Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to Book American Airlines AAdvantage Awards
An AAdvantage award is a flight ticket booked with AAdvantage miles through American Airlines on American, American Eagle or certain AAdvantage partner airlines [1] [2]. Many of these awards can be booked on aa.com or in the American app, and partner flights appear in the same award search results [1]. This guide covers the search, price, tax and ticketing checks for AAdvantage-governed awards; travel on a partner-operated flight is also subject to the tariffs, contract of carriage, ticket terms and re-accommodation policies of the carrier on which the travel is scheduled [2].
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Award search and booking are available on aa.com and in the American app, where partner flights can be filtered on the Choose flights screen [1].
- Not every destination or flight is available as an award, and American may withdraw an award or raise its mileage price before ticketing [2].
- Once ticketed, an AAdvantage award has one year from the ticketing date for all travel unless the ticket says otherwise, and the traveller’s name must be set at ticketing [2].
- The member is responsible for government and carrier taxes, fees and surcharges on an award, which are payable by credit card [2].
Search and routing
Log in to the AAdvantage account and search on aa.com or in the American app [1] [2]. To book entirely with miles, choose the Redeem miles option before searching [1]. American says award travel can be booked to more than 1,000 destinations, and partner airline flights are included in the results [1]. The Choose flights screen lets a member filter for preferred airlines or partners, and the award map shows where miles can be used [1]. For a general comparison sequence, see the award search workflow.
Search results may include partner flights, but an award ticket is valid only on flights marketed and operated by American or certain AAdvantage partners [1] [2]. Award travel is one-way unless a special award states otherwise; some special awards require round-trip travel, and immigration rules in some places require proof of onward or return travel [2]. A one-way award within the United States or Canada can use at most three segments, while awards to other destinations, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, can use at most four [2].
Pricing and availability
American and American Eagle awards may use any available seat, including the last seat, but a last-seat award may cost more miles than a typical award [2]. Partner awards may have special seating limits, and the miles required can vary with the partner’s availability [2]. American confirms a seat only while award seats remain available for the award being used [2]. For background on inventory, see award availability.
Any flight award may be withdrawn or become subject to increased mileage requirements or new restrictions at any time before ticketing [2]. Award tickets do not earn AAdvantage miles or Loyalty Points, because tickets issued as AAdvantage awards are on the list of ticket types excluded from earning [3].
Taxes, changes and cancellation
The passenger or AAdvantage member is responsible for immigration fees, surcharges, departure fees, departure taxes, security fees, federal inspection fees, passenger facility charges and other taxes, fees and surcharges assessed by authorities or airline partners [2]. Additional fees for an award ticket are payable by credit card [2]. If an award is changed after ticketing, American may require extra miles or fees for each ticket at reissue, and the required miles and fees can change without notice [2]. Before ticketing, changes or cancellations are free unless American says otherwise [2].
American’s customer page says award tickets do not have change fees, although a difference and taxes may still be due [1]. Its programme terms add that after the original ticketing, additional miles or fees may apply when a ticket is reissued [2]. When a trip is changed, American reinstates the miles to the original AAdvantage account and deducts the miles from that same account, even if the amount is the same; any amount owed is refunded to the original credit card [1]. If a member cancels an award trip, American refunds all taxes and fees in full except sale-imposed nonrefundable taxes, taxes it must pay whether or not the member travels, and trips already started [1]. Some countries have different refund rules, and American follows those local rules [1].
Ticketing checks
Once an award is ticketed, all award travel must be completed within one year of the ticketing date unless otherwise noted [2]. International awards are subject to appropriate governmental approvals [2]. The recipient’s name must be given when the reservation is ticketed; the recipient cannot be identified later [2]. Award tickets have no cash value and are non-transferable and non-assignable [2]. For the term itself, see ticketing time limit.
For a wholly unused award, American reinstates the miles if the reservation is cancelled before departure and the ticket has not expired [2]. Its customer page says miles and eligible taxes and fees are reinstated at no charge up to one year from ticket purchase when cancellation is made before the first flight [1]. Expired tickets and partially used awards are not reinstated [2]. If a member voluntarily terminates the AAdvantage account, American honours award tickets already issued, but those tickets cannot be modified or transferred [2]. If American or a participating carrier stops serving a destination after an award is redeemed, American redeposits the redeemed miles into the member’s account [2].
Exceptions and limits
- American does not allow AAdvantage flight awards to be combined with another promotion, coupon, discount or special offer, and unless it permits otherwise, an award cannot be combined with a systemwide upgrade [2].
- Awards to or from Cuba can be redeemed with miles only on American Airlines flights [2].
- Cash and miles is a separate checkout path: it is available only on aa.com or in the American app, for a member with a valid U.S. home address, including Puerto Rico and U.S. territories, and at least 500 AAdvantage miles [1]. It is limited to flights marketed and operated by American within the contiguous 48 states, and it is not available for Basic Economy, flights to, from or within Alaska or Hawaii, international flights, multi-city bookings, trips including another airline, reservations in different cabins, AAdvantage Business bookings or TripLink bookings [1].
- Cash-and-miles bookings cannot be voluntarily changed or exchanged; the member must cancel and rebook [1].
- Partner-operated awards and codeshare flights can have their own operating and marketing carrier terms, so use the partner award booking checklist and check the operating carrier’s contract terms [2].
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It does not cover other airlines’ frequent flyer programmes, hotel loyalty programmes, or partner programme rulebooks; partner-operated flights remain subject to the operating carrier’s own terms [2].
- American Airlines, Using miles for travel, checked 18 October 2026
- AAdvantage terms and conditions (effective March 1, 2026), checked 18 October 2026
- American Airlines, AAdvantage miles with American Airlines, checked 18 October 2026