American Airlines AAdvantage
Sell or transfer your American Airlines AAdvantage miles easily.
How It Works
Submit Your Request
Fill out the form with your miles details and get an instant quote.
Review Your Offer
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Complete Transaction
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About American Airlines AAdvantage miles
American Airlines AAdvantage miles book flights across the oneworld alliance, including British Airways, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines. Large AAdvantage balances are common because the program has some of the most widely held co-branded credit cards in the US.
- Alliance
- oneworld
- Based in
- United States
- Transfer partners
- Citi ThankYou Points (1:1), Marriott Bonvoy (3:1) See the full matrix
- Expiry
- AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months with no earning or redemption activity; any qualifying activity resets the period. Members under 21 are exempt, and expired miles can be reinstated for a fee within 24 months. Source
Not sure whether to sell? See what American Airlines AAdvantage miles are worth, read how much airline miles are worth or convert your American Airlines AAdvantage miles to another program.
The American Airlines AAdvantage program explained
AAdvantage is the loyalty program of American Airlines, the largest airline in the world by fleet and a founding member of oneworld. Miles are redeemable on American and on partners including British Airways, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qantas and Alaska Airlines, with hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, Miami, Chicago, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and New York.
Launched in 1981, AAdvantage was the first modern frequent flyer program. It uses a Loyalty Points system in which every mile earned from flying, co-branded cards and partners also counts toward elite status, which has made the program popular with card-heavy earners who build large balances without flying much.
Written and reviewed by the Points Plug team. Last reviewed .
How members earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles
- Flying American and partner airlines, with earning based on fare for American flights.
- AAdvantage co-branded credit cards issued by Citi and Barclays, which earn miles and Loyalty Points on everyday spend.
- Transfers from Citi ThankYou Points (premium Strata and Prestige cards) at 1:1, and from Marriott Bonvoy at 3:1 with no bonus. Bilt ended its AAdvantage transfer option in June 2024.
- The AAdvantage eShopping portal, dining program and SimplyMiles offers.
Best ways to use American Airlines AAdvantage miles
- Partner business and first class: Qatar Airways Qsuite to the Middle East and beyond, Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific to Asia, Qantas to Australia.
- Web Special awards on American flights, which can be priced well below the standard chart on off-peak dates.
- Short partner flights, such as Alaska Airlines on the West Coast or British Airways within Europe, where the mileage cost is low.
What to watch out for
- AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months without any earning or redeeming activity (members under 21 are exempt), so an untouched balance can vanish.
- American prices its own flights dynamically; premium cabin awards on peak dates can cost several hundred thousand miles.
- British Airways-operated awards carry heavy fuel surcharges, so most members avoid them for long-haul travel.
- Basic economy tickets bought since December 17, 2025 earn no miles or Loyalty Points, and the Loyalty Point Rewards were reshuffled on March 1, 2026.
Elite status tiers
- 1AAdvantage Gold
- 2AAdvantage Platinum
- 3AAdvantage Platinum Pro
- 4AAdvantage Executive Platinum
All tiers are earned through Loyalty Points, which accrue from flying, credit card spend and partner activity alike.
Should you sell your American Airlines AAdvantage miles?
Keep your miles if you can use them for partner premium cabins, particularly Qatar, JAL and Cathay Pacific, where a single business class award can be worth several thousand dollars.
Consider selling if your miles are at risk of expiry, if your balance comes from card spend rather than a travel habit, or if you mostly fly American domestically where awards are dynamically priced. A cash offer removes the expiry risk entirely.
Sources
- AAdvantage terms and conditions · official page
- AAdvantage program updates · official page
Program rules, award prices and expiry policies change often. Check the program's own terms before relying on any detail here, and see how we research and review this content.
American Airlines AAdvantage FAQ
- How do I sell American Airlines AAdvantage miles?
- Enter your American Airlines AAdvantage balance in the quote form on this page for an instant cash offer. Accept the offer and we handle the rest, with payment sent through your preferred method.
- What is the minimum number of American Airlines AAdvantage miles I can sell?
- We buy American Airlines AAdvantage miles from 50,000 miles. Balances of 200,000 and 500,000 miles or more earn higher per-mile rates.
- How much are American Airlines AAdvantage miles worth in cash?
- Your offer depends on your balance size, and the quote form shows the exact price per mile before you commit. Quotes are free and carry no obligation.
- How long does it take to get paid for American Airlines AAdvantage miles?
- Most American Airlines AAdvantage transactions complete within 24-48 hours of accepting an offer.
- Do American AAdvantage miles expire?
- Yes, after 24 months without any qualifying activity in the account. Any earning or redemption resets the clock. Selling part of a balance is one way to make sure the rest is never lost.
- Is it worth transferring credit card points to AAdvantage?
- Citi ThankYou Points from premium cards transfer at 1:1, and Marriott Bonvoy at 3:1. Chase, Amex, Capital One and Bilt do not (Bilt dropped American in June 2024), so most large balances come from flying and the Citi and Barclays co-branded cards, which is why AAdvantage miles are hard to replace once spent or sold.
