The American Airlines frequent flyer program is called American Airlines AAdvantage, and it allows you to use miles in a plethora of ways. That said, not all redemptions are created equal.

While flights tend to be an excellent way to spend points, the airline's shift to fully dynamic award pricing means your redemption value is less certain.

American also lets you spend your points on stuff, like handbags and gift cards. This tends to be a bad redemption. Here are the four most straightforward ways to spend AAdvantage miles — and advice on which ones to go for versus which ones to skip.

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American Airlines miles redemptions

1. Redeem miles for American flights

One of the simplest ways to redeem your AAdvantage miles is on flights operated by American. Unfortunately, the airline eliminated its MileSAAver, AAnytime and Web Special awards in Spring 2023 as part of its shift to fully dynamic award pricing.

Despite this, the airline has published a chart of what you can expect to pay based on region and fare class, but there are no guarantees, as redemption prices will vary based on demand:

So what makes a redemption "worth it?” Well, NerdWallet values American miles at 1.7 cents each. Use that as a baseline for understanding your redemption options and whether your flight is better purchased on cash versus points.

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2. Redeem American Airlines miles on partners

Americans miles can be redeemed not only on its own flights, but also on flights with Oneworld and other partner airlines, including Japan Airlines. Because of these partnerships, you can book some valuable awards whether you're flying domestically or internationally, economy or first class.

In general, redeeming your American miles for a flight on a partner airline will cost you the same amount of miles as redeeming them for a flight on the carrier itself. However, you need to pay close attention to the fees and surcharges each individual airline imposes. For example, British Airways is notorious for adding on high surcharges, which are passed on to flyers who use American Airlines to book British Airways flights.

Even with these fees, there are some great redemption options available through American Airlines' extensive partner list.

However, not all partner award flights are available through aa.com — for some, you'll have to call a booking agent. Here’s the breakdown:

American’s partnerships can be especially valuable since these airlines offer some of the best premium flying experiences. Etihad, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific and others are all known for stellar first class service. Luckily, there are several sweet spots on American's award charts that offer several ways to get the most out of your AAdvantage miles.

3. Upgrade your seats

Another option for using your AAdvantage miles is to upgrade your seats on flights operated by American Airlines, American Eagle, British Airways or Iberia. The number of miles you'll use depends on where you're traveling and which cabin you're upgrading from/to. It can range from 5,000 to 25,000 miles, with additional fees from $0-$550.

While this usually isn't the best value for your miles, it can be useful in certain situations, especially for elite status members.

4. Redeem AAdvantage miles for merchandise, other travel and more

Beyond flights, there are many ways to use your AAdvantage miles. However, the redemption value of these options will almost always be less than redeeming your AAdvantage miles for award flights, so they are hardly ever worth it.

Even so, for the right circumstance, your AAdvantage miles can be redeemed for other travel expenses like rental cars, hotels or vacation packages. You can also buy or renew an Admirals Club membership with miles, as well as buy physical products like magazines, newspapers or gift cards through points.com.

Maybe you've moved to a city served by an airport that doesn't operate American Airlines flights. Perhaps you can no longer fly or medical reasons. In those cases, redeeming your miles for "stuff" like magazines and gift cards might be worth it. If you're feeling generous, you can also donate your miles to charity. While maximizing your miles is generally a great goal, not every redemption you pursue has to solely maximize value. If you're sitting on more points than you know what to do with or want to empty your account, these last-resort redemptions may be worth considering.

Final thoughts on redeeming American Airlines miles

You now know better how to use AAdvantage miles. These miles are flexible and can score you some great award tickets on both American and its partner airlines. Any other use will seriously devalue your miles, so award flights are the way to go with this loyalty program.

Just be sure to book far in advance to be able to catch a seat that will get the most value out of your miles.

Frequently asked questionsHow do I use my American Airlines miles?

To book a flight using your American Airlines miles, log in to your AAdvantage account at aa.com and input your origin, destination and travel dates. Make sure to choose the “redeem miles” option before submitting your search. For other ways to use your miles, choose “AAdvantage” from the drop-down menu and select the Redeem Miles option.

How many miles do you need for a free flight on American Airlines?

You can book an American Airlines MileSAAver award flight for as little as 7,500 AAdvantage miles. These award flights cover trips in the contiguous U.S. and Canada for 500 miles or less.

When can I use my AA miles?

When you fly on a paid ticket with American Airlines, the miles will be credited to your account within one to three days after your travel date. For other airline partners, it can take up to 15 days to credit the miles. For other partner transactions, AAdvantage miles can take up to 30 days to post to your account but in some instances may take longer.

Do American Airlines miles expire?

Unless you are under 21, miles will expire after 18 months of inactivity in your account. To keep your miles from expiring, earn or redeem miles with American Airlines or with an AAdvantage partner once every 18 months. The mileage expiration date gets extended by 18 months after each qualifying activity.

Can you transfer American Airlines miles to a family member?

Yes, you could transfer American Airlines miles from one account to another. To begin, you will need to log into your AAdvantage account. The minimum transfer amount is 1,000 miles, and it will cost $15 to do the transfer. The maximum number of miles that can be transferred each year is 200,000.

How do I use my American Airlines miles?

To book a flight using your American Airlines miles, log in to your AAdvantage account at

aa.com

and input your origin, destination and travel dates. Make sure to choose the “redeem miles” option before submitting your search. For other ways to use your miles, choose “AAdvantage” from the drop-down menu and select the

Redeem Miles

option.

How many miles do you need for a free flight on American Airlines?

You can book an American Airlines MileSAAver award flight for as little as 7,500 AAdvantage miles. These award flights cover trips in the contiguous U.S. and Canada for 500 miles or less.

When can I use my AA miles?

When you fly on a paid ticket with American Airlines, the miles will be credited to your account within one to three days after your travel date. For other airline partners, it can take up to 15 days to credit the miles. For other partner transactions, AAdvantage miles can take up to 30 days to post to your account but in some instances may take longer.

Do American Airlines miles expire?

Unless you are under 21, miles will expire after 18 months of inactivity in your account. To keep your miles from expiring, earn or redeem miles with American Airlines or with an AAdvantage partner once every 18 months. The mileage expiration date gets extended by 18 months after each qualifying activity.

Can you transfer American Airlines miles to a family member?

Yes, you could transfer American Airlines miles from one account to another. To begin, you will need to log into your

AAdvantage account

. The minimum transfer amount is 1,000 miles, and it will cost $15 to do the transfer. The maximum number of miles that can be transferred each year is 200,000.