Programs

American Airlines AAdvantage

Issued through American Airlines. Checked October 4, 2026 against the program's own pages. Partner lists and ratios change; the transfer screen inside your account is the final word, and transfers are usually irreversible.

Partners and mechanics you will actually use

AAdvantage is a closed airline currency, and its partner list is the oneworld alliance, including British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Japan Airlines and Finnair, plus Etihad Airways and Air Tahiti Nui outside the alliance and Alaska Airlines through Atmos Rewards. Points come in from Citi ThankYou, at a ratio that depends on the Citi card, and from Marriott Bonvoy. Nothing transfers out.

Where this currency tends to return value

• Partner awards priced from American's published partner award chart, especially premium cabins to Europe and Asia
• Short domestic flights where the mileage price is low against a stubborn cash fare
• Small balances kept alive by one earn or redeem, which resets the 24-month clock for the whole account

A worked example, priced in full

Program notes

• AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months without qualifying activity; earning or redeeming with American or a partner resets the clock, per the AAdvantage terms checked October 4, 2026. Members under 21 and primary AAdvantage cardholders are exempt while those conditions hold.
• American still publishes a partner award chart for flights on partner airlines, while its own flights are priced dynamically. The same balance behaves like two currencies: chart-priced on partners, fare-linked on American.
• AAdvantage is a closed currency. Miles earned here spend on American and its partners only; Citi ThankYou points transfer in and Marriott Bonvoy points convert in.

Watch out for

• British Airways and Iberia partner awards can carry heavy carrier-imposed surcharges. The mileage price is only half the cost; add the cash fees before judging the booking.
• Do not let a balance sit untouched for two years. A small partner earn or a modest domestic award keeps the whole balance alive.

What makes American Airlines AAdvantage different

AAdvantage is the chart-keeper in this index. American's own flights price dynamically, but partner awards still price from published regional award charts, so a Cathay Pacific or Japan Airlines seat can cost a fixed, knowable number of miles while the cash fare floats. That split personality is the program's difference: the best use of a mile here is often a partner seat priced by the chart, not an American seat priced by the algorithm. Miles expire after 24 months without activity, the strictest clock among the programs on this page, so an earning or redeeming transaction is account maintenance, not trivia. Nothing transfers out; balances only arrive, through partners, card spend, or the one bank currency that can transfer in. Plan around the chart and the clock and this currency stays predictable in a way dynamic programs no longer are.

How to use this number

This hub's chart-priced business class example returns 5.84 cents per point on a partner award with modest fees. Route the same mileage through a partner with heavy surcharges and the figure drops, so set the target on the total cost, miles and fees together.

Run your own fare and award price through the Cash or Points Calculator, then read best use by currency and the transfer guides before anything moves.