28 Best Ways To Earn Lots of American Airlines AAdvantage Miles

American Airlines is the world’s largest airline with the biggest fleet and highest revenue of any airline company in the world.

This translates to the airline not only having a strong route network from its various U.S. hubs, but also a powerful program that can be used to book airfare on all Oneworld airlines and other partners.

For example, you can use American’s AAdvantage miles to book everything from Qatar Airways Qsuites to Etihad Apartments, giving you access to some of the world’s best first and business class products at solid redemption rates.

With so many good redemptions available, we recommend that all U.S.-based travelers keep a stock of AAdvantage miles in their mileage bank. In this article, we’ll show you all the best ways that you can earn them.

Sign Up for an American Airlines AAdvantage Account

Airline loyalty programs like AAdvantage differ from bank-established points programs (like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards) because you don’t need an affiliated credit card to start earning miles right away.

Instead, simply create an AAdvantage account on the American Airlines website and you can start earning AAdvantage miles right away.

Be sure to remember the unique AAdvantage member account number you are assigned. You’ll need this number to earn miles on your flights with American (and its partners), purchases through American’s shopping portal, and other earning methods.

With that out of the way, let’s dig into all the ways to earn AAdvantage miles!

Earn AAdvantage Miles With Credit Cards

1. Citi® / AAdvantage^® Credit Cards

Citi provides some of the easiest ways to earn AAdvantage miles through its co-branded cards, which include 3 personal credit cards and 1 business card.

Recommended American Airlines Cards

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

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

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 Offer

Earn 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 Bonus Valuation*:

$700

Annual Fee

$99, waived for first 12 months

APR

20.49% to 29.49% Variable

Why We Like This Card

Blue skies and fair winds make for a good day to fly! Choosing your airline can be difficult, since factors like location, time, and destination all go into whether or not you can fly somewhere.

An easy choice for many people is American Airlines, because they’re the largest airline in the world. If you’re an American, you’ve probably flown American Airlines at least once.

Frequent fliers tend to enjoy the treatment they can get, from boarding privileges to free bags to lounge access. There’s many reasons to fly with AA, and if so then getting a Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Platinum Select^® World Elite Mastercard^® could be for you.

Card Highlights

• Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage^® bonus miles after $2,500 in purchases within the first 4 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: 20.49% to 29.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 0%

Rewards Center

American Airlines AAdvantage Program

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

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

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 Offer

Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage^® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.

70,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$980

Annual Fee

$595

APR

21.24% - 29.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Citi^®/AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite Mastercard^® is a go-to card thanks to its exclusive perks and benefits for people who love to fly American Airlines. With a complimentary Admirals Club membership, free checked bags, inflight discounts, and the ability to earn Loyalty Points for every $1 you spend, there is plenty to love about the card.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage^® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening
• Earn 10 miles per $1 spent on eligible car rentals booked through aa.com/cars
• Earn 10 miles per $1 spent on eligible hotels booked through aa.com/hotels

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: 21.24% - 29.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 

Rewards Center

American Airlines AAdvantage Frequent Flyer Program

American Airlines AAdvantage^® MileUp^®

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Earn 2x miles per dollar spent on American Airlines flights and at grocery stores, all without needing to pay an annual fee.

American Airlines AAdvantage^® MileUp^®

Earn 2x miles per dollar spent on American Airlines flights and at grocery stores, all without needing to pay an annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage^® bonus miles after $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.

15,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$210

Annual Fee

$0

APR

20.49% to 29.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The American Airlines AAdvantage^® MileUp^® is perfectly suited for those looking for a way to earn more American Airlines miles and earn Loyalty Points, all with a $0 annual fee.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 2x miles per $1 on American Airlines and grocery store purchases
• 1x miles per $1 on all other purchases
• 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases

Cons

• Other cards are more rewarding for frequent American Airlines flyers
• Charges a 3% foreign transaction fee

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage^® bonus miles after $500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
• No Annual Fee
• Earn 2 AAdvantage^® miles for each $1 spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services
• Earn 2 AAdvantage^® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
• Earn 1 AAdvantage^® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases
• Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage^® mile earned from purchases
• Save 25% on inflight food and beverage purchases when you use your card on American Airlines flight

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.49% to 29.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3%

The most common card is the Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Platinum Select^® World Elite™ Mastercard^®, which earns 2 miles on purchases with American Airlines, as well as at restaurants and gas stations, making it easy to rack up miles with your everyday spending.

