American Airlines Extends Bonus Miles for Business & First Class Flights
In 2015, American Airlines rolled out a program to incentivize business and first class travel by offering between 250-12,000 bonus points per segment. Good news! AA has extended the program into 2016 and will keep it in place "until the changes to earning award miles go into effect in the second half of 2016" — the exact date of which still hasn't been announced.
Earning Rates
This offer is best for AA Executive Platinum elites, who'll earn between 500-12,000 bonus points per segment — depending on the fare class and length of flight. Meanwhile, AA Platinum, Gold and general members are all treated the same for this promo, earning between 250-6,000 bonus points per segment.
The largest bonus is for AA Executive Platinum members booked into F, A, P, J, R or D fare class on flights over 3,000 miles (JFK-SFO and JFK-LAX are specifically included). Each of these segments will earn 12,000 bonus miles, which equates to $204 in value based on TPG's current valuation of 1.7 cents per mile. If you're not "ExPlat," these segments will each earn 6,000 bonus miles (worth ~$102).
Benefits
- These bonus miles are in addition to the base miles, class of service bonus miles and elite status bonus miles you'd otherwise earn.
- No registration is necessary for this promotion. American Airlines will automatically credit you these bonus miles after you fly.
Limitations
- You must book into first or business class; upgrades into first/business class don't earn bonus miles.
- The flight must be an American Airlines-marketed flights, which means you should make sure the flight is sold as an AA flight number.
- In addition, the flight must be operated by American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, Japan Airlines or Qantas to qualify for the bonus.
- As can be expected, bonus miles don't count toward elite status qualification or AAdvantage Million Miler status.
Example itinerary
Right now, you can book New York LaGuardia (LGA) to Dallas (DFW) for $398 round-trip in first class. This flight books into P class and the distance between these airports is 1,389 miles. So, it counts as a short/medium flight earning the larger bonus. Flyers would get a 500-mile bonus for each leg — or 1,000-mile bonus for Executive Platinum elites.
Let's break down the earnings:
| Standard | Gold | Platinum | ExPlat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Base Miles | 1,389 | 1,389 | 1,389 | 1,389 |
Class of Service Bonus | 695 | 695 | 695 | 695 |
Elite Bonus | -- | 347 | 1,389 | 1,389 |
Additional Bonus Miles | 500 | 500 | 500 | 1,000 |
One-way Miles | 2,584 | 2,931 | 3,973 | 4,473 |
Round-trip Miles | 5,167 | 5,862 | 7,945 | 8,945 |
Value of Miles | $ 87.84 | $ 99.65 | $ 135.07 | $ 152.07 |
While this is no mileage-run material, you can see that you can get a significant number of miles from the class of service bonus and this extended first & business class bonus.
Will this incentivize you to book upcoming travel in American Airlines first or business class?
[card card-name='Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card' card-id='22125056' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.