American Airlines miles will no longer expire for members under 21
American Airlines announced a positive change for its youngest AAdvantage members on Tuesday. Starting July 1, AAdvantage members under age 21 will be exempt from mileage expiration.
"This change makes retaining miles easier for members who may have fewer opportunities to earn miles," the airline told TPG.
For more TPG news and deals delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Once a member turns 21, the program's 18-month activity requirement will take effect.
American tells TPG that on a member's 21st birthday, the 18-month expiration policy will begin to apply. That means the earliest your miles would expire is at age 22.5. AAdvantage members who are younger than 21 whose miles have expired on or after Jan. 1, 2020, may reactivate their miles by calling AAdvantage customer service.
AAdvantage miles usually expire after 18 months of no activity, meaning that a user hasn't earned or redeemed miles in this time frame.
American in April announced that that it would extend AAdvantage mileage expiration for miles set to expire to July 1, 2020 — the latest announcement related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
But if you haven't used your American account in a while, there are several ways you can keep your AAdvantage miles active without flying. Spending on an American Airlines co-branded credit card, shopping through the AAdvantage shopping portal, donating to charity or earning miles with Bask Bank are all ways to keep your miles from expiring.
Another free way to keep your miles active is by commenting on a post on the AwardWallet blog. All you need to do is link your AAdvantage account to your AwardWallet account, and use that AwardWallet account when commenting on a post on their blog. Each comment earns five American Airlines miles.
Remember to put your birthdate into AAdvantage, as miles will still expire after 18 months in AAdvantage accounts without it.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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
- Top rated mobile app