American Airways miles are value roughly 1.5¢ every on common, though the ultimate worth you get in your miles will rely on the way you redeem them. It’s possible you’ll get a decrease redemption worth if you happen to e book journey throughout peak journey instances, or if you do not have the pliability to think about different locations and dates. You can too get much more than the typical redemption worth if you happen to discover a low-cost award. Redemptions in a premium cabin, particularly for worldwide itineraries, can even supply higher worth for every mile you money in.
Sadly, determining how a lot American Airways miles are value turned far more troublesome in April of 2023. That is when the frequent flyer program totally embraced its deliberate transfer to dynamic pricing, that means the price of awards can now go up or down based mostly on the time of 12 months, demand, and different elements.
American Airways nonetheless publishes an award chart that exhibits the “estimated beginning values” for one-way journeys, which could be useful to provide you an concept. Nonetheless, you will nonetheless need to do the maths for awards to know if you happen to’re getting a superb deal — or if you happen to ought to e book your flight utilizing a special rewards foreign money.
Under we clarify the 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.
The best way 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. Nonetheless, there are at all times outliers and conditions the place you may get outsized worth in your rewards.
To determine how a lot worth you will get with American miles, evaluate the money worth of reserving airfare to the price of reserving with miles, minus airline taxes and costs. This allows you to get an approximate concept of how a lot every mile you redeem is value —an necessary issue that may assist information you in your resolution.
Contemplate this instance that exhibits the money worth 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 if you happen to paid in money and needed to fly in the principle cabin with out coping with the drawbacks of fundamental financial system.
Within the meantime, you would e book the identical round-trip flight in the principle 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’ll take the money worth and subtract the airline taxes and costs. From there, you’ll divide the remaining money worth by the variety of miles required.
So, if you happen to booked the flight for 18,000 miles plus $11.20, you’ll be getting roughly 2.15¢ per American mile.
($399 – $11.20) / 18,000 miles = 2.15¢ per mile
Should you booked the itinerary that prices 21,000 miles plus $11.20, alternatively, you’ll be getting roughly 1.85¢ per mile.
($399 – $11.20) / 21,000 miles = 1.85¢ per mile
That is a very nice redemption, however it’s best to know this particular instance is not at all times the norm. The typical worth of American miles is round 1.5¢ every and, in some situations, you get a lot much less worth in your miles.
For instance, a round-trip flight in predominant cabin financial system from Indianapolis, Indiana (IND) to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ) might set you again one thing like 41,500 American miles plus $121.15 in airline taxes and costs at a time when the money worth of the flight is simply 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. opponents
The American AAdvantage program, which helps you to earn American miles once you fly with American Airways or companions or take part in different qualifying exercise, isn’t the one frequent flyer program to think about. There are others that allow you to earn a rewards foreign money that is tied to a selected airline, and a few might make extra sense for you relying on the airport(s) you usually journey from.
The desk beneath exhibits how American AAdvantage miles stack as much as miles from competing applications. These figures are based mostly on averages.
The best way to earn American Airways miles
There are fairly just a few methods to rack up American Airways miles, and that is very true if you happen to’re a frequent flyer. Should you’re keen to get a co-branded American Airways bank card, store via a portal, or be a part of the airline’s eating membership, you’ll earn miles even quicker.
Here 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.
You can too earn American miles once you fly with taking part companion airways, though the precise manner your miles accrue is dependent upon the companion itself. This web page on the American Airways web site helps you to evaluate how miles accrue with varied companion airways and explains different necessities that apply.
American Airways bank cards
Like different frequent flyer applications, the American AAdvantage program affords a number of co-branded bank cards that allow you to earn miles (additionally known 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 truly fly with the airline or not, and a few include money-saving advantages like free checked baggage 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 12 months, 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 baggage 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 baggage 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 extra loyalty factors after spending $40,000 on the cardboard every qualifying 12 months.
card_name: This enterprise bank card affords a beneficiant sign-up bonus in addition to bonus miles on gasoline, automotive leases, telecommunications retailers, cable and satellite tv for pc suppliers. Cardholders additionally get free checked baggage on home American Airways itineraries, most well-liked boarding, 25% off eligible in-flight purchases, and extra.
AAdvantage® Aviator® Purple World Elite Mastercard®: This airline bank card from Barclays helps 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 well-liked boarding, $25 in assertion credit towards Wi-Fi purchases, 25% off eligible in-flight purchases, and extra.
Inns and automotive leases
The American AAdvantage program companions with a variety of resort manufacturers and automotive rental firms that will help you earn extra miles once you journey. For instance, you possibly can earn miles once you e book a stick with Hyatt Inns or Marriott Worldwide, or once you e book a resort via Rocketmiles.com. You additionally earn miles once you e book a automotive rental with Avis and Funds via the American Airways web site.
Trip packages and cruises
Plenty of miles could be earned by reserving trip packages and cruises via the American Airways web site. It is potential to earn 25,000 miles or extra on eligible trip packages that mix your resort stick with airfare, and lots of cruise traces provided via the portal supply 10,000 miles plus perks like cabin upgrades and onboard credit.
AAdvantage eating
The American AAdvantage eating program helps 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 offers newcomers an opportunity to earn a bonus of 500 miles.
AAdvantage eShopping
You can too earn American miles for buying via the airline’s buying portal, known as American eShopping. This portal helps 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 alternative, and purchase one thing, utilizing any fee methodology you need.
The best way to redeem American Airways miles
There are fairly just a few methods to redeem American Airways miles, however the most suitable choice is at all times going to be flights. You should use American miles for flights to greater than 1,000 locations world wide, 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 could be an unimaginable deal relying in your journey dates and itinerary.
You can too redeem American miles for upgrades to the subsequent cabin up on American, British Airways, and Iberia flights. Alternate redemption choices for American miles embrace:
- Important cabin seat choices
- Admirals Membership memberships
- Rental automobiles and resort stays
- Trip packages
- Luxurious experiences
- Donations to companion charities
When must you use your American Airways miles
You need to use your American miles to e book journey any time you discover an award flight that permits you to get at the very least the typical worth for every mile you redeem. Should you discover a home flight or a global itinerary that permits you to get 1.5¢ per mile, it’s best to most likely transfer ahead with the reserving earlier than the worth goes up based mostly on demand or different elements.
Alternatively, you possibly can think about using different airline miles you need to e book another itinerary, or utilizing money so it can save you your miles. That stated, racking up miles you by no means use isn’t beneficial since rewards currencies are devalued 12 months after 12 months. Airline miles are supposed to “earn and burn,” and there is little worth in hoarding them until you are saving up for a giant journey.
Regularly requested questions (FAQ)
Do American Airways miles expire?
American Airways miles expire if you happen to do not earn or redeem any of them over the course of 24 months. Nonetheless, 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’ll be able to enroll free to develop into an American AAdvantage member on AA.com. You will simply must share data like your identify, tackle, e mail tackle, and cellphone quantity.
Can I convert American Airways miles to money?
You can’t convert American miles to money. Nonetheless, you possibly can redeem your miles for Admirals Membership memberships, rental automobiles and resort stays, trip packages, luxurious experiences, and donations to companion charities.