This guide focuses on ways travelers can earn award miles outside of traveling. While I primarily focus on American Airlines, my preferred carrier, I also include information for Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.
Many of us dream of strolling down cobblestoned streets in Europe, snorkeling in the blue waters of Australia, or embarking on a safari across the savannahs of Africa. Yet the cost of air travel can make those dreams feel out of reach. Award miles can help offset flight costs, but the process of earning them can be slow and at times confusing.
That is where this travel guide comes in. Here, I offer insight into different ways travelers can earn award miles beyond flying. I also explain American Airlines’ revamped status program – Loyalty Points.
Guide to Earning Award Miles and Loyalty Points
As someone who flies several times a year, I am all too familiar with the increasing cost of air travel. I also contend with an issue many travelers face: the slow and lengthy process of earning award miles. Interested in taking more trips, and preferably in an upgraded cabin, I started looking for ways to earn award miles outside of travel. This search led me to change my mindset on the process, learning that “diversifying the portfolio” is a good way to increase the earnings rate without relying on travel.
How do I “diversify my portfolio”? Many carriers have branched out and now provide loyalty program participants a multitude of ways to earn miles – banking products, dining and shopping programs, accommodations, car rentals, and more. Travelers can now earn miles by doing everyday activities like dining out, grocery shopping, and refueling their car.
Here is how I am currently “diversifying my portfolio”. The methods and percentages will change as I discover new ways to earn miles and learn more about each program.
| Method to Earn Miles | Percentage of Portfolio | Earning Start Date |
| Flying AA or partner airline | 45% | March 2008 |
| AAdvantage MileUp Credit Card | 30% | July 2025 |
| AAdvantage Shopping | 15% | August 2024 |
| AAdvantage Dining | 5% | August 2024 |
| Simply Miles | 5% | June 2025 |
Starting the Process to Earn Award Miles
Before jumping into ways to earn award miles, I am going to cover some basics for those who may not be familiar with air travel and related programs and terms.
For those new to award miles, the first step is to join an airline’s loyalty program, which is generally free. These are the award programs for America’s 3 legacy carriers:
The next is understanding award miles – what they are and what they can be redeemed for. Award miles are miles earned with a specific carrier that can be used to pay for a flight, upgrade to a better cabin, or purchase a lounge pass. This is standard amongst most airlines. Now, aside from award miles, there is a point system used to determine a traveler’s status both with an airline and its partners. Each status tier offers unique benefits and the opportunity to select special rewards.
What are partner airlines? In a nutshell, airlines that belong to the same team, known as an alliance. These alliances are beneficial to travelers as they provide more routes and connections, shared lounges, integrated frequent flyer programs, and reciprocal status benefits. Note that not all airlines are part of an alliance.
Alliances allow travelers to redeem award miles on partner airlines. For example, I can use AAdvantage award miles to book flights offered by airlines that are part of the Oneworld Alliance. For more information, check out the website for your frequent flier program.
This table highlights some key points related to American Airlines’ award miles and loyalty points.
American Airlines – Award Miles versus Loyalty Points
| Award Miles | Loyalty Points |
| Earned by traveling, making purchases with an AA credit card, or participating in programs such as AAdvantage Dining | Earned the same way as award miles and counts towards AAdvantage status (Gold, Platinum, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum) |
| Redeem miles for flights, upgrades, vacations, hotels, and more | Receive status-specific benefits and redeem for Loyalty Point Rewards |
| Carried over each year as long as 1) you are the primary holder of an open AA credit card account or 2) earn or redeem miles at least once every 24 months | Reset to zero on March 1st (qualification runs March through February of the following year) |
Below is a deep dive into the 5 ways I am currently earning award miles. After each method, I will provide the information for Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Note, this is just the tip of the iceberg. These carriers offer travelers additional ways to earn miles, including booking hotels through a designated travel portal, renting cars with partner companies, purchasing miles directly from the airline, and more.
Air Travel
Air travel is the most common and better-known method for earning award miles with a preferred carrier. Travelers flying with American Airlines earn 5 base AAdvantage miles per dollar, which means that if your flight costs $1,000, you will then earn 5,000 miles. A multiplier is applied to those who have a status of Gold or higher. For example, if a traveler has Platinum status, they will earn 60% more miles.
For flights, travelers earn 1 Loyalty Point for every eligible AAdvantage mile.
Note that you can earn AAdvantage miles by booking flights marketed by American Airlines on partner airlines.
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines both have the same earn rate for award miles.
AAdvantage MileUp Credit Card
I tend to avoid company-affiliated credit cards, but after careful consideration and research, I decided to get the American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp credit card offered by Citibank. While the 80,000 bonus miles sign-up bonus on the AAdvantage Platinum Select sounded enticing, I opted for the MileUp card because it has no annual fees, and the purchases that qualify for double miles better suit my lifestyle.
