American Airlines, established in 1930, is one of America’s most well-known airline brands. In 2015, it merged with US Airways to become the world’s largest carrier in terms of destinations served, revenue and fleet size.
Based in Dallas – Fort Worth, American Airlines also operates hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. It serves hundreds of cities across dozens of countries and operates thousands of flights per day.
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If American Airlines flies from your home airport, you’ll want to take a closer look at its frequent flyer program, typically regarded as one of the best frequent flyer programs for earning & redeeming points/miles. American Airlines AAdvantage makes it easy for a wide range of travelers – from the frequent flyer to the occasional vacationer – to score free flights.
| Personal Credit Cards | The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp℠Mastercard® AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard |
| Business Credit Cards | CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard |
| Redemption Options | American Airlines flights Partner flights Seat upgrades Hotel & car awards Vacation packages Admirals Club memberships Magazines & newspapers Gift cards LifeLock memberships Transfer/gift miles Charitable donations |
| Average Mile Value | $0.014 |
CITI® / AADVANTAGE® EXECUTIVE WORLD ELITE MASTERCARD®
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has a 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles offer. Make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening to earn this bonus. See our valuation of AAdvantage miles are worth. You’ll easily receive at least $500 in value from these bonus miles.
The card earns 2 AAdvantage miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile for every $1 spent on other purchases.
You’ll receive expected perks like no foreign transaction fees and your first checked bag for free on domestic American Airlines flights. Up to 8 companions traveling with you on the same reservation will also receive this free checked bag perk.
The main reasons travelers choose this $450 annual fee card are:
- Complimentary Admirals Club lounge access
- 10,000 AAdvantage Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) after you spend $40,000 in purchases within the year
AAdvantage Elite Status
A basic AAdvantage membership will allow you to earn miles, and that’s about it. The sweet VIP benefits only come when you earn elite status.
Elite Status Qualification
There are two ways to qualify for elite status during the calendar year:
- Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) + Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs)
- Elite Qualifying Segments (EQSs) + Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs)
Elite Qualifying Miles. EQMs are the actual miles you fly on American Airlines and its Oneworld partners. It’s calculated by multiplying the mileage of the flight by fare class.
Elite Qualifying Dollars. EQDs are earned based on how much you spend on American Airlines and Oneworld partner tickets. The number fluctuates based on class of service and partner restrictions.
Elite Qualifying Segments. EQSs count how many takeoff-to-landing flight segments you take. For example, a non-stop flight from San Francisco to Miami would earn one EQS. But a flight from San Francisco to Miami with a layover in Dallas would earn two EQSs.
Elite status qualifications for 2021:
| Tier | EQMs | EQSs | EQDs |
| Gold | 20,000 | 20 | $2,000 |
| Platinum | 40,000 | 45 | $4,500 |
| Platinum Pro | 60,000 | 70 | $7,000 |
| Executive Platinum | 80,000 | 95 | $12,000 |
Elite Status Benefits
| Benefits | Gold | Platinum | Platinum Pro | Executive Platinum |
| Mileage bonus | 40% | 60% | 80% | 120% |
| Upgrades for flights less than 500 miles | Free Automatic | Free Automatic | Free Automatic | Free Automatic |
| Upgrades for flights more than 500 miles | For purchase or use miles | For purchase or use miles | Free Automatic | Free Automatic |
| Upgrades confirmed (before departure) | 24 hours | 48 hours | 72 hours | 100 hours |
| Priority seating (Preferred seats) | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Priority seating (Main Cabin Extra) | 50% discount | Free | Free | Free |
| Free checked bags | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
For all AAdvantage elite status benefits, click here.
