What are the ways to earn AA miles?

The fastest way to earn miles is by getting American Airlines credit cards. In addition to earning miles for everyday purchases, you can qualify for attractive welcome bonuses when you’re a new cardholder. Other ways to earn miles include making purchases from American Airlines’ partners, including airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, and online retailers.

Which airlines earn AAdvantage miles?

Earn AAdvantage miles when you book a flight on American Airlines or with one of its Oneworld partners. American Airlines also has 10+ non-alliance partners that allow you to earn AAdvantage miles, including Hawaiian Airlines and Etihad Airways.

Can you earn AAdvantage miles on Alaska Airlines?

Yes, you can earn AAdvantage miles when flying on Alaska Airlines since the airlines are partners through the Oneworld alliance.

Can you earn AA miles for past flights?

Yes, you can earn AA miles for flights purchased less than 30 days before your enrollment in the AAdvantage loyalty program. Once you’re enrolled in AAdvantage, you can request mileage credit for 12 months after a flight is purchased.

How can you earn American Airlines miles without flying?

While flying on American Airlines is a terrific strategy for earning more AAdvantage miles, it is only one of the many options for increasing your mileage balance. For instance, making purchases in select categories with an American Airlines credit card will give you up to 2 points per $1 spent in your AAdvantage account. American Airlines also has many travel and non-travel partners that award AAdvantage miles for purchases. For example, you can earn miles by dining with restaurants that participate in the AAdvantage Dining program or by booking a car rental through one of American’s partners.

What hotels earn AA miles?

In addition to RocketMiles, AAdvantage loyalty program has more than 20 partner hotels. Find a complete list of participating hotels online.

Can you earn AA miles for car rentals?

Yes, earn as many as 500 miles per rental depending on the rental car company. American Airlines has 10+ car rental partners including its preferred partners Avis and Budget.

Can AA miles be earned on award flights?

No, like most airlines, American Airlines does not award AAdvantage miles for award flights.

Can you earn American Airlines miles by taking surveys?

Yes, you can earn American Airlines miles by filling out surveys in e-Rewards. Earn e-Rewards or another currency for each survey you complete and then convert them into AAdvantage miles.

When are miles credited to my account?

Miles earned for American Airlines’ purchases are typically credited to your account within 1 to 3 days of travel. Purchases for travel on partner airlines can take up to 15 days. Non-travel miles are usually credited to your account within 30 days.

Can I transfer my AAdvantage miles to British Airways or other airlines?

You cannot transfer your AAdvantage miles to British Airways or other mileage currencies. You can, however, book flights on any of American Airlines’ partner airlines with AAdvantage miles, which includes British Airways.

How To Earn 100k+ American Airlines AAdvantage Miles [In 90 Days]

Updated: May 12, 2025, 2:39am CDT

Edited by:

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Table of Contents

Key Takeaways
Why Would You Want To Earn 100,000 American AAdvantage Miles?
How To Earn 100,000 American AAdvantage Miles
Using Those 100,000+ American Airlines AAdvantage Miles
Final Thoughts

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Key Takeaways

Earning lots of American Airlines AAdvantage miles is possible through welcome offers on co-branded credit cards like the Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Platinum Select^® World Elite Mastercard^®.
Additional miles can be earned through everyday spending, flying with American Airlines or partners, and utilizing shopping and dining portals.
Transferring points from Marriott Bonvoy to American Airlines AAdvantage is another way to boost your mileage balance, but it is at a 3:1 transfer ratio.

As the largest airline in the world, American Airlines carries passengers to ~350 domestic and international destinations each year. It’s also a part of the world’s second-largest airline alliance — Oneworld — which serves every inhabited continent with partners like British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and others.

By joining American Airlines AAdvantage, the airline’s loyalty program, you can quickly earn miles that can then be redeemed for free travel on all Oneworld routes. And this is nothing to scoff at — American’s Oneworld partners have some of the most luxurious business and first-class products in the sky.

Better yet, by using the right strategies, it’s possible to earn as many as 100,000+ miles in 90 days. So even if your account balance currently sits at a dull “0,” we can help you get to the trip of your dreams in no time at all.

Why Would You Want To Earn 100,000 American AAdvantage Miles?

There’s no question that 100,000 is a TON of miles, but what can they really do for you?

