What Are American Airlines Loyalty Points and How to Use Them?

What Are American Airlines Loyalty Points?

• 1 base mile = 1 Loyalty Point.

• Earned from flights, credit card spending, shopping, dining and partner activity.

• Cannot be redeemed for flights or upgrades.

• Count only toward elite qualification and Loyalty Point Rewards.

• Redeemable miles remain separate, used for booking award flights or upgrades.

How to Earn Loyalty Points?

• Flights: Base miles on tickets with American, oneworld airlines and other partners.

• Credit Cards: Citi / AAdvantage and Aviator Mastercards earn 1 Loyalty Point per eligible dollar.

• AAdvantage eShopping Mall: Online purchases with major retailers.

• Dining Program: Earn Loyalty Points when using linked cards at participating restaurants.

• Hotels & Car Rentals: Partner bookings qualify.

Qualification Period

• Runs March 1 – end of February

• All Loyalty Points earned in this window count for the next membership year

• Points reset annually: redeemable miles do not

Elite Status Tiers

American Airlines has four status levels based solely on Loyalty Points:

Gold – 40,000 Points

• Group 4 boarding, complimentary upgrades within North America, free checked bag, Main Cabin Extra and Preferred Seats at check in, 40% mileage bonus

Platinum – 75,000 Points

• All Gold perks plus Group 3 boarding, upgrades with higher priority, free Main Cabin Extra and Preferred Seats, 60% mileage bonus

Platinum Pro – 125,000 Points

• All Platinum perks plus higher upgrade priority, oneworld Sapphire benefits, 80% mileage bonus

Executive Platinum – 200,000 Points

• Top upgrade priority, complimentary same day flight changes, oneworld Emerald benefits (including First Class lounge access on international trips), 120% mileage bonus, Systemwide Upgrades (SWUs)

Loyalty Point Rewards

15,000 Points

• Priority check-in, security and Group 4 boarding (one trip)

• Group 5 boarding for the year

60,000 Points

• Avis Preferred Plus membership

• 20% Loyalty Point bonus offer

100,000 Points

• Choice of 1 Systemwide Upgrade, Admirals Club One-Day Passes or bonus miles

175,000 Points

• Additional higher-value choice, including more SWUs

250,000+ Points

• Options expand further: extra SWUs, bonus Loyalty Points and exclusive perks

• Milestones continue at 400k, 550k, 750k and 1M+

• Rewards are cumulative, meaning you can unlock multiple as you climb.

Loyalty Points vs Redeemable Miles

• Redeemable Miles: For flights, upgrades, hotels and more.

• Loyalty Points: For tracking elite status and Loyalty Point Rewards only.

Strategies to Earn Quickly

• Use an AAdvantage Credit Card daily – 1 Point per dollar on eligible purchases.

• Shop via AAdvantage eShopping – leverage promotions for extra Points.

• Join the Dining Program – earn while dining at partner restaurants.

• Fly with American and partners – long haul and premium cabins generate higher base miles.

• Track milestones – monitor your AAdvantage dashboard for approaching thresholds.

Key Takeaways

• Qualification runs March–February, resetting yearly.

• Four elite tiers: Gold (40k), Platinum (75k), Platinum Pro (125k), Executive Platinum (200k).

• Milestone rewards start at 15,000 Loyalty Points and continue through 1 million+.

• Systemwide Upgrades and Admirals Club passes are among the most valuable perks.

• Loyalty Points are earned from both travel and everyday purchases, not just flying.

Final Thoughts