsen product (requires two choices), one Flagship Lounge single visit pass (two Flagship Lounge single visit passes if you're an AAdvantage credit card member) or 35,000 AAdvantage miles toward a Mastercard Priceless Experience
400,000, 550,000 and 750,000 Loyalty Points: Two choices of one systemwide upgrade, 25,000 bonus miles, an Admirals Club membership (requires two choices), a $200 trip credit ($250 if you're an AAdvantage credit card member), offsetting your carbon emissions for the year, a gift of AAdvantage Platinum status, a Bang & Olufsen product (requires two choices), two Flagship Lounge single visit passes, one Flagship First Dining visit pass or 40,000 AAdvantage miles toward a Mastercard Priceless Experience
1,000,000 Loyalty Points: One choice of four systemwide upgrades, offsetting your carbon emissions for the year, a gift of AAdvantage Platinum Pro status, up to 100,000 miles back on award redemptions or 150,000 AAdvantage miles toward a Mastercard Priceless Experience
3,000,000 Loyalty Points: One choice of six systemwide upgrades, offsetting your carbon emissions for the year, a gift of AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, up to 300,000 miles back on award redemptions or 350,000 AAdvantage miles toward a Mastercard Priceless Experience
5,000,000 Loyalty Points: One choice of 10 systemwide upgrades, offsetting your carbon emissions for the year, a gift of AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, up to 500,000 miles back on award redemptions or 550,000 AAdvantage miles toward a Mastercard Priceless Experience

How to earn American miles

There are many ways to earn American miles. Below is a summary of the top ways.

Flights marketed by American Airlines and select partners

When you fly on a flight marketed by American Airlines, Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and JetSmart, you'll earn 5 base miles per dollar spent on the ticket (excluding government-imposed taxes and fees). However, basic economy fares only earn 2 base miles per dollar spent.

You'll earn more base miles with AAdvantage elite status. Specifically, here's how many base miles you'd earn with each status tier:

Member (no status): 5 base miles per dollar (2 base miles per dollar for basic economy fares)
AAdvantage Gold: 7 base miles per dollar (2.8 base miles per dollar for basic economy fares)
AAdvantage Platinum: 8 base miles per dollar (3.2 base miles per dollar for basic economy fares)
AAdvantage Platinum Pro: 9 base miles per dollar (3.6 base miles per dollar for basic economy fares)
AAdvantage Executive Platinum: 11 base miles per dollar (4.4 base miles per dollar for basic economy fares)

Flights marketed by other partner airlines

You can also earn AAdvantage miles on most flights marketed by American's partners. You'll usually earn miles based on the flight distance and the ticket fare class. Here's an example of the earning chart for Finnair-operated flights:

So, a traveler without AAdvantage status who flew on an E-fare class ticket booked through Finnair from Helsinki Airport (HEL) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) — which is 5,762 miles — would earn 5,762 base miles. However, a traveler with AAdvantage Platinum Pro status would earn 10,372 miles on this same ticket due to the 80% mileage bonus.

American Airlines credit cards

One of the easiest ways to earn miles is through American Airlines credit cards. Here's a look at the current welcome offers and earning rates on some popular American Airlines credit cards:

Card	Annual fee	Welcome offer	Earning rates
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®	$595 (see rates and fees)	70,000 bonus miles after spending $7,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening	10 miles per dollar spent on eligible hotels booked through aadvantagehotels.com and eligible car rentals booked through aa.com/cars 4 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases 1 mile per dollar spent on other purchases
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®	$99, fee waived for the first 12 months	50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening	2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases, restaurants and gas stations. 1 mile per dollar spent on other purchases
AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Red Mastercard®	$99	60,000 bonus miles after making your first purchase and paying the $99 annual fee in full, both within the first 90 days	2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases
AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Silver Mastercard®	$199	None, as this card is only accessible via a product change	3 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases 2 miles per dollar spent on hotels and car rentals 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®	None	15,000 bonus miles after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening	2 miles per dollar spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services, and on eligible American Airlines purchases 1 mile per dollar spent on other purchases
Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®	$99, fee waived for the first 12 months	75,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first five months of account opening	2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and at telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants, and gas stations 1 mile per dollar spent on other purchases

The information for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select, Aviator Red Mastercard, Aviator Silver Mastercard and AAdvantage MileUp Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Remember that the welcome offers and bonus category earnings won't get you Loyalty Points toward AAdvantage elite status. You'll only earn 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent on American Airlines cards. However, the following cards offer the possibility to earn more Loyalty Points when you reach specific thresholds:

Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard: Earn a 10,000 Loyalty Points bonus after reaching 50,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year; earn another 10,000 Loyalty Points bonus after reaching 90,000 Loyalty Points in the same status qualification year.
AAdvantage Aviator World Elite Silver Mastercard: Earn an additional 5,000 Loyalty Points after spending $20,000 on purchases made with the card account with a transaction date during the status qualification period; earn an additional 5,000 Loyalty Points during the same status qualification period after spending $40,000 on purchases with the card account; earn an additional 5,000 Loyalty Points during the same status qualification period after spending $50,000 on net purchases with the card account.

AAdvantage eShopping portal

When you click through the AAdvantage eShopping portal, you can earn American miles on your purchases with select online merchants.

