American Airlines holds firm on AAdvantage mileage expiration policy

American Airlines maintains its policy on AAdvantage miles expiration, despite differing practices among other major U.S. carriers. While Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus, and Southwest Rapid Rewards members enjoy miles that never expire, American Airlines imposes a 24-month expiration period for inactive accounts.

In a recent earnings call, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom addressed the possibility of adopting a "miles never expire" policy like its competitors. "We're constantly looking at ways to better engage our customers not only from a loyalty perspective, but also from a value perspective," Isom stated. He emphasized the current value of AAdvantage miles compared to other airlines, noting that "you take a look at any type of assessment of the value of a mile on American Airlines, versus anyone else, and you'll see that we absolutely generate more value for our customers."

According to The Points Guy's November 2024 valuations, AAdvantage miles are valued at approximately 1.6 cents per mile—higher than those offered by Delta (1.2 cents), United (1.35 cents), Southwest (1.4 cents), Alaska Airlines (1.4 cents), and JetBlue (1.3 cents).