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 are worth an average of 1.72 cents CAD each.
- 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
- 9 redemption options
- 4 membership tiers with exclusive perks
- Miles worth up to 14 cents CAD each
Cons:
- Miles worth as little as 0.15 cents CAD each
- 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 AA flights, the average value is 1.72 cents per mile (CPM).
Value of reward in CAD / cost in miles = value in cents per mile (CPM)
But 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 | * Asia, Middle East, South Pacific * Canada and the contiguous U.S. * Europe * Hawaii and Alaska * Mexico, Caribbean, and Central America * South America | 1.72 CPM |
| Partner flights | * Alaska Airlines * British Airlines * Cathay Pacific * Iberia * Qantas Airways * 14 other oneworld airlines | 5 CPM |
| Cabin upgrades | * Economy to Premium Economy * Premium Economy to Business * Business to First Class | 21 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 | 1.51 CPM |
| Airport lounge access | * Annual pass * One-day pass | 1.45 CPM |
| Hotels | * Pay with miles * Pay with cash + miles | 1.29 CPM |
| Vacation packages | * Flight + car * Flight + hotel * Flight + hotel + car * Hotel + car | 1.19 CPM |
| Car rentals | * Alamo * Avis * Budget * Dollar * Enterprise * Hertz * National * Sixt * Thrifty | 1.09 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 5,000 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
- Finnair
- Iberia
- Japan Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- 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
- Hawaiian Airlines
- IndiGo
- JetSmart
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.
Starting in 2024, 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
- Hotels
- Partner flights
- Vacation packages
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.
Flights
Average value: 1.72 CPM
Best option: One-way in Business Class from Toronto to Honolulu in September for $76.45 USD + 145,000 miles (3.39 CPM)
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; 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 |
We calculated the value of 13 of the most popular AA routes during peak and off-peak travel times. On average, members can get 1.72 CPM out of their miles. Travel dates don't matter much – but the cabin does.
With only one exception, Premium Economy and Business class flights are worth just as much, if not more, than Economy flights. We recommend booking a Business trip during off-peak travel times to get the most value out of flying the red, white, and blue.
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.
Partner flights
Average value: 5 CPM
Categories: Alaska Airlines, British Airways, and 13 other oneworld alliance airlines
Best option: An off-peak Business flight from Vancouver (YVR) to London (LHR) for $693.67 + 57,500 miles
You can expand your travel options by flying with any airline in the oneworld alliance. Redemption rates vary by airline, destination, and travel dates:
| 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 |
Although partner airlines have a higher starting price than AA, they offer an average value of 5 CPM. It's all thanks to British Airways, whose Business class flights can stretch as high as 13.77 CPM.
But high value isn't guaranteed. If it wasn’t for BA’s limited flight network and a handful of results as low as 0.16 CPM, we would rank partner flights much higher on this list.
Fare upgrades
Average value: 21 CPM
Categories: Economy to Premium Economy, Premium Economy to Business, Business to First, or Economy to Business
Earning free flights is great, but if you don’t have enough miles or are looking for specific flight perks, why not use your miles to upgrade your experience? AA lets you upgrade your cabin when flying AA, British Airways, Iberia, and Qantas.
Better cabins come with better perks, including:
- Nicer seats
- Priority privileges
- Additional checked bags
The mileage price of the upgrade depends on the airline you book with, your destination, and your cabin fare. For instance, if you’re flying roundtrip within Canada on a discount economy ticket, you can upgrade to Premium Economy for 15,000 (+$75 USD).
Cabin upgrades aboard American Airlines provide an average value of 6.64 CPM, while those aboard British Airways average about 32 CPM. Again, high value isn’t guaranteed, so we recommend evaluating potential deals with the following formula:
(Cost of higher cabin in CAD - cost of lower cabin in CAD - upgrade fee) / cost of upgrade in miles = value of upgrade in cents per mile (CPM)
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: 1.51 CPM
Categories: AAdvantage Events tickets and Mastercard priceless experiences
Best option: A private 1-hour ROM tour for 4 plus gift for $691.65 CAD or 12,555 miles (5.51 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 get a $13.05 CAD discount with at least 1,000 miles, providing an average value of 1.3 CPM.
If you have a US-issued AAdvantage Mastercard credit card, you can also pay for Mastercard 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: 1.45 CPM
Categories: Annual pass, One-day pass
Best option: Any for 1.45 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 1.45 CPM, even if you get a membership status discount:
| Redemption option | Starting price (CAD) | Starting price (miles) | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-day pass | $114.55 | 7,900 | 1.45 CPM |
| Annual pass (individual) | $1,087.50 | 75,000 | 1.45 CPM |
| Annual pass (individual renewal) | $1,015 | 70,000 | 1.45 CPM |
| Annual pass (household) | $2,247.50 | 155,000 | 1.45 CPM |
| Annual pass (household renewal) | $2,320 | 150,000 | 1.45 CPM |
| 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.
Hotels
Average value: 1.29 CPM
Best option: 1,600 + $54 CAD for two nights for the lowest-priced hotel in Las Vegas during off-peak season (4.25 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 1 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.
Paying with cash and miles is also a good option, offering at least 0.98 CPM no matter which combination you choose.
Vacation packages
Average value: 1.19 CPM
Categories: Flight + car, Flight + hotel, Flight + hotel + car, and Hotel + car
Best option: Flight + hotel for 1.29 CPM
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.
Rental cars
Average value: 1.09
Categories: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, Sixt, 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.
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.
For example, if you’re flying out of Vancouver and you have 100,000 miles to spend, you’ll see you can fly roundtrip to Miami, FL for 100,000 + $61 or to Dallas, TX for 61,000 + $61.
FAQ
Do American Airlines AAdvantage miles 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?
You can only transfer AAdvantage miles to another AAdvantage member’s account. Miles can’t be transferred to another travel reward program at this time.
Is AAdvantage membership free?
Yes, it’s free to join the AAdvantage program. 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?
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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