It also comes with the added perk of a complimentary checked bag and preferred boarding. Plus, you can earn a $125 flight voucher after spending $20,000 in a cardmember year and paying your annual fee.

The premium American Airlines card offered by Citi is the Citi^®/AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite Mastercard^®.

The card earns 4 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases plus 10 miles per dollar on car rentals and hotels booked through American Airlines. It also comes with benefits such as a complimentary checked bag, priority boarding in Group 4, up to $120 in credits for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry (as of October 1, 2024), and a full Admirals Club membership.

Citi also offers the American Airlines AAdvantage^® MileUp^®. This card earns 2 miles on American Airlines and grocery store purchases and 1 mile on everything else. Plus, cardholders get a 25% rebate on inflight food and beverage purchases.

The CitiBusiness^® / AAdvantage^® Platinum Select^® Mastercard^® has a similar earning structure to the personal version of the card, but cardholders earn 2 miles on telecommunications, rental cars, and gas station purchases.

Additionally, CitiBusiness Platinum Select cardholders can earn a companion ticket after spending $30,000 during their membership year. Preferred boarding in Group 5 is also included with this card.

2. Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Mastercards

American Airlines also has a co-branded card offering with Barclays. The AAdvantage^® Aviator^® Red World Elite Mastercard^® is very similar to the AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite card. It earns 2 miles with American Airlines and 1 mile on all other purchases. It also comes with preferred boarding in Group 5 and 1 free checked bag.

There are also the AAdvantage^® Aviator^® Silver Mastercard^® (not open to new applicants) and the AAdvantage^® Aviator^® World Elite Business Mastercard^®.

Hot Tip: For a more in-depth look at these cards, check out our post on the benefits and perks of the best American Airlines AAdvantage credit cards. 

3. Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards

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

Here’s more info on these cards, including details on welcome bonuses, annual fees, and more:

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

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 Offer

Earn 60,000 Bonus Points plus 1 Free Night Award after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Free Night valued at 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.

60,000 points + 1 Free Night Award

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$770

Annual Fee

$0

APR

20.74% - 27.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

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 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• 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.
• New! 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.
• New! Travel now, pay later - Break up purchases into equal monthly payments with no interest plus no plan fees on qualifying travel purchases. Terms apply.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.74% - 27.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

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 Offer

Earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening.

125,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$875

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.74% - 27.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

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

• Earn 3 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: 20.74% - 27.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

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 Offer

Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you spend $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

85,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$595

Annual Fee

$250

APR

19.99%-28.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

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 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the 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 with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ Card.
• 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 Elites status, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy^® on eligible hotel purchases with the 25% Bonus Points on stays benefit, available for Qualifying Rates.
• 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. Terms apply.
• 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: 19.99%-28.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

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 Offer

Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

95,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$665

Annual Fee

$650

APR

19.99%-28.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

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 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the 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 available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
• 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 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: 19.99%-28.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

Earning Miles With Your Everyday Spending

Don’t have a credit card? No worries — there are a few different ways to earn AAdvantage miles with your everyday spending.

5. Use the AAdvantage eShopping Portal

Earning American AAdvantage program miles gets even easier when you have a shopping portal at your fingertips. American Airlines has an excellent shopping portal: AAdvantage eShopping.

In the featured listing of stores above, you get an idea of the type of offers available. However, there are many other stores and offers to choose from (over 1,200). You can see all of them if you navigate to the portal and then follow the link to See All Offers.

The Additional Offers & Coupons section is especially useful since it has a helpful list of expiration dates for limited-time coupon code offers.

Make sure to check this page often as you can save some serious money with these coupons and see elevated miles-earning opportunities.

