Expiring AA miles???

[GregT]

All, I'm curious to see if anyone has a creative suggestion with what to do expiring miles?

My three (cute) kids have modest quantities of miles in their accounts -- two have 3,000 miles and the third has 8,000 miles. These accounts will approach the 18 month of inactivity in March 2012, and will be swept clean.

It's not worth the $$ to transfer them into my account (I have reasonable quantity of miles) but I hate to late something go to waste.

Any suggestions? My current plan is to book a one-way Hawaiian ticket for 5,000 miles out of the larger account so they all have 3,000, and then let those miles expire -- but even that ticket isn't needed at the moment.

Appreciate any creative thoughts -- thanks very much!

 

[DeniseM]

Buy something cheap at the airlines affiliated website to keep the miles active.

 

[cotraveller]

I'm not sure what programs AA has, but with most airlines you can donate them to various charities. We donated our Delta miles that were in a similar soon to expire situation to a service dog training group.

 

[Pat H]

Buy magazines for the kids or shop at www.aadvantageeshopping.com.

 

[Carolinian]

Check out the possibilities at www.freefrequentflyermiles.com

Two good free options for miles to extend the accounts with AA are:

www.opinionplace.com
www.clubbing.com

 

[GetawaysRus]

For a few hundred miles, you can get a magazine subscription. That activity will keep the accounts going with no cost to you.

Look at: www.magsformiles.com

I've also read about people buying an iTunes song for a buck (via the AAdvantage shopping portal) in order to keep an account active.

 

[Pit]

All sorts of ideas here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-aadvantage/651437-best-ways-prevent-miles-aadvantage-account-expiring-consolidated.html

Also check here:
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56944

 

[GregT]

I love TUG.

Thanks to all for the terrific suggestions/leads!

Best,

Greg

 

[winger]

Thanks Greg for posting the question - we are in the same boat with my DW's tiny United acct (though she has less than your kids') - and thanks all for the suggestions!

 

[Carolinian]

Thanks Greg for posting the question - we are in the same boat with my DW's tiny United acct (though she has less than your kids') - and thanks all for the suggestions!

To keep a UA account alive, try www.mypoints.com , which by clicking on the emails they send you should produce about 2500 miles every 6 months.

 

[Carlsbadguy]

I sign up for the dining program for all the airlines. Whenever I need to have some activity to extend the miles- I connect one of my charge cards to the frequent flyer number I need extended and charge one meal.

 

[John Cummings]

I sign up for the dining program for all the airlines. Whenever I need to have some activity to extend the miles- I connect one of my charge cards to the frequent flyer number I need extended and charge one meal.

I do exactly the same thing with American.

 

[winger]

I do exactly the same thing with American.

From the time you go to the website and enter the credit card#, how long should you wait before using the card at a participating restaurant to ensure the meal charge is credited for miles?

Also, if I am using my Citi AA card to charge the meal, would I basically get two sets of miles credits (one from the 1FF pt-per-$1 used on the Citi AA card + the dining FF credit) ?

 

[John Cummings]

From the time you go to the website and enter the credit card#, how long should you wait before using the card at a participating restaurant to ensure the meal charge is credited for miles?

Also, if I am using my Citi AA card to charge the meal, would I basically get two sets of miles credits (one from the 1FF pt-per-$1 used on the Citi AA card + the dining FF credit) ?

I don't know the answer to either of your questions. I assume that you should be able to use your credit card almost immediately after registering it with the AAdvantage Dining program. The AAdvantage Dining program sends me e-mails all the time with the eligible restaurants in our area.

 

[GetawaysRus]

I'm a member of the AA Dining Program. I use it occasionally.

I suggest that you look for a possible double-dip. In my area, some of the restaurants on the AA list also offer discount coupons through restaurant.com.

It's nice to get miles for dining out, but it's even better if you can get a discount coupon and save some money as well.

 

[Carolinian]

The time I used the restaurant program in a big way was when they had a promo going on with DL (back when that was my carrier of choice) and I had a rather long conference I was attending in Milwaukee. Only about 2/3rds of my dines actually posted, so I got miffed at the program and did not use it knowingly after that. I did have some miles show up out of the blue one time when I must have by coincidence been in a participating restaurant while I was home for the holidays. Then I decided it might be a decent way to extend one of my secondary programs so I signed up another card for a conference back in the states in DC and did two dines, figuring one of them ought to show up, but neither did. I have not used the program since.

 

[Anne S]

From the time you go to the website and enter the credit card#, how long should you wait before using the card at a participating restaurant to ensure the meal charge is credited for miles?

Also, if I am using my Citi AA card to charge the meal, would I basically get two sets of miles credits (one from the 1FF pt-per-$1 used on the Citi AA card + the dining FF credit) ?

Once you register the card you can use it right away.
The answer to your second question is yes, you will get two sets of miles. Remember to establish an on-line profile in order to get three miles per dollar, instead of just one.

 

[winger]

Once you register the card you can use it right away.
The answer to your second question is yes, you will get two sets of miles. Remember to establish an on-line profile in order to get three miles per dollar, instead of just one.

OK, I understand I get two sets of miles - thanks for confirming.

So, how to I establish an "online profile" ? And in doing so, are you saying I now get one more set of points per purchase (in addition to the two set above)?

 

[Anne S]

OK, I understand I get two sets of miles - thanks for confirming.

So, how to I establish an "online profile" ? And in doing so, are you saying I now get one more set of points per purchase (in addition to the two set above)?

Go to www.aarewardsnetwork.com, and establish an online profile, and elect to receive e-mails from them. If you do this, you will get three miles per dollar, instead of just one. If you dine more than twelve times in a calendar year you will become a VIP member, and get five miles per dollar.

 

[x3 skier]

Here's a thought

If anyone doesn't figure out how to extend their miles, I will gladly accept them into my account(s) :hysterical:

Cheers

 

[SDKfam08]

Don't let them go to waste! There's usually an option to buy something from the airline's site. For example, my uncle's were running out last year and he sent me a pair of earring that he'd bought with them, pretty cool huh? Just check with customer service I reckon. Hope that helps

 

[Carolinian]

Don't let them go to waste! There's usually an option to buy something from the airline's site. For example, my uncle's were running out last year and he sent me a pair of earring that he'd bought with them, pretty cool huh? Just check with customer service I reckon. Hope that helps

Some airlines allow you to use them for hotels, but the value in that usage varies. That is one way I have thought about to get rid of some increasingly useless DL miles, and fortunately the price in miles is relatively decent in Europe, which it is generally not in the US.