In this guide, you will learn how to earn Loyalty Points through Flying
How to Earn
Kids and family can earn also earn award miles & Loyalty Points when flying. Sign them up for their own AAdvantage account đź”—.Â
For business owners with 3+ employees, you can also earn separately through American’s Business program.
When flying American Airlines, award miles and Loyalty Points are based on base fare and any carrier-imposed fees. For illustration purposes, if the base and fare with carrier-imposed fees is $200, the earnings would be:
AAdvantage Level | Dollar Multiplier | Award Mile Earnings | Loyalty Point Earnings |
---|---|---|---|
Memeber | 5x | 1,000 | 1,000 |
Gold Status | 7x | 1,400 | 1,400 |
Platinum Status | 8x | 1,600 | 1,600 |
Platinum Pro Status | 9x | 1,800 | 1,800 |
Executive Platinum Status | 11x | 2,200 | 2,200 |
If you are starting from scratch and hypothetically want to earn status through flying only, the total cost would be $27,583 in air fare:
To Get | Spend | Loyalty Points Earned | Total Loyalty Points |
---|---|---|---|
Gold Status | $8,000 | 40,000 | 40,000 |
Platinum Status | $5,000 | 35,000 | 75,000 |
Platinum Pro Status | $6,250 | 50,000 | 125,000 |
Executive Platinum Status | $8,333 | 75,000 | 200,000 |
Note that if there are multiple segments on the trip, miles and Loyalty Points are not equally split. One segment could have a higher fare cost basis and earn more miles and Loyalty Points. For illustration purposes, a round-trip DFW-MIA as Executive Platinum with an air fare of $400 (without taxes) would earn:
DFW-MIA | MIA-DFW | |
---|---|---|
Award Miles | 1,500 | 2,500 |
Loyalty Points | 1,500 | 2,500 |
Million Miler | 1,121 | 1,121 |
Miles and Loyalty Points can also be earned through a co-branded card for the purchase of travel.
Upgrades
As of August 14, 2024, you also earn Loyalty Points when you purchase an upgrade (instant upsell) to a premium cabin on American Airlines.
Award Travel
Award travel does not earn award miles or Loyalty Points. Purchased upgrades (instant upsells) on award travel earn award miles and Loyalty Points.
Earning with Partner Airlines
You can find a list of American Airlines partners, as well as their earning charts on aa.com.
How do I calculate how many miles and Loyalty Points I’ll earn by flying?
Use the calculator at lpcalculator.com to calculate how many miles and loyalty points you’ll earn by flying.
Do I earn Loyalty Points if I pay with a trip or flight credit?
Flight or trip credits are the same as cash and earn Loyalty Points.
How long does it take for points to post?
For flights booked through and flown on American Airlines, miles and points post within 24 hours (usually shortly after the flight lands).
You must wait at least 15 days before requesting credit through AAdvantage Customer Service. This includes flights flown on partner airlines using your AAdvantage #. You will need to submit a copy of your boarding pass.