Using the American AAdvantage eShopping portal is simple. Just follow these steps before you begin shopping at a participating online store (or once you have a full cart and are ready to check out):

1. Go to the homepage.
2. Sign in to your AAdvantage account.
3. Search for a product or store.
4. Click on the store offer (such as Earn 3 miles/$).
5. The next loaded screen should look something like this:

6. Wait a few moments for the store’s website to load so you can begin shopping or finish checking out.
7. Make sure you are still logged in to the store through the portal before you head to Checkout to be absolutely certain you will receive the extra miles.

Follow the above steps and you’ll be on your way to maximizing the number of AAdvantage miles you can earn on your online purchases! Just note that miles will be credited to your account within a week or 2 of purchase.

To earn even more AAdvantage miles, you can use your AAdvantage-branded card when you shop.

Alternatively, you can use a credit card that earns multiple points per dollar on un-bonused spend to earn more points and diversify your points portfolio.

Hot Tip: Look for promotional periods and special offers to earn extra miles for using the eShopping portal or shopping at specific online retailers.

6. Sign Up for the AAdvantage Dining Program

The AAdvantage Dining program is great because you can earn extra miles for eating out at many of the restaurants you’d be going to anyway.

This is in addition to any miles earned with your credit card, so it’s even more valuable when combined with cards that earn bonus points on dining.

Just follow these steps to maximize your earnings through this program:

1. Go to the homepage and sign up for an account by clicking the Join Now button at the upper right-hand corner of the window.
2. You’ll be prompted to add credit cards to your AAdvantage Dining account as you move through the registration process. Make sure to link credit cards that earn bonus points on dining so you can maximize your purchases.
3. Use the location search at the top to identify participating restaurants near you.
4. Use your registered credit card at participating restaurants and earn bonus points!

Make sure to link all of the credit cards you use for most dining purchases — you never know when you’ll dine at a participating restaurant and get a boost in your AAdvantage account.

As a new member, you can often earn a welcome bonus as well. Simply navigate to the Bonuses tab at the top and choose the Welcome Bonus.

The most common bonus offer is 1,000 bonus AAdvantage miles after spending $25 at a participating restaurant in your first 30 days of membership, but it changes frequently.

You’ll earn between 1 and 5 miles per dollar spent at participating restaurants with the AAdvantage Dining program. You’ll earn 3 miles per dollar if you opt-in to email notifications, and you’ll earn 5 miles per dollar when you reach VIP status. This status is earned after you dine at participating restaurants 11 times. Note that you’ll only earn 1 point per dollar if you opt out of email notifications, severely limiting your earning potential.

Hot Tip: You can add any and all of your credit cards to AAdvantage Dining — not just your AAdvantage cards. The only catch is your credit cards cannot already be enrolled in other miles-earning dining programs that are part of the Rewards Network. This includes other airline dining programs.

7. Shop Through SimplyMiles

If you’re a Mastercard holder, you can use SimplyMiles to earn extra AAdvantage miles for online and in-store purchases. Just register for an account using your AAdvantage number, link any Mastercard, and then activate your targeted offers. It’s a great way to earn bonus miles with little effort.

8. Hotel Partner Credit Cards

If you have a co-branded hotel credit card, you may be able to transfer your hotel points to American Airlines.

However, this is almost always a terrible use of your hotel points unless you have a very specific redemption in mind or need to quickly top-up miles.

9. Sign Up for Fuel Rewards

Sign up for Shell’s Fuel Rewards program and you’ll earn 2 AAdvantage miles for every gallon of Shell gas purchased at participating locations.

As a bonus, new members can earn 100 AAdvantage miles when joining Fuel Rewards, but you must link your AAdvantage account to your Fuel Rewards account and ensure your first and last names on both accounts match.

It’s also worth noting that you will forfeit your Shell Fuel Rewards Gold or Silver status fuel savings if you choose to earn AAdvantage miles instead.

10. Enroll in Vinesse’s American Cellars Wine Club

When you join Vinesse’s subscription club, the American Cellars Wine Club, you can earn 2,000 AAdvantage miles with your first shipment.

After that, you can earn 5 miles per dollar spent on subsequent shipments.

