5 Ways to Keep Your American Airlines Miles From Expiring

Airline loyalty programs can make flying cheaper and more enjoyable for frequent travelers. By joining your favorite airline's loyalty program, you can take advantage of valuable benefits and earn miles that you can later redeem for free flights. The American Airlines AAdvantage program is one popular program for frequent fliers. If you're a member of this program and haven't flown in a while, don't let your miles go to waste.

Beware of loyalty program rules

No matter which frequent flier program you join, you should understand how the program works. As an AAdvantage member, you must have some mileage earning or redeeming activity once every 24 months or have an open AAdvantage credit card account to retain your miles. If not, your AAdvantage miles will expire unless you pay a fee to reactivate them. Luckily, there are many ways to keep your American Airlines miles from expiring.

1. Open an American Airlines credit card

The easiest way to keep your American Airlines miles from expiring is to open an American Airlines credit card. By maintaining a credit card account, your miles won't be at risk of expiring. If you're looking for a new credit card and are an American Airlines loyalist, check out our list of the best American Airlines credit cards.

If you close your American Airlines credit card account, your miles will be at risk of expiring. If you don't have mileage earning or redeeming within four months of closure or 24 months of the last qualifying activity date, whichever is later, you'll lose your miles.

2. Buy a cheap flight

You can keep your miles from expiring by purchasing an American Airlines flight. If you're at risk of losing your miles, searching for a cheap flight for a quick weekend getaway may be worthwhile. Before booking, check out the current travel deals and offers on the American Airlines website to see if you can find an affordable flight that works for your personal finances.

3. Redeem earned miles

Another way you can keep your miles active is by redeeming American Airlines miles for an award flight. If you have enough miles to book an award flight and have some remaining miles left in your account, you can feel confident knowing that they won't be at risk of expiring.

4. Shop through the AAdvantage eShopping portal

Many American Airlines loyalists use the airline's shopping portal to maximize the miles they earn and keep their miles from expiring when they haven't flown in a while. The American Airlines AAdvantage eShopping portal features more than 1,200 retailers. You can earn rewards and keep your account active by activating offers and shopping through the portal. Only buy what you can afford, as it's never a good idea to go into credit card debt to keep your miles active.

5. Use the American Airlines dining program

American Airlines has a dining program called AAdvantage Dining. You'll earn miles when you link a credit card to your account and spend money at participating restaurants. This account activity will also allow you to extend the expiration date for your miles. This is a win-win strategy, because you can keep your miles active and boost your mileage balance.

Don't ignore airline loyalty programs

If you like to travel, don't forget about airline loyalty programs. You can get rewarded for your spending and take advantage of benefits that improve your flying experience. Having enough miles to redeem for a free flight can be a significant win for your wallet. If you fly often, check out our list of the best airline credit cards so you don't miss out on the chance to earn rewards.