September 25, 2023
12 easy methods to earn AAdvantage elite standing with out flying

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American Airways made adjustments to its AAdvantage program in 2021 to turn out to be one of the crucial accessible loyalty packages for incomes airline elite standing. Earlier than American Airways revamped its loyalty program, members earned elite standing primarily by flying. That modified when American applied a brand new metric for incomes standing, dubbed Loyalty Factors.

Now, each greenback that you simply spend with American Airways will assist you to to earn elite standing. In different phrases, the whole lot from bank card spending to purchasing on-line and even finishing surveys helps to get you nearer to your elite standing objectives. The truth is, you’ll be able to earn elite standing with out spending numerous hours within the air with American Airways.

Curious about pursuing American Airways elite standing from the consolation of your personal house? Listed here are the actions that earn Loyalty Factors towards AAdvantage elite standing, serving to you to journey extra comfortably with advantages and perks on future flights.

Earlier than leaping into how one can earn Loyalty Factors, it’s vital to first perceive what number of of them you’ll want so as to attain your elite standing objectives. You’ll be able to earn AAdvantage elite standing after reaching simply 30,000 Loyalty Factors and get top-tier Government Platinum standing at 200,000 factors.

Bear in mind the qualification interval begins on March 1 and ends on Feb. 28 every year. When you earn elite standing, it’s legitimate by way of March 31 of the next yr.

Right here’s what number of Loyalty Factors you’ll want for every degree of AAdvantage elite standing:

  • AAdvantage Gold: 30,000 Loyalty Factors
  • AAdvantage Platinum: 75,000 Loyalty Factors
  • AAdvantage Platinum Professional: 125,000 Loyalty Factors
  • AAdvantage Government Platinum: 200,000 Loyalty Factors

Starting in March 2023, American Airways is introducing Loyalty Selection Rewards, which is able to reward members with extra perks as they earn their manner towards elite standing. The rewards vary from Admirals Membership passes to systemwide upgrades, bonus miles, carbon emissions offsets, the flexibility to reward standing and extra.

Even in case you don’t intend on flying extensively with American Airways and its companions, it’s doable to earn Loyalty Factors towards standing. That’s as a result of the airline makes it simple to earn on various sorts of spending past simply flights. Finally, it’s the flexibleness in spending choices that many vacationers discover interesting in regards to the Loyalty Factors scheme.

Listed here are among the hottest methods that you would be able to earn Loyalty Factors towards AAdvantage elite standing.

Earn Loyalty Factors by flying with American Airways and its companions

Maybe the obvious method to earn Loyalty Factors towards standing is to fly with American Airways and its companion airways. When flying with American Airways or JetBlue Airways with no elite standing as a basic AAdvantage member, you’ll earn 5 Loyalty Factors per greenback spent on airfare, excluding taxes and charges. At that charge, you’d must spend $40,000 on airfare to earn top-tier Government Platinum standing.

Should you’ve obtained AAdvantage standing already, you’ll earn Loyalty Factors on flights at barely larger charges, making it simpler to fast-track to requalifying or incomes towards your subsequent degree of elite standing. AAdvantage elite standing members earn Loyalty Factors on the following charges for American Airways flights:

  • AAdvantage Gold: 7 Loyalty Factors per greenback spent
  • AAdvantage Platinum: 8 Loyalty Factors per greenback spent
  • AAdvantage Platinum Professional: 9 Loyalty Factors per greenback spent
  • AAdvantage Government Platinum: 11 Loyalty Factors per greenback spent
12 easy methods to earn AAdvantage elite standing with out flying

Flights with different companion airways earn Loyalty Factors at various charges. So in case you’re flying with the likes of British Airways, Iberia, Cathay Pacific or any of the opposite Oneworld companions, you’ll need to test to see what number of Loyalty Factors you’ll earn based mostly on the gap and fare of your ticket.

American Airways has a portfolio of airline-branded bank cards. And, for these enthusiastic about incomes elite standing, you’ll be happy to know that AAdvantage bank card spending counts towards elite standing.

With the AAdvantage bank cards, each greenback spent is the same as 1 Loyalty Level. Sadly, bank card welcome bonuses don’t rely towards AAdvantage elite standing, and nor do class bonuses. For instance, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Choose® World Elite Mastercard® earns 2 miles per greenback spent at gasoline stations. Due to this fact, in case you cost $50 in gasoline to the cardboard, you’ll earn 100 redeemable miles and 50 Loyalty Factors.

It’s value noting, too, that the Citi® / AAdvantage® Government World Elite Mastercard® gives a further 10,000 Loyalty Factors while you spend $40,000 per yr. For that purpose, that is our decide as the most effective bank card for American Airways AAdvantage elite standing perks.