11. AAdvantage Events

AAdvantage Events is a new way to earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points. It allows you to earn 1 mile and 1 Loyalty Point per $1 spent on Ticketmaster tickets. All you need to do is search for tickets through AAdvantage Events and use your AAdvantage member number when you make a purchase.

Earning AAdvantage Miles Through Travel

Don’t forget your AAdvantage account when traveling. There are several ways to earn AAdvantage miles while on the road (or in the air).

12. Flying on American Airlines or Partner Airlines

As you’d expect, you can earn AAdvantage miles when you fly on American Airlines. You’ll earn miles based on how much your ticket costs, with more expensive tickets earning more miles.

Also, those with American Airlines elite status will earn more miles per flight than those without status. Here’s how many miles each status tier earns on American Airlines flights:

• No status: 5 miles per dollar spent
• Gold: 7 miles per dollar spent
• Platinum: 8 miles per dollar spent
• Platinum Pro: 9 miles per dollar spent
• Executive Platinum: 11 miles per dollar spent

Earning Miles With American Airlines’ Partner Airlines

Further, American Airlines is a part of the Oneworld alliance. This means you can earn AAdvantage miles by flying with any of its Oneworld partners in addition to several other airline partners.

Just use your AAdvantage account number when purchasing the tickets.

American Airlines also has several other partner airlines, including the world-renowned Etihad Airways.

How you earn miles when flying on a partner airline will depend on whether you booked through American Airlines’ site or the partner’s site.

If you book a partner flight through aa.com, you’ll earn miles the same way you earn when flying on an American Airlines flight. If you book your ticket on a partner’s site (and add your AAdvantage number), you’ll earn miles based on the distance of your flight and the fare class of your ticket.

To calculate this, find your match your ticket’s fare class to a fare class listed on your partner’s information page on American’s website.

Then, multiply the distance (in miles) of your flight by the percentage displayed underneath the Base Miles and Cabin Bonus (if applicable) columns.

For example, a flight from New York (JFK) to London (LHR) clocks in at 3,451 miles one-way.

If you flew this in W fare premium economy, you’d earn 5,176 AAdvantage miles. The math looks like this: 3,451 miles flown * 100% base miles * 50% cabin bonus miles = 5,176 miles.

Just note that certain low-cost or discount fares do not allow you to earn miles, so make sure to double-check your fare class before booking a ticket.

Hot Tip: For more information, check out this in-depth guide to help you know where to credit your airline miles.

13. American Airlines Purchases

Make sure to purchase your American Airlines tickets, seat fees, and other incidental costs with your American Airlines credit card. This will help you rack up miles in addition to what you’ll earn when flying.

43. Book an Airport Shuttle

Use SuperShuttle for your trip to and/or from the airport, and you can earn 50 AAdvantage miles for each one-way ride or 100 miles for a round-trip ride. The service operates in over 50 cities, so be sure to check its site to see if you need a ride on your next trip.

15. Booking Rental Cars

As discussed earlier in the article, the CitiBusiness Platinum Select card earns 2x miles on car rentals, and the AAdvantage Executive World Elite card earns 10x miles on eligible car rentals through aa.com/cars.

In addition to these credit card offers, American Airlines lets you earn miles through various its various car rental partners. See the table below to review the participating rental companies and their corresponding bonus miles offers.

Since Avis and Budget are considered “preferred” car rental partners, they will get you the most miles for each rental. Certain AAdvantage cardholders or elite status members can earn even more than 500 miles per rental.

If you are an AAdvantage cardholder, you can earn 750 miles per Budget or Avis rental.

If you are an AAdvantage Platinum or Gold member, you can earn 1,000 miles per Budget or Avis rental.

Finally, if you are an AAdvantage Executive Platinum status member, you can earn 1,250 miles per Budget or Avis rental. These are some excellent perks for being loyal in different ways to the American Airlines AAdvantage program!

16. Park at the Airport

Need to leave your car at the airport? Consider using PreFlight Airport Parking, which operates out of 5 airports. With PreFlight, you can earn 1 AAdvantage mile per $1 spent on airport parking. Again, this is another way to earn miles for spending you’d be making anyways.

17. Hotel Partnerships

American Airlines has several hotel partners where you can earn extra miles for each night you stay or based on how much you spend, depending on the hotel in question.

