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In early March 2022, American Airways switched from elite qualifying miles, {dollars} and segments to Loyalty Points, its new elite standing qualifying metric.
These days, the variety of Loyalty Factors you earn is essentially tied to your spending as an alternative of how a lot you fly. Consequently, you’ll theoretically be capable to spend your method to top-tier Government Platinum standing with out stepping foot on a airplane — not that we essentially suggest doing that.
Past flights, you’ll be capable to earn Loyalty Factors by spending and fascinating with American Airways’ companions. Goodbye last-minute mileage runs and hey strategic flower orders.
Listed here are a few of the finest methods to earn Loyalty Factors to earn American Airways elite standing.
Flying American Airways
The standard method to earn elite standing — by flying on the airline — has been revamped as a part of this system’s overhaul.
Now, you’ll earn 1 Loyalty Level for every redeemable AAdvantage mile from flying on American. Relying in your standing tier, redeemable miles are awarded at a multiplier between 5 occasions and 11 occasions your base ticket value.
- Common member: 5 miles per greenback.
- Gold: 7 miles per greenback.
- Platinum: 8 miles per greenback.
- Platinum Professional: 9 miles per greenback.
- Government Platinum: 11 miles per greenback.
For easy math, in case you paid $200 for a ticket (earlier than taxes) from New York to Los Angeles, you’d earn 1,000 AAdvantage miles and 1,000 Loyalty Factors as a normal member with no elite standing. If a top-tier American Government Platinum member booked the identical ticket, they’d earn 2,200 AAdvantage miles and a couple of,200 Loyalty Factors.
You’ll now not must hold monitor of elite qualifying miles, {dollars} or segments. One redeemable mile earned from flying on American will translate to 1 Loyalty Level.
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Flying on accomplice airways
When flying with one in all American’s airline companions, issues get a little bit extra sophisticated. You’ll proceed to earn redeemable AAdvantage miles primarily based on the cabin bought, the gap flown and your elite standing for accomplice tickets. The one exception is JetBlue, which earns miles primarily based on ticket price.
When crediting a accomplice flight to American AAdvantage that hasn’t been purchased instantly with American, you’ll need to take a look at the earnings tables on American’s dedicated partner webpage. When you’ve recognized your fare class and flight distance, you’ll be able to compute what number of redeemable miles you’ll earn from a given flight.
All of the redeemable miles you earn will contribute to your Loyalty Factors steadiness at a 1:1 ratio.
For instance, in case you splurged for a reduced British Airways enterprise class fare from New York to London, you’d earn 5,177 redeemable miles (3,451 base miles for the flight distance with a 50% cabin bonus), which interprets to five,177 Loyalty Factors.
Suppose you’re a top-tier Government Platinum member. In that case, you’d additionally obtain a 120% elite bonus on the miles earned, bringing your whole redeemable miles to eight,455 (3,451 base miles multiplied by the 1.20 elite bonus + 4,314) — and your Loyalty Factors to eight,455.
American’s distinctive partnership with JetBlue awards miles (and due to this fact Loyalty Factors) primarily based on the ticket fare utilizing the identical framework as in case you flew American.
Bank card spending
This one is fairly easy: For each greenback you spend on a cobranded American Airlines credit card, you’ll earn 1 Loyalty Level. Eligible playing cards embrace all Citi AAdvantage, Barclays AAdvantage Aviator bank cards (apart from the no-annual-fee AAdvantage Aviator Mastercard, which earns 0.5 Loyalty Factors per greenback on purchases) and AAdvantage playing cards issued outdoors the U.S. (although you might need to contact your issuer for his or her actual phrases).
Some in style cobranded American playing cards embrace:
The knowledge for the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Choose and AAdvantage Aviator Crimson playing cards has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
With this transformation, American made it extra easy to earn elite standing by means of spending alone. Observe that you simply nonetheless should fly 30 segments per 12 months to have the ability to choose elite alternative rewards on the Platinum Professional and Government Platinum ranges.
Sadly, sign-up bonuses, limited-time spending gives and bonus class multipliers (groceries, gasoline, eating, and so on.) are excluded from incomes Loyalty Factors, so you’ll earn 1 Loyalty Level per greenback you spend.
