How Much Are American Airlines Miles Worth?

Name: How Much Are American Airlines Miles Worth?
Item: How Much Are American Airlines Miles Worth?
Author: Doug Milnes, CFA

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An AA mile's value typically varies from 1.4 to 1.8 cents when redeemed for a flight. You usually get the best value for your AA miles if you use them for business-class seats. For example, a one-way economy ticket that costs $250 from San Francisco to Minneapolis and requires you to redeem 12,500 to 15,000 miles could give you a value of 1.67 to 2.0 cents per mile, which is relatively high for domestic travel. If your redemption value is below 1.3 cents per mile, it may not be the best use of your miles.

Consider aiming for premium cabin redemptions on long-haul international flights from AA hubs, where the value can exceed 2 cents per mile. Booking early, up to 11 months ahead, can also help you get better value for your miles. Keep in mind that AAdvantage miles expire after 18 months of inactivity, but earning or redeeming miles resets the clock, allowing you to plan strategically for high-value redemptions.

MoneyGeek’s Takeaways

In 2024, we value one American Airlines mile between 1.4 to 1.8 cents when redeemed for award flights.

You can earn miles faster by using co-branded American Airlines credit cards and shopping with the program’s partner merchants.

American Airlines uses dynamic pricing, meaning the number of miles required for flight tickets varies based on factors like demand, route and time of booking, rather than a fixed award chart.

How American Airlines Miles Compare to Other Airlines

The American Airlines miles program offers reasonably good value when compared to frequent flyer programs run by most other popular domestic and international airlines.

American Airlines vs. Other Frequent Flyer Programs

Airlines	Value per Mile
American Airlines AAdvantage	1.4 cents to 1.8 cents per mile
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan	1.3 cents to 1.6 cents per mile
Air Canada Aeroplan	1.4 cents to 1.5 cents per point
Air France / KLM Flying Blue	1.2 cents to 1.5 cents per mile
British Airways Avios	1.3 cents to 1.4 cents per point
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles	1.1 cents per mile to 1.2 cents per mile
Emirates Skywards	1.2 cents per mile
Frontier Miles	1.1 cents to 1.2 cents per mile
Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles	0.9 cents to 1 cent per mile
JetBlue TrueBlue	1.3 cents to 1.4 cents per point
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer	1.3 cents to 1.5 cents per mile
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards	1.4 cents per mile
United Airlines MileagePlus	1.2 cents to 1.3 cents per mile
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club	1.4 cents to 1.7 cents per point

MONEYGEEK EXPERT TIP

You can use the American Airlines flight booking tool to check how many miles you need for a flight ticket. You can then use the ticket's actual fare and the miles you need for redemption to arrive at the value of each mile. You can use the same method to determine how much American Airlines miles are worth across different redemption methods.

You can also calculate the value you stand to receive by dividing the number of points you need for an award by its actual cost. For example, if you need 6,000 points for a ticket that costs $115, you get a value of around 1.92 cents per point (115/6000 = $0.01916).

Ticket Cost / Equivalent Points = Miles Value

How to Earn and Maximize Miles From American Airlines

You earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles when you fly with American Airlines and its partners. Using a co-branded American AAdvantage card enables you to earn miles faster. Booking rental cars, hotel stays and vacation packages through the program’s travel partners also allows you to earn AA miles.

Earning Miles Using American Airlines Co-Branded Credit Cards

In collaboration with American Airlines, Citi offers a suite of credit card options tailored to various spending and travel habits. It's worth noting that other credit card issuers, such as Chase or American Express, also offer partnerships with different airlines. However, if you're loyal to American Airlines, an AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard® might be your best bet.

Sign Up for AAdvantage

The AAdvantage program from American Airlines offers a range of benefits, including complimentary upgrades on American Airlines and Alaska Airlines flights, preferred seating and up to three free checked bags.

Enrolling in the program is a simple online process. Once you're a member, you'll earn miles whenever you book an eligible ticket with American Airlines and its partner airlines. As you progress through the membership tiers, you'll earn miles at an accelerated rate and unlock various perks.

You can also rack up miles when you book a vacation through American Airlines Vacations, dine with AAdvantage Dining, shop through the AA shopping portal or use services from AAdvantage travel partners like Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, Hertz, Avis and Budget.

Buying Airline Tickets From American Airlines and Affiliates

Base-level members earn 5X miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines plane tickets. Members who reach the top tier, AAdvantage Executive Platinum, earn 11X miles per dollar. Gold members earn 7X miles per dollar, AAdvantage Platinum members earn 8X miles per dollar and AAdvantage Platinum Pro members earn 9X miles per dollar. All members may earn up to 75,000 miles per ticket.

The number of miles you earn when flying with most of the program's partner airlines depends on the fare class and flight distance. In some cases, as with JetBlue, you earn miles the same way you do with American Airlines.

Earn Miles Through American Airlines Partner Merchants

You can earn miles through various American Airlines partner merchants across categories such as travel and shopping.

