It's fantastic that you're looking to dive into the world of American Airlines AAdvantage points! These points can unlock incredible travel experiences, from free flights to luxurious upgrades. Let's embark on this journey together to understand exactly how to get American Airlines points and maximize your earning potential.
Your Ultimate Guide to Earning American Airlines AAdvantage Points
Ready to start accumulating miles for your dream vacation or a quick domestic getaway? Let's begin!
 |
| How To Get American Airlines Points |
Step 1: Enroll in the American Airlines AAdvantage Program (If You Haven't Already!)
This is the absolute first, crucial step, and thankfully, it's completely free and straightforward!
Your Mission: Head over to the American Airlines website (aa.com) and look for the "Join" or "Enroll in AAdvantage" option. You'll typically find it in the top right corner.
What to Expect: You'll be asked to provide some basic personal information like your name, date of birth, and address. Ensure this information matches your government-issued ID to avoid any headaches later on when you're ready to redeem your hard-earned miles.
The Outcome: Once you've completed the enrollment, you'll receive your unique AAdvantage number. This number is your golden key to earning points across various activities, so keep it handy! Without it, you can't earn anything.
Step 2: Flying High: Earning Points Through Flights
The most traditional way to earn American Airlines points is by flying. But it's not just about American Airlines flights themselves!
Sub-heading 2.1: Flying American Airlines
When you fly on American Airlines-operated flights, the miles you earn are primarily based on the price of your ticket (excluding government taxes and fees).
Base Earning Rate: As a general AAdvantage member, you'll earn 5 AAdvantage miles for every U.S. dollar spent on your eligible ticket.
Basic Economy Exception: Be aware that Basic Economy tickets earn a lower rate, typically 2 miles per dollar.
Upgrades Matter: Even if you pay cash for an upgrade, you can still earn miles – often 5 miles per dollar spent on the base price of the upgrade.
Elite Status Boost: This is where loyalty truly pays off! If you achieve AAdvantage elite status (Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, or Executive Platinum), you'll earn a significant mileage bonus on top of the base rate:
AAdvantage Gold: 40% bonus
AAdvantage Platinum: 60% bonus
AAdvantage Platinum Pro: 80% bonus
AAdvantage Executive Platinum: 120% bonus
Sub-heading 2.2: Flying with Oneworld Alliance and Other Partner Airlines
American Airlines is a proud member of the Oneworld Alliance, a global network of airlines. This means you can earn AAdvantage miles when flying with any of these partners, even if it's not an American Airlines flight number!
Tip: Read actively — ask yourself questions as you go.
Oneworld Alliance Members include: Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, and SriLankan Airlines.
Other Key Partners: American also has partnerships with other airlines like Aer Lingus, Air Tahiti Nui, Cape Air, China Southern Airlines, Etihad Airways, Fiji Airways, GOL Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, IndiGo, JetBlue, and Silver Airways.
Earning Mechanics: For partner flights, the miles you earn are generally based on the distance flown and the fare class of your ticket. This can vary significantly, so it's always a good idea to check the specific earning charts for each partner on the American Airlines website.
Crucial Tip: Always ensure your AAdvantage number is included in your reservation when booking with American or its partners to guarantee your miles are credited!
Step 3: Unlocking Miles with American Airlines Co-branded Credit Cards
This is often one of the fastest and most lucrative ways to rack up a substantial amount of AAdvantage miles, especially through welcome bonuses. American Airlines partners with Citi and Barclays for its co-branded credit cards.
Sub-heading 3.1: Welcome Bonuses - Your Initial Boost
Many American Airlines credit cards offer a generous welcome bonus after you meet a certain spending requirement within the first few months of opening the account. These bonuses can range from tens of thousands to even 100,000+ miles, providing an immediate significant boost to your AAdvantage balance.
Action Item: Research current card offers carefully to find one that aligns with your spending habits and desired bonus.
Sub-heading 3.2: Everyday Spending - Consistent Earning
Once you have an American Airlines co-branded credit card, you'll earn AAdvantage miles on your everyday purchases.
Typical Earning Rates:
2 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases.
1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
Some cards may offer bonus categories like gas stations or restaurants, where you earn even more miles per dollar spent.
Pro Tip: Use your AAdvantage credit card for as many of your regular expenses as possible to accelerate your mileage accumulation.
Step 4: Shopping Your Way to Miles: AAdvantage eShopping Portal
Do you shop online? Then you're missing out on easy AAdvantage miles if you're not using the AAdvantage eShopping portal!
