Review of the American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card: Comprehensive Information by The Points Guy

Summary of American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp

The American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® card provides the opportunity to accumulate frequent flyer miles without an annual fee. It’s a suitable choice for infrequent American Airlines travelers seeking an entry-level rewards card. Nonetheless, due to its minimal perks and card protection features, there are other alternatives that might be more beneficial. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐

The card rating reflects the opinion of TPG’s editors and remains unaffected by the card issuer.

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When selecting your initial travel rewards credit card, you have numerous choices.

The American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp is a basic American AAdvantage card within the airline’s cobranded card series. With this card, you will accumulate American Airlines AAdvantage miles.

When choosing a cobranded airline credit card, one major consideration is how often you will use that airline. Will you be flying frequently enough to make use of the card’s benefits? Alternatively, would you benefit more from a card that offers cash back or more flexible points? Additionally, is it worthwhile to pay an annual fee?

To be eligible for the AAdvantage MileUp card, your credit score must be 670 or above.

Let’s explore answering these questions for the MileUp card to determine if this no-annual-fee option suits your needs.

The Points Guy has independently gathered the details for the AAdvantage MileUp card. The card information presented here has not been evaluated or supplied by the card issuer.

Advantages and disadvantages of AAdvantage MileUp.

AAdvantage MileUp registration bonus

New cardholders have the opportunity to earn 15,000 AAdvantage miles by spending $500 on purchases within the first three months of opening an account. According to TPG’s valuations from June 2024, these miles are valued at $255.

Without an annual fee and featuring a modest spending requirement, this is a fairly reasonable deal, though it doesn’t rank among the most rewarding offers available for an American Airlines card.

If you already possess another AA card, you are eligible to receive the bonus on the MileUp card. However, you cannot earn the bonus again if you have previously received a new account bonus for an AA MileUp account within the last 48 months.

This could be a great chance to accumulate additional AA miles without having to pay an annual fee.

AAdvantage MileUp benefits

Although it lacks premium perks, the MileUp card offers several advantages that American travelers should consider:

• You’ll receive a 25% discount on inflight food and beverage purchases. This discount, however, does not apply to inflight Wi-Fi, which is managed by a third party.
• Unlimited mileage: There’s no restriction on the number of American miles you can accumulate. Use them for flights, upgrades, car rentals, and hotel accommodations (with flights typically offering the highest value for redemption).

Regrettably, Citi has removed the majority of the travel and shopping protection perks that were available on almost all of their credit cards.

Furthermore, the MileUp card imposes a 3% fee on foreign transactions, making it less ideal for international travel. You might want to look into cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees instead.

The discounts on inflight concessions can be a pleasant benefit if you find yourself needing to buy a snack or meal while flying. For example, a family of four with two round-trip flights per year could save $40 annually by purchasing a $10 sandwich per person in each direction using the MileUp card. This is quite advantageous for a card that doesn’t charge an annual fee.

Accruing miles with the AAdvantage MileUp program

Here’s what you can anticipate earning on your purchases with the MileUp card:

• Earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on qualifying purchases with American Airlines.
• Receive 2 miles for every dollar spent at grocery stores and grocery delivery services.
• 1 mile earned for every dollar spent on all other purchases

Consider using the MileUp card for your daily grocery expenses and eligible American Airlines purchases. However, keep in mind that there are many other cards that offer attractive rewards rates for grocery shopping. Note that, similar to other issuers, Citi does not include discount stores and warehouse clubs in its grocery store bonus rate.

Similar: Top credit cards for grocery shopping.

Using miles for rewards with the AAdvantage MileUp card

As a cobranded credit card for an airline, the miles you earn can be redeemed exclusively for travel with American Airlines and its affiliated partners. Additionally, your points can be utilized with Oneworld alliance members and other non-alliance partners, including Etihad, Air Tahiti Nui, and Japan Airlines.

Additionally, you have the option to use American miles on:

• Flight upgrades
• Admirals Club memberships
• Merchandise
• Rental cars
• Hotel stays
• Charities

Nonetheless, redeeming points for non-flight options usually results in a low redemption value.

Miles accumulated on the MileUp card will not expire as long as you either earn or redeem them within a 24-month period. This is beneficial if you are planning a significant trip in the future. Although we advise against hoarding points (since they can lose value at any moment), you can spend years accumulating AAdvantage miles and redeem them whenever you wish, provided you occasionally use the card.

Related: The top ways to use American Airlines AAdvantage miles.

Which cards rival the AAdvantage MileUp card?

As previously stated, there are numerous choices available for entry-level rewards credit cards. This includes a variety of options from AA’s own range of Citi cards, as well as those offered through a cobranded partnership with Barclays.

Related: The top credit cards for travel rewards

The details for the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select card have been independently gathered by The Points Guy. The information on this page has neither been reviewed nor supplied by the card issuer.

Is the AAdvantage MileUp card worth it?

The AA MileUp card may not be ideal if you’re seeking benefits such as a free checked bag or priority boarding. Nevertheless, if you can overlook these perks and are dedicated to accumulating AAdvantage miles, or if you reside near an American Airlines hub, this card may serve as a beneficial introductory rewards card.

Here are some top travel credit cards for beginners.

Bottom line

If you’re looking to gain status and miles more quickly with American Airlines, the MileUp card might be an excellent choice. Since it doesn’t have an annual fee, it’s ideal for individuals who don’t travel frequently enough to warrant such a cost. Additionally, the AAdvantage MileUp card offers a competitive earnings rate for grocery and American Airlines purchases.

Still, if you travel with American Airlines more than a few times annually, or if you’re looking for a card with more valuable perks or travel benefits, there are superior alternatives available.

Related: The top credit cards for American Airlines travelers