How about flying Cathay Pacific first class to Hong Kong or other parts of Asia? Or Etihad Airways business class for a sunny beach vacation in the Maldives?

With 100,000 miles in your AAdvantage account, you’ll have more than enough to accomplish either of these bookings.

If you prefer to stay stateside, you’ll have enough miles to fly 13 one-way, short-haul flights in North America. This can be useful for seeing family around the U.S. and Canada — especially during holidays and special events when flights are expensive.

Still, need a bit of inspiration on how to use your miles? Don’t worry: we’ve got an entire post dedicated to the best ways to use 100,000 AAdvantage miles that can help you pick your next vacation spot.

Whatever your reason for travel, the American AAdvantage program provides plenty of opportunities to earn miles! Let’s take a look at all the options.

How To Earn 100,000 American AAdvantage Miles

1. Get American Airlines Credit Cards

You can earn AAdvantage miles by applying for one of the multiple American Airlines co-branded credit cards from Citi or Barclays. Welcome bonuses for these cards typically range from 25,000 to 75,000 miles, with targeted welcome bonuses popping up fairly regularly.

Remember: you’ll need to meet the minimum spend requirements in the first 3 months before you can receive the welcome offer for most of these cards. Then, you can use the same cards to earn extra American Airlines miles on all of your daily purchases, helping you inch closer to your 100,000-mile goal with every dollar you spend.

Do note that it can take up to 8 to 10 weeks after meeting the minimum spend requirements for the bonus miles to appear in your American AAdvantage account. Miles from everyday purchases will be credited at the end of each statement period, so you’ll have a steady flow of AAdvantage miles coming in daily.

Here are the current offers for some of the best American Airlines cards:

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

U.P. Rating

Status lovers will enjoy the variety of benefits that come with this card. From free bags to reduced-price inflight beverages, AA still flies in style.

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

Status lovers will enjoy the variety of benefits that come with this card. From free bags to reduced-price inflight beverages, AA still flies in style.

Welcome OfferEarn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
50,000 miles

UP's Offer Valuation*:
$700

Annual Fee

$0 intro annual fee, $99 after the first year

APR

20.24% — 29.24% Variable

Why We Like This Card

The AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite card is a great option for American Airlines frequent flyers who want to earn more miles on their daily purchases and score perks such as free checked bags, preferred boarding, and savings on inflight food and beverage purchases.

Pros & Cons

Pros

2x miles at restaurants, gas stations, and eligible American Airlines purchases
1x miles on all other purchases
1x Loyalty Point per $1 spent on all purchases

Cons

Does not earn transferable rewards
Charges an annual fee

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage^® bonus miles after $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Earn 2 AAdvantage^® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, and on eligible American Airlines purchases
Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage^® mile earned from purchases
Earn a $125 American Airlines Flight Discount after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases during your card membership year and renew your card
No Foreign Transaction Fees
First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to four companions traveling with you on the same reservation
Enjoy preferred boarding on American Airlines flights

Financial Snapshot

APR: 20.24% — 29.24% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: 0%

Rewards Center

American Airlines AAdvantage Program

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

U.P. Rating

Access to Admirals Clubs, tons of added benefits, and a way to spend towards elite status make this a great option for American Airlines loyalists.

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

Access to Admirals Clubs, tons of added benefits, and a way to spend towards elite status make this a great option for American Airlines loyalists.

Welcome OfferEarn 100,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $10,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.
100,000 miles

UP's Offer Valuation*:
$980

Annual Fee

$595

APR

20.24% — 29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The AAdvantage Executive World Elite card is a must-have for frequent American Airlines flyers who want Admirals Club lounge access, to earn more miles on their daily expenses, and a fast-track to American Airlines AAdvantage elite status.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Earn 10x miles on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through aadvantagehotels.com and aadvantagecars.com
Earn 4x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, and 5x miles after you spend $150,000 in purchases in a calendar year
Earn 1x mile and 1 Loyalty Point on all other purchases

Cons

$595 annual fee
Doesn’t earn many miles on all other eligible purchases

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage^® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.
Admirals Club^® membership for you and access for up to two guests or immediate family members traveling with you
No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage^® mile earned from purchases
First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to 8 companions traveling with you on the same reservation

Financial Snapshot

APR: 20.24% — 29.24% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees:

Rewards Center

American Airlines AAdvantage Frequent Flyer Program

2. Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards

You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points and transfer those to American Airlines at a transfer rate of 3:1.