What it Is: This is an online shopping portal that allows you to earn AAdvantage miles for purchases you make at hundreds of popular online retailers.
How it Works:
Log In: Visit aadvantageeshopping.com and log in with your AAdvantage number.
Find a Store: Search for your favorite online stores (e.g., Macy's, Best Buy, Apple, Sephora – the list is extensive and changes).
Click Through: Click on the link for your chosen store within the portal. This will redirect you to the retailer's website.
Shop as Usual: Make your purchase on the retailer's website just as you normally would.
Earn Miles: The miles you earn (e.g., 1 mile per dollar, 3 miles per dollar, or even more during special promotions) will automatically be credited to your AAdvantage account.
Double Dip: You'll earn miles through the shopping portal in addition to any points or cashback you earn from the credit card you use for the purchase!
Maximize It:
Install the Browser Extension: The AAdvantage eShopping button for Chrome will alert you when you're on a participating retailer's site, ensuring you never miss out on miles.
Check for Promotions: The portal frequently offers bonus miles promotions, where you can earn significantly more miles per dollar for a limited time.
Step 5: Dine Your Way to Miles: AAdvantage Dining Program
Who doesn't love to eat out? With the AAdvantage Dining program, your meals can help you earn more American Airlines points.
How it Works:
Enroll: Visit aadvantagedining.com and enroll by linking your AAdvantage number to your credit and/or debit cards.
Dine Out: Use your linked card at participating restaurants, bars, and clubs.
Earn Miles: You'll earn AAdvantage miles per dollar spent. The earning rate can vary based on your membership level:
Basic Members: 1 mile per dollar
Select Members: 3 miles per dollar (by opting in for email notifications)
VIP Members: 5 miles per dollar (by consistently dining at participating restaurants and meeting transaction requirements)
Bonus Offer: New members often get a welcome bonus of miles after their first qualifying dine.
Find Restaurants: The portal allows you to search for participating restaurants in your area or in a city you're visiting.
 |
Step 6: Travel Beyond Flights: Hotels, Car Rentals, and Cruises
Tip: Every word counts — don’t skip too much.
Your non-flight travel arrangements can also be a source of AAdvantage miles.
Sub-heading 6.1: Hotel Stays
American Airlines Hotels: American has its own hotel booking platform, AAdvantage Hotels, where you can earn miles and Loyalty Points on every booking. You can earn up to 10,000 miles per night on some bookings!
Partner Hotels: Many major hotel chains partner with American Airlines, allowing you to earn AAdvantage miles instead of (or sometimes in addition to) their own loyalty program points. Popular partners include:
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts: Earn miles on stays or convert World of Hyatt points to miles (though conversion rates are often not ideal).
Marriott International: Earn miles per dollar on qualifying charges.
IHG Hotels & Resorts: Earn miles per dollar on qualifying room rates.
Important Note: When booking through third-party portals (like AAdvantage Hotels), you generally won't earn points or elite night credits with the hotel's own loyalty program. Weigh your options based on your priorities.
Sub-heading 6.2: Car Rentals
American Airlines partners with several car rental agencies, including Avis, Budget, and Hertz.
You can earn AAdvantage miles per dollar spent on your car rentals, often with bonus mile offers available. Always check the specific promotion details.
Sub-heading 6.3: Vacation Packages and Cruises
American Airlines Vacations: Booking flight + hotel packages through American Airlines Vacations can earn you a fixed number of miles (e.g., at least 1,000 miles) or even tens of thousands of miles for featured hotels.
American Airlines Cruises: You can earn AAdvantage miles when booking cruises through American Airlines' dedicated cruise portal, typically 1 mile per dollar spent, with opportunities for bonus miles for AAdvantage credit cardholders.
Step 7: Unique Earning Opportunities and Promotions
Keep an eye out for less conventional but equally valuable ways to earn AAdvantage miles.
SimplyMiles: This program, primarily for Mastercard users, offers personalized offers from various merchants. By activating offers and then shopping with your linked Mastercard, you can earn AAdvantage miles.
Bask Bank: This online bank offers an interest-bearing savings account where you earn AAdvantage miles instead of cash interest. This can be a great passive way to accumulate miles if it aligns with your financial goals.
Donating to Charity: American Airlines occasionally partners with charities, allowing you to earn miles for donations. For instance, donating to Stand Up To Cancer has offered 10 miles per dollar.
