American Airlines has become the latest airline to change its frequent flyer program, changing AAdvantage from awarding miles based on miles flown to based on the price paid for a ticket.
Top tips for getting the most out of your AAdvantage miles.
- Book online at AA.com – Earn AAdvantage miles every time you do.
- Sign up for promotions – Some promotions have bonus miles offered just for signing up, making a purchase, or at times you may be eligible to double or triple your usual miles for flying a certain route.
- Get a credit card to earn miles – If you get one of the Citi / AAdvantage cards, you can earn up to 15,000 bonus miles after your first purchase is made with the card.
- Stay in a hotel: American Airlines has 35 hotel partners around the world representing nearly 75 hotel brands. And the miles add up pretty fast – five miles for every dollar spent at more than 10,000 hotels in the United States and Canada.
- Rent a car – You can earn AAdvantage miles with eight major car rental agencies so you can drive and earn.
- Dine Out – You can earn up to 10 miles for every dollar spent while dining out. More than 10,000 restaurants in the United States and Canada participate, giving you miles to eat.
- Take a Vacation – AAdvantage members earn 1,000 AAdvantage bonus miles when booking through American Airlines Vacations.
- Financing – Partnerships with financial services, such as banks, financial services companies, real estate companies, and home financing services, mean multiple ways to earn miles. Members can earn miles for banking, investing, or selling a home.
- Go Shopping – You can earn miles at more than 90 brand name retailers.
- Donate – Earn miles for donating to nonprofits through American Airlines Giving.
Top 10 ways to use the miles you’ve earned
- Vacation Planning – Members can use as little as 500 miles to pay for planned vacations with AAVacations.com, including hotels, car rentals, and local activities.
- Off-Season Travel Awards – You can use fewer miles if you’re willing to travel less popular times that vary by destination.
- Short Jump Awards – These are not always available and appear more like a promotion that allows members to claim awards on trips of 750 miles or less with reduced mileage levels.
- Gift of Travel – You can use your miles to provide travel opportunities for family, friends, or even donate miles to various charities.
- Admirals Clubs: use your miles to use the lounge. AAdvantage miles can be redeemed for annual Admirals Club memberships and really kick back before your flights.
- Hotels – Starting at 500 AAdvantage miles, members can book vacation packages that include hotel stays, airport transfers and other features through AmericanAirlines Vacations.
- Magazines – You can redeem miles for some of your favorite magazines. Subscriptions start at 400 miles and can be set up online through Magazines for Miles.
- Savings for College: American Airlines has partnered with Upromise to save for college. AAdvantage members can now redeem frequent flyer miles for college savings and deposit them into their Upromise account.
- Shopping: Points.com allows AAdvantage members to exchange miles for gift certificates for purchases at many popular retailers and restaurants.
- Donate: You can donate your miles to various charities like the Make-a-Wish Foundation. When you make a donation to one of American’s partner organizations, you will earn additional AAdvantage miles.
