Do you have American Airlines AAdvantage miles gathering digital dust in your account, and a loved one who could really use a trip? Perhaps it's a birthday gift, a much-needed vacation for a family member, or a friend who's always dreamed of a specific destination. Whatever the reason, using your American Airlines miles for someone else is a fantastic way to spread the joy of travel!
You might be thinking, "Can I even do that?" The answer is a resounding yes, but there are a few ways to go about it, each with its own nuances. Let's dive into the step-by-step guide to making someone else's travel dreams a reality with your hard-earned miles!
Step 1: Decide on the Method: Booking Directly vs. Transferring Miles
Before you do anything, let's explore your primary options. This is a crucial first step, as it will dictate the rest of your process.
Option 1: Booking an Award Flight Directly for Someone Else (Recommended for most)
What it is: This is the most common and often most cost-effective way to use your miles for another person. You, the AAdvantage account holder, log into your account and book a flight for your chosen recipient, using your miles to cover the ticket. The ticket will be in their name, but the miles come from your account.
Why it's great: This method generally avoids expensive mile transfer fees. You simply use your miles as if you were booking a flight for yourself, but you input the other person's details.
Considerations: You'll need access to your recipient's full legal name, date of birth, and any other necessary travel information (like passport details for international travel).
Option 2: Transferring Miles to Someone Else's AAdvantage Account
What it is: American Airlines allows you to transfer your AAdvantage miles to another AAdvantage member's account. This means the miles physically move from your account to theirs.
Why it's rarely recommended: This option comes with significant fees. American Airlines charges a fee per mile transferred (currently around 0.5 cents per mile, which is much better than the old 1.5 cents per mile, but still adds up), plus a processing fee. While the cost has been reduced, it can still make this an expensive way to gift miles unless it's a very small top-up to enable a specific redemption.
When it might make sense:
If the recipient already has a substantial number of miles and just needs a small top-up to reach a specific award.
If you want to give them the flexibility to book their own travel whenever and wherever they choose, without you having to be involved in the booking process.
If your miles are about to expire and transferring them, even with a fee, is better than losing them entirely (though there are often other ways to keep miles active, like earning or redeeming a small amount).
For the vast majority of users, booking directly for someone else is the way to go to maximize the value of your miles. We will focus primarily on this method in the following steps, as it's the most practical and economical.
Step 2: Gather Necessary Information from the Recipient
This is where you engage your user! Reach out to the person you're gifting the flight to.
"Hey, I'm thinking of gifting you a flight using my American Airlines miles! That said, I'll need a few pieces of information from you to make sure everything goes smoothly."
What you'll need:
Full Legal Name: This must exactly match their government-issued ID that they will use for travel (e.g., driver's license for domestic, passport for international). Do not use nicknames or shortened names.
Date of Birth: Essential for ticketing.
Gender: Required for booking.
Contact Information: Their email address and phone number are crucial for receiving flight confirmations and any updates from American Airlines.
Passport Information (for international travel):
Passport Number
Country of Issuance
Expiration Date
Desired Travel Dates and Destination: Get their preferred travel window and where they want to go. Be flexible, as award availability can vary.
Flexibility: Emphasize that award space isn't always available on every flight. Ask them for a few alternative dates or even destinations if their first choice isn't available. This will save you time and frustration during the booking process.
Step 3: Log In to Your AAdvantage Account
This might seem obvious, but it's the gateway to your miles!
Go to the official American Airlines website (
www.aa.com Click on the "Login" or "My Account" button.
Enter your AAdvantage number and password.
Step 4: Search for Award Travel
This is where the excitement begins!
Navigate to the "Book Travel" section: Look for options like "Flights," "Award Travel," or "Use Miles."
Select "Redeem Miles" or "Award Travel": Ensure you're searching for flights using miles, not cash.
Enter the Recipient's Travel Details:
Departure and Arrival Airports: Input the origin and destination cities.
Travel Dates: Enter the dates your recipient desires. Be prepared to be flexible here! Award availability can be limited, especially for popular routes or peak travel times.
Number of Passengers: Select 1 (for your recipient). If you're traveling with them, you can add yourself as well.
Class of Service: Choose Economy, Business, or First Class based on your mileage balance and the recipient's preferences. Keep in mind that higher classes require significantly more miles.
Sub-heading: Tips for Finding Good Award Availability
Be Flexible with Dates: If your recipient has some flexibility, searching for +/- 3 days around their preferred dates can reveal more options.
Consider Off-Peak Travel: Travel during less popular seasons or days of the week (e.g., Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays) often has better award availability.
Check Partner Airlines: American Airlines is part of the oneworld alliance. This means you can often use your AAdvantage miles to book flights on partner airlines like British Airways, Iberia, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, and more. Sometimes, partner airlines have better availability or even lower mileage requirements for certain routes. When searching on aa.com, partner flights will generally appear in the search results.
Consider One-Way vs. Round-Trip: Sometimes, booking two one-way award tickets can offer more flexibility or better availability than a single round-trip award.
Step 5: Select the Desired Flight(s)
Once your search results load, you'll see a list of flights with their corresponding mileage costs and any associated taxes and fees.
Review Flight Details: Check the times, layovers, and operating airline (American Airlines or a partner).
Note the Mileage Cost: This is the total number of miles that will be deducted from your account.
Observe Taxes and Fees: Even award tickets have government-imposed taxes and fees. These can vary significantly depending on the route (especially for international travel, where some countries impose higher departure taxes). Make sure you're aware of these as they will need to be paid in cash.
Choose Your Flight: Select the option that best suits your recipient's needs and your mileage budget.
Step 6: Enter Passenger Information
This is where you input your recipient's details.