Loyalty Factors increase on choose playing cards
These playing cards will earn bonus Loyalty Factors after hitting sure spending thresholds:
- AAdvantage Aviator Silver Mastercard cardmembers: Between Jan. 1, 2022, and Feb. 28, 2023, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases and earn 5,000 extra Loyalty Factors. Then, earn one other 5,000 Loyalty Factors in case you spend $40,000 on purchases and one other 5,000 Loyalty Factors in case you spend $50,000 or extra on purchases on this time-frame. So in case you spend $50,000 in your card in the course of the qualification interval, you’ll earn 15,000 Loyalty Factors.
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 10,000 extra Loyalty Factors after you spend $40,000 in purchases in the course of the qualifying standing 12 months.
The knowledge for the AAdvantage Aviator Silver card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
Associated: The best credit cards for American Airlines flyers
Eating out (or ordering in)
Relying on how a lot you dine out, you would possibly even be capable to eat your method towards elite standing. The miles you earn by means of the AAdvantage Dining program rely as Loyalty Factors.
Collaborating within the eating rewards program is straightforward. Simply join an account and hyperlink your favourite bank cards. Then, you’ll earn miles while you dine at a taking part restaurant or order takeout instantly. You’ll be able to earn 5 AAdvantage miles per greenback spent in case you’re a VIP member (earned while you make 11 transactions in a calendar 12 months and you choose to obtain electronic mail communication from AAdvantage Eating), 3 AAdvantage miles per greenback spent as an internet member (in case you elect to obtain electronic mail communication from AAdvantage Eating) and 1 AAdvantage mile per greenback spent as an everyday member.
AAdvantage Eating typically gives a welcome bonus for brand spanking new members, although these miles aren’t eligible for Loyalty Factors accrual.
Associated: Complete guide to airline and hotel dining rewards programs
Purchasing
Likewise, you’ll be able to earn Loyalty Factors by means of the AAdvantage eShopping online shopping portal or the SimplyMiles program.
Miles earned by means of these buying packages rely towards incomes Loyalty Factors at a 1:1 price. And in reality, you’ll be able to probably stack the earnings within the packages to make elite progress rapidly with the precise gives.
The AAdvantage eShopping on-line buying portal is only one of many online shopping portals you’ll be able to click on by means of earlier than making on-line purchases with choose retailers equivalent to Dwelling Depot, Apple, Walmart, Finest Purchase and a whole bunch extra. While you accomplish that, you’ll earn American Airways miles on the acquisition — usually as a multiplier of the price of your buy.
Nevertheless, use a shopping portal aggregator to make sure one other buying portal isn’t providing a considerably higher payout.
The SimplyMiles program is much like Amex Offers in that it permits you to add merchant-specific gives to a credit score or debit card and earn AAdvantage miles while you use that card to make an internet or in-store buy with the service provider. For the SimplyMiles program, you’ll must dwell within the U.S., maintain a sound Mastercard, and enroll. As soon as enrolled, you’ll be able to browse gives and activate those that you simply need to use. Miles are credited to your account while you make a purchase order with the taking part service provider.
Additional, American has confirmed that you simply’ll earn factors when buying instantly by means of retailers like Vinesse, FTD and Vivid Seats.
Associated: How to earn frequent flyer miles shopping in stores — and why these programs matter
Resort stays
It’s typically simple to neglect, however American Airways AAdvantage members can earn miles when staying at hotels. We don’t usually advise doing that because you typically miss out on incomes lodge factors, however it could make sense in case you’d get extra use out of American miles than lodge factors.
Any “base miles” earned from spending with lodge companions will rely towards Loyalty Factors.
Select to earn miles as an alternative of factors
As a fast recap, you earn the next variety of factors with the next chains:
- Bookaahotels.com: This portal is powered by Reserving.com, and by making reservations instantly by means of it, you’ll be able to earn as much as 10,000 miles per evening (although, in actuality, most bookings earn far much less).
