Stopping miles from expiring on American Airlines
I have about 35k AAdvantage miles with American Airlines that are about to expire. I understand that if I fly with American this will reset the clock for another 18 months. (Alternately I could spend money to save the points)
But what I am not clear on is do I need to fly before the points expire, or simply book a paying flight with American?
I had intended on using the miles to purchase a trip in 2019, but the number of miles exceeded my balance, and the cost to buy miles to make up the difference was actually more that just buying the flights outright.
Update
In order to keep my miles I used the AAdvantage shopping site to make an online purchase at a partner company that would credit me with a minimal amount of mils (and boy was it hard to decide on a purchase just for the sake of a purchase)
I completed this transaction before the expiration date of my miles. However an email from AA advised me that it could take 3 to 5 days for the points to be credited. This would put the credit after the expiration date.
The day after the points were due to expire they were still there, so I thought I was good. But now they have disappeared, so I am about to have an nice discussion with AA about pending transactions getting the points back.
Best Answer
I believe you have to actually earn miles to reset the expiration clock, and this only happens when you actually take the flight. Just booking it doesn't count.
You have some other options, though, besides paying to keep them active:
You may be able to earn miles if you stay at a hotel, rent a car, or various other travel services. See if the provider has an option to accept your frequent flyer number.
You can earn miles through the "AAdvantage Eshopping Mall", which is basically a set of affiliate links for a lot of online retailers. You may be able to buy something you needed anyway, and even if you only earn a handful of miles, it still resets the expiration clock.
You can donate some miles to a charity.
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Quick Answer about "Stopping miles from expiring on American Airlines"
How do I keep my AAdvantage miles from expiring?
Just earn or redeem miles on American or with an AAdvantage\xae 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.How do I stop my airline credit from expiring?
If you're holding onto airline vouchers, credits or tickets with rapidly approaching expiration dates, here's how to keep them from going to waste.Do American AAdvantage miles expire?
Yes, American Airlines AAdvantage\xae miles expire if you have no earning or redemption activity on your account in a 24-month period. Per the AAdvantage\xae FAQs page: Just earn or redeem miles on American or with an AAdvantage\xae partner at least once every 24 months.Is it worth it to reactivate American Airlines miles?
Reinstating your expired miles can be worth it, depending on the fee, number of miles and how you plan on redeeming them. If you think you're going to get more value out of the miles than you're paying to reinstate them, then go for it. But before paying any fees, call the airline and see if they'll waive it for you.Can You Prevent US Airways Miles From Expiring By Flying On American?
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