Last edit by: Prospero
Preventing AAdvantage Miles and Accounts from Expiring:
What can I do? Alternatives for miles use and discussion.
To check your miles expiration date: Look for the Wallet link on the website or in the app.
AAdvantage members who are under 21 are not subject to mileage expiration if their birthday is associated with their account.
But note:
ANY account activity, earning or using miles, will extend the expiration date of all AA miles by an additional 18 months.
When days count, be aware: it's the transaction date, not the posting date, that counts to extend miles' validity. It can take some time for miles activity to fully post, including the new expiration date. But, read on. Be aware of some vendors’ delayed posting, however.
For other relevant threads and resources see:
aa.com and Others:
Using or getting rid of miles
FlyerTalk:
Here are some suggestions from members on how to prevent miles from expiring easily and/or automatically. Please post your suggestions here.
For previous posts on this topic, please see ARCHIVE: Prevent AA miles / account from expiring / alternate use of miles
Nov 12, 2020 - Formatting % font size
What can I do? Alternatives for miles use and discussion.
To check your miles expiration date: Look for the Wallet link on the website or in the app.
From AAdvantage Terms and Conditions: "AAdvantage members must have mileage earning or redeeming activity once every 18 months in order to retain their miles. If your account has no qualifying activity in any 18-month period, all miles in the account will expire. Qualifying activity extends the expiration date of all unexpired mileage credit in your account for 18 months from the date of the qualifying activity. Qualifying activity is defined as redeeming any AAdvantage award or accruing mileage credit on any eligible American, American Eagle® or AAdvantage airline participant as well as accruing mileage credit with participating hotels, car rental companies, credit cards, telecommunication providers and other service providers offering AAdvantage mileage credit." Gufting or donating miles, doing anything that will cause an increase or decrease in the number of award miles in an AAdvantage account resets the expiration clock by 18 months.
But note:
Pausing AAdvantage® mile expiration through June 2021
You’ve worked hard to earn your AAdvantage® miles, and we recognize you may need more time than usual to keep them active. We’ve paused the expiration of miles through June 30, 2021. If your miles are scheduled to expire on or before June 30, 2021, they will now expire in July 2021, if there’s no additional activity in your account before then. You can find the expiration date of your miles in the Wallet section of your AAdvantage® account.
You’ve worked hard to earn your AAdvantage® miles, and we recognize you may need more time than usual to keep them active. We’ve paused the expiration of miles through June 30, 2021. If your miles are scheduled to expire on or before June 30, 2021, they will now expire in July 2021, if there’s no additional activity in your account before then. You can find the expiration date of your miles in the Wallet section of your AAdvantage® account.
When days count, be aware: it's the transaction date, not the posting date, that counts to extend miles' validity. It can take some time for miles activity to fully post, including the new expiration date. But, read on. Be aware of some vendors’ delayed posting, however.
"Activity date" is how the airline sees it, but beware that the date as reported by the shopping portal vendor can be a "gotcha." From my own experiences of various online vendors, the "activity date" reported can be the date you placed the order, OR the date your order was "received", OR the date your order was "processed", OR the date a transaction "hold" was placed on your credit card, OR the date your credit card company actually approved the transaction, OR the date your order was shipped, OR the date it was picked up (if in-store, for example), OR...etc., etc. And, don't forget time zone differences, too, if your cutoff date is very close (is it the time zone/date of where you ordered, or the vendor's website server, or the vendor's physical store, or...?) In other words, each online vendor may define and report the activity date to the airline in ways you didn't expect. I have seen an instance, for example, where the reported activity date was almost 2 weeks past the actual date I placed the order, simply because a part was on back-order, thus the full order was not "completed" and therefore the credit card not billed until later. Another example is flower delivery, especially if the flowers aren't scheduled for delivery until much later. Buyer beware -- the airline will refer you to the vendor for clarification.
aa.com and Others:
- Link to AA restricts expired miles reactivation within 18 months of expiration (2019) thread
- Link to How to Reactivate / Restore Expired Miles – Reengagement Challenge thread
- Link to Miles for Opinions surveys - not many miles, but it resets the clock.
- Link to Car Rental partners
- Link- Business and Financial: Earn AAdvantage miles when you buy, sell, or move your home with American HomeMiles by SIRVA, BankDirect, Fidelity, Lifelock, Network Solutions, PreFlight parking, Regus, etc.
