AA Expands Ability To Redeem Miles for Inflight Purchases — Is It a Good Deal?

Updated: July 22, 2025, 1:31pm CDT

Edited by:

Jump to Section

Table of Contents

Redeeming Miles for Snacks and Drinks on American Airlines
Is It Worth It?
Final Thoughts

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Earlier this year, American Airlines introduced the ability to pay with miles for snacks and beverages on board. Now, the airline has expanded this offering to include American Eagle flights.

While it’s always positive to have a new way to use your miles, this particular case is unlikely to be a good use of your American AAdvantage miles.

Let’s see what’s new, and why we recommend using your American miles for something other than buying snacks and drinks on a flight.

Redeeming Miles for Snacks and Drinks on American Airlines

American Airlines has expanded the possibility of redeeming AAdvantage miles to buy snacks and alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine and liquor, on board.

Previously, this only included AA-operated flights. Now, however, it includes flights on American Eagle, the regional carrier.

American Eagle at Miami — Miles can now be redeemed for snacks and alcoholic beverages on AA-operated flights, but not on regional partners like as American Eagle. Image Credit: Daniel Ross

You can redeem miles for alcoholic beverages on domestic flights over 250 miles and on snacks on select flights over 1,300 miles.

There are 2 pricing tiers for drinks:

$9 or 900 miles for beer (12 fluid ounces):
- Bud Light
- Dos Equis
- Truly Hard Seltzer
$10 or 1,000 miles:
- Wine
- Beer (12 fluid ounces), including Goose IPA and Heineken
- Spirits (50 milliliters) including Aviation American Gin, BACARDI Rum, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Dewar’s White Label, Jack Daniel’s^® Tennessee Whiskey, Socorro Tequila, Tito’s^® Handmade Vodka, and Woodford Reserve^® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
$11 or 1,100 miles for sparkling wine

Snacks cost from $5 or 500 miles to $11 or 1,100 miles for a fruit and cheese plate.

AA use miles for snacks options — Image Credit: American Airlines

In order to pay with miles, you just need to make sure your AAdvantage number is on your reservation, and have your boarding pass (either the physical card or your American Airlines mobile app) ready when checking out with a flight attendant.

Is It Worth It?

Quite simply, the answer is no.

American prices those snacks and drinks at exactly 1 cent per mile. If a drink costs $9, then the airline wants 900 miles for it. We value AAdvantage miles at 1.4 cents each, meaning that you can get 40% more value by redeeming them for flights, not drinks or snacks.

That’s a pretty clear difference in value.

Hot Tip:

If you’re buying food or drinks on American Airlines and have a co-branded American Airlines credit card, you can either save 25% on each purchase as a statement credit or enjoy up to $25 back per day as statement credits on inflight food and beverage purchases, depending on which card you have.

Final Thoughts

You can now able use your American Airlines miles to pay for drinks and snacks on AA and American Eagle flights, but it’s not a good use of your miles. You can get 40% more value by redeeming them for actual flights.

The exception may be if you are an infrequent flyer on American and have a small balance miles in your account — miles that may be close to expiration or that you likely won’t use because of the small balance. In that case, the 1 cent value of those miles is obviously preferable to receiving no value from them if they are never redeemed.