Air travel is where card users will see the most significant gain with an AAdvantage credit card, as you earn miles through 2 methods: flight and credit card. For a recently purchased short-haul flight, I earned 2X miles via my AAdvantage MileUp card, and then, I earned miles after completing the flight. (Flight earned 2,555 miles, and ticket purchase earned 1,156 miles (base plus bonus), for a total of 3,711 miles.)
Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every one eligible mile earned from purchases.
Here is a quick comparison of the two cards. Since I don’t dine out often, I found the 2X miles for groceries to be a greater value in the long run. After crunching some numbers, I estimate I’ll earn about 10,400 award miles yearly just from grocery purchases.
| AAdvantage Platinum Select | AAdvantage MileUp |
| 80,000 bonus miles after $3,500 in purchases within the first 4 months | 15,000 bonus miles after $500 in purchases within the first 3 months |
| $99 Annual Fee | $0 Annual Fee |
| 2X miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases | 2X miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases |
| 2X miles for every $1 spent at restaurants and gas stations | 2X miles for every $1 spent at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services |
| 1X miles for every $1 spent on other purchases | 1X miles for every $1 spent on other purchases |
Additional perks with the Platinum Select include no foreign fees, a first checked bag free on domestic itineraries, and preferred boarding. The no foreign fees perk is valuable, as those fees can really add up during an international trip.
Delta offers a series of SkyMile credit cards via American Express, while United offers Mileage Plus credit cards through Visa. American Airlines also partners with Barclays Bank for another set of credit cards.
AAdvantage Dining
AAdvantage Dining is a great, easy way to earn miles doing what most of us enjoy – eating out and exploring new restaurants! This program allows members to earn up to 5 miles for every $1 spent at participating restaurants and cafés, whether dining in or taking out. The process is simple: visit the site, sign in with your AAdvantage credentials, link a credit or debit card to your account, use the linked card as your payment method, and enjoy delicious food.
Initially, you’ll earn 3 miles for every $1 spent. But after 11 qualifying meals, you’ll be promoted to VIP Member! What do VIP members receive? As a VIP, your earning rate increases to 5 miles per $1, plus you’ll have access to a special dining help line and even more participating restaurants.
The only drawback to the AAdvantage Dining program is that smaller cities will have limited options. Currently, where I live, there are only seven participating restaurants. But if you reside in places like Chicago, Miami, or New York City, the options are endless!
This program earns Loyalty Points at a rate of 1 point per eligible mile earned.
Both Delta and United offer similar dining programs. Delta’s dining program is called SkyMiles Dining, while United’s is called MileagePlus Dining.
AAdvantage Shopping
A fun way to earn miles from the comfort of your home is online shopping through American Airlines’ retail portal, AAdvantage Shopping. Here, you’ll find hundreds of stores where travelers can earn points either via a per-dollar amount or a flat rate per purchase. And regularly, AAdvantage Shopping offers bonus miles specials, allowing you to earn even more award miles! Similar to AAdvantage Dining, you simply log in using your AAdvantage credentials and then search for a specific store or browse to see what catches your attention. Once you select a store, click the “Shop Now” button, which will direct you to the retailer’s site via an affiliate link that tracks your purchase for points.
During the Holiday season, AAdvantage Shopping has additional bonus award miles offers, making it a great way to stock up on gifts for family and friends. They receive a gift and you earn miles – a win for all!
I enrolled in this program last summer and have started using it more, as miles can really add up after a few purchases. One participating store I love is Skechers, since those are my go-to travel shoes! In the past 4 months, I have earned 1,130 miles between three purchases and enrolling in a service. For travelers planning a trip, the Travel & Luggage section is filled with hotels, booking sites, tour marketplaces, and more.
This program earns Loyalty Points at a rate of 1 point per eligible mile earned.
Delta and United also offer similar shopping programs. Delta’s shopping program is called SkyMiles Shopping, while United’s is called MileagePlus Shopping.
AA Simply Miles
I recently joined the Simply Miles program, so I’m still learning how it works. The program earns travelers points via online and in-person purchases made with a credit or debit card linked to the account, similar to the AAdvantage Dining program. However, before making a purchase, the offer must be activated on Simply Miles.
I find that this program requires more effort than the others, as you need to log in periodically to view and activate offers, and also remember when those offers expire. And most offers can only be redeemed once per activation, so if you make multiple purchases at a store, only one will count towards award miles and loyalty points. I suggest opting in to receive emails when new offers are available, since that simplifies the process.
Currently, enrollment in the program is only possible with a MasterCard credit card.
Prepare for Landing
As I wrap up this guide, I want to emphasize that there’s no perfect method for earning award miles. Travelers need to select the approach that best fits their travel goals and lifestyle. If you love dining out, consider combining the AAdvantage Dining Program with the Platinum Select card for a good option. If you’re a homebody who loves cooking (which means buying lots of groceries!) and enjoys online shopping, the MileUp card, combined with AAdvantage Shopping, might be a better fit.
I hope you have found this travel guide beneficial, and that you’ll soon have enough award miles to book your next big adventure! ✈️🌍
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