Earning AAdvantage Miles: Co-Branded Credit Cards
Because of its merger with U.S. Airways, American Airlines has two different credit card issuers: Citi and Barclaycard. Below you’ll find more information on the four personal credit cards that earn AAdvantage miles.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®:
| Welcome Bonus | Get 50k miles when you spend $5k in 3 months. |
| Bonus Value | $700 |
| Ongoing Rewards | 2x miles on AA purchases 1x miles on all other purchases |
| Spend Bonus | Get 10k EQMs when you spend $40k in one year. |
| Annual Fee | $450 |
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®:
| Welcome Bonus | Get 50k miles when you spend $2.5k in 3 months. |
| Bonus Value | $700 |
| Ongoing Rewards | 2x miles on AA purchases 2x miles on dining purchases 2x miles at gas stations 1x miles on all other purchases |
| Spend Bonus | Get $125 for an AA flight when you spend $20k in one year. |
| Annual Fee | $99, waived your first year. |
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp℠Mastercard®:
| Welcome Bonus | Get 10k miles + $50 when you spend $500 in 3 months. |
| Bonus Value | $190 |
| Ongoing Rewards | 2x miles on AA purchases 2x miles on groceries 1x miles on all other purchases |
| Spend Bonus | None |
| Annual Fee | $0 |
AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard:
| Welcome Bonus | Get 50k miles when you make 1 purchase in 90 days. |
| Bonus Value | $700 |
| Ongoing Rewards | 2x miles on AA purchases 1x miles on all other purchases |
| Spend Bonus | Get a Companion Certificate when you spend $20k within one year. |
| Annual Fee | $99 |
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®:
| Welcome Bonus | Get 65k miles when you spend $4k in 4 months. |
| Bonus Value | $840 |
| Ongoing Rewards | 2x miles on AA purchases 2x on car rentals 2x at gas stations 2x on cable & satellite 2x on telecommunications 1x on everything else |
| Anniversary Bonus | Get a Companion Certificate when you spend $30k. |
| Annual Fee | $99, waived your first 12 months. |
AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard:
| Welcome Bonus | Get 65k miles when you spend $1k in 90 days. Get another 10k miles with your first employee card purchase. |
| Bonus Value | $1,050 |
| Ongoing Rewards | 2x miles on AA purchases 2x miles on car rentals 2x miles on office supplies 2x miles on telecommunications 1x miles on all other purchases |
| Anniversary Bonus | Get a 5% mileage bonus + $3k EQDs when you spend $25k. Get a Companion Certificate when you spend $30k. |
| Annual Fee | $95 |
Earning AAdvantage Miles: Other Ways
Earn AAdvantage miles by flying with American Airlines. How many miles you’ll get depends on how much you spent. If you have elite status, you’ll earn bonus miles for your trip.
| Status | Bonus Rate | Miles Earned |
| Basic | None | 5x miles |
| Gold | 40% | 7x miles |
| Platinum | 60% | 8x miles |
| Platinum Pro | 80% | 9x miles |
| Executive Platinum | 120% | 11x miles |
Earn AAdvantage miles by flying on Oneworld and other partner airlines. The number of miles you’ll earn depends on fare class and varies from partner to partner. Keep in mind, not all routes and flights qualify.
Oneworld airline partners include:
| American Airlines | British Airways | Alaska Airlines |
| Cathay Pacific | Finnair | Japan Airlines |
| Malaysia Airlines | Qantas | Qatar |
| Iberia | Royal Air Maroc | Royal Jordanian |
| S7 Airlines | SriLankan Airlines |
Other airline partners include:
For more details, go to the American Airlines partner airline page.
Earn AAdvantage miles when you stay with the following American Airlines hotel partners:
| HOTEL PARTNER | MILES EARNED |
| Hyatt | 500 miles each qualified stay |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 2x miles on qualifying charges |
| InterContinental Hotels | 2x miles on qualifying charges |
| Rocketmiles | Up to 10,000 miles per night |
*Miles earned from hotel partners are subject to change. Click here to find up-to-date information.
Earn AAdvantage miles when you rent from the following American Airlines car rental partners:
| CAR RENTAL PARTNER | MILES EARNED |
| Avis/Budget | 500 miles – AAdvantage® members 750 miles – Citi® / AAdvantage® cardholders and AAdvantage® Aviator® MasterCard® cardholders 1,000 miles – Platinum Pro, Platinum and Gold members 1,250 miles – Executive Platinum members |
| Payless | 500 miles per rental |
| Alamo | 50 miles per rental day |
| National | 50 miles per rental day |
| Dollar | 50 miles per rental day |
| Hertz | 1x miles + special savings on base rate |
*Miles earned from car rental partners are subject to change. Click here to find up-to-date information.
Earn AAdvantage miles when you make purchases with various other partners such FTD flowers & gifts, Vinessse Wines, NRG home energy supplier, and others. These promotions change frequently so check here for the latest bonus offers.
Earn AAdvantage miles when you shop at 950 stores via the AAdvantage eShopping mall. Save while you earn when you search for coupon codes, seasonal sales and free shipping deals.
To maximize your earning potential, read our complete guide to online shopping portals.
Earn up to 5x AAdvantage miles when you dine at one of 11,000+ participating AAdvantage Dining restaurant, club or bar. Plus, earn 1,000 bonus miles by spending $25 in your first 30 days as a member.
To maximize your earning potential, read our complete guide to dining programs.
In general, we recommend you avoid purchasing AAdvantage miles, because it’s an expensive way to “earn” them. Rates start at $29.50 for 1,000 miles, which means each AAdvantage mile will cost you $0.0295. That’s much more than their average redemption value of $0.014.
