If you're a frequent flyer, chances are you've taken a few American Airlines (AA) flights. As the second-largest airline in the world, AA services flights to over 350 global destinations. With so many travel options, it's easy to earn miles with the airline's free rewards program.
We'll give you tips for earning the most miles, show you how you can redeem them, and give a few suggestions for maximizing their value.
Key Takeaways
- Earn miles and Loyalty Points for every flight you take with American Airlines and its partners.
- Miles best spent on flights, where each mile is worth 2.63 cents CAD on average.
- Redeem miles for free flights, fare class upgrades, hotels, rental cars, experiences, and airport lounge access.
- Accumulate Loyalty Points to gain status within the AAdvantage program.
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What is AAdvantage?
AAdvantage is the American Airlines loyalty reward program. As the second-largest airline in the world, American Airlines offers a wide selection of flights (and chances to earn reward miles). Participating in the program is easy – just sign up for a free account and begin earning AAdvantage miles with every qualifying flight you take.
You can redeem miles for flights, fare upgrades, hotels, cars, experiences, and more.
With every flight, you also earn Loyalty Points, which count toward your program status. Gain higher status levels for faster reward-earning rates and distinct perks and rewards.
AAdvantage overview
Currency: AAdvantage Miles, Loyalty Points
Redemption options: airport lounge access, cabin upgrades, car rentals, charity, experiences, flights, hotels, partner flights, and vacation packages
Pros:
- 25 partner airlines awarding reward miles
- 5 ways to earn points
- Plenty of redemption options
- 4 membership tiers with exclusive perks
- Miles worth up to 4.92 cents CAD each
Cons:
- No co-branded credit cards available in Canada
- Limited direct Reward Flight routes available to Canadians
- Limited ways to earn and redeem points for Canadians
How much are AAdvantage miles worth?
There are 9 ways to spend AAdvantage miles. When it comes to flights, the average value is 2.63 cents per mile (CPM).
Value of reward in CAD / cost in miles x 100 = value in cents per mile (CPM)
If you pick the right promotion (or the right dates), you could find an excellent deal. From best to worst, here's every way to spend your AAdvantage miles:
| Redemption option | Categories | Average value |
|---|---|---|
| Flights with American Airlines or partners | * American Airlines * Alaska Airlines * British Airlines * Cathay Pacific * Iberia * Qantas Airways * 14 other oneworld airlines | 2.63 CPM |
| Charity | * Miles for Global Health and Well-Being * Miles for Heroes * Miles for Our Planet * Miles for Social Good | 1.72 CPM |
| Experiences | * AAdvantage Events tickets * Mastercard priceless experiences | 1.26 CPM |
| Airport lounge access | * Annual pass * One-day pass | 1 CPM |
| Vacation packages | * Flight + car * Flight + hotel * Flight + hotel + car * Hotel + car | 1.38 CPM |
| Car rentals | * Alamo * Avis * Budget * Dollar * Enterprise * Hertz * National * Payless * Thrifty | 1.09 CPM |
| Hotels | * Pay with miles * Pay with cash + miles | 0.66 CPM |
How to earn AAdvantage miles
There are 5 ways that you can earn miles with the AAdvantage program.
Flights
American Airlines rewards its members with 5 reward miles for every $1 spent on an AA flight. This is considered the base earn rate, but once you achieve loyalty status, you'll earn miles at an even faster rate (more on that below).
You gain status by earning Loyalty Points for flying with American Airlines. For every 1 mile, you get 1 Loyalty Point.
For example, if you take a 1,000-mile flight with AA, you'll earn 5,000 miles and 1,000 Loyalty Points. Note that government taxes and fees don't count towards your reward miles.
Partner flights
AA is a member of the oneworld global airline alliance. You can earn both reward miles and Loyalty Points for the flights you take with 15 alliance members:
- Alaska Airlines
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Fiji Airways
- Finnair
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Oman Air
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian
- SriLankan Airlines
American Airlines also partners with global airlines that aren't oneworld alliance members. So, you can still earn miles for flying with:
- Aer Lingus
- Air Tahiti Nui
- Cape Air
- China Southern Airlines
- Etihad Airways
- Fiji Airways
- GOL Airlines
- IndiGo
- JetSmart
- Porter
Other travel
Your earning opportunities don't stop when you leave the airport. You can continue to earn miles and Loyalty Points by booking rental cars and hotels through AA. Link your AAdvantage account number to your World of Hyatt account, IHG account, or Marriott Bonvoy account, and watch your mileage add up!
You can also book hotels and car rentals around the world through the AA Hotels platform. Although you will earn miles and points, the amounts vary based on your status, travel details, and more.
AA partners with Avis and Budget, so you'll also enjoy hefty discounts on rental cars and earn double the miles and points.
Transfer reward points
If you've got a Diners Club or RBC credit card, you can transfer your reward points to AA miles. If you're a Diners Club member, you can redeem a minimum of 13,235 points for 10,000 AA miles (to a max of 661,752 points at a time).
RBC Elite cardholders can redeem RBC Avion reward points for miles at a rate of 7 miles for every 10 points.
