Can I transfer AA miles free of charge to a family member?
 

I rarely use my AA CC so im thinking of closing it but before I do so I want to transfer all my AA miles to a family member, is it possible to do this free of charge, and if so how?

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MODERATOR'S NOTE

AA miles can be shared / transferred for a fee using the shareAAmiles program:

http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/pu...Miles/main.jsp

Be sure to search FlyerTalk and AA.com for bonuses that are occasionally offered.

dstan
AA Forum Co-Moderator

i stumbled upon this link called share AA miles, it says
Mileage Pricing
#of miles cost*
1,000-5,000 $50.00
5,001-10,000 $100.00
10,001-15,000 $150.00


*Prices listed above are in U.S. dollars and do not include $30 per transaction processing fee.
You may transfer up to 60,000 miles and receive up to 15,000 miles per calendar year.


So i got like 30K miles but can only transfer 15k, this is ridiculous, $180 just to move my miles, anyway to do this free of charge?

you don't need to close your AAdvantage account to dump a credit card

is this about not using the credit card or flying with American?

No.

There are more options for transferring (or through redeeming), for example to Hilton HHonors, but you always have to pay. For the example of Hilton, you can transfer up to 100K to Hilton for $30, getting 200K HHonors points.

Of course you can. With the many millions of AAdvantage members that AA has, this is done every day. The way that you do this is:

1. In your will, specify that the family member who you want to transfer the miles to is to receive all your miles upon your death.

2. Die.

Voila. The executor of your estate contacts AA, and your miles are transfered.

Transferring miles to another account does cost, but you could simply book a ticket for that family member using your miles and avoid the charges.

I think that's just about the ONLY way to accomplish this without a fee.

It is. In fact, there is a specific procedure and form to be filled out and faxed in, complete with a copy of the member's death certificate. We did it when my grandmother passed away. She had an account with several hundred thousand miles (she always flew paid F and didn't burn miles), so we went through the process of getting her account closed and the miles moved to my mother's account.

Keep in mind that if both the deceased and recipient of the miles are U.S. Citizens, then the value of the miles would count toward the inheritance tax (I think $0.02/mile is the typical valuation). Could mean something for those Texans who die with 24MM in the bank!

My condolences on your grandmother's passing.

I too tend to hoard my points/miles sometimes... not by paying cash for tix... just being conservative with the points I use for tix and rooms...

Unlike money, points don't pay interest, and they sure don't get more valuable with time.

Moral? Use 'em or lose 'em. You can't take them with you.

lol, good one

so ur saying i should book the ticket for my family member, but will AA care since the first name is different from the name on my account? how do i make sure that it doesn't look like i am selling my miles to a total stranger, i don't want to be accused of doing any fraud, should i just book over the phone and say its a family member for better security?

AA will not care if the names are different - I do this fairly often. Sometimes for friends to come and visit me. As long as you're not selling the tickets, it is allowable - whether for a friend or a relative.

AA will not care. All you will need to have is the account number and password. You could call, but you will be charged a fee for using a CSR.

Won't they also do it as part of a divorce decree?

Either way, not much help for our OP...

For a balance that isn't huge, one could imagine a scheme whereby the AA miles xfer to Diners Club, then (during BA promotion season), to BA, which allows household accounts. The transfer would be efficient, cost wise, but the purchasing power of BA miles is typically less than that of AA miles.

There is absolutely nothing wrong w/booking a ticket for someone else using your miles. You can do it online or over the phone, it doesn't matter.