Redeeming American Airlines Travel Rewards

American Airlines' frequent flyer program is called American Airlines AAdvantage, and it allows you to redeem miles in a variety of ways. The simplest way to redeem your AAdvantage miles is on flights operated by American. You can also redeem your miles on flights with Oneworld and other partner airlines, including Japan Airlines and Etihad Airways. In addition to flights, you can use your miles on other travel expenses like rental cars, hotels, or vacation packages, as well as Admirals Club memberships and gift cards.

Redeem miles for American Airlines flights

Redeeming your miles for American Airlines flights is a simple process. You can book award flights on the AA website, app, or over the phone.

To get started, log in to your AAdvantage account on the American Airlines website or app. Next, select whether you want a round-trip, one-way, or multi-city itinerary. You will then need to input your destinations and select your travel dates. If you are flexible with dates, you can view a monthly calendar of award pricing.

Once you have selected your itinerary, the app or website will show you the available award flights, the number of miles needed to redeem, and any applicable taxes and fees. After selecting your preferred itinerary, you will need to confirm the award redemption rate, verify passenger details, and select your seats. Finally, you will need to pay for your trip. American Airlines offers up to five-day holds on award flights with no credit card required if you need more time to decide.

It is worth noting that American Airlines adopted dynamic pricing for flight award redemptions in 2023. This means that the number of miles required to fly can vary depending on the date and flight. Redemptions start at 7,500 miles for an economy flight within the US and Canada, but there are no guarantees as redemption prices will vary based on demand.

In addition to redeeming miles for flights, you can also use your AAdvantage miles for other travel-related experiences, such as hotels, car rentals, lounge access, or upgrades. However, redeeming miles for flights will likely give you the best value.

Redeem miles for partner flights

Redeeming your American Airlines miles for flights with partner airlines is a great way to get more from your rewards. American Airlines has a vast array of travel partners thanks to its membership in the Oneworld alliance. This means you can redeem your AAdvantage miles for flights with partner airlines, as well as car rentals, hotels and more.

Redeeming your AAdvantage miles on partner flights is similar to redeeming them on American Airlines flights. All Oneworld alliance members can be booked directly online, and most of American Airlines' other partners can also be booked this way, with the exception of China Southern Airlines, which must be booked over the phone.

It's worth noting that partner award availability can be significantly less than what you may be used to seeing for American Airlines flights. Each partner differs when releasing available award space to other partners, so it's always best to check.

American Airlines also has some important routing rules, detailed in the partner award chart. For example, flying from the U.S. to the Middle East, Europe and Africa can only be transatlantic.

Another point to consider when booking international partners is that any stopover of 24 hours or longer may be priced as two separate awards.

You should also be mindful of the taxes and fees on partner awards. For example, British Airways is known for charging high fees on award flights.

• Alaska Airlines
• British Airways
• Malaysia Airlines
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian Airlines
• SriLankan Airlines

And some of the other partner airlines:

• China Southern Airlines
• Hawaiian Airlines

Redeem miles for cabin upgrades

Upgrading your seat on an American Airlines flight is a great way to use your AAdvantage miles. The number of miles you'll need depends on your destination and the cabin you're upgrading to or from. Upgrades can range from 5,000 to 25,000 miles, with additional fees of up to $550.

Upgrading with miles is a little more complicated than other redemption options. Here's what you need to know:

Most American Airlines-operated flights are eligible for an upgrade with AAdvantage miles. The main exception is basic economy tickets, which are not eligible for mileage upgrades. If you book an American Airlines flight through a codeshare partner, you won't be able to apply a mileage upgrade. Make sure your flight number and operating carrier are both American Airlines when booking.

The cost of upgrading depends on the region and class of service. For example, upgrading from economy to business class within the contiguous 48 U.S. states, Alaska, Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean will cost 15,000 miles plus a $75 copay. Upgrading from economy to business class on long-haul international flights will cost 25,000 miles plus a $350 copay.

American Airlines has a detailed chart on its website outlining the miles and cash copay required for different upgrade options.

The value of upgrading with miles depends on your personal preferences. Upgrading to a lie-flat seat for a long-haul or overnight flight may be worth the cost for some travellers, while others may prefer to save their miles for a future award ticket.

How to upgrade an American Airlines flight with miles

To upgrade an American Airlines flight with miles, you'll need to find upgrade availability and request the upgrade from a reservations agent. You can use ExpertFlyer's Award & Upgrade Availability Search tool to find upgrade space. Once you've found availability, call American Airlines Reservations to request the upgrade.

Your chances of getting an upgrade

If you don't have elite status with American Airlines, your chances of getting an upgrade are slim. Upgrades are prioritised based on elite status, the type of upgrade requested, and the fare class of the ticket purchased. If you don't have elite status, your upgrade request will be prioritised below all elite members.

Redeem miles for hotels and car rentals

AAdvantage members can redeem their miles for car rentals and hotel stays at over 10,000 locations in more than 320 destinations worldwide. Members can choose to pay for car rentals and hotel stays using only miles or a combination of cash plus as few as 1,000 AAdvantage miles.

AAdvantage members can redeem as few as 1,000 miles to pay for the non-flight portion of any American Airlines vacation package, including hotel and resort stays, car rentals, transfers, tours, and activities.

When booking, you'll see the price of your vacation in dollars and in AAdvantage miles. You can then use the slider scale or enter the number of miles you'd like to use. The remaining amount due by credit card will update based on the number of miles redeemed.

In addition, AAdvantage elite status members will have access to exclusive redemption rates based on their AAdvantage Executive Platinum, AAdvantage Platinum, or AAdvantage Gold status when booking car and hotel award products.

Booking a flight and hotel together

Booking your flight and hotel together with American Airlines gives you access to unpublished rates that are so low they can only be booked as part of a package, and you can save even more by paying with AAdvantage miles.

With American Airlines vacation packages, you can choose from thousands of flights, hotels, and cars to build a customized vacation in over 320 destinations worldwide.

Redeem miles for travel experiences

If you're looking to redeem your American Airlines miles for travel experiences, you've got several options beyond the standard award flights.

Seat upgrades

You can use your AAdvantage miles to upgrade your seat on flights operated by American Airlines, American Eagle, British Airways, Iberia, or Qantas. The number of miles needed depends on your route and cabin class, ranging from 5,000 to 25,000 miles, with potential additional fees of up to $550.

Car rentals, hotels, and vacations

You can redeem your miles for car rentals, hotels, and other travel experiences through the "Redeem miles" page on AA.com. This option typically offers less value than award flights, but it can be a good choice if you have miles to spare or are unable to fly.

Admirals Club membership

You can also redeem your miles for an Admirals Club membership, giving you access to exclusive airport lounges with amenities like complimentary food and drinks, workspaces, and quiet areas.

Travel on partner airlines

In addition to American Airlines flights, you can use your AAdvantage miles to book award travel on partner airlines within the Oneworld alliance, including:

• Alaska Airlines
• British Airways
• Malaysia Airlines
• Royal Air Maroc
• Royal Jordanian Airlines
• SriLankan Airlines

And partners outside the alliance, such as:

• China Southern Airlines
• Hawaiian Airlines

Donate miles to charity

If you're feeling generous, you can donate your miles to various charitable organizations through the AAdvantage program. The minimum number of miles you can donate is 1,000, and this option can be a great way to extend the life of your miles if your account is inactive.

Frequently asked questions