Check out all hotel partners on its website, or look at the table below to help you decide which hotel you might stay at next to earn bonus AAdvantage miles.

You can earn an additional 10x miles per dollar on eligible bookings through AAdvantage Hotels when using the AAdvantage Executive World Elite card.

18. AAdvantage – World of Hyatt Partnership

AAdvantage members with Gold status and above can earn 1 mile per dollar spent at Hyatt with the AAdvantage – World of Hyatt partnership.

This is in addition to the World of Hyatt points you’ll already earn for your stays, making it an exceptionally good way to earn points and miles for American frequent flyers.

To enroll, simply link accounts and you’ll start earning AAdvantage miles on your Hyatt stays automatically.

19. Rewards for Show Tickets

If you sign up for Audience Rewards, you can earn up to 2,200 miles per ticket for various performances. These include Broadway shows, off-Broadway shows, cabarets, operas, exhibitions, workshops, and more.

To earn miles, simply enroll with your AAdvantage account number and find tickets for a show in a city near you. Participating cities include Chicago, Durham, Los Angeles, New York City, San Diego, San Jose, and Tucson.

Here’s how to earn miles on tickets through Audience Rewards:

1. Go to the Audience Rewards homepage.

Create an Audience Rewards account by clicking the Join for Free button on the homepage. You’ll be prompted to link your AAdvantage account to your Audience Rewards account as you move through this process.

Head back over to the Audience Rewards homepage and select your location from the drop-down menu at the center of the screen.

Look for a show you’d like to see. You can do this by using the search bar at the bottom of the screen or by using the Browse by Category section at the center of the screen.

Click Buy & Earn underneath the show name and look at the center of the screen.

Click the + button next to the Earn [points] Bonus ShowPoints per ticket and you can see which dates are eligible for points-earning with Audience Rewards.

Click Buy now at the center of the screen and copy the number appearing in the pop-up window.

Click Continue and you’ll be redirected to an authorized ticket dealer website to purchase the tickets (Telecharge, TicketMaster, etc.).

Find tickets available within the bonus offer date period and add the Audience Rewards number you received in step 7 at checkout.

Now, enjoy the show and the extra miles in your AAdvantage account! Make sure to check Audience Rewards every time you buy a Broadway ticket — otherwise, you’re leaving valuable miles on the table.

20. Booking Vacation Packages

American Airlines has long offered vacation packages. These vacation packages often combine flights, hotels, and car rentals at a discounted price. And better yet, you’ll earn bonus AAdvantage miles in the process.

You’ll earn 1,000 per vacation package booked, and you can earn up to 30,000 bonus AAdvantage miles by booking at preferred hotels and locations. You can view these bonus offers on the American Airlines Vacation website.

Plus, you’ll earn miles for flying on American Airlines or one of its partners when booked as a part of a vacation package.

To book a vacation package, head over to the American Airlines Vacations website. Enter your destination and dates at the center of the screen and click the search button. Then, all available vacation packages will be listed on-screen.

Make sure to sign in to your AAdvantage account when booking to receive your bonus miles.

21. Book AA Cruises Around the World

You can also earn AAdvantage miles when you book cruises through American Airlines’ cruise portal.

Check American Airlines Cruises for the latest bonus offers on cruises to places like Alaska, the Caribbean, Europe, and Hawaii. Currently, you can earn 1 mile per dollar spent on all American Airlines Cruises, up to 10,000 miles per cruise.

Plus, some cruise lines offer 10,000 to 100,000 additional AAdvantage miles when you book select cruises.

For example, as of the time of writing this article, you can earn up to 100,000 bonus AAdvantage miles by booking cruises with Seabourn. You can view all available bonus offers on the American Airlines Cruises homepage.

Uncommon Ways To Earn AAdvantage Miles

The American Airlines AAdvantage program also has tons of partnering companies that offer unique ways to earn miles — this includes everything from charity donations to opening a new checking account.

Here are some of the best offers available.

22. Make a Donation to Stand Up To Cancer

American Airlines has partnered with Stand Up To Cancer to offer 25 AAdvantage miles per $1 donated (on donations of $25+) to the organization.