Promotional Offers: American Airlines frequently runs special promotions where you can earn bonus miles for specific activities, such as flying certain routes, booking specific hotels, or meeting spending thresholds. Sign up for American Airlines email newsletters to stay informed about these opportunities.
AAdvantage Mileage Multiplier: On eligible American Airlines flights, you may be offered the option to purchase "bonus miles" through the Mileage Multiplier program. While this involves buying miles, it can be a quick way to top up your account, especially if you're just short of a redemption.
Step 8: Understanding Loyalty Points for Elite Status
While distinct from redeemable AAdvantage miles, Loyalty Points are crucial for achieving AAdvantage elite status, which, in turn, can help you earn more redeemable miles.
How Loyalty Points Work: For most activities where you earn redeemable AAdvantage miles (flights, eligible credit card spending, AAdvantage eShopping, AAdvantage Dining, etc.), you will also earn 1 Loyalty Point for every eligible AAdvantage mile earned.
What They Don't Include: Welcome bonuses from credit cards, bonus miles from promotions, or additional miles from credit card bonus categories generally do not count towards Loyalty Points.
Why They Matter: Earning elite status through Loyalty Points gives you benefits like:
Higher mileage earning rates on flights (as mentioned in Step 2).
Complimentary upgrades.
Free checked bags.
Priority boarding.
And more, all of which enhance your travel experience and implicitly make it easier to accumulate more miles.
By strategically combining these methods, you can significantly accelerate your American Airlines AAdvantage point accumulation. Remember to always provide your AAdvantage number when making reservations or participating in partner programs to ensure your miles are credited!
Tip: Use this post as a starting point for exploration.
10 Related FAQ Questions
Here are some quick answers to common questions about getting American Airlines points:
How to keep my American Airlines miles from expiring?
Your American Airlines AAdvantage miles will expire if there's no qualifying activity in your account for 24 months. To prevent expiration, simply earn or redeem miles on American Airlines or with any AAdvantage partner at least once every 24 months. Primary AAdvantage credit card members generally have miles that do not expire as long as their card account is open.
How to check my American Airlines AAdvantage mileage balance?
You can easily check your AAdvantage mileage balance by logging into your account on aa.com or through the American Airlines mobile app. Your account summary will display your current mileage balance and Loyalty Points progress.
How to earn American Airlines miles without flying?
You can earn American Airlines miles without flying by using American Airlines co-branded credit cards, shopping through the AAdvantage eShopping portal, dining through the AAdvantage Dining program, booking hotels or rental cars with partners, or through special promotions like SimplyMiles or Bask Bank.
How to earn American Airlines miles for someone else's flight?
No, you cannot directly earn miles for someone else's flight. American Airlines AAdvantage miles are earned by the individual who travels, stays, or rents. Each traveler must have their own AAdvantage account linked to their reservation.
QuickTip: Use the post as a quick reference later.
How to apply for an American Airlines credit card?
You can apply for American Airlines co-branded credit cards directly through the websites of their issuing banks, Citi and Barclays. You can often find links to these applications on the American Airlines website under their credit card section.
How to ensure my miles are credited after a flight?
To ensure your miles are credited, always provide your AAdvantage number when booking your flight or at check-in. If miles don't post within 1-3 days for American Airlines flights or 30 days for partner flights, you can request retroactive credit on the American Airlines website, typically within 12 months of the flight date, by providing your ticket and boarding pass information.
How to maximize earnings with the AAdvantage eShopping portal?
Maximize earnings with AAdvantage eShopping by always logging in before shopping online, installing the browser extension to get reminders, and frequently checking for limited-time bonus mileage promotions from various retailers.
How to earn Loyalty Points with American Airlines?
You earn Loyalty Points by earning eligible AAdvantage miles. For every eligible AAdvantage mile you earn (from flying American or partners, eligible credit card spending, AAdvantage eShopping, AAdvantage Dining, etc.), you earn one Loyalty Point.
How to use hotel stays to earn American Airlines miles?
You can use hotel stays to earn American Airlines miles by booking through the AAdvantage Hotels platform, or by selecting AAdvantage miles as your earning preference with American Airlines hotel partners like Marriott Bonvoy or World of Hyatt when booking directly with them.
How to purchase American Airlines miles if I'm short for a redemption?
You can purchase American Airlines miles directly through your AAdvantage account on aa.com. While generally not the most cost-effective method, it can be useful if you're just a few thousand miles short of a desired award redemption. Look out for occasional promotions that offer bonus miles when you purchase.
 |