We usually don’t recommend doing this, though. You’ll generally lose value on the 3:1 transfer ratio when moving miles to American Airlines from Marriott Bonvoy and your points can generally reap more value when used for hotel stays and other Marriott redemptions.

However, transferring to Marriott Bonvoy can still be a solid option if you need to quickly top-up your AAdvantage account for a specific redemption in a pinch. Here are the credit cards you can use to quickly earn Marriott Bonvoy points:

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards (Personal)

Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating

A great option for Marriott hotel fans who want a no annual fee card and automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card

A great option for Marriott hotel fans who want a no annual fee card and automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 Bonus Points plus 1 Free Night Award after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card! Free Night Award valued up to 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.
60,000 points + 1 Free Night Award

UP's Offer Valuation*:
Up to   $770

Annual Fee

APR

20.49% - 27.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

Casual travelers who like to frequent properties that are part of the Marriott Bonvoy collection of brands may want to consider the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card.

The Marriott Bold card rewards cardholders for Marriott stays and gives them a boost towards Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Up to 14x points per $1 on Marriott purchases
2x points at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services
5 Elite Night Credits each year

Cons

Lower point earn rate than other Marriott Bonvoy cards
Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status is the lowest status tier

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

Earn 60,000 Bonus Points plus 1 Free Night Award after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Free Night Award valued up to 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.
Pay no annual fee with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card from Chase^®!
Earn up to 14X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Card.
Earn 2X points for every $1 spent at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services.
1X point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Travel now, pay later - Break up purchases into equal monthly payments with no interest plus no plan fees on qualifying travel purchases. Terms apply.
Pay Yourself Back^® - Redeem Marriott Bonvoy^® points for a statement credit to cover qualifying travel purchases made directly with airlines or at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, up to $750 total in redemptions per year.
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 20.49% - 27.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating

Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual Free Night Award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card

Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual Free Night Award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.

Welcome OfferOur best offer is back! Earn 5 Free Nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $5,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening with your Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. Certain hotels have resort fees.
5 Free Night Awards

UP's Offer Valuation*:
Up to   $1,750

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.49% - 27.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

If you’re a frequent traveler and a Marriott loyalist, there’s a lot to love about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card. The card comes packed with several great benefits like a free hotel night once a year, automatic Silver Elite status (with a fast-track to Gold Elite status), and multiple options for redeeming points.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Earn big when you use your card at thousands of participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
Earn big at grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
Automatic Silver Elite Status

Cons

$95 annual fee
Marriott Silver Elite Status is the lowest status tier

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

Our best offer is back! Earn 5 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases.
Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
Earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Card.
Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, automatic Silver Elite status, and path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year.
No Foreign Transaction Fees. Your points don't expire as long as you make purchases on your card every 24 months.
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 20.49% - 27.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® American Express^® Card

U.P. Rating

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® American Express^® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.

Welcome OfferEarn up to 135,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points. Earn 85,000 points after you spend $5,000 and an extra 50,000 points after you spend an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Up to 135,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:
Up to   $945

Annual Fee

$250

APR

20.24%-29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® American Express^® Card, the latest mid-tier offering in the Marriott Bonvoy lineup of cards, offers cardholders automatic elite status and ways to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on each of their stays and daily purchases.

Pros & Cons

Pros

6x points per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
4x points per $1 at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per calendar year, then 2x points)
2x points per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

$250 annual fee (rates & fees)
Free Night Award certificate is not an automatic benefit

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

Earn up to 135,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points. Earn 85,000 points after you spend $5,000 and an extra 50,000 points after you spend an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy^® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®.
Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2X points).
Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
Marriott Bonvoy^® 1K Bonus Points Per Stay: Earn 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott for properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®.
With complimentary Marriott Bonvoy^® Gold Elite Status, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy^® on eligible hotel purchases with the 25% Bonus Points on stays benefit.
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® Free Night Award: Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points) at a hotel participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
15 Elite Night Credits: Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® American Express^® Card you can receive 15 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy^® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy^® member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.
Plan It^® is a payment option that lets you split up purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee. Plus, you'll still earn rewards the way you usually do.
$250 Annual Fee.
Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

APR: 20.24%-29.24% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card

U.P. Rating

A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card

A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.

