Since the change to Loyalty Points at American Airlines, flyers consistently choose these rewards at the 175k level:
- Systemwide upgrades — consistently #1 or #2, ranging from 48-60%
- 20,000 bonus miles — consistently #2 or #3, ranging from 28-37%
- 5,000 Loyalty Points — gaining steadily (1%, 7% to 10%)
Discussions on why flyers chose these can be found in the Loyalty Point Hunters Facebook group:
Summary Table
| Choice Reward | ’22-’23 | ’23-’24 | ’24-’25 | ’25-’26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Systemwide Upgrades | 60% | 55% | 50% | 48% |
| 20,000 Bonus Miles | 28% | 33% | 37% | 35% |
| 5,000 Loyalty Points | – | 1% | 7% | 10% |
| Admirals Club Membership | 5% | 6% | – | – |
| 2 Gifts of AAdvantage Gold Status | 3% | 1% | 1% | 3% |
| $200 Trip Credit | 2% | 1% | 2% | 1% |
| $250 Charitable Donation | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| 15% Off Award Discount (Rebate Post Travel) | 1% | 1% | – | – |
| 6 Admirals Club One-Day Passes | 0% | 1% | 1% | – |
| 35,000 Miles Toward a Mastercard Experience | – | – | 1% | 1% |
| World of Hyatt Explorist Status | – | – | – | 1% |
| 75-Gallon Sustainable Aviation Fuel Allocation | – | – | 0% | 0% |
| Total Votes | 1,032 | 660 | 742 | – |
Best Practices
You should set a calendar reminder for the day before your reward expires. It’s best to wait until you need the reward to redeem it, as rewards such as Systemwide Upgrades expire one year from selection.
For the Loyalty Point choice reward, it will post to the program year on the date you make your choice. For example, you choose this reward on February 25, 2025. It will post to the 2025-2026 Program year, which ends on February 28, 2026.