Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Travel
  3. News

You can now spend AAdvantage miles while cruising at 30,000 feet

American Airlines aircraft tail
American Airlines / American Airlines

American Airlines AAdvantage members can now use their miles to make inflight purchases on all flights, a new policy that went into effect this week. From Tuesday, the airline expanded the program to all regional flights, with the option now available network-wide. Prior to the change, members were restricted to making purchases with miles on mainline flights. 

What you can purchase in-flight with AAdvantage miles

In a statement shared with The Points Guy, American Airlines said: “We are continuously looking for ways to enhance the travel journey for our customers and are thrilled to expand this new enhancement to all flights.” Travelers who plan to use miles to make purchases must have their boarding pass available when ordering and their AAdvantage number listed on their reservation. 

Recommended Videos

Some examples of in-flight purchases include (via The Points Guy):

  • Wine for $10 or 1,000 miles
  • Bud Light, Dos Equis and Truly Hard Seltzer for $9 or 900 miles
  • Goose IPA or Heineken for $10 or 1,000 miles
  • A fruit-and-cheese plate for $11 or 1,100 miles
  • A steak-and-pimento-cheese sandwich with a side salad for $16 or 1,600 miles
  • A Tostitos snack box for $7 or 700 miles
  • Doritos Minis Cool Ranch bag for $5 or 500 miles

Additionally, those using an AAdvantage co-branded credit card or AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard get a 25% savings as a statement credit.  Travelers paying with an AAdvantage Aviator World Elite Silver Mastercard get up to $25 daily as a statement credit.

However, some passengers might not need to pay at all, as American offers complimentary meals and drinks on some flights, including long-haul international routes and also for Flagship First customers flying between Hawaii and O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). 

Mark Reif is a storyteller focused on the intersection of outdoor culture, travel, and design. From the peaks of Banff to the… Read Full Bio
Cafe Charmant, The Corner Store Crew’s Latest, Puts Food Ahead of the Scene
Clothing, Long Sleeve, Sleeve

I’ll be honest. If I weren’t a writer, there is no way in hell I could have landed a 7:15 Saturday night reservation at Cafe Charmant just a mere four weeks after its opening. The most recent jewel in the buzzy Catch Hospitality Group’s crown, the glitzy eatery is the newest IT restaurant to hit the downtown scene, so chalk it up to one of the perks of the job that I could walk in, order a drink, and be ushered to a corner table for two in under 10 minutes.

Though the state of making prime reservations in New York City may not come as a surprise to many, I’m still not able to reconcile with the current velvet rope of so many of this city’s restaurants. Sure, the 90s and early 2000’s had their Indochine, Moomba (if you remember that one, we need to grab a drink). The Waverly Inn, but for the most part, you could easily make a reservation or even walk in and wait for a table with a cocktail in hand at most popular establishments. And, let’s be honest, half the people weren’t even eating, if you know what I mean.

Read more
A tasting guide to Livermore Valley, California’s friendliest wine country
Adult, Male, Man

Livermore Valley sits in Northern California’s East Bay, where the hustle and bustle of neighboring Oakland and San Francisco give way to grassy rolling hills, big open skies, and over 40 tasting rooms. The region is home to some of the best wines I’ve tasted in the state, without the pretense and rigidity I’ve come to expect from other tasting rooms in the region.

And thanks to the valley’s marine-influenced winds, varied climate, and diverse soils, I tasted an unusually broad range of wines. Crisp whites, structured reds, and everything in between seem to be able to find their footing here.

Read more
High Society, Low Alcohol: A Trip to the Hamptons with Heineken 0.0
Ball, Sport, Tennis

After a multi-year bender of back-to-back press trips, I decided to swear off travel this past summer. The old dog was tired, and I desperately wanted to reconnect with old friends, visit family, and continue wooing a lovely lady in New York. Oh, and I needed to find time to actually write the stories I had promised publicists in exchange for gallivanting around the globe on their dime. I am, after all, a professional.

As summer raced by, my inbox swelled with tantalizing invitations. I turned them down one after the next with Spartan fortitude. A junket to the Loire Valley to review wineries? Thank you for considering me, but for the next few weeks, I’m committed to rekindling my relationship with my bed. A sailboat cruise on the Amalfi Coast? I hear it’s beautiful this time of year, but sadly, I’m in the weeds bingeing Landman.

Read more