Using the AAdvantage eShopping portal is simple: Log in using your normal American AAdvantage username and password, search for your desired merchant and then click through the portal to the merchant before you shop online.

SimplyMiles

American AAdvantage offers a program called SimplyMiles that allows you to earn miles when shopping online or in person with select merchants. Log into SimplyMiles using your normal American AAdvantage credentials, link one or more Mastercards to your profile and enroll in offers.

Then, when you use a linked Mastercard to make an eligible purchase at a merchant for which you've enrolled in an offer, you'll earn a set number of AAdvantage miles or a specific multiple of your purchase amount.

AAdvantage Dining

AAdvantage Dining lets you earn American miles when dining at participating local restaurants.

Log in to SimplyMiles using your normal American AAdvantage username and password, and link your favorite credit cards for dining. Once you do so, you'll automatically earn miles when you dine at participating restaurants and pay with a linked card.

AAdvantage travel partners

American Airlines partners with major car rental companies so its members can earn miles on car rentals. Check out AAdvantage's car rental partner page for information on partners and earning rates.

You can also earn AAdvantage miles on hotel stays. To do so, book your stay through the AAdvantage Hotels platform or book a qualifying stay with IHG, Marriott or Hyatt and add your AAdvantage number at booking or check-in. When you do so, you can earn as follows:

AAdvantage Hotels: Depends on the stay
Hyatt: 500 miles per stay
IHG: Up to 2 miles per dollar spent on qualifying charges
Marriott: Up to 2 miles per dollar spent on qualifying charges

Additionally, Hyatt and American loyalists can link accounts to earn more rewards. After linking accounts, AAdvantage elite members earn 1 mile per dollar spent on qualifying Hyatt stays and experiences. However, this method of earning American miles will end Dec. 31, 2024.

In addition to the hotel and rental car partners mentioned above, you can also earn miles when you book American Airlines Cruises and American Airlines Vacations.

Bask Bank

If you open a savings account with Bask Bank, you can elect to earn AAdvantage miles instead of cash as the interest on your account. Unfortunately, miles earned via Bask Bank do not count as Loyalty Points.

Buy miles

Finally, you can buy American Airlines miles. Watch for promotions that allow you to buy American miles with a bonus or discount.

How to redeem American miles

Redeeming American miles for flights usually provides the best value. TPG's December 2024 valuations estimate American miles to be worth 1.65 cents each, so try to get at least this value when redeeming miles. Here's a look at some of the best ways to redeem American miles.

Flights

American Airlines publishes award charts with starting rates. You'll find different charts for American- and partner-operated flights. However, the charts for American-operated award flights aren't all that helpful. After all, in practice, you'll find widely varying rates that change frequently based on your routing, when you book and when you're traveling.

The partner award charts are more useful. Although the charts list starting rates, you'll often find awards at the starting rates on many partners. For example, here are two award flights operated by Japan Airlines priced at the starting rates.

However, we're starting to see AAdvantage offer additional award availability with select partners at higher award rates. For example, the partner award chart says one-way economy awards between the U.S. and Fiji start at 40,000 miles (and business-class awards start at 80,000 miles), but you'll see much higher rates on some dates.

In short, the best way to determine how many miles an award itinerary will cost is to head to the American Airlines website or mobile app and do an award search. You can book award flights with little hesitation since you can cancel anytime before your first flight departs and redeposit your miles back into your account for free.

Upgrades

You can also redeem American miles for an upgrade to the next cabin of service. You can upgrade with miles on codeshare flights marketed by American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia and operated by any of the three carriers. You can also redeem American miles to upgrade select Qantas flights.

You can upgrade Qantas flights with miles online, but you'll need to call AAdvantage to upgrade other flights. Unless you use a tool like ExpertFlyer (owned by TPG's parent company, Red Ventures) to find upgrade availability, you may need to call repeatedly to check availability until either your flight departs or you luck into upgrade availability.

Only some fare classes are eligible, so check American's upgrade page for eligibility and pricing. For example, you could redeem 25,000 miles and pay $350 to upgrade from a discount economy or premium economy fare to business class on a one-way trip of up to three segments from North America to Europe, the Middle East or Africa.

Admirals Club membership

You can redeem American miles for an Admirals Club membership, but you'll only get 1 cent per mile when doing so. Here's a look at the mileage costs for an Admirals Club membership based on your American elite status tier:

Paying for a membership is a better value than redeeming American miles. However, the best deal is to get a complimentary Admirals Club membership as a benefit of the Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard.

Enhance with miles

As you reach different Loyalty Point tiers (the first is at 40,000 Loyalty Points) during a qualification period, you can use some of your miles to give someone else status for a day. For example, here are some of the options for giving someone else status for a day that you may see when reaching various Loyalty Point tiers.

Giving status for a day could be helpful if a friend or family member is flying with American Airlines but doesn't have status.

Bottom line

The American Airlines AAdvantage program is far from perfect, but if you know how to make it work and can be flexible when booking award flights, there's still plenty of value.

Having an American Airlines credit card has become increasingly important if you want to earn AAdvantage elite status. It's also worth using the AAdvantage eShopping portal and SimplyMiles, regardless of whether you're interested in earning American miles, trying to qualify for American Airlines elite status or both.

Featured image by ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.