Redeeming AAdvantage Miles
AAdvantage miles expire after 18 months of inactivity. Earn or burn miles regularly to reset the clock.
Choose from three kinds of American Airlines award redemptions:
MileSAAver awards. These super deals go for as little as 7,500 miles on one-way trips in North America. They’re available for all classes, but first and business class seats require more miles than economy ones. MileSAAver awards change from time to time with limited seats available on a given flight.
AAnytime awards. These awards are available for most flights and are much more expensive than MileSAAver awards. A 7,500-mile MileSAAver seat can cost as much as 40,000 for an AAnytime seat.
Economy Web Special awards. Offered on select flights and dates for fewer miles than MileSAAver seats, but only for Main Cabin travel. Keep in mind, these tickets do not allow any changes. You can cancel and get your miles back, but fees will not be refunded (except for Executive Platinum members).
Check out the AAdvantage flight award chart for more details.
You can use your AAdvantage miles for flights with the following American Airlines partners:
Have a look at Oneworld and partner award charts.
Use your AAdvantage miles to upgrade to first or business class on American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia. If you hold AAdvantage elite status, you can upgrade for free or for just 500 miles.
Use your AAdvantage miles for an Admirals Club annual membership. Rates depend on membership type as well as your AAdvantage status.
| Individual (new) Individual (renew) | Household (new) Household (renew) | |
| Basic | 65,000 miles 60,000 miles | 125,000 miles 120,000 miles |
| Gold | 62,500 miles 57,500 miles | 122,500 miles 117,500 miles |
| Platinum | 60,000 miles 55,000 miles | 120,000 miles 115,000 miles |
| Platinum Pro | 57,500 miles 52,500 miles | 117,500 miles 112,500 miles |
| Executive Platinum | 55,000 miles 50,000 miles | 115,000 miles 110,000 miles |
*Click here for the latest annual membership cost in miles or dollars.
Hotel & car awards. Use your AAdvantage miles for hotel stays at more than 150,000 properties and car rentals in over 500 destinations worldwide. You can pay in miles or a combination of cash and miles (with as little as 1,000 miles).
Vacation packages. Redeem as little as 1,000 miles to pay for the non-flight (hotel and resort stays, car rentals, transfers, tours and activities) portion of your vacation package.
Transfer miles. You can transfer your AAdvantage miles – up to 200,000 miles per calendar year – but it’ll cost you $15 per transfer.
Gift miles. We recommend you “gift” your miles instead. There’s no fee to transfer your miles this way, but you are limited to gifting up to 150,000 AAdvantage miles per calendar year.
Other options. Use your AAdvantage miles for magazine and newspaper subscriptions, gift cards, and charitable donations.
AAdvantage Tips & Tricks
International flights. Find great value for your AAdvantage miles on international flights, especially if you fly in First or Business Class. In Economy, you’ll get an average of $0.05 per mile. So expect at least that much – and more – for higher-class fares.
Domestic flights. We value each AAdvantage mile at $0.01 for domestic flights. So anytime you can surpass that number, it’s a good redemption. We’ve seen great deals on transcontinental award flights between New York and the West Coast.
Partner awards. Our favorite AAdvantage partners include Aer Lingus, Finnair and Iberia (57,500 miles to Europe on Business), Etihad and Royal Jordanian (70,000 miles to the Middle East on Business), as well as Air Tahiti Nui, Fiji Airways and Hawaiian Airlines.
Reduced Mileage awards. These limited-time monthly deals for domestic flights are incredibly cheap. Reduced Mileage awards give you 2,500 to 3,750 miles off one-way travel, but only if you hold the following credit cards: The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® and CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®.
The number of seats for MileSAAver awards are few and far between. To easily see availability, use the Award Map tool. Simply enter your origin, dates and the number of miles you wish to spend. The tool will come up with a map showing all the destination options that fit your criteria.
If you found award availability you would like to book, but you’re not quite ready yet, AAdvantage will let you hold AA and most partner award flights for five days. Held flights must be more than two weeks from departure.
As long as your origin and destination remain the same, you can change your date, time, routing and airline without having to pay any fees. If you’re sure that you’re going to a destination, go ahead and book your spot. You can adjust your dates later if your plans change.
Bottom Line
The American Airlines AAdvantage program offers a solid option for both avid jetsetters and the occasional traveler. With an AAdvantage credit card, and plenty of other ways to earn bonus miles, you’ll stack up enough rewards for a free flight in no time.
AAdvantage miles are flexible, thanks to plenty of airline partners that also offer award flights. And at an average of $0.014 per mile – much more if you follow our tips and tricks above – you’ll be rewarded handsomely for your loyalty.
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