- Link Buying, Gifting, Sharing AA Miles (Points.com)
- Link- Charities: Contributing Money (Earning Miles): Susan G. Komen, National Cancer Research Foundation, USO
- Link- Financial and Business: Earn AAdvantage miles when you buy, sell, or move your home with American HomeMiles by SIRVA, BankDirect, Fidelity, Lifelock, Network Solutions, PreFlight parking, Regus, etc.
- Link - Home and Health: DIRECTV, Energy Plus, Everything Energy, because Energy, Reliant, Spafinder Wellness 365
- Link to ALL Hotel partners
- Links to Hotel Bookings via pointshound.com, rocketmiles.com and Kaligo.com
- Link - Retail And Dining: AAdvantage eShopping Mall, AAdvantage Dining Program, FTD, Teleflora, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Vinesse Wine
- Linkaa.com - Reactivating expired miles (for fee)
Using or getting rid of miles
- Redeem Miles:- Link
Includes Hotel rooms and auto rentals, Newspapers, Gift Cards, Lifelock.
Includes link to Link to Use AA Miles: (redeem for car rentals and lodging) - Link - Charities: Donating Miles Miles for All Who Serve, Miles for Kids in Need, Miles of Hope.
Here are some suggestions from members on how to prevent miles from expiring easily and/or automatically. Please post your suggestions here.
- Sign up and register a credit card with AAdvantage Dining, go dine at an enrolled restaurant. (Sign up with your email address for notifications for 3 miles per dollar spent instead of one mile; dine 11 times in one year and earn 5 miles per dollar.)
- Make any purchase through https://www.aadvantageeshopping.comthat earns AA miles.
- Another easy/cheap route is ordering photos from Walgreens.com. It specifically says in the terms "photo orders picked up in-store are eligible." Prints are as cheap as US$0.29, but I'd purchase at least $1 worth to make sure you get your miles (2miles/$1).
For previous posts on this topic, please see ARCHIVE: Prevent AA miles / account from expiring / alternate use of miles
Nov 12, 2020 - Formatting % font size
Prevent AA miles / account from expiring / expiration & spend for other than flying
#181
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
I just realized that my AA miles are going to expire in one month. What would be the cheapest way to extend the expiration date in this situation? I have placed a small order through AA shopping mall, but I am afraid that it might take more than a month for miles to be credited. I know that I can purchase some miles directly from AA, but it is going to cost me about $60 for 1000 miles. Are there any other options to earn miles and have them credited fast?
#182
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: South Park, Metropolis
Programs: AA LT PLT 3MM, Hilton/Marriott/SPG/Club Carlson GLD, IHG PLT
Posts: 4,606
I just realized that my AA miles are going to expire in one month. What would be the cheapest way to extend the expiration date in this situation? I have placed a small order through AA shopping mall, but I am afraid that it might take more than a month for miles to be credited. I know that I can purchase some miles directly from AA, but it is going to cost me about $60 for 1000 miles. Are there any other options to earn miles and have them credited fast?
#183
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: west of DFW airport
Programs: AA LT Gold 1.9 MM flying my way to LT PLAT
Posts: 11,074
JDiver, help please
Trying every way to make a USO donation soon.
Thanks
#184
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
Posts: 24,996
<redacted - search tiken expired>
In the future, put "" around USO and do a Title Search using "USO".
Please let me know if that does not help...
Last edited by JDiver; Nov 9, 2015 at 5:54 am
#185
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,815
Hope they haven't done away the USO choice as I have been donating to them through AA for years.
#186
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Currently, four charities show on aa.com as eligible for donating miles. See http://hub.aa.com/en/ju/donate.
The one that is military-related is Miles for All Who Serve:
Two more here
There are direct links to both in the wiki.
Searching: key terms that are very common (e.g. changes) or that contain three or fewer characters require bracketing, as said by my friend Canarsie. Also, case is reduced to lower case. So, using Advanced Search to search titles, not posts, results as threads, "uso" will work (but all the resultant threads are old).
I learned this, and more, from Canarsie - and you can too, in the useful thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...ve-thread.html.
