You can now earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points by booking event tickets
You're in luck if you're considering purchasing tickets to sporting events, concerts or theater performances. American Airlines has introduced yet another way for AAdvantage members to earn miles and Loyalty Points.
You can buy U.S. and Canadian Ticketmaster tickets with AAdvantage Events to earn 1 AAdvantage mile and 1 Loyalty Point toward status per dollar spent.
Here's a closer look at how you can use AAdvantage Events to book ticketed events while earning miles and Loyalty Points.
Earn AA miles on Ticketmaster purchases
The new AAdvantage Events site functions like an online shopping portal for Ticketmaster purchases. However, instead of using AAdvantage eShopping, you'd navigate directly to the AAdvantage Events page.
From there, you can search for your desired event or simply explore all events in a given city.
When we looked at "Hamilton" tickets in New York City, we found the tickets cost the same whether you book through AAdvantage Events or directly on Ticketmaster's website.
The difference, however, is that if you book your tickets with AAdvantage Events, you'll earn 1 AAdvantage mile and Loyalty Point per base dollar spent on your tickets. For this order of two "Hamilton" tickets, you'd earn 298 miles, worth around $5 at TPG's valuations. While that's a nominal return, it's an added bonus.
Alternatively, you can earn American Express Membership Rewards points by initiating your Ticketmaster purchase through Rakuten.
For the same "Hamilton" order, you could earn 298 Membership Rewards points through Rakuten, which we value at around $6.
Ultimately, this is a nice option for American loyalists who previously went directly to Ticketmaster for live events, as you can now earn miles and Loyalty Points on these transactions. Just be sure you're not missing out on a better return with a different shopping portal.
Related: 8 apps and websites that make award redemptions easier
Bottom line
AAdvantage Events can be a convenient way to earn extra rewards on event tickets. An American spokesperson confirmed that you won't earn the 20% or 30% Loyalty Point Rewards bonus on AAdvantage Events if you've passed 60,000 or 100,000 Loyalty Points, respectively.
American also informed us that in the next phase of AAdvantage Events, members will be able to redeem miles for any of Ticketmaster's events.
If you're considering buying event tickets, you might want to book through AAdvantage Events to earn additional rewards.
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| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
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