Aa's Travel Rewards: Are They Worth It?

does aa have a good travel rewards program

American Airlines' loyalty program, AAdvantage, offers a range of benefits to its members. The program is free to join and offers perks such as priority boarding, elite status with car rental agencies, bonus miles, upgrades, and more. Members can earn AAdvantage miles by flying with American Airlines or partner airlines, using co-branded credit cards, shopping through the AAdvantage portal, dining at associated restaurants, and more. The miles can then be redeemed for flights, upgrades, lounge access, and other rewards. The AAdvantage program also provides flexible options for choosing and using rewards, making it a good travel rewards program for frequent travellers.

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Earning AAdvantage miles by flying with Oneworld airlines and other partners

American Airlines is part of the Oneworld alliance, which includes 13 airlines serving more than 900 destinations across 170 countries and territories. This means you can earn and redeem AAdvantage miles on flights with any of the following Oneworld airlines:

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

You can also earn and redeem AAdvantage miles on flights with the following Oneworld Connect partner:

Fiji Airways

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Earning miles through credit card spending

Citi®/AAdvantage® Cards:

  • Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 4 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 10 miles per $1 on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through American Airlines.
  • Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent at restaurants, gas stations, and on eligible American Airlines purchases.
  • Citi® / AAdvantage® Gold World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases on American Airlines flights when you use your card, with no limit to the number of miles you can earn.
  • American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Mastercard®: Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent at grocery stores and on eligible American Airlines purchases.
  • CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent on cable, satellite, telecommunications, car rental, and gas stations.

AAdvantage® Aviator® Cards:

  • AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after making $1,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
  • AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®: Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on office supply stores, telecom, and car rental merchants.

In addition to earning miles on your spending, these credit cards offer other benefits such as preferred boarding, free checked bags, and savings on in-flight purchases. It's important to note that the miles earned through credit card spending can be used in conjunction with the miles earned through your AAdvantage® account, allowing you to accumulate miles faster and redeem them for rewards.

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Shopping portals and dining rewards

AAdvantage Dining℠ is a program that allows members to earn miles at participating restaurants. Members can search for participating restaurants near them and earn rewards for dining at those restaurants. This is a great way to earn miles while enjoying a meal out.

In addition to dining rewards, the AAdvantage® program also offers shopping portals where members can earn miles for their purchases. The AAdvantage eShopping mall features a variety of retailers, including popular brands and stores. By accessing these retailers through the AAdvantage eShopping portal, members can earn bonus miles on their purchases. This is a convenient way to earn miles while shopping online for everyday items or even when making larger purchases.

The number of miles earned through dining and shopping rewards can vary depending on the restaurant or retailer and the specific promotions offered. These rewards can be a great way to boost your mileage balance and get closer to redeeming for flights, upgrades, or other rewards.

Furthermore, the AAdvantage® program also offers exclusive benefits to its members, such as the ability to earn Loyalty Choice Rewards. By earning 125,000 Loyalty Points and flying at least 30 eligible flight segments, members can unlock a range of rewards, including systemwide upgrades, AAdvantage bonus miles, Admirals Club® One-Day Passes, and more.

The flexibility of the AAdvantage® program allows members to choose their rewards based on their preferences and travel goals. With a variety of options to earn and redeem miles, the program offers a comprehensive travel rewards experience.

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Earning miles through other partner activity

  • AAdvantage eShopping: Earn miles by shopping through the AA portal. You can earn bonus miles by spending a certain amount during promotional periods.
  • AAdvantage Dining Program: Earn miles by dining at participating restaurants. New members can earn bonus miles on their first meal.
  • Car Rentals: Earn miles by renting cars from partners like Avis and Budget. The number of miles earned depends on the rental duration and your elite status.
  • Hotels: Stay at partner hotels such as Hilton and earn miles. You can also earn bonus miles through promotions or by being a member of the hotel's loyalty program.
  • Teleflora and 1-800-Flowers: Send flowers or gifts and earn miles. You can earn bonus miles during promotional periods or by using specific promo codes.
  • Sprint: Switch to Sprint or sign up for a new line and earn bonus miles.
  • LifeLock: Enroll in LifeLock's identity theft protection services and earn miles. You can earn bonus miles for the first year of enrollment.
  • Vinesse: Join Vinesse's wine club and earn miles. You can also earn bonus miles as a new member.
  • Surveys: Participate in surveys through partners like Miles for Opinions and earn miles for sharing your opinions.
  • Rocketmiles: Book hotels through Rocketmiles and earn miles on your stays. You can also earn bonus miles as a new member.

