American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card — Review [2024]

Great Card If

• You want to earn American Airlines miles without paying an annual fee.
• You fly with American Airlines often.

Don’t Get If

• You hardly ever fly with American Airlines.
• You want a card that offers more benefits.

AAdvantage MileUp Card — Is It Worth It?

The AAdvantage MileUp card is an excellent option for American Airlines flyers who are looking to earn additional miles on their daily purchases without needing to pay an annual fee.

You earn 2 miles for each $1 spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services, and on eligible American Airlines purchases, along with 1 miles per $1 on all other purchases. Plus, every $1 spent on the card earns your 1 Loyalty Point toward AAdvantage elite status.

While the AAdvantage MileUp card doesn’t offer as many benefits as other co-branded American Airlines cards that charge an annual fee, it does still include a 25% rebate on inflight food and beverage purchases.

AAdvantage MileUp Card Top Benefits

As a $0-annual-fee card, the AAdvantage MileUp card doesn’t offer as many benefits as other American Airlines cards that do charge fees, but it does offer a few helpful perks:

• 25% rebate on inflight purchases: This applies to inflight food and beverage purchases.
• Earn Loyalty Points: Help yourself qualify, or requalify, for American Airlines AAdvantage elite status by earning 1 Loyalty Point for every $1 spent on the card.

Best Ways To Earn and Redeem American Miles

A great way to rack up extra American Airlines miles is to use your AAdvantage MileUp card for as many purchases as you can, especially to earn 2x miles on American Airlines flights and grocery stores, along with 1x miles on all other purchases. Plus, you can also take advantage of platforms like SimplyMiles and the AAdvantage Shopping Portal to earn even more miles.

When it comes to redeeming your AAdvantage miles, American Airlines miles are quite valuable and offer a wide variety of high-value redemption options. Some great redemption options include Etihad first class, Qatar Airways Qsuites, and Japan Airlines first class.

Alternative Cards to the AAdvantage MileUp Card

Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Platinum Select^® World Elite Mastercard^®

If you’re a frequent American Airlines flyer and want a card that comes with more benefits, then the AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite card would be a better choice for you. You still earn 2x miles on American Airlines purchases, but you’ll also earn 2x miles spent at restaurants and gas stations.

Plus, it offers perks like 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases, the first checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 4 travel companions, preferred boarding, no foreign transaction fees, and the ability to earn a $125 American Airlines flight discount after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases during your cardmember year.

Citi^®/AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite Mastercard^®

If you’re an American Airlines loyalist or want American Admirals Club access, then the AAdvantage Executive World Elite card is the card for you. Plus, it earns a whopping 4x miles on American Airlines purchases, and 10x miles on hotels and rental cars purchased through American Airlines.

Not only does it offer a complimentary Admirals Club membership, it also includes a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit, your first checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 8 travel companions, 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases, and priority boarding.

Beyond that, it also helps you earn elite status by offering a 10,000 Loyalty Point bonus after reaching 50,000 Loyalty Points in a status qualification year, and another 10,000 Loyalty Point bonus after reaching 90,000 Loyalty Points in the same status qualification year. You also receive up to $120 in annual statement credits for rental cars, up to $120 in annual statement credits for Lyft, and up to $120 in annual statement credits for Grubhub.