If you're short on AAdvantage Miles, you can purchases miles directly from the American Airlines website. Since AA is not a major transfer partner of any of the top banks, buying miles is a quick route to top off your account.
Cost to purchase AAdvantage miles
American Airlines miles will cost you 3.7625 cents per mile to purchase, no matter how many miles you purchase. The standard rate on American Airlines miles are shown in the table below.
| AAdvantage Miles Cost Cost Per Mile |
|
|---|---|
| 2,000 - 150,000 Miles | 3.7625 Cents |
In terms of limits, you can purchase as little as 2,000 AAdvantage Miles and as many as 150,000 AAdvantage Miles in a single transaction.
Buying the minimum of 2,000 AAdvantage Miles will cost you $64.50 and buying the maximium of 150,000 AAdvantage Miles will cost you $4,837.50.
You can buy up to 150,000 AAdvantage Miles in a single transaction and up to 150,000 AAdvantage Miles per calendar year. This may change depending on buy point promotions during the calendar year.
| AAdvantage Miles | Per Transaction | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Purchase | 2,000 Miles | |
| Maximum Purchase | 150,000 Miles | |
| Maximum Purchase Per Year | 150,000 Miles | |
American Airlines buy miles calculator
If you're looking to buy AAdvantage Miles at the standard rate, the calculator below can give you an idea of how much buying miles may cost you.
Do note that the cost of AAdvantage Miles can change at any time, so you'll want to log into your AAdvantage account and check their Buy Miles page to see the most up-to-date cost.
| Total Cost 3.7625 Cents Each |
$0 |
When to purchase AAdvantage miles
The most common reason for purchasing AAdvantage Miles is to top of your AAdvantage account when you're a few miles short of a redemption. While it can be rather expensive to buy a couple thousand miles, you'll typically still come out ahead if you have a solid redemption lined up.
Another reason in which is makes sense to purchases AAdvantage Miles is if you find a redemption that will give you more value than what you paid for them.
There are redemptions on American Airlines and partner flights, especially in Business/First Class, that can give your miles more than 3.7625 cents in value. When this is the case, purchasing miles can be very well worth it.
Just be sure to find a good redemption and run the calculations before you purchase AAdvantage Miles.
How to purchase AAdvantage miles
American Airlines AAdvantage Miles can be purchased directly from the American Airlines website. You will be asked to log in so be sure that you have your AAdvantage credentials handy.
Once you're logged in, American Airlines will show you your AAdvantage account number, email, mileage balance and how many miles your eligible to buy. You'll also see the option to select how many miles you wish to purchase and to specify whether or not you're gifting the miles to someone else. You can buy between 2,000 and 150,000 AAdvantage Miles in a single transaction in 1,000-point increments. If a sale is going on, AA will let you know how much you saved and/or how many bonus miles you earned.
Once you select how many miles you wish to buy, American Airlines will calculate the total charges which consists of the cost of the miles, federal excise tax, and any processing charges that may apply. GST/HST will apply for residents of Canada.
If you select the option to gift miles, you will be asked to enter the recipient's information. This includes:
- First and Last Name
- Email (optional)
- AAdvantage Number
- Personal Message (optional)
Regardless of whether you're gifting miles or buying them for yourself, you'll be asked to enter your credit or debit card information. If you're logged in, most of your personal information will be filled in. Do note that if your debit card always requires a PIN (as in you can't go to the store and select credit as an option with your debit card), it will not be accepted. You can select from the following card types to purchase AAdvantage Miles:
- AA Credit Card
- Discover (US Only)
- MasterCard
- VISA
- American Express
- Diners Club International
- JCB
- Universal Air Travel Card
Once you hit continue, you will be taken to the next page to review your purchase. It will list your information, the credit card billing information, and the total charges. Once you agree to the terms and conditions and hit 'Pay Now' you will be charged.
Purchased points will usually post to your account (or the person they were gifted to) right away, but it can take up to 8 hours for processing.
Best ways to earn AAdvantage miles
Struggling to build up your AAdvantage Miles? The best way to quickly increase your balance is by signing up for an American Airlines credit card. These cards offer generous initial bonus miles and allow you to earn rewards on all of your everyday purchases, so you can rake in those AAdvantage Miles faster than ever!
| Credit Card | Highlights |
|---|---|
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
Best For Admirals Club Lounge Access
|
|
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®
Best For No Annual Fee
|
|
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
|
|
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
|
|
AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®
|
|
AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®
|
|
FAQ
Can you buy miles for American Airlines?
Yes. You can buy AAdvantage Miles directly from the American Airlines Buy Miles page.
How much does AAdvantage Miles cost?
Depending on how many miles you purchase, AAdvantage Miles will cost you 3.7625 cents.
How many AAdvantage Miles can you buy in a transaction?
You can buy a minimum of 2,000 and a maximum of 150,000 AAdvantage Miles per transaction.
How many AAdvantage Miles can you buy per year?
You can buy up to 150,000 AAdvantage Miles per calendar year.
Can you gift AAdvantage Miles?
Yes. Gifting AAdvantage Miles will cost the same as buying them. You can gift up to 150,000 AAdvantage Miles per calendar year.
Can you transfer AAdvantage Miles to other members?
Yes. You can transfer up to 200,000 to another American Airlines AAdvantage member per calendar year.
