Get double bonus American AAdvantage miles with this limited-time cruise offer

American Airlines fans, take note: You can get some serious bonus miles this week by booking a cruise.

On Monday, American Airlines Cruises launched a new promotion offering customers 2 American Airlines AAdvantage miles for every dollar spent on a cruise fare (the base rate before taxes and fees). That's twice the normal offer of 1 mile for every dollar spent.

For example, if you spend $10,000 on a cruise fare during the promotion, you can earn 20,000 AAdvantage miles.

That's a solid number of AAdvantage miles. As of TPG's August 2024 valuations, AAdvantage miles are worth 1.7 cents each, meaning 20,000 miles would get you $340 in value.

Or, to look at it another way, that 20,000 miles could get you two free flights in the contiguous U.S. and Canada when booking an award ticket at the AAdvantage program's lowest award rate of 7,500 miles per ticket — with miles left over.

An opportunity to double dip

Notably, you can combine the double miles offer with another promotion that American Airlines Cruises is running, which can bring additional miles for customers who book a balcony cabin or suite using an American Airlines AAdvantage credit card.

As is always the case when booking through American Airlines Cruises, you can get 1 additional AAdvantage mile for every dollar spent on a cruise using an American Airlines AAdvantage card. But through the end of August, you can earn an additional 2 AAdvantage miles for every dollar spent on a cruise using an American Airlines AAdvantage card when booking a balcony cabin or suite.

The credit card bonus miles offer is available on select cruises on ships operated by Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and three other large brands.

Combine the two promotions, and you can score up to 5 miles for every dollar spent on a cruise fare. That'd be 50,000 AAdvantage miles for a $10,000 cruise.

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Note that you must act fast to get the bonus miles. The double mileage offer is only available through Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. It applies to new bookings for cruises scheduled to take place between now and Dec. 31, 2025.

Details of the bonus miles offer

Among the caveats of the new double miles offer: Bonus miles are earned per cabin and are awarded to only one passenger per cruise booking. To qualify, customers must book through the American Airlines Cruises portal.

Related: How to book a cruise using points and miles

Also, the number of miles customers earn from the promotion is based on the total cruise purchase price, excluding port charges, port expenses, taxes and insurance.

The fine print also states that:

• There is no limit to how many miles you can earn.
• You must provide your American Airlines AAdvantage number prior to embarkation.
• Miles are posted to the member's account six to eight weeks after the cruise ends.
• Cruises must be paid in U.S. currency.
• AAdvantage members will earn Loyalty Points for base miles earned when booking at American Airlines Cruises but not for bonus miles earned during the promotion.

Which credit card should I use to book?

You can maximize your purchase by using an American Airlines AAdvantage credit card, such as the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees). As noted above, it'll earn you additional bonus miles when booking a cruise through American Airlines Cruises. As a welcome offer, this card is currently offering 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $7,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.

If you don't have an American Airlines card, it's best to use a card that earns bonus points on cruises. A good option is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which earns 2 points per dollar spent on travel, including cruises. As a sign-on bonus, you can also earn 75,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
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• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• 15 best cruise ships for people who never want to grow up
• What to pack for your first cruise