Hotels: Earn miles through the program's hotel partners, such as American Airlines Hotels, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, InterContinental Hotels and Resorts (IHG) and Rocketmiles. Depending on the partner you select, you may earn miles on the amount you spend per night or stay. Transferring points from some hotel loyalty programs to your AAdvantage account is also possible. American Airlines transfer partners that let you convert your points to miles include World of Hyatt, IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy and Marriott Vacation Club.
Car rentals: The program's car rental partners include Avis, Budget, Payless, Alamo, National, Dollar, Hertz and Thrifty. You may earn miles per rental day or based on the total amount you spend. Vacations:** Booking select resorts through American Airlines Vacations can earn you up to 25,000 bonus miles.
Cruises: Using the American Airlines Cruises platform to book cruises lets you earn one mile per dollar.
Shopping: Using AAdvantage eShopping, the American Airlines shopping portal, allows you to earn miles through more than 950 popular store websites. You may also earn miles through the SimplyMiles platform.
Gas: Fuel Rewards program members earn two AA miles per gallon at Shell.
Donations: If you donate $25 or more to Stand Up To Cancer, you earn 10 miles per dollar donated.
Home: Enrolling with NRG and completing two months of active service lets you earn a bonus of 12,500 miles for each electric account and 2,500 AAdvantage miles for every natural gas account. You also earn 2X miles per dollar on your monthly electric and natural gas bills' supply portion.

Eligible customers who have electric accounts with XOOM Energy in CT, ME, NH or RI can earn up to 10,000 miles upon enrollment and 2X miles per dollar on their bills' supply portion. Eligible customers with natural gas accounts with the company in CA, GA, IN, KY, MI or VA get up to 5,000 miles upon enrollment and 2X miles per dollar on their bills' supply portion.

Buying Miles From American Airlines

It’s possible to buy American Airlines miles — members may purchase a maximum of 150,000 miles per calendar year. The cost per mile depends on the number of miles you wish to purchase and the presence of an ongoing promotional offer. You also need to account for additional fees — you’ll need to pay 0.0295 cents per mile, a 7.5% federal excise tax and a transaction processing charge of $20 to $40.

Buying American Airlines miles might be worth your while if you plan to use them for a high-value redemption. You may also consider purchasing some miles if your existing miles balance is approaching its expiration date since a new 24-month period begins every time there’s any qualifying account activity.

Best Cards to Earn American Airline Miles

If you’re a frequent American Airlines flyer and want to accumulate miles, we've picked the best cards for earning rewards. We break down our picks for various use cases and spending profiles.

Frequent American Airlines flyer: Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Lounge access: Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
Flexible travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
No annual fee: American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®
Luxury travel perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Business travelers: CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®

How to Redeem American Airlines Miles

If you're wondering how to use American Airlines miles, know that you have several options beyond redeeming them for flight tickets. Redeeming your miles is relatively simple. You need to log in to your AAdvantage account and select the desired redemption method. If you wish to book a flight ticket, start by looking for suitable options, choose a date and class fare and then pay for it with miles. If you wish to make an online purchase, you may use the AAdvantage eShopping or SimplyMiles platforms and pay with miles.

Hotel accommodations

When redeeming miles for hotel stays via the AAdvantage Hotels Rewards platform, expect a value that typically hovers around 1 cent per mile. Depending on the property and timing, this value might slightly exceed or fall below that threshold. While convenient, using miles for hotel stays may not offer the highest redemption value compared to flights, especially for travelers aiming to maximize their points for premium redemptions.

Car rentals

Redeeming miles for car rentals through AAdvantage Car Rentals platform typically provides less than 1 cent per mile. For example, renting a standard car for a moderate price could require around 7,600 miles, yielding a value of approximately 0.8 cents per mile. While this option is available for burning excess miles, it generally offers lower value than flight redemptions or upgrades.

Flight upgrades

Upgrading cash tickets on American Airlines or partner airlines with miles can be a strategic way to maximize their value. The miles needed depend on route, fare class and whether the ticket is discounted. For example, upgrading from Economy to Premium Economy on North American-to-European routes ranges from 15,000 miles for full-fare tickets to 25,000 miles plus $350 for discounted tickets. Note that upgrading discounted partner airline fares isn't possible, limiting flexibility on those routes.

Others

For lounge access, 65,000 miles will cover the $650 cost of an individual Admirals Club® membership, equating to about 1 cent per mile. If you want to add someone else to your lounge membership, the combined membership costs 125,000 miles ($1,250). While these redemptions maintain a straightforward valuation of 1 cent per mile, they may not represent the best overall use of your miles compared to flight redemptions or premium upgrades.

Much like how you can earn AAdvantage miles through different airlines, you can also redeem them through American Airlines, oneworld Alliance members and AAdvantage airline partners. Carriers that let you redeem your AAdvantage miles for flight tickets through aa.com include:

Air Tahiti Nui
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
British Airways
Cape Air
Cathay Pacific
Fiji Airways
Finnair
GOL Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
Iberia
Japan Airlines
JetBlue
Malaysia Airlines
Qantas Airways
Qatar Airways
Royal Air Maroc
Royal Jordanian Airlines
Silver Airways
SriLankan Airlines

To book flight tickets with partner airlines not included in this list, you need to contact American Airlines over the phone.

