Calculate The Cost of Buying American Airlines Miles

Cost To Purchase AAdvantage Miles

American Airlines miles can be purchased at a rate of 3.7625 cents per mile. This is the cost no matter how many miles you purchase.

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 maximum 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.

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.

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. Here's the steps on how to buy AAdvantage miles:

1. Go to the Buy AA Miles landing page and log into your AAdvantage account.
2. Enter how many miles you wish to purchase and click continue.
3. Input your credit card information. You can pay with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express.
4. Accept the terms and conditions of the purchase.
5. Click Pay Now.

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.

Boost Your AAdvantage Miles

Struggling to build up your AAdvantage Miles? The best way to quickly earn lots of AAdvantage miles 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!

Here are the credit cards that American Airlines offers:

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

Best For Admirals Club Lounge Access

• 2X miles on American Airlines purchases
• Complimentary Admirals Club membership
• First checked bag free for yourself and up to 8 others traveling with you
• Up to $120 towards a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application
• $595 annual fee
• Card Value & AAdvantage Miles Calculator

American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®

Best For No Annual Fee

• 2X miles on American Airlines and restaurant purchases
• 25% off in-flight purchases of food and beverage
• $0 annual fee
• Card Value & AAdvantage Miles Calculator

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®

• Earn 2X AAdvantage Miles on American Airlines purchases and on gas station and restaurant purchases
• Earn 1X AAdvantage Miles on all other purchases
• Receive the first checked bag free for yourself and up to 4 others when you use the card to pay for your flight
• Enjoy priority perks which includes priority check-in, screening, and boarding privileges
• Receive a $125 discount when you spend $20,000 or more on your card during the membership year
• $95 annual fee
• Card Value & AAdvantage Miles Calculator

CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®

• Earn 2X AAdvantage Miles on American Airlines purchases and on telecommunications, rental car, and gas station purchases.
• Earn 1X AAdvantage Miles on all other purchases
• Receive the first checked bag free for yourself and up to 4 others when you use the card to pay for your flight
• Enjoy priority perks which includes priority check-in, screening, and boarding privileges
• Receive a $99 Domestic Economy Fare Companion Certificate when you spend $30,000 or more on the card during the membership year
• $0 annual fee the first year, then $99 thereafter
• Card Value & AAdvantage Miles Calculator

AAdvantage® Aviator® Red World Elite Mastercard®

• Earn 2X AAdvantage Miles on American Airlines purchases
• Earn 1X AAdvantage Miles on all other purchases
• First checked bag free for yourself and up to 4 companions traveling on the same reservation
• $99 companion certificate after spending $20,000 or more on your Aviator Red Mastercard during the year
• Receive $25 back in statement credits annually for Wi-Fi purchases on AA operated flights
• $95 annual fee
• Card Value & AAdvantage Miles Calculator

AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®

• Earn 2X AAdvantage Miles on America Airlines, office supply store, telecommunications, and car rentals purchases
• Earn 1X AAdvantage Miles on all other purchases
• 5% mileage bonus on your card anniversary
• First checked bag free for yourself and up to 4 companions traveling on the same reservation
• $99 annual companion certificate after spending $30,000 or more on the card during the calendar year
• $95 annual fee
• Card Value & AAdvantage Miles Calculator