Right here’s a have a look at the American Airways-branded bank cards on supply that can earn you Loyalty Factors.

AAdvantage® Aviator® Pink World Elite Mastercard®

CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Choose® Mastercard®

Welcome bonus supply

Earn 60,000 miles after making your first buy and paying the $99 annual charge throughout the first 90 days

Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,500 throughout the first three months of account opening

Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 throughout the first three months of account opening

Earn 65,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 throughout the first 4 months of account opening

Earn 10,000 bonus miles and a $50 assertion credit score after spending $500 throughout the first three months of account opening

Class bonus

2x miles on eligible American Airways purchases; 1x miles on all different purchases

2x miles at eating places, gasoline stations and on eligible American Airways purchases; 1x miles on all different purchases

2x miles on eligible American Airways purchases; 1x miles on all different purchases

2x miles on cable and satellite tv for pc suppliers, eligible American Airways purchases, gasoline stations, choose telecommunications retailers and automotive leases; 1x miles on all different purchases

2x miles at grocery shops and on eligible American Airways purchases; 1x miles on all different purchases

Annual charge

$99

$99, waived for the primary 12 months

$450

$99, waived for the primary 12 months

$0

If you want to keep in a lodge throughout your travels, American’s partnerships with lodge chains and reserving platforms assist you to earn Loyalty Factors and miles on these stays. With American’s partnership with Hyatt, you’ll earn 1 Loyalty Level and mile for each eligible greenback spent on Hyatt stays and experiences when you hyperlink your accounts.

You’ll earn 2 Loyalty Factors and miles for each greenback you spend on eligible Marriott Bonvoy stays (some Marriott manufacturers solely earn 1 Loyalty Level and mile per greenback spent). In the meantime, with IHG Rewards, you’ll earn 2 Loyalty Factors and miles for each greenback spent on qualifying room charges with Vacation Inn, Vacation Inn Specific, Lodge Indigo, Crown Plaza, InterContinental and EVEN manufacturers. For stays at Candlewood Suites and Skybridge Suites, you’ll earn 1 Loyalty Level and mile per greenback spent.

underscored The Cove at Atlantis marriott

Marriott

Should you plan to e book with American Airways Motels or by way of Rocketmiles, you’ll be able to earn as much as 10,000 Loyalty Factors and miles per evening. This could possibly be a useful method to earn factors shortly towards elite standing.

American Airways has its personal reserving platform whereby you’ll be able to usually discover offers on accommodations and bundled trip packages. The truth is, the American Airways Holidays web page typically gives 20,000 miles or extra for reserving a trip package deal by way of the platform. Nevertheless, these bonuses gained’t translate to Loyalty Factors.

As an alternative, you’ll earn simply 1,000 Loyalty Factors per reserving. That may nonetheless add up and supply an incentive so that you can e book your subsequent journey by way of AA Holidays in case you’re only a few thousand factors shy of assembly your standing aim.

American Airways companions with lots of the main rental automotive firms to supply bonus miles and Loyalty Factors towards elite standing. Taking a street journey can get you nearer to your AAdvantage standing objectives in case you e book by way of the devoted American automotive rental platform. By doing so, you’ll earn 2 miles and Loyalty Factors per greenback spent. Simply make sure to evaluate charges in opposition to direct bookings to make sure you’re not paying extra for the privilege of incomes rewards.

Should you’re eyeing a cruise as your subsequent trip, you’ll be able to earn Loyalty Factors towards AAdvantage elite standing only for reserving. Should you e book your subsequent cruise by way of American Airways Cruises, you’ll earn 1 Loyalty Level per greenback spent along with 1 AAdvantage mile per greenback.

By Dec. 31, 2024, AA Cruises is providing AAdvantage bank card holders an additional Loyalty Level and AAdvantage mile per greenback spent, as much as 20,000 bonus miles, when reserving a cruise on the platform together with your eligible AA bank card. With cruise bookings, you can also make important progress towards your AAdvantage standing and mileage-earning objectives.

underscored cruise vacation packing list lead

Valeriy Tretyakov/iStock Editorial/Getty Photographs

Incomes Loyalty Factors and redeemable miles is icing on the cake in the case of doing all of your on-line purchasing. The AAdvantage purchasing portal has greater than 1,200 shops — from Apple to Nike, Macy’s and extra — the place you’ll be able to earn Loyalty Factors and redeemable miles on each buy. For each AAdvantage mile that you simply earn by way of AAdvantage Buying, you’ll earn 1 Loyalty Level in return. These Loyalty Factors can add up shortly in case you’re doing plenty of on-line purchasing with profitable bonuses.