The one that is military-related is Miles for All Who Serve:
The Miles for All Who Serve program provides assistance to organizations that work to support veterans, military members and their families. The mile-donation program includes opportunities to help caregivers and first responders, as well as giving a strategic emphasis on helping children of service members.
There are direct links to both in the wiki.
Searching: key terms that are very common (e.g. changes) or that contain three or fewer characters require bracketing, as said by my friend Canarsie. Also, case is reduced to lower case. So, using Advanced Search to search titles, not posts, results as threads, "uso" will work (but all the resultant threads are old).
I learned this, and more, from Canarsie - and you can too, in the useful thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...ve-thread.html.
Last edited by JDiver; Nov 9, 2015 at 6:09 am
#187
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,815
Currently, four charities show on aa.com as eligible for donating miles. See http://hub.aa.com/en/ju/donate.
The one that is military-related is Miles for All Who Serve:
Two more here
There are direct links to both in the wiki.
Searching: key terms that are very common (e.g. changes) or that contain three or fewer characters require bracketing, as said by my friend Canarsie. Also, case is reduced to lower case. So, using Advanced Search to search titles, not posts, results as threads, "uso" will work (but all the resultant threads are old).
I learned this, and more, from Canarsie - and you can too, in the useful thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...ve-thread.html.
The one that is military-related is Miles for All Who Serve:
Two more here
There are direct links to both in the wiki.
Searching: key terms that are very common (e.g. changes) or that contain three or fewer characters require bracketing, as said by my friend Canarsie. Also, case is reduced to lower case. So, using Advanced Search to search titles, not posts, results as threads, "uso" will work (but all the resultant threads are old).
I learned this, and more, from Canarsie - and you can too, in the useful thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...ve-thread.html.
I am only seeing the 2 cancer charities. I checked under the earn miles with partners and clicked on the specialty.
Thanks for any help.
#188
Moderator: Hilton Honors forums
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Marietta, Georgia, United States
Posts: 24,996
Yes, I took a chance, hoping that it would be used before it expired...
Thank you, JDiver.
I learned this, and more, from Canarsie - and you can too, in the useful thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...ve-thread.html.
#190
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
Note: Just bring up the page and then copy and paste the URL.
#191
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,815
Is this the link: http://hub.aa.com/en/ju/standup?anch...&title=standup
Note: Just bring up the page and then copy and paste the URL.
Note: Just bring up the page and then copy and paste the URL.
Thanks for the instructions. But I was born BC and usually have my son or husband do those kind of things. I'm lucky that I'm able to do what I can being technically challenged.
#192
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Atherton, CA
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Owner, Green Bay Packers
Posts: 21,690
Got this email:
"Get up to 6000 AAdvantage® miles per night and pay the guaranteed lowest price for your room.
Plus, make your first booking by May 31, 2016, and earn 2,000 bonus miles.*
PointsHound has over 200,000 hotels to choose from. Whether you're traveling for business or leisure, you can find find the perfect place to stay. "
I don't know how quickly these would post, so YMMV.
Haven't used Pointshound myself.
Doc
"Get up to 6000 AAdvantage® miles per night and pay the guaranteed lowest price for your room.
Plus, make your first booking by May 31, 2016, and earn 2,000 bonus miles.*
PointsHound has over 200,000 hotels to choose from. Whether you're traveling for business or leisure, you can find find the perfect place to stay. "
I don't know how quickly these would post, so YMMV.
Haven't used Pointshound myself.
Doc
#194
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
Got this email:
"Get up to 6000 AAdvantage® miles per night and pay the guaranteed lowest price for your room.
Plus, make your first booking by May 31, 2016, and earn 2,000 bonus miles.*
PointsHound has over 200,000 hotels to choose from. Whether you're traveling for business or leisure, you can find find the perfect place to stay. "
I don't know how quickly these would post, so YMMV.
Haven't used Pointshound myself.
Doc
"Get up to 6000 AAdvantage® miles per night and pay the guaranteed lowest price for your room.
Plus, make your first booking by May 31, 2016, and earn 2,000 bonus miles.*
PointsHound has over 200,000 hotels to choose from. Whether you're traveling for business or leisure, you can find find the perfect place to stay. "
I don't know how quickly these would post, so YMMV.
Haven't used Pointshound myself.
Doc
#195
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 3
I don't have apple. Even to gift someone is hard!