Award Travel Redemption: American Airlines' Buy-Back Policy

American Airlines' loyalty program, AAdvantage, is one of the most rewarding travel programs, with partnerships with over 20 airlines, 1,200 retailers, and 10 car rental companies. The program has recently undergone some positive changes, including the incorporation of dynamic award pricing and new ways to earn miles.

AAdvantage miles can be earned by flying with American Airlines or one of its many partners, as well as through co-branded credit cards, hotel stays, car rentals, cruises, dining, and shopping. These miles can then be redeemed for award travel, upgrades, car rentals, hotel stays, and more.

One of the key benefits of the AAdvantage program is the ability to book award flights with over 20 partner airlines, including British Airways, Japan Airlines, and Qatar Airways. The dynamic award pricing means that the cost of award flights will vary depending on the cash price of the flight, allowing for greater flexibility and value.

Additionally, AAdvantage members can take advantage of various elite status levels, each offering exclusive benefits such as complimentary upgrades, priority boarding, and free checked bags.

With its extensive network of partners and rewarding redemption options, the American Airlines AAdvantage program offers great value and flexibility for travelers looking to maximize their travel experiences.

Earning AAdvantage miles by flying on American or with Oneworld and partner airlines

Earning AAdvantage miles is a great way to access a wide range of travel destinations and benefits. By flying with American Airlines or its Oneworld and partner airlines, you can accumulate miles that can be redeemed for future flights and upgrades.

Earning Miles with American Airlines

If you frequently fly with American Airlines, you can easily earn AAdvantage miles by providing your AAdvantage frequent flyer number when booking your flights. This will ensure that the miles from your trip are credited to your account. Additionally, you can earn miles by flying with American Airlines' partner airlines, such as those within the Oneworld Alliance, which includes leading airlines serving over 900 destinations in more than 170 territories worldwide.

Earning Miles with Oneworld and Other Partner Airlines

In addition to American Airlines, you can earn AAdvantage miles by flying with any of their Oneworld partner airlines. These include:

• Royal Jordanian Airlines
• Alaska Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• Malaysia Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Air Maroc
• SriLankan Airlines

You can also earn miles with other partner airlines outside of the Oneworld Alliance, such as:

• China Southern Airlines
• Air Tahiti Nui
• Cape Air
• Etihad Airways
• Fiji Airways
• GOL Airlines
• Hawaiian Airlines

By including these airlines in your travel plans, you can accumulate AAdvantage miles and get closer to redeeming them for future flights or upgrades.

Redeeming Miles for Award Flights

Once you've accumulated AAdvantage miles, you can redeem them for award flights. The number of miles needed for a free flight will depend on the region you're travelling to and the class of service. American Airlines provides an award chart on their website, which outlines the number of miles required for different destinations and cabin classes. Keep in mind that dynamic award pricing may also affect the number of miles needed, as it varies based on travel dates and demand.

In summary, earning AAdvantage miles by flying with American Airlines or its partners is a great way to accumulate miles for future travel. By taking advantage of the various earning opportunities, you can redeem miles for award flights to a wide range of destinations, making the most of your travel experiences.

Earning AAdvantage miles with a credit card

In addition to the above, American Airlines also has three other cards that are no longer accepting new applicants: AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Silver Mastercard®, AAdvantage® Aviator® Blue Mastercard® and the Citi® / AAdvantage® Gold World Elite™ Mastercard®.

There is one business card that is still accepting new applicants: The CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® (annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, then $99), which has the following welcome offer: Earn 75,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.

The AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® (annual fee: $95) is not accepting new applicants.

American Airlines credit cards allow you to not only earn AAdvantage miles each time you swipe your card but also to earn additional miles for spending in specific categories. All of the above-mentioned credit cards earn 2 miles per $1 on American Airlines purchases, except for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, which earns 4 miles per $1 on American Airlines purchases and 10 miles per $1 on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through American Airlines.

In addition, these cards earn 2 miles per $1 in the following categories:

• CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®: Gas stations and restaurants.
• American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®: Grocery stores.
• CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®: Cable, satellite, telecommunications, car rental and gas stations.
• AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®: Office supply stores, telecom and car rental merchants.

If you want a credit card with no annual fee that earns extra points at grocery stores, consider the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®.

If you'd rather earn the bonus points at office supply stores or on communication expenses, consider either the AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard® or the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®, as they offer extra points in those categories.

Many people pay their phone bill using their bank account, which usually earns no rewards points. However, if you put a $100 monthly phone bill on a card that earns bonus points, that's an extra 2,400 AAdvantage miles per year.

Although it may seem like a relatively small number of miles, they add up quickly. An extra 2,400 miles are worth about $40, but that can be the difference between having enough miles for an award ticket or being slightly short on miles and needing to top up your account through a miles purchase (which can be rather expensive).

Get into the habit of thinking strategically about which credit cards you use for purchases. Save a note in your phone showing which credit cards earn bonus miles in specific categories so you can refer back to it when shopping and maximize the number of miles you earn from everyday purchases.

Redeeming AAdvantage miles for award flights

AAdvantage miles are the award currency of American Airlines' frequent flyer program. You can redeem your AAdvantage miles for award flights, as well as other experiences and purchases. Here's a step-by-step guide to redeeming your miles for award flights.

