American Airways miles are value roughly 1.5¢ every on common, though the ultimate worth you get to your miles will depend upon the way you redeem them. You could get a decrease redemption worth for those who ebook journey throughout peak journey instances, or if you do not have the flexibleness to contemplate different locations and dates. It’s also possible to get much more than the common redemption worth for those who discover a low-cost award. Redemptions in a premium cabin, particularly for worldwide itineraries, also can provide higher worth for every mile you money in.
Sadly, determining how a lot American Airways miles are value grew to become rather more troublesome in April of 2023. That is when the frequent flyer program absolutely embraced its deliberate transfer to dynamic pricing, which means the price of awards can now go up or down primarily based on the time of yr, demand, and different elements.
American Airways nonetheless publishes an award chart that reveals the “estimated beginning values” for one-way journeys, which might be useful to present you an thought. Nevertheless, you will nonetheless need to do the mathematics for awards to know for those who’re getting a great deal — or for those who ought to ebook your flight utilizing a unique rewards forex.
Under we clarify the best way to calculate the worth of American miles earlier than you redeem for flights, different redemption choices at your disposal, and how one can earn extra miles over the lengthy haul.
Find out how to calculate the worth of American Airways awards
The worth of an award ticket with the American AAdvantage program is loosely tied to the price of a flight. Nevertheless, there are all the time outliers and conditions the place you may get outsized worth to your rewards.
To determine how a lot worth you will get with American miles, evaluate the money value of reserving airfare to the price of reserving with miles, minus airline taxes and costs. This allows you to get an approximate thought of how a lot every mile you redeem is value —an vital issue that may assist information you in your resolution.
Take into account this instance that reveals the money value for a round-trip flight from Indianapolis, Indiana (IND) to Miami, Florida (MIA) in September of 2023. As you possibly can see, a round-trip flight between these two cities would set you again $399 for those who paid in money and wished to fly in the primary cabin with out coping with the drawbacks of primary financial system.
Within the meantime, you would ebook the identical round-trip flight in the primary cabin on the identical dates for 18,000 to 21,000 American miles plus $11.20 in taxes and costs relying on the itinerary you select.
To determine the American Airways miles worth, you’d take the money value and subtract the airline taxes and costs. From there, you’d divide the remaining money value by the variety of miles required.
So, for those who booked the flight for 18,000 miles plus $11.20, you’d be getting roughly 2.15¢ per American mile.
($399 – $11.20) / 18,000 miles = 2.15¢ per mile
For those who booked the itinerary that prices 21,000 miles plus $11.20, alternatively, you’d be getting roughly 1.85¢ per mile.
($399 – $11.20) / 21,000 miles = 1.85¢ per mile
That is a extremely nice redemption, however you must know this particular instance is not all the time the norm. The common worth of American miles is round 1.5¢ every and, in some situations, you get a lot much less worth to your miles.
For example, a round-trip flight in foremost cabin financial system from Indianapolis, Indiana (IND) to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ) may set you again one thing like 41,500 American miles plus $121.15 in airline taxes and costs at a time when the money value of the flight is just round $550.
On this instance, you are solely getting barely over 1¢ per worth for every mile you redeem.
$550 – $121.50) / 41.500 miles = 1.03¢ per mile
American Airways miles vs. rivals
The American AAdvantage program, which helps you to earn American miles whenever you fly with American Airways or companions or take part in different qualifying exercise, isn’t the one frequent flyer program to contemplate. There are others that allow you to earn a rewards forex that is tied to a selected airline, and a few could make extra sense for you relying on the airport(s) you usually journey from.
The desk beneath reveals how American AAdvantage miles stack as much as miles from competing applications. These figures are primarily based on averages.
Find out how to earn American Airways miles
There are fairly a number of methods to rack up American Airways miles, and that is very true for those who’re a frequent flyer. For those who’re prepared to get a co-branded American Airways bank card, store via a portal, or be part of the airline’s eating membership, you’ll earn miles even quicker.
This is an outline of all of the methods you possibly can rack up American miles.
Flying with the airline
Non-elite American flyers earn a base fee of 5 miles for every greenback spent, whereas Gold members, Platinum members, Platinum Professional members, and Government Platinum members earn 40%, 60%, 80%, and 120% extra miles per greenback spent, respectively.
It’s also possible to earn American miles whenever you fly with taking part companion airways, though the precise method your miles accrue is determined by the companion itself. This web page on the American Airways web site allows you to evaluate how miles accrue with numerous companion airways and explains different necessities that apply.
American Airways bank cards
Like different frequent flyer applications, the American AAdvantage program presents a number of co-branded bank cards that allow you to earn miles (additionally referred to as Loyalty Factors) you possibly can redeem for flights and different choices. These airline bank cards allow you to earn miles whether or not you really fly with the airline or not, and a few include money-saving advantages like free checked luggage and lounge entry.