- Hyatt: Earn 500 miles every keep, with the chance to earn extra with elite standing (extra on American’s partnership with Hyatt later).
- Marriott: Earn 1-2 AAdvantage miles per greenback spent on qualifying prices. Upscale manufacturers like Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott earn 2 miles per greenback, whereas funds manufacturers like Aloft and Moxy earn simply 1 mile per greenback.
- IHG: Earn 1-2 miles per greenback on qualifying room prices. Stays at Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites earn 1 mile per greenback, whereas different manufacturers earn 2 miles per greenback.
- Rocketmiles: Earn as much as 10,000 miles per evening reserving by means of this on-line journey company.
When reserving with Hyatt, Marriott and IHG, it’s essential to log in to your lodge loyalty program account and choose to earn miles with AAdvantage as an alternative of lodge factors. Be sure you take that step earlier than reserving if Loyalty Factors are your incomes precedence.
Associated: Don’t book hotel stays directly if you want to earn maximum American Loyalty Points
American Airways-Hyatt partnership
American Airlines AAdvantage and World of Hyatt launched a partnership in 2019 to permit elite members from each loyalty packages to earn bonus factors and miles on stays and flights. American elite members earn 1 AAdvantage mile per greenback spent on Hyatt stays and Hyatt elite members earn bonus factors on American flights.
So in case you’re already an American Airways elite and also you have a tendency to remain at Hyatt properties (or can change your journey plans to take action), you would rack up quite a lot of further AAdvantage miles, thus Loyalty Factors, in your lodge bookings. Nevertheless, when you can switch varied lodge factors to AAdvantage miles, these transfers won’t rely towards incomes Loyalty Factors per this system guidelines.
While you register by Dec. 28, there is a standing problem for Explorist and Globalist members, however extra on that later.
Associated: We tested earning American Airlines miles for 3 different hotel stays — here’s what we found
Trip packages
American Airways has lengthy supplied a trip package deal service that allows you to bundle flights, inns, rental automobiles, or any mixture. These packages typically provide barely higher offers than in case you had been to ebook your flight, lodge and automotive individually.
Plus, you’ll earn 1,000 AAdvantage for each trip package deal you ebook and may earn as much as 25,000 miles while you book featured hotels.
As all the time, run the numbers earlier than you ebook a trip package deal over reserving instantly. Additionally, be aware that you probably received’t earn lodge factors and elite standing on inns booked as part of a package deal.
Associated: The complete guide to booking all-inclusive hotels with American Airlines Vacations
Cruises
American gives the power to ebook cruises instantly by means of its web site; any miles you earn will rely towards Loyalty Factors. You’ll be able to earn 1 AAdvantage mile per greenback spent on cruise sailings by means of Dec. 31, 2024, as much as 10,000 AAdvantage miles. As well as, these with an AAdvantage cobranded bank card earn a further mile per greenback spent.
If you happen to’re a cruiser trying to accumulate AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Factors, it could pay to make a reservation by means of American’s cruise portal.
Renting automobiles
AAdvantage miles earned with rental cars will rely as Loyalty Factors. The variety of Loyalty Factors and redeemable AAdvantage miles you’ll earn relies on the rental automotive accomplice you ebook with.
For instance, with Avis and Finances members can earn at the very least 2 base miles for each greenback spent on all qualifying leases at taking part airport rental places within the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Center East, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Plus, you’ll earn 1 Loyalty Level for each AAdvantage base mile earned.
Relying on how typically you lease automobiles, this could possibly be a great way to pad your Loyalty Factors steadiness.
Do not forget that you received’t normally earn rental automotive factors while you credit score leases to American, so contemplate whether or not that’s price it. Chances are you’ll come out forward with American miles on shorter leases however earn extra rental automotive factors on longer and costlier leases.
Filling up your automotive
American participates within the Fuel Rewards program by Shell. When filling up at a Shell location, you’ll obtain 2 miles per gallon of gasoline, which counts as Loyalty Factors. New members earn 100 miles only for becoming a member of and finishing their first fill-up at Shell, however these 100 miles will not earn Loyalty Factors.
