Insider’s experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here’s how). In some cases, we receive a commission from our our partners, however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
- American Airlines is making changes to its AAdvantage loyalty program.
- You will soon earn Choice Rewards (systemwide upgrades, bonus miles, etc.) independent of elite status.
- American Airlines credit card holders will be able to earn Choice Rewards without flying.
- Read Insider’s guide to the best airline credit cards.
On the heels of its previous loyalty program overhaul back in March 2022, American Airlines is again making dramatic changes that will affect AAdvantage flyers.
Beginning in March 2023, low-level American Airlines elite status will become harder to earn. Earning select elite status benefits will become slightly easier for many — but some elites may find the value of their status has been diminished.
Let’s take a look at the most notable changes and see why the biggest beneficiaries are those who do a lot of spending on American Airlines credit cards.
Compare American Airlines credit cards
$99, waived for first 12 months
50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, and on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 1x mile for every $1 spent on other purchases.
$99, waived for first 12 months
65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening
Earn 2x miles for every $1 spent on cable and satellite providers. Earn 2x miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 2x miles for every $1 spent at gas stations. Earn 2x miles for every $1 spent on select telecommunications merchants. Earn 2x miles for every $1 spent on car rentals. Earn 1x mile for every $1 spent on other purchases.
50,000 bonus miles after making $5,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening
Earn 2x miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 1x mile for every $1 spent on other purchases
10,000 American Airlines miles and a $50 statement credit after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening
Earn 2x miles for every $1 spent at grocery stores. Earn 2x miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 1x mile for every $1 spent on other purchases.
$0 intro for the first year, then $99
60,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first purchase within the first 90 days
Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 1X miles for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
80,000 bonus miles and a $95 statement credit after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening
Earn 2X AAdvantage® miles for every one dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 2X AAdvantage® miles for every one dollar spent at eligible office supply, telecom and car rental merchants. Earn 1X AAdvantage® miles for every one dollar spent on all other purchases.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Changes to American Airlines’ elite status earnings and benefits
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Intro offer
50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Rewards
Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, and on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 1x mile for every $1 spent on other purchases.
$99, waived for first 12 months
Annual Fee
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Intro offer
50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Rewards
Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, and on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 1x mile for every $1 spent on other purchases.
$99, waived for first 12 months
Annual Fee
$99, waived for first 12 months
Annual Fee
On Citi’s website
Details
Rewards
Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants, and on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 1x mile for every $1 spent on other purchases.
Annual Fee
$99, waived for first 12 months
Intro offer
50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
19.74% – 28.74% variable
Editor’s Rating
Our editor’s ratings are primarily based on 3 things: simplicity, affordability, and value. Our credit card editor takes those factors into account, and comes up with a rating to best reflect how the card performs in that criteria – relative to other products we’ve reviewed.
Show more
Pros & Cons
Highlights
Additional Reading
American Airlines has a unique process for earning elite status: You must collect a specific number of “Loyalty Points,” which can be earned from things like:
- Flying on American Airlines
- Spending on American Airlines credit cards
- Spending with certain American Airlines partners (such as Rocketmiles and making purchases through the AAdvantage eShopping portal)
There are two big changes concerning elite status that you should know about.
Low-level status will be harder to earn
You can currently earn AAdvantage Gold status by achieving 30,000 Loyalty Points. Beginning March 2023, you’ll need to earn 40,000 Loyalty Points. That’s a steep increase.
Fortunately, the elite status thresholds for Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum will remain untouched by these changes.
You can earn “Choice Rewards” more easily (but the good stuff is harder than ever to get)
One of the best parts of AAdvantage Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum elite status has been the ability to earn “Choice Rewards” after attaining status:
- Platinum Pro members can select one Choice Reward
- Executive Platinum can select two Choice Rewards (and earn additional Choice Rewards after earning 350,000, 550,000, and 750,000 Loyalty Points during a membership year)
Choice Rewards consist of things like systemwide upgrades, bonus American Airlines miles, trip credits, etc. At present, you must fly at least 30 qualifying segments to qualify for them.
The way you earn these Choice Rewards is going to change in a big way. Beginning in March 2023, you’ll begin earning Choice Rewards independently of elite status — and without having to fly any qualifying segments. Here’s the breakdown:
A big note here is that the most valuable Choice Rewards, such as systemwide upgrades and award ticket rebates, will require significantly more Loyalty Points than before. While these could previously be earned with as little as 125,000 Loyalty Points, you’ll now have to earn at least 175,000 Loyalty Points.
Use credit cards to earn status and Loyalty Points without stepping on a plane
For the first time ever, it’s possible to earn valuable Choice Benefits from your couch.
American Airlines credit cards earn Loyalty Points at varying rates, with some even offering large bonuses after meeting annual spending thresholds. Take a look:
- American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Mastercard
— 0.5 Loyalty Points per dollar spent - CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® — 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® — 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
— 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent, plus 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points after spending $40,000 on purchases during the qualifying status year - AAdvantage® Aviator® Red Mastercard®
— 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent - AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver Mastercard®
— 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent, plus 5,000 bonus Loyalty Points after spending $20,000 on purchases, another 5,000 bonus Loyalty Points after spending $40,000 on purchases, and another 5,000 bonus Loyalty Points after spending $50,000+ during the qualifying status year - AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard®
— 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent
With the exception of the American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp℠ Mastercard (which has an extremely meager return rate), American Airlines cards will earn 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent. It’s important to note that even if you spend in a bonus category that offers 2 or 3 American Airlines miles per dollar, you’ll still only earn 1 Loyalty Point.
While not an option for many of us, a big spender with the right combination of cards could find themselves with 115,000 Loyalty Points after spending $90,000. In the best-case scenario, however, they’ll still have to spend $150,000 to earn meat-and-potatoes perks like systemwide upgrades.
On the other hand, there are a collection of other ways to earn Loyalty Points even faster — including booking your upcoming hotel stays through Rocketmiles instead of directly with the hotel. You’ll still need some pretty deep pockets to achieve 175,000 Loyalty Points, but you could conceivably achieve it after spending around $8,000 on hotel stays. If you find a high-earning hotel option that you can fit into your travel plans, this is far and away the fastest way to accrue Loyalty Points.
Bottom line
American Airlines is once again turning the AAdvantage program on its head. These changes will likely make those without elite status happy, while ruffling the feathers of top-tier elites.
Importantly, you can now reap all the benefits of every tier of elite status simply by swiping your American Airlines credit card — if you’ve got the ability to spend a lot. Small-business owners with significant expenses will likely benefit from this the most.