Welcome OfferEarn up to 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points. Earn 100,000 points after you spend $6,000 and an extra 50,000 points after you spend an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Up to 150,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:
Up to   $1,050

Annual Fee

$650

APR

20.24%-29.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card is a premium card designed with road warriors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalists in mind.

So is the card a worthwhile addition to your wallet?

Pros & Cons

Pros

6x points per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy program
3x points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines and restaurants worldwide
2x points per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

Steep annual fee of $650 (rates & fees)
6x points per $1 is the same earn rate offered with lower annual fee alternatives like the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® American Express^® Card

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

Earn up to 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points. Earn 100,000 points after you spend $6,000 and an extra 50,000 points after you spend an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
$300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card at restaurants worldwide.
With Marriott Bonvoy^® Platinum Elite Status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when the stay is booked with a Qualifying Rate at hotels that participate in Marriott Bonvoy, subject to availability upon check-in.
Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy^® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®. Earn 3X Marriott Bonvoy^® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X Marriott Bonvoy^® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card.
Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Brilliant Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
$100 Marriott Bonvoy^® Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton^® or St. Regis^® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck^® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy^® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.
Enroll in Priority Pass Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
With Cell Phone Protection*, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month's wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. *Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
$650 Annual Fee.
Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

APR: 20.24%-29.24% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

Hot Tip: You can use our transfer partner calculator to make these calculations for you!

3. Use the American AAdvantage Dining Program

Did you know you can earn extra miles when dining out? Sign up for the free AAdvantage Dining program and earn AAdvantage miles every time you eat at one of the over 11,000 participating restaurants and bars.

All you have to do is attach a credit card to your account and you will automatically earn bonus AAdvantage miles whenever you dine at a partner restaurant.

For instance, if you spend $1,000 each month dining out at participating restaurants, you’ll get up to 5,000 miles per month. Plus, if your credit card earns extra points on dining purchases, you’ll still get those points in addition to the bonus miles through AAdvantage Dining.

The dining program frequently runs promotions for new users, too. As of the time of writing this article, new members can earn 500 bonus AAdvantage miles by spending $25 at a participating restaurant in the first 30 days of opening an AAdvantage Dining account.

4. Take a Trip on American Airlines (Or a Partner)

With American Airlines’ current revenue-based system, you’ll earn AAdvantage miles based on how much you pay for your ticket.

You’ll earn at least 5 miles per dollar spent, and even more with elite status. Here’s how much each status tier earns:

Gold — 7x
Platinum — 8x
Platinum Pro — 9x
Executive Platinum — 11x

During a recent search, we found a one-way ticket for a main cabin seat on American Airlines from Los Angeles (LAX) to Dallas (DFW) listed for $138.

For this flight, you would earn 690 miles. With elite status, you would earn 966 miles (Gold), 1,104 miles (Platinum), 1,242 (Platinum Pro), or 1,518 miles (Executive Platinum). Not bad, and it puts you closer to earning your 100,000 miles, especially if you’re flying on premium tickets for work or another reimbursable event.

You’ll even earn miles when you fly Oneworld partner airlines or non-alliance partner airlines. In most cases, the miles you will earn on partner airlines are based on a percentage of base miles plus a cabin bonus, if applicable. Check how many miles you’ll earn by finding your partner airline and fare class on American’s website.

Take a look at the AAdvantage earning rates for British Airways flights:

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Cabin	Purchased Fares Booked In	Base Miles	Cabin Bonus	Loyalty Points
First	F	100%	200%	✓
First	A	100%	150%	✓
Business	J, C, D	100%	150%	✓
Business	I, R	100%	50%	✓
Premium Economy	W	100%	50%	✓
Premium Economy	E, T	100%	–	✓
Economy	Y, B, H	100%	–	✓
Economy	K, L, M, N, S, V	50%	–	✓
Economy	G, O, Q	25%	–	✓

When you find your airline partner and fare class, simply multiply your flight mileage by the percentage of miles earned for your fare class.

For example, flying New York (JFK) to London (LHR) clocks in at 6,880 miles round trip. According to the chart above, booking this flight in a British Airways C class fare (business class) would earn 100% mileage plus a 50% cabin bonus. In the end, you’d earn 10,320 AAdvantage miles with no AAdvantage status.