Add New Traveler: When prompted for passenger information, you'll usually have the option to "Add a new traveler" or "Book for someone else." Select this option.
Input Data Carefully: Double-check every single detail you enter. A single typo in the name or date of birth can cause significant issues at check-in or even prevent travel.
First Name
Middle Name (if any)
Last Name
Date of Birth
Gender
Contact Email Address (the recipient's)
Contact Phone Number (the recipient's)
Passport Information (if applicable)
Crucial Note: American Airlines often associates tickets with the AAdvantage account used for booking. While the ticket will be in your recipient's name, if they are also an AAdvantage member, you can often add their AAdvantage number to the reservation after the initial booking to allow them to earn miles on the flight (though award tickets typically don't earn miles, they may benefit from status perks if applicable).
Step 7: Review and Confirm
Take a moment to go over everything one last time.
Flight Itinerary: Confirm dates, times, airports, and flight numbers.
Passenger Details: Verify the recipient's name, date of birth, and any other entered information matches their ID.
Mileage Deduction: Ensure you have enough miles in your account to cover the award.
Taxes and Fees: Understand the total cash amount you'll need to pay.
Payment Information: Enter your credit card details to cover the taxes and fees. The name on the credit card used to pay the taxes and fees does not need to match the passenger's name.
Step 8: Complete the Booking
Click "Confirm" or "Purchase" to finalize the booking.
You will receive a confirmation email with the itinerary and a 6-character confirmation code.
Forward this confirmation email to your recipient immediately! They will need this code to manage their booking, check-in online, and get boarding passes.
Step 9: Post-Booking Steps for the Recipient
Once the flight is booked, empower your recipient to manage their trip.
Online Check-in: Advise them to check in online 24 hours before departure on aa.com or through the American Airlines app using the confirmation code.
Seat Selection: They can often select or change their seats after booking.
Baggage: Remind them of American Airlines' baggage policies and any potential fees for checked luggage.
Travel Documents: Stress the importance of having their valid government-issued ID (and passport for international travel) ready.
The (Less Common) Alternative: Transferring Miles
If, after careful consideration, you decide to transfer miles to someone else, here's a brief guide:
Step T1: Understand the Fees
As mentioned, transferring miles incurs significant costs. As of recent updates, American Airlines charges approximately 0.5 cents per mile transferred. There might also be a flat processing fee. For example, transferring 20,000 miles would cost around $100 (20,000 miles * 0.005).
Step T2: Access the Transfer Miles Option
Log in to your AAdvantage account on aa.com.
Look for the "Buy, Gift, or Transfer Miles" section. This is usually found under the "AAdvantage" or "My Account" menu.
Select the "Transfer Miles" option.
Step T3: Enter Recipient and Transfer Details
You'll need the recipient's AAdvantage number and their full legal name.
Enter the number of miles you wish to transfer. There's typically a minimum transfer amount (e.g., 1,000 miles) and a maximum per calendar year (e.g., 200,000 miles).
Step T4: Review Fees and Complete Transaction
The system will clearly display the total cost (miles transferred + fees).
If you agree to the fees, proceed with payment using a credit card.
The miles should appear in the recipient's account within a short period, typically immediately or within 24-72 hours.
Remember: Transferring miles is generally not the best value for your miles due to the fees. Booking directly is almost always the better option if your goal is to get someone on a flight.
10 Related FAQ Questions (How to...)
How to Check American Airlines Award Availability?
You can check American Airlines award availability directly on their website, aa.com, by logging into your AAdvantage account and selecting "Redeem Miles" or "Award Travel" when searching for flights.
How to Find Out How Many Miles I Need for a Specific Flight?
When you search for award travel on aa.com, the mileage cost for each available flight will be displayed next to the cash price. The number of miles required varies based on the route, date, and class of service.
How to Pay for Taxes and Fees on an Award Ticket?
Taxes and fees for American Airlines award tickets must be paid with a credit or debit card during the booking process. These are typically government-imposed charges and are not covered by miles.
How to Change an American Airlines Award Ticket Booked for Someone Else?
You can generally change an eligible award ticket online via "Your Trips" on aa.com using the confirmation code. There are typically no change fees for award tickets, though you may need to pay the difference in miles or taxes if the new itinerary is more expensive.
How to Cancel an American Airlines Award Ticket Booked for Someone Else?
You can cancel eligible award tickets online or by calling American Airlines reservations. Miles will typically be redeposited into your AAdvantage account, and any taxes/fees paid will be refunded to the original payment method, often with a reinstatement fee for the miles.
How to Add a Companion to My Already Booked Award Ticket?
If you've already booked an award ticket for yourself and want to add a companion using your miles, you'll generally need to book a separate award ticket for them, as you cannot add a new passenger to an existing award reservation.
How to Combine American Airlines Miles from Two Different Accounts?
American Airlines does not allow direct combining of miles from two different AAdvantage accounts into one for free. The only way to consolidate miles is through the paid "Transfer Miles" option, which incurs fees.
How to Avoid Fees When Using American Airlines Miles for Someone Else?
The best way to avoid mile transfer fees is to book the award flight directly from your AAdvantage account for the other person. This way, you're redeeming your miles, not transferring them.
How to Use American Airlines Miles for Partner Airlines?
You can use your American Airlines AAdvantage miles for flights on oneworld alliance and other partner airlines directly through aa.com. When you search for award travel, flights operated by partners will appear in the search results.
How to Keep My American Airlines Miles from Expiring?
Your American Airlines AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months of inactivity. To keep them active, you need to have eligible earning or redeeming activity in your account within that 24-month period, such as flying with American or partners, using an AAdvantage credit card, or making a small redemption.