When Best to Redeem American Airlines Miles

American Airlines uses a dynamic pricing strategy for its award flights, so you might need roughly the same number of miles to fly across different routes all year round. For example, a MileSAAver award ticket needs 7,500 miles for flights that cover less than 500 miles within the contiguous United States and Canada. An AAnytime Level 2 award on the same flight would require 30,000 miles. Bear in mind that these awards are subject to availability.

MileSAAver awards come with no blackout dates, but they have limited availability, so don't expect to get them easily during peak periods. While MileSAAver awards start at as little as 7,500 miles (plus taxes and fees), you may find MileSAAver Off Peak awards on some routes that lead to even further savings. AAnytime awards are easier to find than MileSAAver awards and start at 20,000 miles.

The American Airlines redemption chart for Oneworld Alliance members and AAdvantage partner airlines gives you an idea of what are American Airlines miles worth and how many miles you need depending on the route you wish to fly and the cabin type.

CALCULATION TIP

You can use the American Airlines flight booking tool to check how many miles you need for a flight ticket. Then, use the ticket's actual fare and the miles you need for redemption to arrive at the value of each mile. You can use the same method to determine how much American Airlines miles are worth across different redemption methods.

AAdvantage Program Changes Starting in 2025

American Airlines began dynamic pricing for award redemptions in 2023, with adjustments continuing into 2025. Dynamic pricing is a system where airlines, including American Airlines, adjust the number of miles needed for award flights based on factors like demand and travel dates.

Instead of a set number of miles for a flight, the required miles can vary widely — especially during busy seasons or popular routes. Many airlines are shifting to this model for more flexibility, but it can make planning harder for frequent flyers. Aim for 1.4 cents per mile when redeeming points to get the most value, ensuring you're getting the best bang for your miles.

This means mileage requirements fluctuate based on demand, particularly for popular routes. For example, economy-class redemptions to Europe or Mexico may now require 21,500 to 79,750 miles each way, depending on the season.

Although these changes provide flexibility, they can make the program less predictable for frequent flyers. To calculate the value of the points, divide the ticket’s cash price by the miles required; aim for a value of 1.5 cents per mile or higher to maximize your redemption.

Is an American Airlines Airline Card Worth It?

American Airlines credit cards can be worth it for frequent flyers who fly in and out of AA hubs and who know how to leverage the perks.

Card	Annual Fee	Key Benefits	Segmentation
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®	$595	Admirals Club access, priority boarding	Frequent luxury travelers, lounge-goers
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select®	$99 (waived first year)	Free checked bag, earning potential for a companion certificate	Moderate travelers, those looking for useful perks with manageable fees
AAdvantage® MileUp® Card	$0	2X miles on groceries and AA purchases	Infrequent travelers, budget-conscious flyers

FAQ

Looking at how to redeem American Airlines miles and how their value changes based on different redemption methods would place you in a better position when it comes to using the miles you earn.

What are American Airlines miles worth?

American Airlines miles are generally valued at around 1.4 cents per mile, though the value can fluctuate depending on how you redeem them. You can often get more value from premium cabin flights or using them during mileage promotions, where the per-mile worth can exceed 2 cents.

Can I use my American Airlines miles for someone else?

Yes, you can use your miles to book flights for someone else without any additional cost, making it a convenient way to share miles. However, if you transfer miles to another AAdvantage account, you’ll be charged a fee.

Do AAdvantage miles expire?

AAdvantage miles expire after 18 months of inactivity. However, earning or redeeming miles — even small transactions like shopping through their portal or using a co-branded credit card — resets the expiration, keeping your miles active.

How much are 1000 miles worth American Airlines?

1,000 American Airlines miles are typically worth around $14 based on an average valuation of 1.4 cents per mile. However, the actual value can vary depending on how you redeem them, with premium cabin flights or special promotions often providing better value.

Does the AA award program charge processing fees?

Non-elite AAdvantage members who book award tickets or opt for upgrades within 21 days from the date of departure need to pay a $75 processing fee. You need to pay a $40 fee per AAdvantage 500-mile upgrade. Fees for AAdvantage mileage award upgrades vary from $75 to $550. Changing flight awards comes with a $150 fee per ticket.

Are there any additional fees for booking flights with miles?

Yes, you must pay taxes and carrier-imposed fees when you book flight tickets with American Airlines, oneworld Alliance members or the program's partner airlines.

Can I transfer my American Airlines miles?

You may gift or transfer your American Airlines miles to other members of the AAdvantage rewards program. The gifting option lets members receive up to 150,000 miles from others in a calendar year. If you use the Transfer Miles alternative, you may transfer and receive up to 200,000 miles during a calendar year. Gifting miles comes with a fee of $0.0295 per mile, plus 7.5% federal excise tax and a transaction processing charge of $20 to $40. Sharing miles requires you to pay a mileage transfer fee of $0.0125 per mile and a transaction processing charge of $15 to $40.

About Doug Milnes, CFA

Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets.

Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.

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