How to Reinstate American Airline Miles
Collecting frequent flyer miles is easy, but getting unused award ticket miles or expired miles back into your account can take some effort and be expensive. American Airlines has rules regarding both scenarios.
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Things You'll Need
- Previous mileage statements or unused award tickets
- Frequent flyer number
- American Airlines toll-free number: (800) 882-8880
Instructions
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To reinstate unused award tickets, gather the information from your award ticket. You'll need the ticket number, the itinerary and your frequent flyer number. You may also find the ticket number on your itinerary. Remember, mileage from partially used award tickets cannot be reinstated. Reinstating the ticket will cost $150. If you have additional tickets, those can be reinstated for a $25 fee. (See Reference 1.)
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To reinstate expired miles, collect your previous mileage statements. If you don't have them, you can get a detailed account of your mileage activity by logging in to your account at American's website, www.aa.com. Any miles that expired after Dec. 31, 2002, can be reinstated. You will pay $50 per 5,000 miles, plus a 7.5 percent excise tax. There is also a $30 processing fee. This deal is only good until Dec. 31, 2009. (See Reference 2.)
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Check your account after 72 hours to make sure your miles have been redeposited. Check your credit card statement to make sure you have been charged the correct fees.
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Tips & Warnings
It is generally accepted that each frequent flyer mile is worth 2 cents. Do the math to find out if redepositing the miles makes financial sense. Ask the agent if the fees can be waived or reduced. If you fly a lot with American, you might be successful.
Do the math and figure out the fees before you call, and make sure the agent confirms the amount of the charge. Keep an eye on the expiration date of your current miles. You usually will not be notified if your miles are about to expire. Keep your miles from expiring by making a mileage-earning transaction at least once every 18 months.