These are just a few examples of the many partner activities that can earn you AAdvantage miles. Be sure to check the American Airlines website for the most up-to-date information and a complete list of partners.

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Buying AAdvantage miles

American Airlines' AAdvantage program is one of the oldest and most popular airline loyalty programs. As a member of the Oneworld alliance, AAdvantage miles can be earned from and redeemed with all member airlines.

The most obvious way to pick up additional miles is to simply buy them. American Airlines allows members to purchase up to 150,000 miles yearly, with a minimum order of 5,000 miles each time. The standard full price to purchase AAdvantage miles is 3.76 cents per mile. However, American Airlines often offers promotions with discounts of up to 35% on miles. For example, under a standard promotion, the price per mile drops as low as 2.4 cents for the maximum purchase.

It's important to note that purchasing miles is generally not recommended, as it is usually an expensive way to accrue them. Instead, it is typically more cost-effective to earn AAdvantage miles through other means, such as credit card sign-up bonuses and partner flights.

However, there are specific cases where purchasing miles can make sense. For instance, buying miles might be a good option if you only need a few more to complete a specific redemption or to extend the life of expiring miles. Additionally, if you're considering paying for a business or first-class flight, it may be cheaper to buy the required number of AAdvantage miles instead.

  • Los Angeles to Johannesburg in Qatar QSuite business class: Mileage rate of 75,000 miles one-way, with a typical cash price of $6,625. The cost to buy 75,000 AAdvantage miles at the optimal rate of 2.45 cents per mile is $1,838.
  • Los Angeles to Sydney in Qantas business class: Mileage rate of 80,000 miles one-way, with a typical cash price of $6,662. The cost to buy 80,000 AAdvantage miles at the optimal rate is $1,960.
  • Abu Dhabi to London in Etihad first class: Mileage rate of 62,500 miles one-way, with a typical cash price of $3,679. The cost to buy 62,500 AAdvantage miles at the optimal rate is $1,531.
  • Boston to Sao Paulo in American Airlines business class: Mileage rate of 55,000 miles one-way, with a typical cash price of $2,205. The cost to buy 55,000 AAdvantage miles at the optimal rate is $1,348.

It's worth noting that purchasing miles should be a last resort, especially if you're looking to top up your account for an award redemption or to prevent miles from expiring. Additionally, it's important to consider the value of AAdvantage miles, which is estimated to be around 1.6 cents apiece.

Overall, while buying AAdvantage miles can sometimes be a good option, it's important to carefully consider the specific redemption you have in mind and compare the cost of purchasing miles with the value you'll get from redeeming them.

Frequently asked questions

Loyalty Choice Rewards are benefits that can be unlocked by earning 125,000 Loyalty Points and flying at least 30 eligible flight segments. Once you qualify for Loyalty Choice Rewards, you can choose your reward any time between the date you qualify and March of the following year.

The AAdvantage program offers perks such as priority boarding, elite status with car rental agencies, bonus miles, upgrades, and more. For example, reaching the 15,000 Loyalty Points mark gives you Group 5 boarding for the membership year, while unlocking Loyalty Choice Rewards at 125,000 Loyalty Points allows you to select additional benefits like systemwide upgrades, lounge passes, airline credits, and the ability to gift AA Gold status.

You can earn AAdvantage miles by flying on American Airlines or with Oneworld airlines and other partner airlines. Additionally, you can earn miles through various partners, including credit cards, hotel loyalty programs, shopping portals, dining rewards, and car rental companies.

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