In the American Airlines AAdvantage program, many travelers seek methods to earn American miles for award flights. Additionally, a lot of these travelers aim to accumulate Loyalty Points, which can help them achieve a particular elite status tier or Loyalty Point Rewards milestone with American Airlines.
Fortunately, U.S. residents with a Mastercard can earn both American miles and Loyalty Points through everyday purchases by participating in the SimplyMiles program. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is SimplyMiles?
The SimplyMiles program functions similarly to Amex Offers, Chase Offers, and Citi Merchant Offers, allowing users to enroll in offers to earn rewards. Unlike the specific credit card merchant offers that require enrolling a particular card, SimplyMiles gives you the flexibility to pay with any linked Mastercard after you’ve opted into an offer.
To get started with SimplyMiles, visit the SimplyMiles website and select the “Join” link located in the top right corner. Log into your American AAdvantage account and link at least one Mastercard to your SimplyMiles account. It’s advisable to add all your Mastercards to ensure that you maximize your earning potential.
Related: Best ways to use American Airlines AAdvantage miles
Engaging with American Airlines SimplyMiles
Once you are enrolled, routinely check the SimplyMiles website for available offers. Offers may vary, with some rewarding a certain number of miles based on your spending, while others award a fixed amount after you reach a specific spending threshold with a merchant.
As you browse these offers, you can activate any that interest you by clicking “Activate offer.” Note that some offers may only be redeemable online or in-store, while others might require you to access them through a specific link or apply to certain purchases only. Be sure to review each offer’s terms before making any purchases.
Typically, I find various offers available, ranging from meal delivery services to tech companies and wine services. You can keep track of the offers you’ve activated at the bottom of your SimplyMiles dashboard.
When you make eligible purchases using a linked card in your SimplyMiles account, you’re typically rewarded with AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points. Some offers might only grant bonus miles or Loyalty Points. After each eligible transaction, you’ll receive an email with the subject line “Thank you for using your SimplyMiles offer.”
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You can also monitor your earnings by selecting “My activity” at the top of the webpage. When the page loads, scroll down to the “Activity details” section and expand the “SimplyMiles transaction history” to view your latest earnings.
Miles are typically credited to your account within 10 to 15 business days after your purchase. However, it may take up to 30 business days in some cases for your earnings to reflect.
Related: AAdvantage Dining program: Accumulate American miles and Loyalty Points at local eateries
Maximizing Your Earnings
Utilizing the SimplyMiles program to earn American Airlines miles and Loyalty Points is a smart move. The program’s terms and conditions specify that “Offers cannot be combined or stacked with offers from other programs.” Nonetheless, there are occasions when you might still stack offers.
For instance, you may combine multiple earning methods for a single purchase made with an enrolled Mastercard in SimplyMiles:
- SimplyMiles rewards
- Shopping portal rebates
- Credit card rewards
For this triple stack to work, the merchant must be part of SimplyMiles (without requiring a specific link) and a shopping portal. Imagine I’m purchasing accessories from Dell Technologies.
Currently, the SimplyMiles portal offers 2 miles and 2 Loyalty Points per dollar spent for eligible purchases at Dell using a linked Mastercard, with a cap of 3,485 miles and 3,485 Loyalty Points for this offer.
I could use a linked Citi AAdvantage card to earn 1 mile per dollar on my purchase from Dell Technologies, and the AAdvantage eShopping portal would grant me 3.5 miles per dollar spent on Dell accessories.
You might also be interested in stacking a Citi Merchant Offers deal. However, currently, stacking most SimplyMiles offers with Citi Merchant Offers is no longer permitted. Generally, once you enroll in a Citi Merchant Offer, the corresponding merchant tends to be removed from SimplyMiles. Additionally, activating a SimplyMiles offer first typically leads to its removal if you then enroll in a Citi Merchant Offer. Therefore, be cautious about enrolling in conflicting Citi Merchant Offers if your goal is to maximize your SimplyMiles earnings.
Related: My journey toward achieving AAdvantage Platinum Pro elite status instead of AAdvantage Executive Platinum
Conclusion
There’s a wealth of opportunities to earn AAdvantage miles and Loyalty Points. Utilizing the AAdvantage eShopping portal, along with American Airlines credit cards, can help you stack up miles and status, even if you’re not a frequent flyer.
The SimplyMiles program is an excellent resource for enhancing your miles and Loyalty Points while shopping. With a variety of merchants, ranging from gas stations to apparel and luggage delivery services, SimplyMiles has something for everyone. Be sure to check back regularly to not miss any newly added offers, ensuring you maximize your earnings.
