The Miles I Earned and the Excitement that Followed on my American Airlines Miles Credit Card

 

I was never one of those people who cared about the extra stuff you get with a credit card. I just used them for what they were designed for, purchasing the items I wanted. But, all that changed when we decided to go on vacation. My husband told me to look into how many miles we had on our credit card, and I was genuinely confused. I didn’t remember that we had miles in the first place, let alone where to look up how many. I was amazed when I logged onto the American Airlines website.

They actually give you money to fly!

Of course, I had heard of programs like these, but I never thought about them. We hadn’t gone on a real vacation in years, so flying just wasn’t something that was on my radar. But now, with our first trip since before the kids were born coming up, it was time to think about things like this. Ticket prices were more than we expected – things sure do change in almost nine years – and getting a little help would be much appreciated right about now. American Airlines provides more than just a little help. They make traveling a snap.

 

Here’s what I found out when I logged in:

• Each of us would get our first bags checked for free as long as they meet the weight requirement. They offer the first-bag-free option for up to four people.

• As car members, we can get on the plane first! I’ve always wanted to be part of Group 1.

• Even when we use miles, we get more miles! They give 10 percent of the miles you use back up to 10,000 miles every year!

• You can get 2 AAdvantage miles for every $1 you spend on an AA purchase and 1 point per $1 spent on everything else.

• Get a 25 percent discount on in-flight food and beverages when you use the AAdvantage credit card.

 

I couldn’t believe my eyes! So, every time I went shopping for the stuff we needed for the trip, or the groceries for the week, or the fun zone the kids like to play in, or the movie that everyone just had to see the day it came out, I earned points that would help me fly to our Caribbean vacation. Who knew?

After seeing that, the kids and I made a point to use the American Airlines miles credit card every time we did anything. It was great knowing that I was buying something we needed or wanted and earning points that would get us to our family vacation at the same time. Dinner out? Check! Gas to zoom here and there? Check! My husband started to get a little worried, but when I told him about the benefits, he got on-board too. We used the card to buy all the stuff we were going to buy anyway, but now to our benefit.

He couldn’t believe when I told him we had earned enough for a free ticket to St. Croix! He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face when I told him that we would get 10 percent of the points back when we use the points for the flight. I blew his mind completely when I told him we would be getting 2 points for every dollar we spent to buy the tickets too. He took us on a day-long family celebration, including a drive to the city, museum-hopping and dinner, all on our new favorite card.

I’m sold. I tell everyone who will listen about what the American Airlines miles credit card can do for them. It just makes sense. If you like to travel or want to see what it’s like one day, just use the card and rack up points. When you’re ready to fly, go to the America Airlines website and log-in with your frequent flyer ID and password. Then, search for a flight. Be sure to click redeem points before starting your search. When the flight comes up, it will show you the total points needed to fly and how many points you actually have. What’s really cool about this program is that if you are a little short on miles, you can buy miles to get you to the reward level you are looking for. This way, you never have to miss out.

 

I’m so glad I found the American Airlines miles card. It not only helped us save money on our flight, it renewed our interest in traveling. Now, we’re able to show our kids the world, and we have American Airlines to thank.