Associated: Earn airline miles for gas purchases
Paying utility payments
American at the moment companions with three utility corporations: NRG Power, Reliant Power and Xoom.
American has confirmed that exercise by means of these companions will rely towards Loyalty Factors, making this a straightforward method to earn standing with out a lot legwork. Simply bear in mind that a number of of those corporations provide electrical energy at variable charges, so there may be some volatility in your month-to-month payments. Additionally, be aware that these companies are solely accessible in choose states.
Observe that these companies provide welcome bonuses, however you might not earn Loyalty Factors from stated bonuses.
Taking surveys
Miles for Opinions means that you can earn American Airways miles for finishing surveys on varied matters. American has confirmed that miles earned by means of this accomplice will rely towards Loyalty Factors.
There’s no financial price to take part, so that you’ll earn Loyalty Factors for “free.” Nevertheless, bear in mind that it takes quite a lot of answering inquiries to earn a small variety of miles this fashion, so contemplate the worth of your time.
Associated: The easiest way to top up your points and miles without spending a dime
Standing match and problem
American has relationships with many corporations, so you might be eligible for a standing match or problem by means of your employer’s company journey company. Ask your journey division to see in case you’re eligible.
Moreover, there’s at the moment an American Airline standing possibility for World of Hyatt Explorist and Globalist members. While you register by Dec. 28, Hyatt Explorist and Globalist members who have linked (or will link their accounts by Dec. 12) are eligible for American Airlines status from American’s Instant Status Pass. Explorist and Globalist members obtain on the spot Platinum and Platinum Professional standing, respectively. Standing is legitimate for 4 months after registering, and you will have to earn a sure variety of Loyalty Factors to increase or improve your standing for one more 4 months.
Associated: Current airline elite status match and challenge options you should know about
What exercise doesn’t rely
Sadly, not all mileage incomes counts as Loyalty Factors.
As talked about, you received’t earn Loyalty Factors for cobranded bank card sign-up bonuses, limited-time spending gives or multipliers on sure classes, like grocery shops and eating. As mentioned, most AAdvantage cardholders will earn 1 mile per greenback spent, no matter the kind of buy.
Additional, you received’t earn Loyalty Factors for miles earned from particular promotions or these accrued by means of purchase, present or switch transactions. This restriction contains miles transferred between particular person accounts and people transformed from one other loyalty program forex, equivalent to Marriott Bonvoy.
Sadly, American confirmed that you simply wouldn’t earn Loyalty Factors by means of Bask Financial institution curiosity. A Bask Bank mileage savings account means that you can rack up American Airways miles as an alternative of money in your financial savings. That stated, by means of Dec. 15, while you deposit $25,000, you may earn 5,000 AAdvantage Loyalty Factors after sustaining the steadiness for 105 consecutive days.
Lastly, American’s periodic donation campaigns don’t rely towards incomes Loyalty Factors. For example, if you wish to earn American AAdvantage miles whereas donating to charity, you’ll be able to earn 10 miles for each greenback you give to Stand Up To Most cancers while you donate $25 or extra here. The donation touchdown web page particularly states, “Bonus miles don’t rely towards elite-status qualification.”
Associated: Be careful: 9 times you won’t earn American Airlines Loyalty Points, even if you earn miles
Backside line
There are a number of methods to earn American elite standing with out stepping on a airplane. Though you in the end could spend extra time and/or cash crediting American Airways accomplice transactions to this system than you beforehand would have, there at the moment are many extra choices than there have been within the earlier program.
Moreover, having a cobranded AAdvantage credit card can be extraordinarily useful with the brand new qualification scheme. That stated, non-cardholders will nonetheless be capable to progress towards standing by participating with American’s different companions, together with the eating reward program and on-line buying portal.
You’ll have to have a look at your elite standing objectives and deliberate journey for the remainder of the standing 12 months and resolve whether or not the chance price of committing to American’s non-travel companions is price it to qualify for AAdvantage elite standing.
Extra reporting by Ehsan Haque, Andrew Kunesh, Chris Dong, Eric Rosen, Katie Genter, Zach Griff and Kyle Olsen.