Charitable donations
American Airlines supports the work of Stand Up to Cancer, an organization dedicated to funding promising new cancer treatments. When you donate, AA will give you 10 bonus miles for every $1 you give on a donation of $25 or more.
American Airlines elite status
As soon as you book your first AA or partner flight, you'll begin earning Loyalty Points that count towards elite status levels.
If you earn at least 15,000 Loyalty Points, you'll earn zone 5 boarding (out of a possible 9 boarding zones) and you can pick 1 reward for the year: 1,000 Loyalty Points, Priority privileges, and group 4 boarding for 1 trip, or 5 Preferred Seat coupons.
Here's how you earn status with AAdvantage and just some of the benefits you'll enjoy:
| Gold | Platinum | Platinum Pro | Executive Platinum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loyalty Points requirement | 40,000 | 75,000 | 125,000 | 200,000 |
| Advanced earn rate | 40% | 60% | 80% | 120% |
| Boarding zone | Priority check-in, zone 4 boarding | Priority check-in, zone 3 boarding | Priority check-in, zone 2 boarding | Priority check-in, zone 1 boarding |
| Free checked bags included | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Complimentary upgrades | 24-hour upgrade window | 48-hour upgrade window | 72-hour upgrade window | 100-hour upgrade window |
| oneworld alliance status | Ruby status | Sapphire status | Emerald status | Emerald status |
| Complimentary food and drinks | - | - | - | 1 snack and 1 alcoholic beverage |
The status qualification year begins March 1 and runs to the end of February the following year.
How to redeem AAdvantage miles
The AAdvantage program provides a total of 6 redemption options:
- Cabin upgrades
- Car rentals
- Flights
- Partner flights
- Vacation packages
- Hotels
Usually, using your miles for flights gets you the best value – but you have other redemption options to consider, which we've ordered from best to worst.
AA and partner flights
Average value: 2.63 CPM
Best option: One-way main fare operated by British Airways from Toronto to London in February for $530.78 CAD + 22,500 miles (4.92 CPM)
When you book with American Airlines, you use a platform that searches all oneworld alliance airline partners. Keep in mind that although we've listed reward flight charts below, these are simply minimum miles required for American Airlines and its partners; both use dynamic pricing when you actually book travel.
You can redeem miles for American Airlines flights online as soon as you collect at least 7,500 miles. The following flight award chart shows the starting prices for one-way trips to various destinations operated by American Airlines; you'll have to pay any government fees and taxes out of pocket:
| Destination | Main cabin starting at: | Premium economy starting at: | Business starting at: |
|---|---|---|---|
| The contiguous U.S. | 7,500 | - | 15,000 |
| Mexico, Caribbean, and Central America | 10,000 | - | 20,000 |
| South America (short haul) | 15,000 | - | 30,000 |
| Hawaii and Alaska | 20,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 |
| Europe | 25,000 | 50,000 | 75,000 |
| South America (long haul) | 30,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 |
| Asia, Middle East, South Pacific | 35,000 | 60,000 | 95,000 |
If you frequently book travel with an AA partner, take a look at the minimum number of miles you'll need:
| Destination | Main cabin (peak travel): | Premium economy starting at: | First class starting at: |
|---|---|---|---|
| The contiguous U.S. | 12,500 | 22,500 | 50,000 |
| Alaska | 15,000 | 25,000 | 55,000 |
| Hawaii | 22,500 | 50,000 | 80,000 |
| Mexico | 17,500 | - | 52,500 |
| Europe | 30,000 | 40,000 | 85,500 |
| Indian Subcontinent | 40,000 | 62,500 | 115,000 |
| Africa | 40,000 | 65,000 | 120,000 |
| Asia (region 1) | 35,000 | 50,000 | 80,000 |
We calculated the value of the most popular AA routes during peak and off-peak travel times operated by American Airlines and its partners, like British Airways. On average, members can get 2.55 CPM out of their miles when booking main fares or 2.72 CPM when booking Premium Economy fares.
If you're short on miles, AA allows you to purchase the miles you need to book your trip. Log into your AA account for exact rates and fees.
Charity
Average value: 1.72 CPM
Categories: Miles for Global Health and Well-Being, Miles for Heroes, Miles for Our Planet, Miles for Social Good
Best option: Any for about 1.72 CPM
AAdvantage members can donate their miles to 4 types of charities through Let Good Take Flight. Organizations such as the American Red Cross, Unicef, Make-A-Wish, Medal of Honor, and more receive mileage certificates to help them carry out their work, giving your miles at least as much value as a regular AA flight.
Note: AAdvantage miles donations are not tax deductible.
Experiences
Average value: 1.26 CPM
Categories: AAdvantage Events tickets
Best option: 1 general admission ticket to a Halifax Wanderers vs. Vancouver game for $36.80 CAD or 2,643 miles (1.39 CPM)
Through Ticketmaster, AAdvantage members can book standard and resale tickets to art, comedy, festival, family, theatre, concert, and sports events around the world. You can pay for your entire ticket in miles or pay cash and earn miles for your experience.
