How do I add my AAdvantage number to an American flight?

Enter it in the frequent flyer field when booking, add it under Your Trips on aa.com or in the app before departure, or give it at check-in. Only one program number can be on a flight, so adding AAdvantage removes any partner number.

Do American Basic Economy fares earn miles?

Not any more. Basic Economy tickets bought on or after 17 December 2025 earn no AAdvantage miles or Loyalty Points, and Alaska and British Airways exclude them as well.

Can I credit an American flight to Alaska after I have flown?

Yes, if no other number earned on it. Alaska accepts claims within 12 months of an American flight, but you must have been an Atmos Rewards member on the day you flew.

How long do AAdvantage miles take to post?

One to three days for American flights and up to 30 days for partner airlines. Hotel, car and shopping partners can take six to eight weeks.

Revenue-based on own flights, distance on partners

How to earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles

American flights earn 5 miles per US dollar of base fare and carrier-imposed fees. Gold earns 40% more, Platinum 60%, Platinum Pro 80% and Executive Platinum 120%. Government taxes and optional fees earn nothing.

Basic Economy tickets bought on or after 17 December 2025 earn no miles and no Loyalty Points.

Flights marketed by partner airlines earn a percentage of the distance flown by fare class, from each partner's chart on aa.com. A booking code that is not in the chart earns nothing.

Official earning page: Earning on American Airlines flights.

Written and reviewed by the Points Plug team. Last reviewed September 23, 2026.

How to join American Airlines AAdvantage

Enrol at aa.com. What the program requires and offers:

Free to join. Membership is for individuals only; companies use the separate AAdvantage Business program.
No minimum age is stated in the terms. The 24-month inactivity rule that expires miles does not apply to members under 21.
No standing welcome bonus for joining; the bonuses sit on the Citi co-brand credit cards.
Miles from American flights post within 1 to 3 days; partner flights take up to 30 days.

Airlines whose flights earn miles here

Flights on these carriers can be credited to American Airlines AAdvantage by adding your number to the booking.

Alaska Airlines
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Fiji Airways
Finnair
Hawaiian Airlines
Iberia
Japan Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Oman Air
Qantas
Qatar Airways
Royal Air Maroc
Royal Jordanian
SriLankan Airlines
Aer Lingus
Air Tahiti Nui
China Southern
Etihad
GOL
IndiGo
JetSMART
LEVEL
Porter

From American's partner airlines list. Each partner has its own fare-class chart on aa.com.

Where else American Airlines flights can be credited

Alaska Atmos Rewards
Distance times fare class: first and full business fares 200%, discounted business 150%, most economy fares 100%, the deepest discounts 25% to 75%. Saver and Basic Economy earn nothing. A long cheap flight earns far more here than 5 miles per dollar.
British Airways Club
Spend-based like American itself: 6 Avios per pound spent for Blue members, up to 9 for Gold. Worth it only if you want Avios for short-haul partner awards.
Etihad Guest
Etihad's American chart pays First 250% of distance and Y, M, H, K and L economy fares 100%. Useful mainly if you redeem Etihad awards.
Qantas Frequent Flyer
American is on Qantas's partner list, with points and status credits set by a booking-class table on qantas.com that we could not read. The natural choice for Australians.
JAL Mileage Bank
Sector mileage times an accumulation rate by class, which may differ from JAL's own flights for some fares. JAL miles expire after 36 months regardless of activity.

Which program should I select for American Airlines flights?

For a cheap long American flight, credit to Alaska. A US$300 transcontinental economy ticket earns about 1,500 AAdvantage miles at 5 per dollar; in a 100% fare class over 2,500 miles each way it earns 2,500 Atmos Rewards points per direction, and those points book American and oneworld awards.

For an expensive short flight, or any flight you want counted toward American status, credit to AAdvantage. Loyalty Points accrue only there, and a US$800 last-minute one-hour flight earns 4,000 miles against a few hundred points by distance.

Check the fare class first. Basic Economy earns nothing in AAdvantage since 17 December 2025 and nothing in Atmos Rewards either, and deep-discount codes earn 25% by distance. Only the number on the booking at departure gets the flight.

Claiming miles after the flight

Claim window: 12 months from the flight.

Request online in the AAdvantage account; allow 10 days after an American flight and 30 days after a partner flight before filing.
You need the 13-digit ticket number and the flight details, and the name on the ticket must match the account.
New members: American flights up to 6 months before enrolment count, partner flights only 30 days before.
Missing miles from non-airline partners (hotels, cars, shopping) are claimed with the partner, not American.

Source: AAdvantage: request missing miles. Every program's window is compared on the missing miles page.

Ways to earn miles without flying

AAdvantage eShopping

Miles on online purchases at 1,200 or more stores through aadvantageeshopping.com. The rate is set per retailer and stacks with whatever card you pay with.

AAdvantage Dining

Link a card and earn miles and Loyalty Points at participating restaurants through aadvantagedining.com.

Rideshare and delivery

American lists no Uber, Lyft or delivery partner on its earning pages. For rides, pay with a card whose points transfer to AAdvantage, or credit the ride to a program that does pay, as the rideshare guide shows.

Hotels, cars, vacations and cruises

American runs booking portals for hotels, cars, vacations and cruises that pay miles per dollar or per night.

Co-brand credit cards

Citi is the exclusive US issuer of AAdvantage cards from 2026; their sign-up bonuses are the fastest way to a large balance. See the AAdvantage credit cards page.

Buy, gift or transfer miles

American sells miles on its buy miles page; prices and yearly caps load only after login. A purchase also resets the 24-month expiry clock.

Bank point transfers

Citi (1:1), Marriott (3:1) transfer into American Airlines AAdvantage. See the transfer partner matrix and how transfers work.

Booking awards with the miles

Booking window: 331 days to 2 hours before departure. Change fee: None on aa.com; more miles or fees may apply after ticketing. Cancellation: None; miles reinstated. The full rules are on the award fees table and the availability guide.

Using the miles you earn

See the American Airlines AAdvantage award chart for what the miles buy, what they are worth, and what Points Plug pays for a balance you will not use.

Earning American Airlines AAdvantage miles: FAQ

How do I add my AAdvantage number to an American flight?: Enter it in the frequent flyer field when booking, add it under Your Trips on aa.com or in the app before departure, or give it at check-in. Only one program number can be on a flight, so adding AAdvantage removes any partner number.
Do American Basic Economy fares earn miles?: Not any more. Basic Economy tickets bought on or after 17 December 2025 earn no AAdvantage miles or Loyalty Points, and Alaska and British Airways exclude them as well.
Can I credit an American flight to Alaska after I have flown?: Yes, if no other number earned on it. Alaska accepts claims within 12 months of an American flight, but you must have been an Atmos Rewards member on the day you flew.
How long do AAdvantage miles take to post?: One to three days for American flights and up to 30 days for partner airlines. Hotel, car and shopping partners can take six to eight weeks.

Sources

AAdvantage partner airlines · official page
AAdvantage terms and conditions · official page
AAdvantage FAQ · official page
Atmos Rewards: earning on American Airlines · official page
British Airways Club: collecting Avios on flights · official page
Etihad Guest: American Airlines partner page · official page