How to transfer credit card points to American Airlines AAdvantage

Last updated October 20, 2026 · By Kyle Burrows

AAdvantage is American Airlines' program. You can use the miles on American and on oneworld partners such as British Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways, and American doesn't charge a fee to change or cancel an award.

The catch is getting miles in. Among the big US card programs, only Citi transfers to AAdvantage. If you have Amex, Chase, Capital One, Bilt or Wells Fargo points, you can still fly American with them, just through another program. British Airways Avios (guide here) and Alaska Atmos Rewards (guide here) both book American flights.

Which bank points transfer to American

Bank points	Ratio	How long it takes
Citi ThankYou	1:1 on Strata Premier, Strata Elite and Prestige. 1,000 to 700 on no-annual-fee cards such as Strata, Double Cash and Custom Cash.	Often within a day, but it can take a few business days.

Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One, Bilt and Wells Fargo don't transfer to American. Bilt used to, but that ended in 2024.

A few Citi details matter here:

Your card sets the ratio. If you hold a Strata Premier or Strata Elite as well as a no-fee Citi card, combine them into one ThankYou account and the whole balance transfers at 1:1. Check the ratio on screen before you confirm.
AT&T cards from Citi can't transfer to American, not even the AT&T Access More, which gets 1:1 to other Citi partners. Neither can the Citi ThankYou Mastercard on its own. Both still transfer to other Citi partners.
Points move in blocks of 1,000. The minimum is 1,000.

Banks sometimes run short transfer bonuses. Check the transfer screen on the day you move points instead of trusting an old article.

Before you move any points

Open a free AAdvantage account at aa.com if you don't have one. Your AAdvantage number is in your account.
Make the names match. Citi says the first and last name on your ThankYou account and your AAdvantage account must match. Use the name on your passport, with no nicknames.
Find the flight first. Search aa.com while logged in and confirm the seats and the price before you transfer. Transfers can't be undone, and a submitted Citi transfer can't be cancelled.
Hold the award if you can. American lets you hold most awards for a day when you book 7 to 331 days before departure. That gives you time to transfer from Citi and come back to pay. Inside 6 days of departure there's no hold, so you have to have the miles already. Some partner airlines get shorter holds.

How to transfer Citi points to American

Sign in at thankyou.com.
Find Points Transfer (it has been under More Ways to Redeem) and choose American Airlines AAdvantage.
The first time, enter your AAdvantage number.
Enter the amount in 1,000-point blocks. Look at the ratio Citi shows. If it says 700 miles per 1,000 points and you have a Strata Premier or Strata Elite, stop and combine your accounts first.
Review and submit. Keep the confirmation.

Check that the miles arrived

Log in at aa.com and check the miles balance in your account. If nothing has shown up after a business day or two, check the transfer history on thankyou.com for the member number and name you used. Don't send a second transfer while the first is still pending. If you put an award on hold, keep an eye on the clock. The hold won't wait for a slow transfer.

How to book the award on aa.com

Sign in at aa.com.
In the booking box, tick Redeem miles. Without it you'll see cash prices.
Enter your airports, dates and number of travelers. Awards open 331 days before departure and can be booked up to 2 hours before.
Pick your flights. Partner airlines show up in the same results, and you can filter by airline on the Choose flights page. Check the operating airline on every leg, not just the flight number.
Check the cabin on every leg. A trip sold as business can include an economy connection.
Hold the reservation if you're still waiting on miles, or continue to pay.
Enter each traveler's name, date of birth and gender exactly as on the passport. You can book an award for someone else, but the name goes on when the ticket is issued and can't be changed later.
Pay the taxes and fees by card, and save the confirmation code and ticket number.

If two people are each using their own AAdvantage miles, that's two separate bookings.

Taxes and partner charges

Awards on American's own flights come with taxes and fees. Some partners add more. American names British Airways and Iberia as two that add charges, and the amount depends on the route and cabin. Before you transfer for a British Airways flight, look at the full cash amount on aa.com. It can be a lot higher than you expect.

Changes and cancellations

American doesn't charge a change fee on award tickets. If the new flight costs more miles or taxes, you pay the difference.
You can cancel online at aa.com before your first flight leaves. The miles go back to your account and eligible taxes go back to your card, up to a year after you bought the ticket.
Trips with partner airlines, trips that have already started, and tickets that have been changed may need a call to American Reservations to get the miles back.
Once you've flown part of an award, the unused part isn't reinstated. If you miss the flight without cancelling, the miles are gone.

Free changes make American a forgiving program. If you're unsure about dates, book, and cancel before departure if plans move.

Do AAdvantage miles expire?

Yes, if the account sits still. Miles expire after 24 months with no earning or redeeming activity, and any qualifying activity extends all your miles another 24 months. Two groups are exempt: primary holders of an AAdvantage credit card (for as long as the card is open) and members under 21 with a birth date in their profile. Your account shows the earliest date your miles could expire, so check it if you're holding miles.

Mistakes I see most

Transferring at 700 per 1,000 by accident. Combine your Citi accounts first if you have a Strata Premier or Strata Elite.
Skipping the hold. If the award can be held, hold it before you transfer.
Not noticing a partner flight. A flight sold under an American flight number may be run by a partner, and partner trips have their own quirks, including calls to cancel.
Booking a British Airways flight without checking the cash part.

Sources I checked

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