50% bonus miles when flying American Airlines or US Airways

Links on Head for Points may pay us an affiliate commission. A list of partners is here.

I don’t usually cover bonus promotions on non-UK frequent flyer programmes on Head for Points. However, I have made an exception for this one because a lot of readers will have an American Airlines account. I have also mentioned the AA / US Airways merger in the past.

Whilst still operating as two businesses, American Airlines and US Airways are now the same company. US completed the acquisition of American just before Christmas, although it is the American Airlines brand that will survive.

Over the next year or so, the US Airways Dividend Miles programme will be merged into the American Airlines AAdvantage scheme. If you have some orphan US Airways and American Airlines miles, this may allow you to get to enough for a reward.

To reinforce the idea that the two companies are now the same, AA and US are running a slightly odd promotion:

If you take an American Airlines flight and credit it to a US Airways Dividend Miles account, you will receive 50% bonus miles

If you take a US Airways flight and credit it to an American Airlines account, you will receive 50% bonus miles

Remember, the two programmes will be merged in the near future so you will be reunited with your miles soon enough!

The rules are straightforward:

You must register in advance

You must fly by 2nd March

Codeshares (ie flying a BA plane sold as an AA codeshare) do not count

American Airlines members can find out more details and register here.

US Airways members can find out more details and register here.

How to earn American Airlines miles from UK credit cards (December 2021)

American Airlines no longer has its own UK credit card.

There is, however, still a way to earn American Airlines miles from a UK credit card.

The route is via Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty points convert to American Airlines miles at the rate of 3:1. You receive an additional 5,000 miles bonus if you convert 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at once.

The best way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points is via the official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card. It comes with 20,000 points for signing up and 2 points for every £1 you spend.

At 2 Bonvoy points per £1, you are earning (at 3:1) 0.66 American Airlines miles per £1 spent on the card. This will increase to 0.83 AA miles per £1 if you convert Bonvoy points in chunks of 60,000 points.

You can apply here.