American Airlines AAdvantage status holders earn an additional bonus on partner flights, too. Here’s how much each status tier earns:

Gold – 40%
Platinum – 60%
Platinum Pro – 80%
Executive Platinum – 120%

This means that Executive Platinum members would earn a whopping 22,704 AAdvantage miles on the itinerary we outlined above. That’s more than enough miles for a one-way ticket within the U.S.!

5. Use the AAdvantage eShopping Portal for Bonus Miles on Online Purchases

AAdvantage eShopping retailers example — Shop a variety of stores online to earn bonus AAdvantage miles. Image Credit: American Airlines

If you have an online purchase coming up, make sure you shop through the AAdvantage eShopping portal for bonus miles. As of the time of writing, American Airlines partners with over 950 online stores, and everyone from eBay to Best Buy to Staples is a partner.

Each partner offers a different number of AAdvantage miles per dollar spent. To find a merchant’s earning rate, just find your merchant of choice on the portal’s website. Note that these rates change frequently based on promotions and current sales.

Now for the fun part: to use the portal to earn miles, just head over to the AAdvantage eShopping portal, sign in to your AAdvantage account, and find your merchant of choice. Then, click on its store offer and you can make your purchase as normal. Be sure to finish your shopping in a single session. If you close the window or try to come back later, you won’t get your miles!

Your bonus AAdvantage miles will post to your account within a few weeks of making a purchase. You’ll get an email to confirm when miles are earned, and you can track pending miles, on the AAdvantage eShopping website.

To earn even more AAdvantage miles, use your AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite card to make your purchases. You’ll earn 1 extra AAdvantage mile per dollar spent — something that can add up quickly depending on how much you shop.

Hot Tip: To earn even more miles and Loyalty Points when shopping online, check out our ultimate guide to SimplyMiles.

6. Book a Hotel Stay Through AAdvantage Hotels

Booking a hotel stay in the near future? Book it through AAdvantage Hotels to earn extra miles on your purchase. American Airlines elite members with an AA co-branded credit card will earn the most miles.

AAdvantage Hotels earning rate — You can earn extra miles and Loyalty Points by booking through AAdvantage Hotels. Image Credit: AAdvantage Hotels

A word of warning, though: you won’t earn hotel points or be eligible to use hotel elite status benefits when booking with AAdvantage Hotels. Determine whether hotel points or AAdvantage miles are of more use for you before booking your hotel room with AAdvantage Hotels.

7. Bank with Bask Bank

A savings account that lets you earn miles instead of interest? Yes, that is exactly what Bask Bank offers! With Bask Bank, you earn 2 AAdvantage miles for every dollar deposited annually. So, if you were to deposit $20,000 in your Bask Savings Account, after 1 year, you would earn 40,000 AAdvantage miles.

Bask has also run point bonuses for opening account deposits and maintaining a certain balance level over the course of a year.

Using Those 100,000+ American Airlines AAdvantage Miles

Once the 100,000 AAdvantage miles are in your AAdvantage account, you need to figure out how you want to use them.

You can use our guides on the best ways to redeem AAdvantage miles and the best ways to use 100,000 AAdvantage miles for redemption inspiration, but here are a few quick ideas to get you thinking:

U.S. to French Polynesia: You can fly Air Tahiti Nui in economy class for 40,000 AAdvantage miles one-way or try out their business class product for 80,000 miles one-way on your journey to French Polynesia.
Japan Airlines Premium Cabin: Experience luxury when you redeem 80,000 miles to fly first class one-way from the U.S. to Japan on Japan Airlines. You can also try business class for 60,000 miles. See our step-by-step guides for booking Japan Airlines first class and business class with AAdvantage miles.
Short U.S. Flights: Book a flight of 500 miles or less within the U.S. for only 7,500 miles each way in economy. If you prefer first class, you can redeem 15,000 miles.

Hot Tip: If you have less than 10,000 miles leftover after booking a trip but you’re itching to use the rest of your awards, check out our piece on the best ways to use 10,000 (or fewer) AAdvantage miles.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, it’s not too hard to earn 100,000 AAdvantage miles. With 1 credit card welcome bonus and a mixture of everyday credit card spend, shopping portal purchases, and AAdvantage Dining meals, you’ll be well on your way to earning 100k American AAdvantage miles.

Plus, check out our best ways to earn AAdvantage miles if you want more ideas to earn miles for the trip of a lifetime!