ARCHIVE: Prevent AA miles / account from expiring / alternate use of miles
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: TPA
Posts: 334
ARCHIVE: Prevent AA miles / account from expiring / alternate use of miles
Hi there, I very rarely fly AA, only once in the past couple of years and I only have 1,500 miles which are due to expire this October. I am wondering if any account activity will stop the miles from expiring just in case I decide to fly AA in the future. I went to the AAdvantage merchants list, and bought a 79 cent music download from buy.com
. I'm wondering if that will be considered account activity and stop the miles from expiring? Thanks.
MODERATOR NOTE:
For the current thread, please see https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...an-flying.html

MODERATOR NOTE:
For the current thread, please see https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...an-flying.html
Last edited by JDiver; Mar 26, 18 at 6:17 pm Reason: Add moderator note
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,332
Originally Posted by mbmiles88
Hi there, I very rarely fly AA, only once in the past couple of years and I only have 1,500 miles which are due to expire this October. I am wondering if any account activity will stop the miles from expiring just in case I decide to fly AA in the future. I went to the AAdvantage merchants list, and bought a 79 cent music download from buy.com
. I'm wondering if that will be considered account activity and stop the miles from expiring? Thanks.

Any deposit or withdrawal to the account will stop them from expiring.
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Massachusetts, USA; AA Plat (2.91MM), DL GM and Flying Colonel (1.04MM); Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 23,713
Originally Posted by mbmiles88
...and bought a 79 cent music download from buy.com
. I'm wondering if that will be considered account activity and stop the miles from expiring? Thanks.

(If you can't think of anyone to send flowers to, PM me for a suggestion!

#8
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYZ/MGA
Programs: AA 1MM Lifetime Gold, AA Platinum, WS Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 7,601
Someone with 1500 miles and that's over several years to the point of expiry is not really very serious about AA. How much do you spend to preserve something worth $40? And which cannot be used for literally anything?
#10
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
Originally Posted by mvoight
If you flew once in the past couple of years, your miles wouldn't be expiring. If they are expiring in October, then you last flew almost 3 years ago.
#11
Moderator: American AAdvantage, TAP, Mexico, Technical Support and Feedback, and The Suggestion Box
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,953
You could see if you can convert them to anything else of value without taking a major hit - use WebFlyer's converter.
Disclaimer: I have not checked the conversion possibilities myself.
Disclaimer: I have not checked the conversion possibilities myself.
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,560
Originally Posted by mbmiles88
I'm already signed up with iDine for CO.
1. iDine's 1/month restaurants are only 1/month PER AIRLINE. So you can dine in July once at a 1/month restaurant using the card linked to your CO iDine account, and then dine again in July once at the same restaurant, and if you se the card linked to your AA iDIne account you'll get miles whereas if you use the card linked to your CO iDine account again you'll get nothing.
2. iDine doesn't run bonuses the same month at every airline, and in fact they often have months where they'll have bonuses at AA but not at CO or vice versa (or at least much better bonuses, for whatever way you use iDine, at one than the other).
Did CO have the ability to earn 25 miles per dollar spent for EVERY DINE (no minimum limit) from late may through the end of June (if you were top tier at AA iDine already by then)?
Does CO right now have the ability to earn 1000 bonus miles for just 4 dines (no miminum limit)? (That's the bonus at AAdvantage Dining now through the end of August. Not a great bonus for those of us who like AA as our PRIMARY iDIne airline, since if you go beyond 4 dines there's no further bonus, but a great bonus if you're using AA as a SECONDARY iDIne airline.)
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,332
[QUOTE=sdsearch]Not only can you sign up with a different card (credit or debit), but it can be useful to be in more than one airline's iDine program for two reasons:
Of course, with IDINE, it you don't plan on flying much, you should just use their cash program.
Of course, with IDINE, it you don't plan on flying much, you should just use their cash program.
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 28,108

I did a search, but could not find anything useful. Since I a ST flyer, I have little to no knowledge about the AA program
The story is: I got my uncle an AA card since he was flying ZRH-NYC-MIA-UIO return in C-class and with some bonus promos he now has 36k miles ... which are going to expire mid next month. He doesn't have any use for them right now and as far as I understand 'any credit' will keep them from expiring.
Now, here is the problem, he lives in Europe and all the North American earning options do not apply. I thought about transferring some of my e-rewards, but the name has to match
What is the best/cheapest way to keep the miles from expiring?
Thanks for your help!

The story is: I got my uncle an AA card since he was flying ZRH-NYC-MIA-UIO return in C-class and with some bonus promos he now has 36k miles ... which are going to expire mid next month. He doesn't have any use for them right now and as far as I understand 'any credit' will keep them from expiring.
Now, here is the problem, he lives in Europe and all the North American earning options do not apply. I thought about transferring some of my e-rewards, but the name has to match

What is the best/cheapest way to keep the miles from expiring?
Thanks for your help!
#15
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA Platinum, 2 Million Miles
Posts: 1,248
go to http://www.aadvantageeshopping.com and buy something on his behalf.
Even if you use your charge card, you can credit his account.
Flowers tend to post fastest.
Even if you use your charge card, you can credit his account.
Flowers tend to post fastest.