If you have a US-issued AAdvantage Mastercard credit card, you can also pay for Priceless Experiences with miles. They average about 1.72 CPM, providing better value than Ticketmaster – not to mention more excitement. Enjoy a private museum tour in Toronto, savour a massage in Los Angeles, or add your name to Miami's graffiti scene through the Priceless website.
Airport lounge access
Average value: 1 CPM
Categories: Annual pass, One-day pass
Best option: Any for 1 CPM
AAdvantage credit card discount: 100%
For unlimited complimentary snacks, drinks, and meals before your flight, you can purchase an annual or one-day pass to the American Airlines Admirals Club with miles. Either option yields 1 CPM, even if you get a membership status discount:
| Redemption option | Starting price (USD) | Starting price (miles) | CPM Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-day pass | $79 | 7,900 | 1 |
| Annual pass (individual) | $850 | 85,000 | 1 |
| Annual pass (individual renewal) | $800 | 80,000 | 1 |
| Annual pass (household) | $1,650 | 165,000 | 1 |
| Annual pass (household renewal) | $1,600 | 160,000 | 1 |
| Annual pass (individual with Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard) | Complimentary | N/A | N/A |
You can also find showers, fully equipped business centers, and travel assistance services at certain Admirals Clubs. If you or your household fly AA more than 10 – 20 times per year, it's a worthwhile purchase.
Vacation packages
Average value: 1.38 CPM
Categories: Flight + car, Flight + hotel, Flight + hotel + car, and Hotel + car
AAdvantage credit card discount: Up to 10%
Another AAdvantage redemption option is to bundle any two travel products together and redeem a minimum of 1,000 miles for a discount. You can only redeem miles on the non-flight portions of an AA vacation package, giving them a value somewhere between car rentals and hotels.
That said, every vacation package of flights + hotels we searched yielded a steady 1.38 CPM.
Rental cars
Average value: 1.09 CPM
Categories: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Payless, Hertz, National, and Thrifty
Best option: The lowest-priced cars for at least 1 CPM
AAdvantage credit card discount: Up to 30%
If you've got a flight and a hotel, you can add a rental car to get around your destination using the AAdvantage Cars platform. Rental vehicles are available at 9 agencies and over 500 locations worldwide.
Comparing rates for the 4 most popular American destinations (Miami, Orlando, Denver, and Los Angeles) gave us an average of 1.09 CPM. By choosing the lowest-priced result at each location, you can bump it up to 1.20 CPM.
Hotels
Average value: 0.66 CPM
Best option: 69,200 + $80 CAD for 2 nights for the lowest-priced hotel in Boston during off-peak season (0.75 CPM)
AAdvantage credit card discount: Up to 30%
Got some miles left over? Put 'em towards your next hotel stay. The AAdvantage Hotels platform lets you search and book over 400,000 hotels worldwide. When you search for a hotel, you have the option to pay entirely with miles or a combination of miles and cash.
Most bookings yield at least 0.5 CPM, but American Airlines credit cardholders with elite status (anything from Gold to Platinum Executive) can book hotels with 30% fewer miles. In practice, this discount adds about 16% more value.
AAdvantage rewards calculator
If you're unsure how to redeem your miles, it's useful to compare the value of each redemption option, especially since you have so many to choose from in the AAdvantage rewards program.
That's why we created a handy AAdvantage rewards calculator. Just enter the number of AAdvantage miles you have to instantly see how much value each redemption option gives you.
| Redemption Option | Point Value | Total Value |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | 2.6 cents | $260 |
| Charity | 1.72 cents | $172 |
| Vacation packages | 1.38 cents | $138 |
| Experiences | 1.26 cents | $126 |
| Car rentals | 1.09 cents | $109 |
| Airport lounge access | 1 cent | $100 |
| Hotels | 0.67 cents | $67 |
How to get the most out of your AAdvantage miles
Unfortunately, many of the standard ways of maximizing a reward program don't work with AAdvantage because they require you to be a U.S. citizen. This rules out using the company's eShopping site or credit card.
To earn points at a faster rate, the best thing you can do is fly frequently with American Airlines and its partners. As you gain status, your mileage earn rate increases.
Once you accumulate miles, Canadian travellers can use AA's miles finder map to search for redemption flights. Just enter the city you're flying from and the tool will show you popular destinations and fares. You can customize the information, including inputting your travel dates, interests, or budget.
FAQ
Do American Airlines AAdvantage miles expire?
Yes, they can expire. You have to earn or redeem miles with AA or a partner airline at least once every 24 months to keep your miles from expiring. Keep in mind that only applies to members ages 21 and up.
Can AAdvantage miles be transferred?
The transfer options for AAdvantage miles are limited. You can only transfer them to another AAdvantage member's account. Miles can't be transferred to another travel reward program at this time, so keep that in mind when signing up for an account.
Is AAdvantage membership free?
Yes, it's free to join the AAdvantage program. This is a nice advantage since co-branded cards are only available in the U.S. If you have a business, you might want to look into AA's business loyalty program, which is also free to join.
Do AAdvantage members get free checked bags?
AAdvantage members get free checked bags as they progress up the status tiers. If you have AAdvantage Gold status, you'll get 1 free checked bag. AAdvantage Platinum members get 2 bags, while Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum get 3 free checked bags.
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