Notable American Airways bank cards embrace:
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AAdvantage® Aviator® Purple World Elite Mastercard® |
Earn 50,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first buy throughout the first 90 days |
$0 intro annual price for the primary yr, then $99 |
card_name: That is the one American Airways ccredit card with no annual price, and it earns two miles per greenback spent on grocery retailer and eligible American Airways purchases and one mile per greenback spent on different purchases.
card_name: Along with a beneficiant sign-up bonus and loyalty factors for every greenback you spend, this card comes with perks like free checked luggage on home American Airways itineraries and 25% off in-flight purchases.
card_name: This premium airline bank card carries an annual price of annual_fees, and cardholders get a complimentary Admirals Membership® membership that’s valued at $650. Different perks embrace free checked luggage on home American Airways itineraries, precedence boarding, a price credit score towards International Entry or TSA PreCheck membership, 25% off in-flight purchases, and 10,000 further loyalty factors after spending $40,000 on the cardboard every qualifying yr.
card_name: This enterprise bank card presents a beneficiant sign-up bonus in addition to bonus miles on gasoline, automobile leases, telecommunications retailers, cable and satellite tv for pc suppliers. Cardholders additionally get free checked luggage on home American Airways itineraries, most popular boarding, 25% off eligible in-flight purchases, and extra.
AAdvantage® Aviator® Purple World Elite Mastercard®: This airline bank card from Barclays allows you to earn the sign-up bonus of fifty,000 miles after paying the $99 annual price and making a purchase order throughout the first 90 days. Cardholders additionally qualify for a free first checked bag on eligible home itineraries, most popular boarding, $25 in assertion credit towards Wi-Fi purchases, 25% off eligible in-flight purchases, and extra.
Resorts and automobile leases
The American AAdvantage program companions with a spread of lodge manufacturers and automobile rental corporations that will help you earn extra miles whenever you journey. For instance, you possibly can earn miles whenever you ebook a stick with Hyatt Resorts or Marriott Worldwide, or whenever you ebook a lodge via Rocketmiles.com. You additionally earn miles whenever you ebook a automobile rental with Avis and Price range via the American Airways web site.
Trip packages and cruises
Plenty of miles might be earned by reserving trip packages and cruises via the American Airways web site. It is doable to earn 25,000 miles or extra on eligible trip packages that mix your lodge stick with airfare, and plenty of cruise traces supplied via the portal provide 10,000 miles plus perks like cabin upgrades and onboard credit.
AAdvantage eating
The American AAdvantage eating program allows you to earn miles for eating at eligible eating places and paying with a credit score or debit card that is linked to your account. This program additionally provides newcomers an opportunity to earn a bonus of 500 miles.
AAdvantage eShopping
It’s also possible to earn American miles for procuring via the airline’s procuring portal, referred to as American eShopping. This portal allows you to earn bonus miles for making eligible purchases at greater than 1,200 on-line shops, together with Apple, Kohl’s, Macy’s, and Workplace Depot. All you need to do is log in via the portal, click on on the shop of your selection, and purchase one thing, utilizing any fee methodology you need.
Find out how to redeem American Airways miles
There are fairly a number of methods to redeem American Airways miles, however the best choice is all the time going to be flights. You should use American miles for flights to greater than 1,000 locations all over the world, with miles additionally being redeemable for journey with the corporate’s companions equivalent to Alaska Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, and extra. It is also value noting that one-way home flights begin at simply 7,500 miles plus airline taxes and costs, which might be an unbelievable deal relying in your journey dates and itinerary.
It’s also possible to redeem American miles for upgrades to the subsequent cabin up on American, British Airways, and Iberia flights. Alternate redemption choices for American miles embrace:
- Primary cabin seat choices
- Admirals Membership memberships
- Rental vehicles and lodge stays
- Trip packages
- Luxurious experiences
- Donations to companion charities
When must you use your American Airways miles
It is best to use your American miles to ebook journey any time you discover an award flight that allows you to get at the very least the common worth for every mile you redeem. For those who discover a home flight or a global itinerary that allows you to get 1.5¢ per mile, you must in all probability transfer ahead with the reserving earlier than the value goes up primarily based on demand or different elements.
Alternatively, you possibly can think about using different airline miles you need to ebook an alternate itinerary, or utilizing money so it can save you your miles. That mentioned, racking up miles you by no means use will not be really useful since rewards currencies are devalued yr after yr. Airline miles are supposed to “earn and burn,” and there is little worth in hoarding them except you are saving up for a giant journey.
Continuously requested questions (FAQ)
Do American Airways miles expire?
American Airways miles expire for those who do not earn or redeem any of them over the course of 24 months. Nevertheless, you possibly can simply “restart the clock” in case your miles are about to run out by redeeming some miles or incomes miles with qualifying exercise or purchases made on a co-branded airline bank card.
How do you join American Airways AAdvantage?
You may enroll free to develop into an American AAdvantage member on AA.com. You will simply must share info like your identify, deal with, electronic mail deal with, and cellphone quantity.
Can I convert American Airways miles to money?
You can not convert American miles to money. Nevertheless, you possibly can redeem your miles for Admirals Membership memberships, rental vehicles and lodge stays, trip packages, luxurious experiences, and donations to companion charities.