AAdvantage FAQs
Your account summary and mileage balance
- Log in to your account
- Select 'edit your account'
- Click 'information and password'
- Update your information
Contact us to change your name or birth date. You'll need to send us related documents for your request.
You can update your personal information like your home address or phone number online.
Visit the account summary in your AAdvantage account to view your progress toward elite status, upcoming trips and program news. The wallet shows your award miles balance and any available upgrades. If you still have questions:
Download the American Airlines app to see your card or print it at aa.com/youraccount. Please note that elite status membership cards cannot be printed.
- For airline travel: Travel on American is credited to your account 1–3 days from your date of travel. Allow 15 days for credit from other AAdvantage partner airlines.
- For other partner transactions: Miles earned from other AAdvantage partners are generally credited within 30 days. Occasionally, miles will take longer to post.
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.
Award travel
Contact Reservations for assistance with booking award travel on other airline partners. Service charges may apply.
Other airline award charts and travel information:
Yes, some airlines, like British Airways and Iberia have additional charges for award travel. The amount depends on the origin, destination and cabin. The charge is refundable if you cancel your flight.
No, miles can only be used to travel in Economy, Business or First.
No. You'll need to book 2 separate reservations. To ensure you can confirm both itineraries, it's a good idea to put the award reservation on hold and then book the fare sale reservation.
Yes. You’ll need to book a separate reservation for each AAdvantage account. To ensure you can confirm award travel for all passengers, it's a good idea to put the first reservation on hold, and then book the second reservation.
- Business/First and Economy awards apply for flights with 2 classes of service
- First, Business/First and Economy awards apply for flights with 3 classes of service
The time we'll hold an award reservation depends on how many days before departure you book:
- 5 days: When you book 15 –331 days before departure
- 1 day: When you book 1–14 days before departure
- Up to 2 hours before departure: When you book within 24 hours of departure
Keep in mind, certain special awards and awards that include certain airline partners may have shorter hold times.
Certain awards, such as special awards, may require ticketing within a certain date range or by a specific date. If that date is earlier than the 5 day time limit, you are subject to the earlier date.
You can book awards from 331 days up to 2 hours before departure, but it's best to make your award reservation as soon as possible. There's no award processing fee if you make your reservation at least 21 days in advance or are an elite status member.
When you cancel your reservation, you can reinstate the miles to your account (a reinstatement fee may apply). For tickets booked on or after November 1, 2018, you can reinstate the miles to your account (a reinstatement fee may apply) for reservations canceled prior to departure. Or you can have the ticket changed for travel on a different date and eligible flight as long as the ticket is still valid (a change fee may apply).
All travel on an award ticket must be completed within one year from the date it's issued.
500-mile upgrades
Yes. Elite status members can pay to upgrade another AAdvantage member. Just go to aa.com, stop by any American Airlines ticket counter or contact us.
If you pay for upgrades at an airport kiosk, during check-in or with an airport agent, they are available immediately. Upgrades purchased on aa.com prior to check-in are available after 2 hours.
Your upgrade balance on aa.com will update 24-48 hours after you pay.
Systemwide upgrades
Details will only display if you’ve earned systemwide upgrades that have an expiration date in the current or future year. For questions about historical data, contact your elite service desk.
Systemwide upgrades are deducted from your account at the time your upgrade is confirmed and are, at that time, considered used.
No. Systemwide upgrades will not be deducted from your account until your request is confirmed. If you have questions regarding your wait list request, please contact your elite service desk.
If you’re traveling on an American flight and a seat in the upgraded cabin is not available at the time of booking, AAdvantage Reservations will add you to the waitlist for the longest flight in your itinerary. This allows us to ensure your upgrade is confirmed for your preferred flight first, before trying to confirm shorter connecting flights.
Once your longest flight is upgraded, we'll attempt to confirm or waitlist any shorter connecting flights. Depending on when your long-haul flight is confirmed, there could be some scenarios where we're unable to automatically add you to the standby list for connecting flights. If this happens, please ask the gate agent to add you to the upgrade standby list manually and your request date/time will be your check-in time.
Upgrades on British Airways and Iberia
Yes, you can use your AAdvantage miles to upgrade British Airways and Iberia flights and American Airlines codeshare flights operated by British Airways and Iberia.
Upgrades on British Airways and Iberia flights are valid from full fares only. You can use miles and a co-pay to upgrade from discount Economy fares on American Airlines flights.
Mileage upgrades are valid for a one cabin upgrade. On British Airways flights that offer Premium Economy, upgrades from Economy will be to Premium Economy. On flights where British Airways doesn’t offer Premium Economy, the upgrade will be to Business.
Airport upgrade standby list
We add customers to the airport upgrade standby list as they check in. As more customers are added, the list will change according to other customers' elite status levels and upgrade request times.
Companions are prioritized with the sponsoring elite status member. If your companion is an elite status member and the upgrade isn’t cleared before you get to the airport, you can ask an agent at the airport to reconnect you on the list to be prioritized together.
To be moved to the airport upgrade standby list, you need to have enough systemwide upgrades or AAdvantage miles in your account at least 48 hours before departure.
Log in to your account on aa.com to check your balance. If you are upgrading with 500-mile upgrades, you'll have the option to buy the required number of upgrades at check-in, at which time you will move to the airport upgrade standby list.
Standby upgrades
If your flight has available seats in a premium cabin, you’ll get an email about a week before departure. From the email, you can view upgrades and prices and choose flights to add to the upgrade standby list.
If upgrades are available, we'll charge the credit card you used to book and email a confirmation. If upgrades are not available, we’ll send you an email, you'll keep your original seats and you won't be charged.
Yes. Standby upgrades will only be confirmed if there’s space in the upgraded cabin after we've accommodated customers requesting 500-mile, systemwide or mileage upgrades.
Elite members would only receive this offer for flights not eligible for 500-mile upgrades.
Earn miles
Include your AAdvantage number when you book or shop with AAdvantage partners. It’s also helpful to keep your receipts and boarding passes until you see the credit on your account.
No. Only the person who flies, stays or rents will earn the miles. So, if you paid for someone’s ticket, the traveler would earn the miles.
No. You can only earn credit in one loyalty program at a time.
Missing miles
If credit does not appear, you can request missing flight miles online. For missing (non-airline) partner miles, contact the partner directly.
Please allow up to 10 days for travel on American Airlines and up to 30 days for travel on partner airlines.
Mileage Multiplier
Yes. Before your flight departs, go to aa.com and view your reservation or go to an airport kiosk and choose “reprint boarding pass” or “check baggage” and you'll see the Mileage Multiplier option.
Mileage Multiplier may not be available in certain locations or for technical reasons.
Yes. You can contact American to request Mileage Multiplier after you've landed.
You'll still receive the bonus miles you paid for if your flight is cancelled or re-routed.
Promotions and registration
Some AAdvantage promotions require you to register. You can view and register for available promotions in the promotions center in your account.
Make sure you've met all the requirements and allowed enough time for the bonus to be credited. If the posting timeframe has passed, contact us.