American Airlines AAdvantage^® MileUp^® Review [2024]: Decent Starter Card for American Loyalists

American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp overview

American Airlines is one of the biggest U.S. airlines, offering flights anywhere in the world. As a member of the Oneworld alliance, you can also use your American miles on other airlines in the alliance, like British Airways, Iberia, and more. If you are looking for a way to accumulate a solid number of miles in a short amount of time while receiving some airline-specific perks, you can consider applying for a co-branded credit card. American Airlines has several options, including the $0-annual-fee American Airlines AAdvantage^® MileUp^®.

As a cardholder, you can enjoy benefits like 25% savings on in-flight food and beverage purchases and the ability to earn one loyalty point per eligible mile you earn on purchases. Unfortunately, the benefits of being a cardholder pretty much end there. You won’t get any airport perks like priority boarding or a free checked bag.

The earning potential isn’t highly lucrative, as the most you’ll earn is 2X miles per dollar. To accumulate enough miles for a long-haul award redemption, you will have to spend a lot of money on the card. With such low earnings, you might not want to spend much on your card and instead use a card with a better earning potential.

AAdvantage MileUp card basics

FinanceBuzz star ratings	4.0 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
FinanceBuzz valuation1	Year 1: $1,051 Year 2: $837
Annual Fee	$0
Welcome Bonus	Earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after making $1000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
Rewards	2 AAdvantage® miles for each $1 spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services; 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases; and 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases
Recommended Credit Score	Excellent, Good
Foreign Transaction Fee	3%

AAdvantage MileUp rewards

The earning structure on the AAdvantage MileUp card is simple — 2 AAdvantage® miles for each $1 spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services; 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases; and 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases. Unfortunately, this isn’t the most rewarding program on earth, but you can’t expect high bonus category earnings on a card with a $0 annual fee.

Currently, you can earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after making $1000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. This is an easy way to earn a chunk of miles you can use on your next flight.

When it comes time to redeem your miles, you have a few options. The main draw of having an airline credit card is to redeem your miles for award travel, which is the best use of your AAdvantage miles. Your miles can also be used for business and first class upgrades, car rentals, hotel stays, vacation packages, and more.

Earning and redeeming AAdvantage rewards

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your rewards can add up with the American Airlines AAdvantage^® MileUp^®. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of 1.77 cents each.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $1,051

Year two earnings: $837

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model which takes a look at points earned via spending and the welcome bonus.

Best ways to earn

Like most airline credit cards, one of the most effective ways to quickly earn points with the American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card is through purchases eligible for bonus rewards points. Cardholders earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for each $1 spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services; 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases; and 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases.

Eligible American Airlines purchases include direct purchases made through American Airlines’ website, reservation phone line, ticket counters, and American Airlines Admirals Club.

Maximizing your redemptions

The American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card offers a handful of redemption choices for its cardholders. The main draw of having an airline credit card is to redeem your miles for award travel, and this is indeed the best use of your AAdvantage miles. Your miles can also be used for upgrades on American Airlines flights as well as partner flights on British Airways and Iberia.

Beyond free flights, your AAdvantage miles can be used for other redemptions. These include car rentals, hotel reservations, vacation packages, Admirals Club membership, gift cards and other products, and Lifelock identity theft protection. You can even donate your miles to various charities if you desire.

AAdvantage MileUp Card benefits

• In-flight savings: When you fly American Airlines, you can use your card to get 25% off of in-flight food and beverage purchases.
• Path to elite status: Earn one Loyalty Point per one eligible mile earned from purchases. Loyalty Points can help you achieve elite status with American Airlines, among other benefits.

Other cards to consider

Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite Mastercard^®

The Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Executive World Elite Mastercard^® is a more robust overall travel credit card for loyal American Airlines travelers. It has a 70,000-mile welcome bonus (after spending $7,000 in the first 3 months) of account opening and earns 4X miles on eligible American Airlines purchases (after spending $150,000 per calendar year this goes up to 5X for the remainder of the calendar year).

With this card, the first checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines travel for you and up to eight companions. You’ll also receive priority boarding on all American Airlines flights. The Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite does have an annual fee of $595.

Learn more in our Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite review.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

If you’re looking for a good travel credit card that isn’t tied to a specific airline, check out the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card. It has a $0 annual fee, and you can earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.

The VentureOne Rewards Credit Card also earns unlimited 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. This card is one of the best no-annual-fee travel credit cards available.

Learn more in our VentureOne Rewards review.

Who should get the AAdvantage MileUp card?

The American Airlines AAdvantage^® MileUp^®(Rates and fees) is best for occasional travelers seeking a path to elite status and bonus miles on American purchases. Although the card's perks and earning potential are relatively limited, if you utilize it effectively, you could still find value in it.

If you’re a more frequent traveler, other American Airlines credit cards like the Citi^® / AAdvantage^® Platinum Select^® World Elite Mastercard^® are better suited for those who would benefit from free checked bags and priority boarding. Additionally, if you aren’t tied to American Airlines, many great general travel rewards cards or cash back cards can provide more value. International travelers will not enjoy this card, as it charges foreign transaction fees. These can quickly add up, making international travel 3% more expensive.

FAQs

Earn American Airlines AAdvantage® miles

American Airlines AAdvantage^® MileUp^®

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FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

American Airlines AAdvantage^® MileUp^®

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Rates and fees

Current Offer

Earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after making $1000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening

Annual Fee

$0

Rewards Rate

2 AAdvantage® miles for each $1 spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services; 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases; and 1 AAdvantage® mile for every $1 spent on other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• $0 annual fee
• Earns Loyalty Points for American Airlines elite status
• 25% back on in-flight food and beverage purchases

Drawbacks

• No travel or purchase protection
• 3% foreign transaction fee
• No checked bag benefit

Card Details

• Earn 15,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after making $1000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
• 0% Intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers; after that, the variable APR will be 20.74% - 29.74%, based on your creditworthiness. Interest will be charged on purchases unless you pay the balance due, including balance transfers, by the due date each month.
• Balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each credit card balance transfer, whichever is greater. Balance Transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening.
• No Annual Fee
• Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for each $1 spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services
• Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
• Save 25% on inflight food and beverage purchases when you use your card on American Airlines flights