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 EagleŽ 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 AAdvantageŽ mile expiration through June 2021
Youve worked hard to earn your AAdvantageŽ miles, and we recognize you may need more time than usual to keep them active. Weve 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 theres no additional activity in your account before then. You can find the expiration date of your miles in the Wallet section of your AAdvantageŽ account.
Youve worked hard to earn your AAdvantageŽ miles, and we recognize you may need more time than usual to keep them active. Weve 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 theres no additional activity in your account before then. You can find the expiration date of your miles in the Wallet section of your AAdvantageŽ 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
#527
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA 1K 1MM, AA, DL
Posts: 7,419
From FAQs:
How can I keep my miles from expiring? Just earn or redeem miles on American or with an AAdvantage partner at least once every 18 months. We’ll automatically extend your mileage expiration date 18 months from the date of your most recent activity.
Your wallet shows the number of miles you have and the earliest date they could expire. If you are under 21 years of age, you are not subject to the 18-month qualifying activity period. The account profile must contain a valid birth date to be excluded from the 18-month activity rule.
Your wallet shows the number of miles you have and the earliest date they could expire. If you are under 21 years of age, you are not subject to the 18-month qualifying activity period. The account profile must contain a valid birth date to be excluded from the 18-month activity rule.
#528
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: DTW
Posts: 59
Best/easiest/cheapest way to extend deadline for AAdvantage miles?
My wife and I both have around 17k miles with AAdvantage - not a ton, but enough that I don't want to just lose them. They expire this summer. We used to live in Chicago where AA was much more feasible, but now live near Detroit where AA is pretty small and basically nonexistent on Covid schedules. No trips that make sense for us in this timeframe.
Looks like it's $75 for the minimum miles purchase, just wondering if there's a better way to extend our deadline.
Looks like it's $75 for the minimum miles purchase, just wondering if there's a better way to extend our deadline.
#529
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 202
Just purchase something from their shopping portal (https://www.aadvantageeshopping.com/). Any activity on your AAdvantage account should extend the expiration date.
#531
Join Date: Apr 2010
Programs: aeroplan, amex, priority club
Posts: 115
Question on aa miles expiring
Im in small place in canada can not use aa dining or shopping have aa pts expiring in early june , know can buy pts , my question is can i book rental car for sept to get pts to keep account alive , prob will get to usa in july or august will be able to use shopping and dining then for pts , can i cancel rental car after i get pts posted to my account or will aa go back in account when i booked rental and didnt have pts to keep ac.... alive.
#532
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,606
Im in small place in canada can not use aa dining or shopping have aa pts expiring in early june , know can buy pts , my question is can i book rental car for sept to get pts to keep account alive , prob will get to usa in july or august will be able to use shopping and dining then for pts , can i cancel rental car after i get pts posted to my account or will aa go back in account when i booked rental and didnt have pts to keep ac.... alive.
Last edited by guv1976; Feb 24, 2022 at 5:24 pm
#536
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Ambassador, AA Platinum, Avis Pres Club, Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 564
I booked a ticket using miles in the last 24 hours, but need to cancel. Does this qualify for activity to extend my miles for another 18 months? BTW, Platinum member if that matters for miles redeposit. TIA
#537
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,061
#538
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: Delta Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 205
Bought a "web special" award ticket for a flight on 4/28 using miles today (3/28). Miles were set to expire on 3/31. If I cancel that ticket in a few hours (after it tickets), will my mileage balance be extended (including the miles used to book that award ticket that has since been redeposited)?
#539
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,498
Bought a "web special" award ticket for a flight on 4/28 using miles today (3/28). Miles were set to expire on 3/31. If I cancel that ticket in a few hours (after it tickets), will my mileage balance be extended (including the miles used to book that award ticket that has since been redeposited)?
#540
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Anchorage
Posts: 96
Hasn’t AA just updated mileage expiration policy to 24 months from last activity?https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-ser...ntage-faqs.jsp
Just earn or redeem miles on American or with an AAdvantageŽ partner at least once every 24 months. We’ll automatically extend your mileage expiration date 24 months from the date of your most recent qualifying activity.
Your wallet shows the number of miles you have and the earliest date they could expire. If you are under 21 years of age, you are not subject to the 24-month qualifying activity period. Once you turn 21 years of age, you will be subject to the 24-month activity period and must have mileage earning or redeeming activity within 24 months of your 21st birthday in order to retain your miles. The account profile must contain a valid birth date to be excluded from the 24-month activity rule.
Just earn or redeem miles on American or with an AAdvantageŽ partner at least once every 24 months. We’ll automatically extend your mileage expiration date 24 months from the date of your most recent qualifying activity.
Your wallet shows the number of miles you have and the earliest date they could expire. If you are under 21 years of age, you are not subject to the 24-month qualifying activity period. Once you turn 21 years of age, you will be subject to the 24-month activity period and must have mileage earning or redeeming activity within 24 months of your 21st birthday in order to retain your miles. The account profile must contain a valid birth date to be excluded from the 24-month activity rule.