Stand Up to Cancer is a premier cancer research charity that funds cancer research and awareness. Earn miles when you donate through this link and add your AAdvantage number.

23. Switch Your Home Utility Providers

American Airlines has partnered with 2 home utility providers to offer bonus AAdvantage miles when you switch your home utilities like electricity and gas.

These companies service different parts of the U.S. and each offers a different number of miles for both signing up and paying your bill every month. Here’s a look at the current earning structure:

Make sure to do your homework before you sign up for one of these services. The miles you earn may look tempting, but for some of these services, it may be more expensive than your local utility provider.

So with this in mind, it may not be worth staying with the service after you receive your initial bonus miles.

24. Sign Up With an American Airlines Financial Services Partner

The AAdvantage program has tons of partners in the business and financial space. Some of the products and services these companies offer will earn you extra miles when you digitally enter or verbally notify a sales agent of your AAdvantage miles number.

Many of these options offer multiple ways to earn miles through various products or services, including the offers below.

You should check the rates on these offers before signing up. Make sure the rates offered do not outweigh the miles benefits, as you may end up earning less interest or paying more than if you skipped the miles.

25. Fill Out Surveys With e-Rewards

American Airlines AAdvantage is a participant in e-Rewards, an online data collection company wherein you can participate in marketing research and earn miles in return.

There is no public registration directly with e-Rewards. Instead, you’ll need to be invited through American Airlines AAdvantage to participate.

You can receive daily surveys by email or view them by logging into your account online. Usually, you’ll be offered a certain dollar amount in e-Rewards currency for completing the survey.

You can earn as little as $0.10 and up to $15 in e-Rewards currency for completing a single survey. As soon as you complete it, you’ll see your balance increase, and you can convert your balance into miles.

The above example from e-Rewards shows that once you accumulate as little as $25, you have the option to turn this balance into 500 AAdvantage miles.

Hot Tip: Use e-Rewards to top up your AAdvantage miles account when you’re getting ready to purchase award flights on American Airlines. Alternatively, use this currency to keep your AAdvantage miles from expiring.

26. Take Surveys With Miles of Opinions

Similar to e-Rewards, you can earn AAdvantage miles for taking surveys through Miles of Opinions. Once you enroll using your AAdvantage number, you’ll earn AAdvantage miles for every survey you take. And the miles will be automatically deposited into your account. This is another easy way to keep your AAdvantage miles from expiring.

27. Bank With Bask Bank

Bask Bank has the innovative approach of allowing you to open a savings account that lets you earn American Airlines miles instead of cash interest. With Bask Bank, account holders earn 2 AAdvantage miles for every dollar deposited annually. So, if you were to deposit $15,000 in your Bask Savings Account, after 1 year, you would earn 30,000 AAdvantage miles.

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

28. Buy AAdvantage Miles

Buying miles is the last way we’ll mention to earn miles, although it is often a poor way to get AAdvantage miles.

However, when American Airlines has mileage sales that earn bonus miles, you might be able to get a decent value for the miles if you need to top off your account so you can book an award ticket.

Leave buying miles for times when you absolutely need the miles in your account immediately to book an award.

Do You Earn Extra Miles With the ConciergeKey Program?

Concierge Key is American’s non-publicized elite-status program that American Airlines offers to its top-paying customers. There is no publicly available way to earn the status and you must be invited by American.

Unfortunately, while there are many great perks to American Airlines Concierge Key, you do not earn any additional bonus miles for being a member.

For more information, check out our complete guide to American Airlines Concierge Key status.

Final Thoughts

As shown in this article, there are plenty of ways to earn extra AAdvantage miles, including American Airlines credit cards, the AAdvantage eShopping portal, and the AAdvantage Dining program.

With little to no effort, you can use these programs to earn extra miles on purchases you’d make anyway. Just sign up for accounts and remember to use them whenever you eat out or make online purchases.

If you’re really savvy, you’ll have tons of AAdvantage miles in your account in no time — so be sure to check out our recommendations on the best ways to use 100,000 AAdvantage miles.

Safe travels!