How To Keep Your American Airlines Miles From Expiring?

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As a frequent flyer with American Airlines, you know the value of their rewards program. However, there’s nothing more frustrating than seeing your miles expire before you have a chance to use them. Don’t worry though, we’ve got you covered! In this article, we’ll share some tips and tricks to help you keep your American Airlines miles from expiring. So, let’s get started!

Firstly, it’s important to understand the rules surrounding American Airlines’ mileage expiration policy. Miles will expire after 18 months of inactivity, which means no earning, redeeming, or transferring of miles. But don’t worry, there are many ways to keep your account active and your miles from expiring.

How to Keep Your American Airlines Miles From Expiring?

How to Keep Your American Airlines Miles From Expiring?

If you are an American Airlines frequent flyer, you know how valuable your miles can be. They can help you save on airfare, hotel stays, and more. However, if you don’t use your miles, they can expire. If you don’t want to lose your hard-earned miles, there are several things you can do to keep them from expiring.

Understanding American Airlines Mileage Expiration Policy

Before we dive into the ways to keep your American Airlines miles from expiring, it is essential to understand the airline’s mileage expiration policy. According to American Airlines, if there is no earning or redeeming activity on your account for 18 months, your miles will expire.

Earning activity includes flying on American Airlines or its partner airlines, using an American Airlines credit card, renting a car, booking a hotel, and more. Redeeming activity includes using your miles to book a flight, hotel stay, car rental, or other purchases.

Benefits of Keeping Your American Airlines Miles Active

It is essential to keep your American Airlines miles active to ensure that you don’t lose them. Here are some benefits of keeping your miles active:

  • You can use them to book award flights and save on airfare.
  • You can book hotel stays and car rentals using your miles.
  • You can donate your miles to charity.

Vs. Losing Your Miles

On the other hand, if your miles expire, you will lose the following benefits:

  • You won’t be able to redeem them for award flights, hotel stays, or car rentals.
  • You won’t be able to donate your miles to charity.
  • You will have to start earning miles from scratch.

Ways to Keep Your American Airlines Miles From Expiring

Now that you understand the importance of keeping your American Airlines miles active let’s look at some ways to prevent them from expiring.

1. Fly on American Airlines or Its Partner Airlines

One of the easiest ways to keep your American Airlines miles from expiring is to fly on American Airlines or its partner airlines. Every time you fly, you earn miles, which will reset the expiration clock on your account.

If you don’t fly often, consider taking a short flight or a weekend getaway to keep your miles active.

2. Use an American Airlines Credit Card

Another way to keep your American Airlines miles active is to use an American Airlines credit card. You can earn miles for every dollar you spend on the card, which will reset the expiration clock on your account.

3. Rent a Car or Book a Hotel

You can also earn miles by renting a car or booking a hotel through American Airlines’ partners. You can earn up to 5 miles per dollar spent on car rentals and up to 10 miles per dollar spent on hotel bookings.

4. Shop With American Airlines Partners

American Airlines has several partners where you can earn miles for shopping. For example, you can earn miles for shopping at Macy’s, Sephora, and Apple. By making a purchase through American Airlines’ partners, you can keep your miles active.

5. Transfer Miles From Another Account

If you have a friend or family member who has American Airlines miles, you can transfer them to your account. Transferring miles will reset the expiration clock on your account.

6. Donate Your Miles to Charity

You can also keep your American Airlines miles active by donating them to charity. American Airlines has several charity partners where you can donate your miles.

7. Buy or Gift Miles

If you are close to losing your miles, you can buy or gift miles to keep your account active. However, this can be an expensive option, so only use it as a last resort.

8. Use Points.com

Points.com is a website where you can exchange, trade, and buy miles from various airlines, including American Airlines. By using Points.com, you can keep your American Airlines miles active.

9. Enroll in American Airlines’ Dining Program

American Airlines has a dining program where you can earn miles for dining at participating restaurants. You can earn up to 5 miles per dollar spent on dining, which will reset the expiration clock on your account.

10. Sign Up for Promotions

American Airlines often runs promotions where you can earn bonus miles for completing specific tasks. For example, you can earn bonus miles for booking a hotel stay or renting a car. By signing up for these promotions, you can keep your miles active.

Conclusion

In conclusion, keeping your American Airlines miles from expiring is essential if you want to take advantage of the benefits they offer. By following the tips mentioned above, you can keep your miles active and avoid losing them. Remember to keep track of your miles and plan ahead to ensure that you use them before they expire.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are American Airlines miles?

American Airlines miles are a type of loyalty currency that you can earn by flying with American Airlines or its partners, or by using an American Airlines-branded credit card.

These miles can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and other travel expenses, making them a valuable asset for frequent travelers.

When do American Airlines miles expire?

American Airlines miles will expire if there is no account activity for 18 months. Account activity includes earning or redeeming miles, purchasing miles, or donating miles to charity.

To avoid losing your miles, make sure to keep your account active by earning or redeeming miles at least once every 18 months.

How can I keep my American Airlines miles from expiring?

To keep your American Airlines miles from expiring, you need to have account activity at least once every 18 months. There are several ways to achieve this:

– Fly with American Airlines or its partners and earn miles

– Use an American Airlines-branded credit card to make purchases and earn miles

– Redeem your miles for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, or other travel expenses

– Purchase American Airlines miles

– Donate American Airlines miles to charity

What happens if my American Airlines miles expire?

If your American Airlines miles expire, you will not be able to use them to book flights or other travel expenses. Once miles expire, they cannot be reinstated.

To avoid losing your miles, make sure to keep your account active by earning or redeeming miles at least once every 18 months.

Can I reinstate my expired American Airlines miles?

Unfortunately, once American Airlines miles expire, they cannot be reinstated. The only way to keep your miles from expiring is to have account activity at least once every 18 months.

If your miles are approaching their expiration date, make sure to earn or redeem them before they expire to avoid losing them permanently.

How to Keep Your Points & Miles From Expiring


In conclusion, keeping your American Airlines miles from expiring is a simple and easy process. By following the steps outlined above, you can ensure that your miles remain active and available for use whenever you need them. Remember, it’s important to stay on top of your account and make sure that you’re earning and redeeming miles regularly.

So, whether you’re a frequent flyer or just starting out with the American Airlines loyalty program, be sure to keep these tips in mind. By doing so, you can maximize your rewards and enjoy all the benefits that come with being a loyal American Airlines customer.

In the end, it’s all about staying organized and taking advantage of the many opportunities that American Airlines offers to its members. So, get started today and start earning those miles – who knows where they’ll take you next!

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