SimplyMIles is an unique program that enables AAdvantage Mastercard bank card holders to earn further miles and Loyalty Factors at choose retailers. Members can earn between 1 and a couple of.5 further miles and Loyalty Factors per greenback spent at common retailers like Levi’s, J. Crew, The Physique Store and others.

To earn rewards with SimplyMiles, you’ll must register utilizing your AAdvantage username and qualifying bank card quantity. When you’re registered, merely add gives that curiosity you to your card. Once you make a qualifying buy together with your registered card, you’ll earn bonus miles and Loyalty Factors towards elite standing.

You’ll be able to double up on miles and Loyalty Factors by combining SimplyMiles gives with AAdvantage purchasing portal bonuses. Should you’re purchasing with a retailer that participates in each packages, you’ll be able to earn further Loyalty Factors and redeemable miles with minimal effort. Issue within the rewards out of your AAdvantage bank card and hit your elite standing objectives even sooner.

The AAdvantage eating rewards program is a good way to earn Loyalty Factors while you eat at your favourite eating places. This system is free to affix and also you’ll earn as much as 5 Loyalty Factors and AAdvantage miles per greenback spent at taking part eating places. All it’s a must to do is enroll and register a debit or bank card. Once you pay in your meal with the registered card at a taking part restaurant, you’ll earn redeemable miles and Loyalty Factors.

All members earn 1 Loyalty Level and mile per greenback spent, which will increase to three Loyalty Factors and miles in case you opt-in to obtain electronic mail communications from AAdvantage Eating. After 11 dines in a calendar yr, you’ll get upgraded to VIP standing and earn 5 Loyalty Factors and miles per greenback spent.

Other than maximizing bank card class bonuses, you’ll be able to earn Loyalty Factors on the pump by way of Shell Gasoline Rewards. Merely hyperlink your AAdvantage account to your Gasoline Rewards account. You’ll begin incomes 2 Loyalty Factors and AAdvantage miles per greenback spent on as much as 20 gallons per fill-up.

underscored shell gas station

Getty Photographs

Whereas your utility prices are doubtless up this yr, the silver lining is that paying these bills may also help you earn American Airways elite standing sooner. Aside from charging your payments to your AAdvantage bank card, you’ll be able to earn Loyalty Factors and redeemable miles with choose vitality companions, relying on the place you reside.

With NRG Power, you’ll be able to earn as much as 15,000 bonus Loyalty Factors and miles (12,500 for switching electrical energy, 2,500 for switching pure gasoline) for switching to NRG, plus 2 miles per $1 spent on month-to-month service.

With Xoom Power, you’ll be able to earn 10,000 bonus miles for switching your electrical account to Xoom Power or 5,000 miles for pure gasoline. As well as, you’ll earn 2 Loyalty Factors and miles per greenback spent on month-to-month service.

You’ll be able to earn 15,000 AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Factors for signing up for Reliant Safe 24 plan and 500 bonus miles and Loyalty Factors every month for the subsequent 24 months.

Filling out surveys for miles isn’t essentially the most environment friendly method to earn miles and Loyalty Factors. Nevertheless, if you need a method to go the time, it’s a productive choice. You’ll be able to earn Loyalty Factors and redeemable AAdvantage miles for filling out surveys with e-Rewards and Miles for Opinions.

Payouts range by survey, however you’ll usually earn between 50 and 250 Loyalty Factors per accomplished survey. You’ll additionally earn rewards for partial surveys in case you fill out the preliminary questions and don’t qualify for your entire survey.

Sadly, not the whole lot will earn you Loyalty Factors towards AAdvantage elite standing. On the whole, bonus level exercise won’t rely in direction of elite standing on American Airways. For instance, bank card welcome bonuses, class bonuses and bonus miles on AA Holidays don’t qualify for bonus Loyalty Factors. Moreover, donations to organizations like Stand As much as Most cancers earn 10 miles per $1 spent however don’t award Loyalty Factors.

Another actions that usually award bonus AAdvantage miles however don’t earn Loyalty Factors embrace shopping for miles, transferring factors from Marriott Bonvoy and miles earned for having an account with Bask Financial institution.

You don’t need to spend hours flying in a aircraft for 1000’s of miles to earn American Airways elite standing. The truth is, now you can earn elite-qualifying Loyalty Factors for actions proper from the consolation of your property. From filling out surveys to eating at your favourite eating places, there are many methods to begin incomes Loyalty Factors towards elite standing perks and advantages.

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