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Buying miles · sold by American Airlines

How to buy American Airlines AAdvantage miles

Yes. American sells AAdvantage miles on aa.com from US$0.023 to US$0.035 per mile, cheaper per mile the more you buy, plus 7.5% US federal excise tax. You can buy and gift up to 300,000 miles a calendar year combined.

Miles usually post straight away, can't be refunded, and earn neither status nor Loyalty Points. American's offers page and buy FAQ showed no bonus when checked.

Written and reviewed by the Points Plug team. Last reviewed .

Standard price
US$23 to US$35 per 1,000 miles by quantity, plus tax
Promotion now
None shown
Yearly limit
300,000 miles (buy and gift combined)
Where to buy
American Airlines: Buy, gift or transfer miles

American Airlines AAdvantage buy miles promotion

None shown

American's offers and promotions page and its buy, gift or transfer FAQ showed no bonus on bought miles when checked. The FAQ notes that the yearly cap can change during promotional periods, and any offer appears in the buy page after you log in.

Checked on on American Airlines: AAdvantage offers and promotions.

What American Airlines AAdvantage miles cost

The standard price is US$23 to US$35 per 1,000 miles by quantity, plus tax.

Taxes and fees

  • 7.5% US federal excise tax on bought and gifted miles.
  • American's fee page lists no separate transaction fee for buying.

Is buying American Airlines AAdvantage miles worth it?

At the standard price of 3.50¢ per mile for small purchases, buying American Airlines AAdvantage miles costs 2.3 times their typical value of 1.49¢, and at 2.30¢ for the largest purchases it costs 1.5 times their typical value of 1.49¢. So buying makes sense only to top up an award you have already found, when the cash fare costs more than the miles you need.

The 1.49¢ figure is the average of the published valuations on our American Airlines AAdvantage value page. Price the award on the American Airlines AAdvantage award chart before you buy.

How to buy American Airlines AAdvantage miles

  1. Log in to your AAdvantage account on aa.com and open Buy, gift or transfer miles.
  2. Choose how many miles to buy; the price per mile falls as the quantity rises.
  3. Pay with a Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express credit card. American adds 7.5% US federal excise tax.
  4. The miles typically post right away; American asks you to allow up to 4 hours.

Limits

  • Up to 300,000 miles per calendar year through Buy Miles and Gift Miles combined. American says the limit may change, for example during promotions.
  • AAdvantage Business travel managers can buy up to 200,000 miles per calendar year.

Rules to know before you buy

  • Pay with a valid Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express credit card.
  • Miles typically post immediately; allow up to 4 hours.
  • Transactions can't be refunded, reversed or exchanged.
  • Bought and gifted miles don't count toward AAdvantage status or Million Miler status, and as bonus miles they earn no Loyalty Points.
  • Any Buy, Gift or Transfer Miles transaction counts as qualifying activity, so it keeps your miles from expiring.

Buying miles for someone else, and transfers

Gifting miles

  • Gift Miles cost the same as buying for yourself, US$0.023 to US$0.035 per mile plus 7.5% tax, and count toward the same 300,000-mile yearly limit.

Transferring between members

  • Moving your own miles to another member costs US$0.005 per mile, and the fee is non-refundable.
  • Up to 300,000 miles can leave an account, and up to 300,000 can arrive in one, each calendar year, split across as many accounts as you like.

How every program handles pooling, transfers and inheritance is compared in family pooling and transferring miles.

Top-ups, boosters and other ways to pay for miles

Mileage Multiplier

Listed on American's fee page at US$0.035 per mile plus 7.5% federal excise tax.

Reactivate expired miles

Miles that expired can be brought back for US$60 to US$2,000 per transaction, depending on the amount.

AAdvantage Pass

Packages that bundle bonus miles with Loyalty Points and AAdvantage status, which lasts a year from purchase. The miles in a package are bonus miles and earn no Loyalty Points.

Buying American Airlines AAdvantage miles: FAQ

How much does it cost to buy American Airlines miles?
US$0.023 to US$0.035 per mile depending on how many you buy, plus 7.5% US federal excise tax. Small purchases pay the top of the range.
How many AAdvantage miles can I buy a year?
Up to 300,000 miles per calendar year through Buy Miles and Gift Miles combined, or 200,000 for AAdvantage Business travel managers. American says the limit can change during promotions.
Do bought AAdvantage miles earn Loyalty Points?
No. American's terms treat them as bonus miles that earn no Loyalty Points, and its FAQ says they don't count toward status or Million Miler.
Does buying miles stop AAdvantage miles expiring?
Yes. The AAdvantage terms list completing any Buy, Gift or Transfer Miles transaction as qualifying activity.
How much does it cost to transfer AAdvantage miles?
US$0.005 per mile, up to 300,000 miles out of an account per calendar year. The fee is non-refundable.
Is it worth buying American Airlines AAdvantage miles?
At the standard price of 3.50¢ per mile for small purchases, buying American Airlines AAdvantage miles costs 2.3 times their typical value of 1.49¢, and at 2.30¢ for the largest purchases it costs 1.5 times their typical value of 1.49¢. So buying makes sense only to top up an award you have already found, when the cash fare costs more than the miles you need.

Sources

More on American Airlines AAdvantage