Step 1: Log in to Your Account

If you don't already have an American AAdvantage frequent flyer account, you can sign up for free on the American Airlines website. If you've forgotten your password, follow the prompts to reset it.

Step 2: Search for Your Award Flight

On the American Airlines website, select "Redeem Miles" and enter your destination and dates. You can refine your search by variables such as the number of connections and the airline. You can also view a calendar that shows available redemptions for a whole month, but be aware that a nicely priced award seat may come with multiple connections or overnight stays.

Step 3: Check Seating Charts

For AA-operated flights, you can see which seats are available before you book. This ensures you won't be stuck in a middle seat far from your travel companions.

Step 4: Book Your Flight

American Airlines offers a 24-hour cancellation policy, so you can book now and cancel later if you change your mind.

Step 5: Pay for Your Flight

If you need time to decide, American Airlines offers up to five-day holds on award flights with no credit card required. If you're ready to book, proceed with payment, and your miles will be deducted.

Additional Information:

• American Airlines has a vast array of travel partners thanks to its membership in the Oneworld alliance. You can redeem AAdvantage miles for award travel on partner flights, often at better value than redeeming on American Airlines flights directly.
• American Airlines adopted dynamic pricing for flight award redemptions in 2023, so the number of miles required varies depending on the date and flight. Redemptions start at 7,500 miles for an economy flight within the US and Canada.
• When redeeming miles on partner flights, be mindful of taxes and fees. For example, British Airways is known for charging high fees on award flights.
• American Airlines allows one-way award travel, and these typically cost half the price of a round-trip award.
• American Airlines does not allow free stopovers on award travel. Any connection of 24 hours or more on an international award will result in the need to pay for more than one award ticket.
• You can book open-jaw tickets (where the passenger's departing and returning airports are different) at both the origin and destination. An open-jaw ticket that includes more than one region will be priced as two one-way awards.
• American Airlines allows you to combine partners on an award ticket, and award prices are the same for all partner airlines.
• American Airlines does not offer savings on awards with multiple classes of service. The award is priced according to the highest class of service booked on the itinerary.
• American Airlines eliminated its close-in booking fee in 2020, so you no longer have to pay extra when booking within 21 days of departure.
• You can add a lap infant to your AAdvantage award, but the cost varies depending on the region. There is no additional cost for domestic awards within the US, Canada, Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands.
• American Airlines allows you to book award flights for other people. However, you cannot sell miles, so you should not book for people you don't know or accept payment for booking on someone else's behalf.
• You can redeem AAdvantage miles through the AA travel portal for hotels, car rentals, lounge access or upgrades.

Redeeming AAdvantage miles for upgrades and Admirals Club passes

If you want to upgrade your seat with your AAdvantage miles, you can do so on flights operated by American Airlines and three of its partners: British Airways, Iberia, and Qantas. However, you'll have to pay a hefty co-pay (starting at $75) on most American fares. For upgrades on American's partners, you won't have a co-pay, but the mileage rates are much higher.

You can also use your AAdvantage miles to purchase Admirals Club passes. One-day passes can be purchased for $59 or 5,900 miles. These passes include both departure and arrival lounge access when travelling on OneWorld/JetBlue, both domestically and internationally. Please note that neither buying with cash nor with miles will count towards loyalty points needed for AA/Oneworld status. Also, one-day passes are the first to be denied entry when clubs are at full capacity.

If you have an Executive Platinum or Platinum Pro status, you can also redeem 20,000 or 24,000 miles, respectively, for an entry pass to the exclusive Flagship First dining facility.

Earning AAdvantage miles through partners

There are several ways to earn AAdvantage miles through American Airlines' partners. Firstly, you can earn miles by flying with Oneworld and partner airlines, including Royal Jordanian Airlines and China Southern Airlines. The number of miles earned depends on the distance flown and the fare class of the ticket. For example, on flights with British Airways, you earn AAdvantage miles based on the ticket price and your elite status level.

Additionally, American Airlines has several co-branded credit cards that offer welcome bonuses and allow you to earn miles on everyday purchases. These cards are issued by Citibank and Barclays, and some of the current offers include the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® and the AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®.

Another way to earn miles is through the AAdvantage eShopping mall, which offers bonuses for shopping at specified online merchants. You can also earn miles through SimplyMiles, which provides extra miles for in-store purchases.

American Airlines also has partnerships with various hotel chains, car rental companies, and cruise booking platforms, allowing you to earn miles on your travel bookings. For example, you can earn miles by staying at Hyatt Hotels, renting a car with Avis or Budget, or booking a cruise vacation through American Airlines.

Furthermore, you can earn miles through their dining rewards program, AAdvantage Dining, which offers miles at participating restaurants. You can also earn miles by using business partners of American Airlines, such as American HomeMiles for real estate and mortgage services, or by opening an account with Bask Bank, an online bank that awards miles for depositing money.

Other unique ways to earn miles include taking surveys with Miles for Opinions, parking at the airport with PreFlight, booking an airport shuttle with SuperShuttle, or using utility providers like NRG, Reliant, or Xoom.

Lastly, you can convert points from hotel rewards programs, such as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, IHG Hotels & Resorts, or Marriott Vacation Club, into AAdvantage miles. However, it's important to consider the value of your points before transferring, as the conversion rate may not always be favourable.

Frequently asked questions